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Archives for June 2016

Little Green Workshops – End of Year Update

June 29, 2016 @ 20:40 By Gavin Webber 5 Comments

Many of you may know that Kim and I run a small home based green business called Little Green Workshops.  We teach cheese, cold processed soap, soy candle, and bath soak & scrub courses at our local community centre.  We also sell kits, supplies, and gifts for anyone who is not close by.

We got the inspiration to start this venture because many of you asked for more information about how we make and do some of the things we perform on a weekly basis, living a more sustainable lifestyle here in the ‘burbs.

Many of you may be wondering how it is all going.  Well let me give you an End of Year update.

This financial year (1 July 2015 – 30 June 2016) we clocked up the following stats;

  • Workshops taught: 27
  • Private Classes: 6
  • Students attended: 247
  • Website page views: 180,355
  • Website orders dispatched: 650
  • Countries shipped to: 6
  • YouTube Videos Tutorials created: 36
  • YouTube views: 815,331
Gavin and Kim

Gavin and Kim

We are pleased with these statistics, especially when it is only our 1st full year and 20 months of operation.  We are also very proud of what we have achieved so far and are seeing sustainable growth month on month (besides the Christmas spike).

You know I’m a fairly modest bloke, but it’s taken a lot of hard work to get where we are today.

They say that many small business tank in the first five years due to debt overload and other factors.  We haven’t taken out loans or borrowed to support the business.

I’m one who believes that debt is a form of slavery in disguise, so we have avoided this as we’ve started up.  And because of it, we sleep better at night!

Thankfully due to the low startup cost of setting up and maintaining an eCommerce presence on the Internet, and in part this blog and our YouTube channels, we have been able to reach a wider audience of students than we would normally have been able to.  Students who are keen to learn and create their own sustainable products, knowing exactly what goes into them and keeping it all natural.

We also began regular shipping to five new countries besides Australia this year due to demand; New Zealand, Canada, United Kingdom, United States, Ireland, and South Africa.

Little Green Workshops - end of year update

Click Through to the Shop!

All in all we are ecstatic that we’ve kept managed to our core green values in every business decision we make.  Sustainably sourced packaging, avoid single use products and plastic, run a carbon neutral worksite and websites, and sell products where others can make and do instead of just consume.

So as a special thank you and a gift for you, and to share in the success that you have helped to create, we have just launched a limited two-day sale over at Little Green Workshops, offering 10% off all products (excluding course bookings).  Sale ends at 2359 hr (midnight) 30th June 2016 Australian Eastern Time.

You can use the coupon code in bold below in your cart or checkout to apply the discount;

eofysale2016

Thank you once again for reading, watching, and listening to our blog posts, podcasts, and videos during the last 12 months and following our sustainable living journey.

Without you regularly visiting this site, I would still be a conspicuous consumer, unmotivated to strive to be greener, stuck in the rat race, plodding through life in misery.

By being able to share our sustainable living journey with you, I’ve given myself permission to live, love, and enjoy life to the fullest!

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Filed Under: Little Green Workshops, skills, Sustainable Living

Quick Inverter Update

June 28, 2016 @ 20:43 By Gavin Webber 3 Comments

We had a solar electrician visit on Sunday to check out our inverter issue with our Solar PV system.

He tested the voltage from the array, which was fine and the grid voltage which was also fine.  So at least there is nothing wrong with the panels and wiring.

It looks like the main controller within the inverter itself is faulty.  If it’s not under warranty, may cost a bit if they can even get the part for such an old model.

Gavin Webber turning on Fronius-I30 inverter

Fronius IG-30 Inverter when I first turned it on in 2007!

Also, he mentioned that if they cannot find the part it needs, then the inverter will have to be replaced.  This means I may have to foot the cost of a new inverter as well as rewiring and new isolation switches as well because the electrical regulations have changed since I got the system installed.

Pretty ordinary news all round.  Just waiting for news back from the installer to see what our options are.  I will update you know when I know more.

So much fun (not), and we have gone back into energy efficiency mode here at home to save more on our power bill.  Fingers crossed that we can get the solar PV back up and running soon.

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Filed Under: energy efficiency, Energy Matter, Photovoltaic, renewable energy, Solar Power

How to Plant Garlic

June 26, 2016 @ 12:58 By Gavin Webber Leave a Comment

Planting garlic is also easy that it’s criminal if you don’t give it a go.  So in this post let’s learn how to plant garlic!

In my climate zone, (heat zone 4, cold zone 10), I plant just after the first full moon in May or June.  I find that the soil is still just cool enough so that the garlic shoots quickly and gets a good start.

When I plant garlic, I source the bulbs from a good seed supplier, in my case, the Diggers Club.  This year I bought a variety pack of three types of garlic;  Tassie Purple, Dunganski, and Lokalen.

When preparing the bed for planting, don’t add any fertiliser to the bed if you did so in the summer. You will get more leaves and smaller bulbs. Plant the garlic in a bed that you had a very hungry crop before hand, like Brassica or tomatoes.  But make sure that you add some organic fertilizer as a top-dressing in spring to give them a boost.

Check out the video I made to show you how to plant garlic; https://youtu.be/-Oe3-ABuD6M


Make a hole with your dibber (I use a bit of old sawn off broom handle or my index finger) about 2″ deep (5 cm) and then place each clove in the hold pointy end facing upwards. Plant them about 6″ (15 cm) apart, so that you get good-sized bulbs. The closer they are to each other the smaller the bulbs.

How to plant garlic; Planting Australian Purple Garlic

Don’t backfill until all your garlic cloves are in the soil. You will lose sight of where you planted them otherwise!

Backfill the holes and water well. Within about 4-6 days they will send up the first green shoots through the soil. All you need to do is keep the soil moist for the rest of the season, and keep the bed weed free.

Easy peasy!  If you haven’t grown garlic before, why not try it this year.  It’s not too late!

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Filed Under: Gardening, Gardening Videos, How To, Organic, vegetables

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About Gavin Webber

About Gavin Webber

An Ordinary Australian Man Who Has A Green Epiphany Whilst Watching A Documentary, Gets a Hybrid Car, Plants A Large Organic Vegetable Garden, Goes Totally Solar, Lowers Consumption, Feeds Composts Bins and Worms, Harvests Rainwater, Raises Chickens, Makes Cheese and Soap, and Eats Locally. All In The Effort To Reduce Our Family's Carbon Footprint So We Can Start Making A Difference For Our Children & Future Generations To Come.

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Podcast Reviews

  • Always inspiring and entertaining!
    August 4, 2016 by floriographer from Australia

    I've crowed about Gavin's podcast before but I just have to recommend it once again - I love that he shares his learning as well as his successes - it helps the rest of us try try try again! Thanks Gavin!

  • ms
    July 22, 2016 by Ketaea12 from New Zealand

    I really enjoy listening to Gavin, he has a kind lovely voice. He covers some great relevant topics for the everyday greenie. With lots of tips or how to or what not to do. Thanks Gavin, love it!!

  • Well worth your time to tune in
    October 23, 2015 by A Vision Splendid from Australia

    I can highly recommend Gavin’s podcast ! I have followed Gavin’s blog since the very beginning and have loved to see his journey unfold. Gavin has a lovely speaking voice so this podcast is always very easy to listen to. Gavin has a very authentic approach to his green living lifestyle. He shares the ups and downs but always provides motivation and practical steps that we can all implement.

  • very good
    June 28, 2015 by Scared pax from United Kingdom

    This is a great podcast if you want to improve your life in so many aspects and become a more sustainable person. I love the soothing voice, the good pace, and it contains lots of useful information. Recommended!

  • opened my eyes
    May 25, 2015 by Gorn4lyfe from Australia

    A wonderful show!

  • Inspiring
    April 30, 2015 by Alan Whelan from Ireland

    This is a great podcast if you're looking for practical info on saving money by living more sustainably from someone who's made that journey over the last few years. Told in a nice, easy conversational style

  • Green Living, inspiring and practical
    January 8, 2015 by EliseMac from Australia

    Thanks Gav for sharing what has (and hasn't) worked along your journey for living a greener lifestyle. Inspiring and achievable for anyone, I look forward to this podcast weekly.

  • Local food equals less waste
    December 27, 2014 by allotmentadventureswithjean from Australia

    Another brilliant podcast from Gavin Webber encouraging us, and showing us how, to cut down on food miles, growing our own food, and cutting down on food waste. Gavin is a really interesting speaker, showing us how to eat better, growing our own food and how to live more sustainably.

  • Honestly australian
    December 15, 2014 by HodgepodgeOz from Australia

    Fantastic podcast, with a wide variety of well thought and researched topics. Gavin is a honest, forthright pod aster with a genuine interest in helping others get green. Like a day alongside is a day wasted, so too is a week without listening to Gavin. Highly recommended for people starting out, or those in the midst of their new lifestyle. Keep it up Gavin, wish there were more great reviews! Kimberley

  • Morning motivation
    December 8, 2014 by Bunnyworm from Australia

    Gavin has a great passion for living this greener lifestyle that motivates others to do the same. The podcasts are always interesting and informative. :)

  • Passionate Advocate
    October 18, 2014 by BoomOpGirl from Australia

    Gavin's enthusiasm and passion for creating a more sustainable world is nothing short of contagious. Thanks Gav, you are my weekly source of motivation for living a sustainable life! :)

  • Gavin speaks from the heart
    October 13, 2014 by Green gavin from Australia

    Gavin's podcasts are required listening for anyone planning to live a more sustainable life. He doesn't preach, but tells you his story from the heart. You'll laugh, smile, share in his concerns and along the way you'll pick up some great tips on living a simple life.

  • Green thoughts, so well iterated
    October 9, 2014 by Kwasikwami from Australia

    This is a wonderful podcast. Not only does Gavin talk knowledgeably on a range of sustainability topics from gardening tips all the way to the issues facing humanity as a whole, but he does so in such a wonderful voice, it's like listening to my Dad, love it!!

  • Easy listening inspiration on being green
    September 24, 2014 by Broomedy from Australia

    Gav knows how to share his journey to a more sustainable life in a manner that shows just how easy it really is. Not to mention healthier, economically beneficial and generally rewarding. The podcasts are an easy way to absorb Gav's great lifestyle. I recommend to anyone.

  • Thanks Gavin!
    August 31, 2014 by Honeywoodmilk from Australia

    Great practical advice for a greener lifestyle. This podcast is for anybody interested in growing their own food in suburbia, saving electricity, brewing beer, making cheese, all that wonderful business and most of all, saving money! Thanks Gavin, love the podcast mate!

  • Enjoyed those ideas for staying warm
    August 15, 2014 by enduringdragon from United States

    Like you we are having winter here in Chile—brrr! Every bit we can save on heating we will.

  • Green Podcasts
    July 26, 2014 by Carneu from Australia

    Excellent podcasts, which are full of information to help get started on a sustainable lifestyle.

  • Practical ideas and inspiration
    July 19, 2014 by HeathrowHeath from Australia

    I highly recommend Gavin's podcast and blog. Down to earth, entertaining and inspirational. Thank you.

  • Interesting & easy to listen to
    April 27, 2014 by Velocity3 from New Zealand

    Gavin & his guests make this green journey lots of fun.

  • Great green listen
    April 18, 2014 by Obscurenickname from Australia

    Gavin is a great down to earth, tell it like it is aussie with a passion for sustainability and growing food and making cheese

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