Foodies opportunity

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The number of projects and events being developed and run locally with a 'foodie' theme is exciting. From the Farmers' Market to Street Harvest, food security to community & school gardens, there's lots going on and even more planned.

For example, did you know the Hume Murray Farmers' Market now has a fortnightly newsletter and that community groups can have a stall at the market (on a rotated basis) to promote their group? Or that the people who brought us the movie "Food Inc." last year are working on presenting "Fresh" early next year? Or that there are now 15 community gardens in Albury Wodonga.

So good on the "foodies" who have set up an email list so that different foodie groups, as well as individuals, can keep up to date with all that's happening. Click the picture for a full sized view of their flyer.

If you're interested in any aspect of food locally, getting your name added to their distribution list will ensure you're up on all the news and events. For more info or to be added, email Fiona Hughes - fhughes@gatewaycommunityhealth.org.au.

Tackling the big stuff, a little at a time

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For me, a lot of what I do comes down to systems and habits. That is, putting in place what I need to be able to do something and/or making a concerted effort to do it for long enough that it becomes part of my routine.

A simple example would be our bin set up in the kitchen which is the 'system' to ensure our waste gets disposed of in our preferred ways - compost/chooks/worms; recyclables; general rubbish. There are any number of ways this system could be configured - what's important is that it works for us. So, it needs to be unobtrusive, hold organic waste without odour between empties, fit in our small kitchen and so on. It overcomes the barrier that the alternative - taking individual items to the desired outside location every time – is too much hassle so you don’t do it, or throw everything in the rubbish instead.

Of course I also tweak the systems to keep improving them. And, at a rather magic point (the research says it's after doing something around 21 times) it becomes a habit and incorporated into 'what you do' rather than being something you have to work at. I'm sure you can think of plenty examples - an amazing amount of the things we do are habit-based.  We do them virtually on auto-pilot. The trick is to keep updating the software for the auto-pilot (sorry, poor analogy). I have lots of good habits, I'm sure you do too. In fact, it can be interesting when you come across someone who doesn't have a system or habit that you do and you wonder why! But there's also always room to improve or to add more good habits.

So I'm trying to schedule time and energy to regularly review and improve my systems and habits. I am often tempted to think I'll get to it some other time, when I'm less busy, but the reality is that left until 'later', it just won't happen. I'm also inspired by the many people, blogs and websites out there with ideas, tools and stories of others' efforts. It's not necessarily about inventing the wheel, it's choosing the right wheel for you!

Indeed, there are whole campaigns that encourage people to try some of these things. A favorite at the moment is 'Slow Sunday'. It encourages families to do things that are less fossil fuel-reliant, together, one day of the week. Picnics, cycling, and board games are all in. Madly dashing from sports events to play dates and the shopping centre, all by car, and turning to junk food for sustenance is out. Read more about it here (Australian Conservation Foundation) or here (Resurgence in the UK, who have had different themes for their Slow Sundays).

If scheduling a slow down once a week (or having a vegetarian day once a week for carnivores - see Meatless Monday; or taking part in St Vinnie's 'Buy Nothing New' month in October) doesn't sound serious enough for you, you probably aren't someone these ideas are aimed at. Indeed, perhaps you already do all these things, and more, almost always!?. But for many of us, there seems to be just so much going on it's hard to find the time to understand the issues let alone incorporate change into our ways. These types of 'challenges' if you will, are a way to introduce yourself to the issues, pick some areas to change, and incorporate them into your life, rather than give up before you even start because it's all too hard. As ever, sustainability is an ongoing journey. There are plenty of good habits we each already have, there are more we can try, and when they become the norm, we'll move on the next ones.

So, step one at the Little House on the Hill, is reintroducing some of those would-be habits that have fallen by the wayside with recent busy-ness. Hmm, which systems and habits can help me spend more time in the veg patch and on the bike in spring? Gee those will be tough – I reckon I'm up for those 'challenges'!

Sustainable House Day, Wodonga

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Sustainable House Day comes to our area again this year on Sunday 12th September. From 10am to 4pm the Border Eco Living Program will host four open houses showcasing different approaches to improving sustainability. All four homes are in Wodonga and are different to the three Albury homes that opened last year.

If you’re thinking about improving your home’s energy, water or waste management efficiency, speaking to homeowners about their own experiences is a must. Seeing real sustainable projects in action, and learning what worked well and not so well, will help save you time and money.

There will be plenty of information available on the day, including from the householders themselves, brochures from sponsors, and local community groups on hand at many of the homes to provide you with tips on sustainable living.

There are sure to be many inspirational ideas to adapt to your home. When else can you visit an earth sheltered home, a home made from Styrocon, a home where the electricity bill is in credit and another where they’ve made running their pool cheaper and more environmentally friendly, all in Wodonga on the same day? There are plenty of other features to check out as well.

Entry to the houses is free. For house locations and more details visit www.sustainablehouseday.com/victoria.php and scroll down to the Wodonga houses. More detail can be found via the ‘info sheet’ link for each home. Or click on the photos of the homes below.

If you'd like to get into the spirit of the day, perhaps you'd like to cycle to the homes?

It's just 7.4 km to visit all four homes - that's less than driving between them, because you can take advantage of the parks, cycle paths and quieter streets. (You do need to get to the first home, and home from the last one - don't forget to add that in!). A map of a suggested route is at http://bit.ly/SHDcycle.

Visit as many or as few homes as you fancy, in the order of your choice. No booking required.

An earth sheltered home with veg growing on the roof

 Help with cooling from Willow Park, excellent solar passive & zoned

 Unit built from Styrocon, smart use of a small space, extra insulated  Solar passive, photovoltaics and reducing the energy & water requirements of a pool