PLastic Free July………taking the challenge one step further.
I love the idea of plastic free July and how it has captured the imagination of so many people. Things really are starting to change, and in our small community of Margaret River more and more people are thinking seriously about the choices they make in their lives and how it affects the planet.
For me July was planned to be a month off, a month on the farm with nothing else to do except to love and look after this beautiful place, my relationship and my animals. I was totally oblivious to the “Plastic Free July” movement I’m afraid to say, and even when I first heard of it I thought it was a local thing. Anyway I’m aware now that is a fantastic global movement and everyone is getting on board (we are even hosting the local launch right here on June 30).
I find going shopping stressful to say the least, “is it local?”, “is it organic?”, “Australian made”, “GM free”, “plastic wrapped ?”, “Fair Trade?”, for someone that wants to do the right thing there’s a helluva lot of decisions to make, then “do I drive my car in?” which I’m afraid I do just a little too often these days.
So the combination of a month off and Plastic Free July led me to make a whole new challenge….”Live off the Land July”
Here’s my guidelines to myself
Eat food that we have grown here on the farm
Swap and barter with neighbors
Ride my bike and my horse only for transport
Cook only using wood (grown on the farm)
Use only hot water from the wood stove or compost shower
I think my diet is still going to be way more diverse than 90% of the worlds population, but I think I’m probably going to be searching for carbohydrates. Keeping in mind that I didn’t plan for this months in advance I have not been planting to feed myself.
What I do have……abundant greens, citrus, stored pumpkins, some root crops (beetroots, turnips, leeks), olive oil, some eggs (if the chooks would lay), honey and a little frozen beef and pork from last year. I also have things like edible canna (never very tasty but plenty of it and it’s a carb), heaps of guildford grass (which I’ve never tried but apparently the bulbs are good). If a cow drops a calf and all goes well I will have milk products to.
What I don’t have……..grain (thats the big one)! tea, coffee, chocolate
If a special, organic, fair trade, paper wrapped chocolate parcel arrived in the mail from a good friend in Ecuador I would not turn it away …..I’m not that crazy!
To follow my month go to my Localvore page
Hi Jodie
What a wonderful idea, except I think you are very brave trying in winter – I would only try it when the zucchini were out.
I am trying to grow some wheat, so maybe next year I could swap some homeground flour for some olive oil or honey :-)
Cath
yes Cath the whole “grain” thing is an interesting issue…….would love to trade some if you succeed
Well done “Glueroo” (lol) and best of luck, are we aloud to drop in special survival packs, if they are wrapped in brown paper bags?
Cheers Sandy Winkle and family xxx
Thanks Sandy you know I’m really looking forward to it………might make me slow down a bit and get with the rhythm of the land………love you to drop in, survival pack or not xx
I should take up this wonderful challenge too. We have some carbs Jodie ( carobs, dried and bottled fruit and juice, (yes some fermented))
then there is jerusalem artichokes ( about as exciting as canna) chokos (same deal)…but wait there’s more: avocados and bacon, salami, walnuts macas and pecans. We have to hope frost doesnt get our spuds and we will make it through July without losing an ounce. Unless I ride over to swap you something for ollve oil and honey. Could meet you in Rosa Glen?
Oh Bee I’m just loving this whole thing already! that’d be great fun if you did it to…. I’d have to get my pony fit if we were going to swap, or maybe we would go via other friends (is that allowed??) it just makes me think of how people used to do it in the thousands of years leading up to this little spec in history……and gee they didn’t have internet to make the plans