Ethical, mindful living – what does this mean to us?
- Moving away from supporting factory farmed animals. Reducing the amount of meat that we eat, and getting our own meat humanely killed on our own property.
- Reducing all waste and composting organic waste. Being mindful of avoiding over packaged goods. Reusing and recycling.
- Not over stocking the land with stock. Rotating pastures. Rotating crops. Resting over-grazed pasture. Having enough land to support this.
- Avoiding dangerous chemicals/insecticides/herbicides. Opting for natural pest deterrents. Eg; physical barriers to protect crops (nets, greenhouses) cats to control mice, companion planting of vegetables, drums for grain and horse feed etc.
- Keeping bees!
- Planning meals so there is no over-supply of food at the end of the week, and minimal food gets wasted.
- Only buying food/produce locally, avoiding the big supermarkets (Coles, Woolies) which have a history of ripping off the little guy.
- Avoid buying cheap milk, because ultimately it’s the dairy farmers who lose out.
- Consider getting a herd guarding breed of dog to protect the chickens from foxes.
- Planting trees on barren land. And lots of them. The benefit of having trees on your land is immeasurable
- Having an eco friendly home. No air-conditioning. Well insulated. Large eaves. Large outdoor living area. North facing. Large shade trees. Wood fire or slow combustion fireplace for the cold winter nights. Cut down dead trees on the property for firewood (save heating costs using resources already available).
To sum up, our ultimate goal is to have space and lots of it, to be able to give up our “day jobs” and be able to earn income from doing what we love, keeping in mind our vision of self sufficient living and sustainable, ethical and eco friendly animal and land management.