The Greening of Gavin | Sustainable Living in the Suburbs

I do love talking about growing food, and I enjoy bringing you these regular updates about what is growing well and what is not.

I also have a few observations about climate and the weird things that are happening to a couple of my fruit trees.  Near the end of the show, I talk about all the veggies that you can plant right now in a temperate climate in the Southern Hemisphere.

Please join me for this suburban food farm update.

If you enjoyed the podcast, please pop over to iTunes and rate it and leave a review. You can also do the same within Stitcher Radio if you use that service. It would help me out so much and it will elevate the ratings so that others can find out about the podcast and learn about sustainable living in the ‘burbs.

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It has been a very busy week here at the house of TGOG!  This weeks show is full of news and sustainable lifestyle events.

With the article in Green Lifestyle Magazine in the latest issue, the blog has been on fire, visit wise.  It has been great to see so many new faces joining this blogs associated Facebook fan page as well, and signing up to the email list for their free copy of The Greening of Gavin eBook.

Over the weekend we had a visit from the Eastern Suburbs Permaculture Group.  Thirteen keen and excited people from the group stayed for just over 4 hours and received a presentation, a tour, and a mozzarella demonstration and tasting.

I was accepted to the Climate Reality Leadership Corps training that will occur in Melbourne from 25th to 27th June. I am really looking forward to that, and to meet Al Gore in person.

Unfortunately my blog course was cancelled due to lack of students (two signed up).  It wasn’t locally advertised much, so the learning centre is going to list it again next term.

My 50th birthday party is coming up soon.  My Dad will be coming down from Queensland, and my son Adam and his partner Sina are flying in from Germany to attend.  We are having a pizza party, using the backyard clay oven that Kim, Ben, Megan, Jake, and many others helped to build.  I have brewed three batches of beer for the event, so things will get pretty merry.

I also list Little Green Workshop course dates, which can also be found at www.littlegreenworkshops.com.au.

Ben is loving homeschooling.  I give an update of his progress during the show.

Well that is about it from me for this episode.  I hope you enjoy the ramble, and if you enjoyed the podcast, please pop over to iTunes and rate it and leave a review. You can also do the same within Stitcher Radio if you use that service.  It would help me out so much, and elevate the ratings so that others can find out about the podcast and learn about sustainable living in the ‘burbs.

You can subscribe to the show via RSS or iTunes or Stitcher for your portable device.  Just use the subscription buttons below.

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Until next time, stay green and keep keen!

Sometimes it can be difficult to gauge what an outsider thinks of our sustainable lifestyle, and how they can adapt to sustainable living in the ‘burbs.  Are we perceived as new aged hippies, or just people with a quirky outlook, or neither?

So luckily during this episode of the podcast, we get the opportunity to see if our way of living rubs off on our visitors who drop in occasionally and what they think of it.

So to that end, my special guest is Pam Dawson, my Mother-in-law.  She lives in Southampton, Hampshire, UK.  However, she has been staying here at TGoG urban farm for the past five weeks and I was interested in her opinion of how we live, what she likes best about it, what she doesn’t like, and what lessons she is taking home with her.

The chat was insightful, even though a little bit biased.  After all, she is the mother of my wife, Kim, and lovely at that.

Maybe I didn’t work her hard enough around the garden?  Seriously, I really appreciated all the help she gave us during her visit, and couldn’t thank her enough for volunteering as a guest on the show.  Thanks Pam.

So make yourself a cuppa and please take the time to have a listen to our little chat about her experience of sustainable living.  I believe you will enjoy it.

If you enjoyed the podcast, please pop over to iTunes and rate it or leave a review. You can also do the same within Stitcher Radio if you use that service.  It would help me out so much, and elevate the ratings so that others can find the podcast and learn about sustainable living in the ‘burbs.

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Until next time, stay green and keep keen!  Please thank Pam for coming on the show.

My guest this week is Stacey Warlich, who is also the President of the Melton Sustainable Living Group, and she could be classified as a green renter.  I invited Stacey on the show today to talk about green renting as she lives a sustainable lifestyle in the same town as me, but in rental accommodation here in the suburbs.

Over the years I have had many blog readers comment that they find it difficult to live a greener lifestyle because they rent. During the show Stacey busts all these myths and much, much more. She talks about how she manages to grow lots of her own fresh fruit and vegetables, and lowers her energy use with a few simple techniques.  There is even a rocket heater involved!  Talk about green renting on steroids.

I really enjoyed this interview because it was full of practical tips from someone who has lived this way for many years. I love her parting words of advice for people wanting to embrace this lifestyle, but who are living in rental accommodation. It is all about your mindset.

Please thank Stacey via comment for being my guest on the show.  It was lovely to bring her into the studio at TGoG headquarters!

If you want to learn more about green renting, there is a great resource at http://www.greenrenters.org/.  It’s full of tips and trips of greening your lifestyle, even if you rent.

If you enjoyed the podcast, please pop over to iTunes and rate it and leave a review. You can also do the same within Stitcher Radio if you use that service.  It would help me out so much, and elevate the ratings so that others can find out about this podcast and learn about sustainable living in the ‘burbs.

You can subscribe to the show via RSS or iTunes or Stitcher for your portable device.  Just use the subscription buttons below.

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Until next time, stay green and keep keen!

As global atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide pass through 400 parts per million, vested interests are still campaigning against action on climate change. Listen to the good, the bad, and the downright ugly facts about this global issue.

I call the facts out as I see them, backed by sound science.  Over 97% of climate scientists cannot be wrong.

In fact at one stage I get a little angry and emotional during this episode.  Also, a minor correction.  I mention that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change just released their third report.  It is actually their fifth report.  Sorry about that listeners.

Reference links mentioned during this episode, Climate Change Beyond 400ppm;

* Carbon Dioxide Levels Climb Into Uncharted Territory for Humans

* State of the Climate 2014 – Bureau of Meteorology

* Peter Cundall interview

* We Know Which Australians are ‘For’ Coal

* IPCC Climate Change 2014 – Mitigation of Climate Change

* RipeNearMe – local, home-grown food map

* RipeNearMe promo video

All this news doesn’t depress me, it just drives me harder to promote a lower consumption lifestyle, like voluntary simplicity or sustainable living.  Let’s take action before it is too late.  For the kids, and their kids.  Please.

If you enjoyed listening to this podcast, please pop over to iTunes, rate it and leave a review. You can also do the same within Stitcher Radio if you use that service.  It would help me out so much, and elevate the ratings so that others can find out about the podcast and learn about sustainable living in the ‘burbs.

You can subscribe to the show via RSS or iTunes or Stitcher for your portable device.  Just use the subscription buttons below.

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Until next time, stay green and keep keen!

A great show this week!

Firstly I talk about a few events that are coming up soon.  This weekend I am attending the opening of the Shoestring Gardening Aquaponic installation at the Eco Living Centre which is located at 28 Ridge Dve, Wyndamvale, Victoria.  The event is being held between 2 to 4 pm on Saturday 12th April.  Say gidday if you are going along.

The next event is a Cheese making presentation that I am giving at Ivanhoe Library on Tuesday 22nd July from 7 – 8 pm.  I will be presenting not demonstrating, so will be covering the basics of home cheese making and how easy it is to start making delicious cheese in your very own home.  It should be an entertaining evening, and is free to attend.

Lastly, a bit of news.  I was interviewed for Green Lifestyle Magazine last month.  They did a profile about me, my family’s journey, and what it mean to live a more sustainable lifestyle.  It will be an interesting read, and it appears in the May/June issue.  It should be available in all good newsagents in Australia, and will feature on the Green Lifestyle Mag website in due course.

Now to the guts of the show.  During this episode I answer many listener questions recorded via my blog. I didn’t realise that there were so many, so it was high  time I answered these on air.

The questions ranged from what to do with green tomatoes, to Solar PV benefits, and much much more.

A big thank you goes out to everyone who left a message to play on the show. I really enjoy answering them for you. If you have a question and would like it answered on the podcast then pop over to https://www.speakpipe.com/Gavin_Webber or use the widget on the right hand side of the blog, and leave me a voice-mail.

It doesn’t cost a cent.  However, please make sure that you listen to your recording to check the quality before hitting the send button, because I can’t answer them if I can’t hear them properly.

Links mentioned during the show;

* Green Tomato Chutney

* Transition Dreams and The Future of Shopping

* Resources page

* Little Green Cheese blog

If you enjoyed the podcast, please pop over to iTunes and rate it and leave a comment. You can also do the same within Stitcher Radio if you use that service.  It would help me out so much, and elevate the ratings so that others can find out about the podcast and learn about sustainable living in the ‘burbs.

You can subscribe to the show via RSS or iTunes or Stitcher for your portable device.  Just use the subscription buttons below.

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Until next time, stay green and keep keen!

During this episode of the podcast, I give a Suburban Food Farm update for this season, and talk about the types of vegetables to plant during autumn in a temperate climate zone. My climate here in Melton West is Hot Zone 10, Cold Zone 4.  I mention all the different types of vegetables I will be planting over the next few weeks, and what I have done to prepare the garden beds ready for them.

I also talk about how to reuse items to make a handy pea trellis, planting swedes (rutabaga) for making Kim’s Cornish pasties, and lots of Leeks for making potato and leek soup and Kim’s Anglesey Eggs. Very yummy!

I also talk about a few project that we have completed, or are planning to complete very soon.  You will have to listen to find out the goss!  All projects have something to do with water.

Our upcoming sustainable living workshop dates can be found at www.littlegreenworkshops.com.au. Kim and I are teaching quite a few courses from late April until the end of June in our local city of Melton and surrounds.

If you enjoyed the podcast, please pop over to iTunes and rate it and leave a comment. You can also do the same within Stitcher Radio if you use that service.  It would help me out so much, and elevate the ratings so that others can find out about the podcast and learn about sustainable living in the ‘burbs.

You can subscribe to the show via RSS or iTunes or Stitcher for your portable device.  Just use the subscription buttons below.

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Until next time, stay green and keep keen!

This episode was all about soap making at home, and I was lucky to have Kim on the show today as my co-host.

We talk about how we got into soap making, the basic process, some early failures and successes, safety suggestions, and some advanced soap making techniques that we use.

I also mentioned a few links during the show;

* We bought our first kit at Simply Natural Soap Making Supplies

* We make our own wooden soap moulds; read about them at this post – Making My Soap Box

* Our recipe and soap making video tutorial,

* and our upcoming soap making workshops over at Little Green Workshops

We have been using our own soap now for over four years, and I even wash my hair with it as well.  It is a great moisturising bar that doesn’t tighten your skin after washing.

Kim and I love our natural soap, with no added nasties.  We always source sustainable ingredients, and only use vegetable oils in our soap.  Not only is it good for us, but it is good for the environment.

Don’t forget that you can leave a comment if you would like to hear anything in particular or have any questions about soap making at home that you would like answered on the show.

You can subscribe to the show via RSS or iTunes or Stitcher.  Just use the subscription buttons below.

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Now if you really like this episode or the podcast in general, then I would really appreciate your help by leaving a review within iTunes or Stitcher.  This would draw attention to the podcast and therefore promote the benefits of living a more sustainable lifestyle to many others who otherwise would miss out on the fun!

Until next time, stay keen and keep it green.  As always, feedback is welcome via comment.  I have to convince Kim to appear on the show more often somehow!

Back into the fold and behind the mic once more after a bout of laryngitis. It took a while to recover, but I am now very excited to be bringing you this episode.

Today I provide an update about some very exciting things that have been going on around the place. As diverse as being interviewed for 7 News, to presenting to the Cheapskate Club, and to preparing for some sustainable living workshops.

However, the main part of the episode is dedicated to a solar case study that was written about our system by our installer six and a half years after the initial turn on date.

I also describe a new type of solar PV system – the Hybrid with battery bank. This newer technology provides power to your home if you lose the grid. It can also be configured to provide free electricity to your home from the battery bank during the night-time.

If you enjoyed the podcast, please pop over to iTunes and rate it and leave a review. You can also do the same within Stitcher Radio if you use that service.  It would help me out so much, and elevate the ratings so that others can find out about the podcast and learn about sustainable living in the ‘burbs.

You can subscribe to the show via RSS or iTunes or Stitcher for your portable device.  Just use the subscription buttons below.

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Until next time, stay green and keep keen!

Want to hear me, warts and all.  Raw and uncut and rough as guts?

Well your wish is my command.  No editing those crazy umms and ahhs out this time folks.  This episode is as raw as it gets.

I decided to test out some software and hardware to see if I could broadcast live via my blog and facebook.  This is so that I can broadcast the panel talk that I am part of on Saturday for those readers and listeners who cannot get to Melbourne to hear it in person.

After all, what the heck am I doing in IT if I can’t figure out something like this?

Well guess what?  It worked like a treat.  In fact, I thought that it was such a well rounded episode that I recorded it and put it into this podcast episode.

During the show, I will talk a little bit about how the live chat works, a promo for the panel on Saturday, my definition of sustainable living, and 7 tips to reduce your transportation emissions.  I think it works out quite well, except for the minor mistakes, which are all part of the fun of broadcasting live.  Also, I cut out the songs that I played due to licencing restrictions for podcasts.

So grab a cuppa, sit back, and enjoy my first live show.

So here is the deal.  Now that we have proven the technology, it will happen something like this.  I will place a countdown timer and embed the Mixlr player into a post with a description of what is going to happen when the timer reaches zero.

I will schedule the post for about two hours before the panel starts, and if anyone wants to listen, then they can do so via the blog or even facebook if people share.

Afterwards, possibly two days after, I will download the show, and convert it into a podcast and slip into the regular Thursday podcasting schedule.  That way, if you miss the live version, then you can hear what transpired on the day.

Well that is the plan if all the technology works, the mixing panel is available, I bring the right cable, and if my iPhone has a full charge!

Enjoy the podcast recording of the first live show.

If you enjoyed the podcast, please pop over to iTunes and rate it and leave a review. You can also do the same within Stitcher Radio if you use that service.  It would help me out so much, and elevate the ratings so that others can find out about the podcast and learn about sustainable living in the ‘burbs.

You can subscribe to the show via RSS or iTunes or Stitcher for your portable device.  Just use the subscription buttons below.

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Until next time, stay green and keep keen!