Friday, September 16, 2016

Sustainable September 2016 - Day Seventeen

Good day wonderful people, 

How are you? Did you have a good day today? Did you manage to track down the paper bills that get sent to you? Did you change them to paperless? 

I hope so. I have my phone, Internet and bank sorted. I am sure there will be more things like newsletters that I get along the way that I have to contact to ask for an email version.

Today is pretty easy, well I think it is. But I do have a greener thumb than most. 

Sustainable September Day Seventeen: let your vegetable scraps grow and then plant them. 

This happens all the time. I forget I've stashed a clove of garlic in the cupboard and when I remember it, it's got green shoots out the top. Well... That is perfect! Because instead of chucking it in the bin, you can plant it in some soil and grow some more!!! 

I also do this with lots of other things like Celery. I just cut off the first two inches (where it's all still one celery) and sit it in some water until you see roots start to form and the celery starts to grow. Then when it gets about two inches growth on top I plant it in my garden. 

I have also started using the seeds from my fruit and vegetables too. At the moment I am working with avocado and mangos. This is the first time I have had a go with mangos. And so far so good. One of my mango seeds died sadly. But the other seems to be thriving regardless of the freezing weather around here. I have created temporary little green houses around the seeds in pots. Fingers crossed it works. I love mangoes and I love avocados. 

 You can do this with all sorts of food waste. 

I got this one off Pinterest. so if you want to check out where this and other awesome eco friendly ideas are kept, go to my Pinterest page.  
I love this sustainable September idea because it reduces the amount of waste that ends up in your bin or compost. Plus you get free fruit and vegetables out of it in the end. That's the part I love. Free food! But honestly who doesn't love free food!!! Hahah. 

Not to mention that almost anyone can do this. House owners, renters, apartment owners, businesses and more. :) 

Kindness idea: secretly drop a box of fruit and vegetables off at a friends house. This is a Random Act of Kindness. 

This is actually a kindness that happened to me & my family a few months back. We were really struggling. 6 people in the house and no stable income. My brother in law, my sister and I had all found out selves without jobs. Things got tight. We had to cut back on lots of things we enjoyed doing just to afford the nessesities in life. It was tough. Then one day my brother in law asked why I had left a box of Groceries in the carport. 

I told him I didn't and then we spent a while calling the rest of the family checking to make sure someone hadn't just forgotten to tell us they had ordered food or something. But no. It was a gift. A lovely, and much needed gift. We still have no idea who did it. It was completely anonymous and we are still so grateful for that box because it got us through in a time when we were really struggling. 

 

 
It still is a mystery who left a "Mystery Box" of vegetables out for us. But thank you to whoever did!!! It made the world of difference. 

Front Lines: Urban Food Streets. 

I have a few food related Front Line favourites and this is my most local one. Tomorrow I will add another one Because I will keep on the garden theme. 

But today (for tomorrow) I will tell you all about the Amazing work of the Food street initiative in Queensland, Australia. I can't wait for councils here to catch on and join in This amazing idea. 

"Disgruntled over the price of a lime, two Queensland locals have started Australia's first integrated, edible streetscape in a bid to live a simple organic lifestyle of community and fresh food. 
Urban Food Street began in 2009 in the leafy green Sunshine Coast suburb of Buderim, and now acts as a blueprint for the nation to give purpose to the great Australian nature strip. 
"It started with us deciding to plant limes, and then it evolved into this notion that if we put the limes out on the nature strip people could pick a lime for whatever they need it for," graduate architect and one of the masterminds behind Urban Food Street, Caroline Kemp said.
What began with one citrus-lined street has grown into an 11-street suburban enclave, paved with seasonal fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices, that encourages growing, sourcing and eating fresh food in the public realm.
ABC News 2016

I wanted to share the video from this article but I couldn't find it apart from in the article so couldn't link to it to this ideas page. However if you read the article (the link is in blue above) you get to see the short video. 

I love what these lovely people have achieved. :) I love the community they have developed. It's wonderful. 

I hope this finds you all well, 
Love Daena x 

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