Developments
Our Cabin
Carbon Negative
The House Paddock
- Chooks, House Cow, Dairy Goats, Sheep
OUR NEW LITTLE ORGANIC CABIN
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| Our little cabin: 'Cypress House' |
When we brought the property the accommodation consisted of a converted liveable shed. We have made the shed quite comfortable and very liveable but it is not and never will be a healthy environment to live in full time, especially sleeping. Its construction of steel, aluminium windows and reinforced concrete floor does not constitute a healthy space for long periods along with electrical wires encircling the building and fibreglass insulation. We needed another living environment where we could at least sleep and be self-contained if we had visitors staying in the original ‘shed’ cottage.
So we set about building a small cabin (9m x 5m plus verandah) with the following features in mind – using only natural materials as much as possible and materials that ‘breathe’. Minimal use of steel and concrete. Using mostly renewable and sustainably harvested materials. Minimal electrical wiring and power usage (at the moment we are living happily with no electrical wiring or power usage). Using solar passive principles to keep the inside of the cabin cool in summer and warm in winter. We believe we have achieved all these features in our new cabin and find it a very relaxed, calm and inviting environment.
The main construction material is cypress pine timber (durable, hardwearing, sustainably harvested, ease to work with and naturally white ant resistant). This material allowed us to avoid termite chemicals and is helped by elevating the floor 400mm to 900mm above ground level, allowing constant inspection. As well as the weatherboards and batons, cypress pine T and G boards were used on the floor, ceiling and 2 walls. The other 2 walls we used gyprock. The house frame was constructed in blue pine (pine injected with natural pyrethrum which also provides white ant resistance).
Timber windows are used around the cabin with the northern side extensively glassed with floor to ceiling windows and doors (to allow warmth and light to penetrate). The small kitchen is solid timber once again using cypress pine with hoop pine bench top. In the kitchen corner on the southern side of the cabin is a ‘cool’ cupboard. The cupboard is floor to ceiling. This cupboard has a vent on the floor, which draws cool air from underneath the cabin and expels it from a vent at the top of the cupboard. The constant cool environment (cold in winter) allows long-term storage of food and can even take the place of a fridge in winter.
Insulation of the cabin proved a tricky chore to find a completely natural and effective solution. Cellulose was chosen for the ceiling (shredded newspaper mixed with borax and pumped in), but cannot be used for the walls. 100% pure wool insulation is no longer available so this led us to be more innovative. We ended up using apple crate liners packed closely together and stapled to the walls. The bubbles in the liners has an insulation effect and cost us zero as supermarkets are glad to get rid of them. Underneath the floor we have used a thick layer of untreated sawdust/shavings held up by plywood. All in all these insulation methods have proved very effective.
All the timber inside and outside the cabin has been painted or stained with ‘organoil’ and organic paints and stains. We also used organic paint for the gyprock inside.
At the present time there is no power to the cabin. Cooking, heating and hot water is supplied by the slow combustion woodstove. Cooling the home and fresh air is supplied by opening the windows. There are many windows and they are large in size and have been located to open where maximum airflow will be achieved.
Water to the cabin is gravity fed from the large water tank off the main shed and provides enough pressure for the sink and our favourite claw-foot bath. Only certified organic, biodegradable detergents, soaps and personal cleaning products are used ensuring clean ‘nutrient’ water is filtering out to the paddock. An outdoor tap is handy and has sufficient pressure for watering the herb garden and pots.
The water harvested from the cabin is stored in a large rainwater tank that is gravity fed down to the vegetable gardens and orchard. This store rainwater also supplies the drinking water for our ‘house’ livestock that provide daily harvests back to the cabin kitchen along with the daily harvests from the vegie gardens and the orchard.
Portable solar lights along with a generous use of candles supply lighting.
The outhouse… ‘The Dunny’ just outside, houses the compost toilet and is as simple as effective.
The cabin faces northeast for the inspiring views of the mountains and forest and to capture the summer sea breezes and maximum sunlight in winter.
All in all we are very happy with our little organic cabin. It’s rustic Australiana exterior blends into the landscape perfectly. On the inside is a beautiful living space that exudes such a healthy environment. Forget the ‘McMansions, every place needs a little organic cabin to stay tuned to mother earth.
CARBON NEGATIVE
Here at Simply Natural Organic Farm our ultimate aim is to become carbon negative, i.e. to absorb more carbon on the property than we emit with our lifestyle. We are deeply concerned with climate change and its impacts on the future of this planet. We all need to take steps to reduce our carbon foot print and support practices that reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and allow soils and vegetation to absorb carbon. Here on our farm, we believe the capacity for carbon sinks is enormous providing we manage the land in the most beneficial and sustainable way possible. If we can also significantly reduce our own carbon foot print, then it is certainly possible and achievable to claim to be carbon negative.
At the present time we are emitters of carbon- albeit a lot less than the general population. While the property is being established, goods and services are brought in to help set-up the property, example fencing material, building materials, organic soil conditioners etc. These inputs will be phased out overtime as establishment progresses. Fossil fuels usage for lawn maintenance etc will also progressively decline as gardens become more established and joined together and animals take on more of a prominent role in the maintenance system. Our electricity consumption is to a point where we are using under 3KWH per day. Recently we have installed a grid connect solar system which should produce an average of 4KWH of power per day (yearly average). This would mean we will send more power back to the grid than we consume.
Our car usage has always been to a minimum and is reducing to mainly essential trips. For monthly shopping expeditions, we try to work in with others in the neighbourhood. We will pickup items for them on our trips and vice versa. Car pooling is also utilised, as is a neighbourhood organic buying group and neighbourhood surplus exchange. As we strive towards a large degree of self reliance in food, the need for such shopping trips will continue to reduce along with the food miles associated with any brought food. Buying local is a high priority for supporting the community.
What we are striving for in our farm is a closed system – i.e. no inputs. While this may seem totally unrealistic to some, it may become a necessity in a low energy future.
The animals provide the fertiliser and maintenance of the pastures and orchards. This fertiliser provides the nutrients to grow crops along with crop residue and humus making and worm farming. The crops don’t just feed us, but the animals and soil as well. And so the system revolves in a constant circle.
We have approximately 57 HA of land here with about 10 HA clear farm land. The majority is magnificent rainforest. Recently we entered into a conservation agreement – locking up perpetually most of this forest. We can however access fire wood. This forest (some old growth and some 35 year regrowth) is complex and diverse, and acts as a huge carbon sink. However recent studies suggest soils can sequester more carbon than trees. Raising the organic matter in the soil is the key and this is where our farm and garden and management practices is focussed on. By raising the fertility naturally we are creating healthy pastures and healthy food which in turn means health for us and our animals. We honestly believe our farming and gardening methods are a necessity for the future of mankind and our fragile earth. Everything in the system has a beneficial effect on each other.
While the fertility and nutrient density is increasing, we are providing inputs which will be gradually phased out overtime. Rock minerals and pH soil amendments are added to pastures, food gardens, and native revegetation areas as these minerals have been depleted in the past. Biological stimulants are broad cast and sprayed out onto pastures. We stock to our winter stocking capacity of livestock and slash and mulch the pastures during spring and summer to increase the raw organic matter content laying on the soil. Our animals are also given mineral supplements for their health and prevention against diseases, worms, parasites etc. This is also a way of distributing out minerals through their manure and urine. Manures stay very little time on the ground as our soil life is dense and extremely active. Manure rich in minerals is a breeding feeding environment.
Other organic soil conditioners and soil enhances have been added to the veggie gardens and orchards though soon we will just rely on our homemade inputs of aged raw carbon materials, compost, humus and worm castings. Our gardens and trees are always mulched or ground covers are grown and our pastures always provide 100% ground cover at all times of the year. We know our methods work and we know the carbon in our soils is increasing rapidly. Turn over any clod of soil on our farm and you will find it teaming with soil life. Lift over a manure clod and see it laden with worms and beetles. See the shining health in our animals. Feel the superior quality of fibre our animals are growing. Look at the diversity of grasses in our paddocks, pastures that are weed free, healthy and robust and feel the softness under foot. Taste the exquisite flavour of our fruits, vegetables, eggs and dairy products. Something is happening to this land here that should be happening to everyone’s land.
Yes we can become carbon negative. All we need is nature to show us how.
THE HOUSE PADDOCK
Chooks
House Cow
Dairy Goats
Sheep
THE HOUSE PADDOCK'S MANAGEMENT
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| Rotational management |
The statement “the best investment a farmer can make is buying a role of wire” holds pretty strong for us. Part of our sustainable/organic management practice is having many small paddocks instead of having just one or two larger paddocks.
Our pasture management involves rotating our animals through the system. The first live stock to go into “old growth pasture forest” (a paddock that has been rested and allowed to regenerate naturally) is the house cow. After she has grazed it down, she goes to the next paddock and the dairy goats come in, followed by the sheep. The pasture forest has been grazed from high to low. We have received maximum yield from the pasture, while gaining renewable production for different livestock species.
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| Mixed grazing |
The grazing length of pastures and nutritional content is suitable at the time of introduction (rotation) for the livestock species. We have also found that the entire paddock area is grazed. When the sheep is moved out of the paddock, it is mineralised, bio-stimulated (compost teas) and allowed to rest and regenerate.
Any areas under shade trees are mulched with old used night bedding (barley straw) from the night housing. This covers any exposed area of soil and germinates the barley seed from the straw offering a ground cover under the trees. The straw offers mulch and feed for the pasture shade/protection trees. The length of rest, regeneration depends on the season. This system has 3 animals and 6 paddocks. Animals at times could be mixed grazed at the same time prior to rotating yet for parasitic control “best practice” is to follow through.
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| Using electric mesh netting we use our livestock to strip graze | Romney Sheep strip graze the orchard |
AUSTRALORP CHOOKS
Pure bred black Australorp chooks, I wouldn’t have any other breed. Ideal for every purpose I need them for. Being a chook fancier I have trailed other breeds. I have managed my chooks 100% organically using only natural health care for 16 years and I have had no problems what so ever. The flock just continued to get stronger and maintains resistance to any infection, disease or parasites.
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| Chook system managment |
My husbandry like with all our animals on the farm is based on complete availability of all the nutrients they require. So a balanced diet which focuses on building their immune system and fosters a strong constitution. My feeding diets deliver content, fit and sound animals.
My chooks, like all our animals, are fed a diverse diet consisting of certified organic grains, legumes and seeds. Fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs are picked from the gardens and orchards daily for feeding to all our animals in the house paddock system. This is one of the reasons why I have 3 large vegetable gardens in 3 different locations providing an abundant amount of food daily and all year. Our gardens not only feed us but all the livestock animals too!
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| Jades purebreed Australorp Chooks |
The chooks, like all the animals, receive regular mineral supplementation and monthly medicinal herb treatments. We grow medicinal herbs and garlic throughout the orchards for this purpose. What ever supplementary feed (grains or legumes), that is obtained through bartering (work exchange), that I choose for the livestock, is always top quality and as fresh as possible, as this investment is seen as my fertilizer, by way of the animals manure, for composting and humus making, not to mention quality feed for quality health and performance.
We have 3 chook houses and systems. One chook house has a deep litter attachment plus a generous grassed free range area. This area is mowed to maintain the grass level and palatability, while the grass clippings are used in the deep litter area as nitrogen.
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| Medicinal herbs are grown throughout the orchards for the livestock |
The other chook house has a mulch litter pen attachment (for shedding materials and making our orchard mulch), with large free range area, that adjoins one of the larger livestock paddocks. This means that the grass can be maintained by the sheep in the rotation. The 3rd chook house is the hatching and growing pullet’s house or can be part of the rotation.
I have during our freezing winters used it as my hot house. Only 2 Chook houses are used at the one time with the 3rd one restoring pastures and breaking any nutrient or parasite build up. The chooks are rotated from one location to the other every 3 months. In spring I use all 3, as I use 1 for hatching and growing my pullets.
I have a rooster in each flock with approximately 6 – 8 hens. I have 3 different family lines. We only consume about ½ a dozen eggs a week, yet we collect 4 (the minimum amount) to 12 (if 16 hens) eggs a day.
Attributes I have found with pure breed black standard Australorps.
- good forages
- excellent work ethic
- heavy strong birds with good size feet. Excellent diggers and shredders.
- excellent layers
- no tendency to going broody
- easy to retain
- able to take climate extremes(robust)
- magnificent type roosters with a decent deep crow
- the breed is docile with gentle personalities
- popular sort after breed for breeding and selling offspring/fertile eggs.
CHOOKS PURPOSES IN THE SYSTEM
- self providing
- aid to sustainable gardening practices
- provides eggs
- neighbourhood surplus exchange
- eggs and egg shells used to make humus and a Biodynamic preparation.
- night housing harvesting provides carbon material and manure for deep litter system (every other harvesting can provide fine light weight mulch for covering seed bed and/or around young transplanted seedlings)
- nesting boxes provide mulching material for gardens or carbon layers for composting and humus making
- daily chooks are making compost in the deep litter areas attached to their housing
- daily chooks are shredding materials, breaking them down and aging them for suitability for mulch
- daily chooks are fed fresh herbs, veggies and fruits and they convert these into good healthy eggs, kilojoules, manure, urine and left overs are dug in to the deep litter
- initially used for preparing the area (getting the area back to soil) for growing their own herbs
- to eat fruit spoiled and infested by insect attack (consume larvae and adult pest).
HOUSE COW
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| Jersey House cow |
The first availability of having enough land to have a house cow meant it was a high priority for us, even though we weren’t consuming any dairy products in our diet. We wanted to start to have home grown organic, fresh, raw dairy products. When I went to the local dairies seeking out information about dairy cows and suitability to the area etc, the dairy owner/manager asked – “How much milk are you and the family using at the moment?” I said none…He than asked, “How much do you think you would need?” I said I had no idea what so ever, yet my aims in the future were to be a self provider of all the dairy products I should want or need in the house hold and to include my own home grown milk in my baking products replacing rice milk. I saw the house cow as being a producer of my own food. Also it was extremely attractive to have available close at hand, in the house paddocks, quality, fresh cow manure for all the worm farms. The house cow was the first control of the pastures surrounding the orchards and vegetable gardens.
We did start out with a quiet, extremely patient purebred Jersey, purchased from a stud and working dairy. Sheeanti was a fantastic beginners house cow. Even though, before we got her, she had been part of a herd and milked by machine, yet had been well trained and cared for. Sheeanti had to be patient as Paul and I were really green, beginners and only learners of how to milk. Our first house cow really taught us so much. We bred from Sheeanti our own 100% organic purebred Jersey house cow – Shiva. Shiva has been successfully reared and maintained organically and in natural management practices. Shiva is now our house cow.
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| Jersey House cow Shiva |
We chose the Jersey breed as we feel they offer a superior milk in health and quality. It is said the Jersey produces a golden milk. As the Jersey’s milk has a high butterfat content, it is perfect for home butter making. For beginners to milking, coming to the milking bale and seeing a waiting Jersey cow with an astonishing – huge, heavily laden udder…can be an exhausting shock, when it is just squirt by squirt. The Jersey is a high milk producer even though the breed is a smaller cow than other dairy breeds. Of course the milk production is dependent on where the cow is in her lactation and the quality of food she is consuming. The quality of our house paddock soil influences the quality of our milk, so we are constantly managing our soil- restoring and increasing the nutrient density and carbon, humus levels in the soil, there by growing diverse abundant pastures for grazing. Shiva’s milk is just divine. We use her milk for many things including –drinking raw and fresh, -cooking, -culturing/fermenting, -making garden sprays, - using as activators in the compost and humus making systems, -and feeding the dogs.
The face of a lovely Jersey cow just makes you melt. The breed is extremely affectionate. To me the house cow in the house paddock is an indication of a persons desire for being self providing and having wholesome fresh food. The wonderful friendship formed between house cow and that of the feeder/milker is a strong bond. One that not only includes thanks and love but understanding too.
HOUSE COW’S PURPOSES IN THE SYSTEM
- self providing
- aid to sustainable gardening/farming
- raw fresh wholesome milk
- milk for making dairy products
- milk for activators in compost and humus making systems
- milk for making garden sprays
- sell her offspring as house cows or pets
- manure for worm farms
- manure for humus making systems
- strip grazing areas
- dairy flooring (shavings or sawdust material) harvested for mulch around fruit trees.
- controlling rapid abundant growth in pastures in summer
SAANEN DAIRY GOATS
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| Saanen Dairy goats |
Paul wanted a milking goat from the first day we moved here. I said “NO’ not a goat. I’m not a goat person I don’t like goats. I said I wanted a dairy cow, a good mannered house cow. We both were well aware of the extreme benefits of fresh organic goat’s milk and goats milk personnel care products. Yet I said lets do the house cow thing. Let’s buy a Jersey. The fact of matter was the reputation of goats. It frightened me off them. Two and a half years later, Paul requested again having a dairy goat. His main reasons for wanting one was – fresh raw goats milk, - milking through an extended lactation not needing to be mated every year, - to eat the native tussock grasses in the pasture. We did lots of research- reading magazines, reading books on goats, downloading goat information from the internet. Well this just turned the both of us off goats- me even more. It was only a friend living locally who had a Saanen dairy goat who presented an introduction and her experiences of her relationship with her goat that prompted us to reconsider. Her experiences showed a different light to goat behaviour.
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| Saanen Dairy goats |
It wasn’t Paul but I that went and brought 2 Saanen milking does. I am pleased to say that I am so glad that we have included goats in our family and lifestyle. It is sad that the reputation of goats holds strongly and unfavourable to them. We have found that our goats do not fit the bad reputation that is supposedly expected of them. Our 2 Saanen milking does – Athena and Crystal are respectful, polite, well mannered and a pleasure to work with. We purchased them from a top Saanen dairy stud which has an excellent reputation. Our does were a 4 year old and 2 year old milking at the time of purchase. Athena’s and Crystals personalities, manners and attributes would be a reflection from the studs genetics, upbringing and management. Also our preparation prior to receiving the goats and continued ‘good practice’ management has meant that the goats have been “good goats” and a pleasure to have in the system. It has meant that we have fallen in love with our ladies.
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| Saanen Dairy goats |
I love My GOATS! Even having 2 or 3 does is easier than a house cow. For a small holding or even large, I thoroughly recommend the Saanen (pure breed) dairy goats to provide you with all your top quality healthy dairy products. I’m sure like us you will be pleasantly surprised by their good behaviour. They are extremely loyal, affectionate, and gentle to us.
SAANEN DAIRY GOATS PURPOSES IN THE SYSTEM
- Self providing
- aid to gardening/farming sustainably and organic.
- provide quality milk, neighbourhood surplus exchange
- graze long pastures
- eat native tussocks down to maintain palatability for sheep or house cow
- control native tussock from spreading by preventing seeding
- night bedding harvested and sawdust, manure, urine provides compost material and mulching material
- manure used in humus making systems
- they are feed the fallen autumn/winter leaves from the orchard
- they convert the prunings of certain shrubs and trees to body weight, milk, manure and urine.
ROMNEY SHEEP
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| Romney Sheep |
A few years ago Jade and I watched a segment on Landline about two ladies living in Tasmania making a living from 50 sheep. All the sheep had names and the fleeces were individually spun into garments and sold with the personal touch at the markets or online. Like us the ladies were vegetarian and the sheep were never culled. They stated that they only kept the Romney breed because of the high rainfall and the suitability of the fleece for spinning and weaving.
Well that show really got us interested in sheep, not so much as an income but as another tool for our desire to become more self reliant. We could learn how to spin and weave their fleece for making our own garments, maybe sell their offspring and have another animal for our pasture management.
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| Romney Sheep |
We researched sheep breeds and found the Romney really was the best breed for Dorrigo’s high rainfall climate. Being black hooved, they are resistant to footrot and originated from the Romney marshes area in England. The next phase was to try and purchase some. We wanted about ½ a dozen and preferably coloured. Well that proved extremely difficult.
The Romney breed is virtually extinct in N.S.W. Finally we tracked down a stud in Victoria and after a long trip we brought home a ram, 2 mauret coloured ewes and a white ewe with her 2 lambs (male and female). Unfortunately diesel fumes on the return journey made their fleeces almost black and the first shearing was unproductive. Since then their fleeces are looking spectacular and we are looking forward to their next shearing in spring.
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| Romney Sheep |
Not having much time to do our own spinning and weaving at present, we will sell/barter some of the fleeces. The sheep have turned out to be excellent animals in the system. They are affectionate and friendly (we can hand feed them) and all have their own different character. Managing them organically, we have had no problems with worms or fly strike and even after 3 floods and massive rainfall this year – no footrot or fleece problems. Sheep certainly can be a worthwhile edition to any house paddock system and another addition to self reliance.
We are still
on the
look out for a black Romney Ram, so if anyone knows of one for sale please
let us know.
Paul.jade@bigpond.com.au
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| Romney Sheep |
ROMNEY SHEEP PURPOSES IN THE SYSTEM
- aid to sustainable gardening/farming
- provide fibre – top quality home spinning wool
- provide products for bartering
- community surplus exchange in our spinning and weaving clubs
- strip grazing the orchards
- to graze low and even
- straw from the night houses used for mulch or compost material
- manure collected for feeding worm farms or used as fresh nitrogen layers in the humus making systems (note…our Romney sheep do nice big size manure droppings, not just little pellets. Hence easy to pickup and collect).
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Last updated July 2009