We moved our bees earlier this year. Very very heavy! My husband and a friend did it at night with a red torch light – bee hive hole blocked up.

They used a trolley to load it onto a trailer up a ramp, then off again same way. The bees were NOT happy. Friend got a few bites and we left the hive alone for some time as any time we went near they…[Read more]

Hi Ulrich – congrats on your cheesemaking! I’ve been making cheese for a few years now. My biggest ‘oops’ was making some feta (my fav to make) for others to taste and halfway through realised I’d forgotten to sterlise…..was all clean but the initial equipment I used wasn’t sterilised. Which lead to a dilemma…..do I let strangers taste it ir…[Read more]

Hi Connee,

at our last place we took advantage of the large rebate for a 1kw system. We paif $2000 upfront and got $500 back after install. The company claimed the grant on our behalf and took that as their payment.

This place we can’t afford to pay upfront; we’ve just committed to a 3kw system through an energy company we pay it off in monthly…[Read more]

Thought the water thing sounded odd – thanks kerrie. So why is white vinegar so cheap?!?!

Could I use the mother from my bought organic apple cider vinegar – mix it with water to make white vinegar???

I have vinegar in a spray bottle, use that to clean bathroom sink and toilet etc – spray straight into the bowl when needed.

HI Mauzi, its great to read about your property and plans! All the best with them, we are on a similar journey here in vic. Love to hear more about your place and plans!
Hayley

Thanks Anja and Kerry – its very affirming to have comments like yours, keeps the inspiration up!

Sorry don’t get much chance to get on here – too busy!

Neko-chan I think that’s the most frustrating thing; all the rules/regulations etc are set up for monoculture farming/production

Though some good news, the vic egg association canned the egg…[Read more]

Good to read others tips. Didn’t know restrictions on eggs thats ridiculous. Just read an interview with salatin he said he was angry at the government for all their red tape rules which prevented him living off his farm when he first wanted to.

Must say I agree….

We’re not making any money as yet…..but plans are in motion. Savings are not…[Read more]

Oh and she did great – birthed early morning, up and looking great not long after. Its been lovely watching her care for her little one!

Sorry had illness and busyness and realised its been nearly 3 weeks since I posted.

So sorry to hear about your calf bullseye and your poor Ella. must have been hard pulling the calf without hope for it to survive.

Meanwhile we’ve still just got the one calf…the other two cows are still happily and (in the case of Ella) rather roundly hanging…[Read more]

Ah your kenyan topbar hives sound great! I must say we’ve watched some utube clips of said hives – looks alot simpler – and possibly nicer for the bees?!?!

We’re thinking eventually saddlebacks or blacks. But pig fencing comes way down the track – so much to do and not enough time! Fortunately our property was already really well fenced which was…[Read more]

Yeah we’re not far from Enfield forest. I’ll have to head out to Dereel market sometime; heard today that Bannockburn farmers market is quite good.

We weren’t looking here either but just happened across the perfect place for us!

Look good and I’ll bookmark it too! Lovely photos on main page. I look forward to more articles. We gre chilean guava just the spot it sounds good in the article, but it died….. The strawberry guava did Ok but never fruited.

The only thing that didn’t strike me so well was the orange colour on the forums – was a bit harsh on my eyes.

Ooh can you have too many jars? Last year I bought 70 second hand #20’s from a second hand shop for $50 – despite not having much to preserve I’ve used up all my existing jars (some inherited, some from a neighbour, some new) and only have about 25 jars left!

No that’s a different person in bannockburn! I think there are a few around! I’ll get contact details for you

Hi Peter,

I think the croads we got are of pretty good maturation – ours are less than 4 months old and MASSIVE! The rooster not yet crowing but otherwise looking well developed. Apparently they lay through winter too.

We’ve got places lined up to sell both the carcases and eggs to once we’ve got a large enough flock – planning to hatch lots and…[Read more]

I order online through : http://www.launchhardware.com.au/

They were the cheapest I could find, and their service has been great very fast delivery.

Just checked site is down atm but check them later.

Ha I keep reading all your threads one after the other! The fella in Bannockburn has a number of different breeds; my husband was pretty sure he saw barnvelder when he was there yesterday. Will get you his phone number if you like. Reported they all looked well looked after and kept separate enclosures per breed etc. And the ones we got all look…[Read more]

Hello just met you on the other thread!

Oh you’re aim sounds so similar to ours! Do you have bee-keeping equipment? We have a hive full of honey but no equipment and we’re not at the right frame of mind to learn about harvesting it (the bees weren’t happy being moved so we’ve stayed clear)

What cows and pigs are you looking at getting? We bought…[Read more]

Hey thanks for your replies! We found a property a little north of Dereel and been here since Feb; we’re probably not too far from you Peter! How much land are you on?

We’re really happy here. Shopping in buninyong and then mt clear for the bigger shops. Half hour from Ballarat so yeah its good to get into for the ‘bigger’ things but far enough…[Read more]