Under the Choko Tree By Nevin Sweeney

The To-do List

The to-do list has been reformatted as a result of decisions taken at the 2018 Directors' Meeting, so that it now reflects the actions arising out of the Choko Tree strategy review which was commenced in 2017 and continued through 2018. Due to Lindas health issues, there was no directors meeting in 2019 or 2020.

Planning and Implementation

  • Develop implementation plan for actions on the strategy list
  • Develop a Needs and Yields 'map' for the site
  • Review and update SLAM etc to include environmental issues associated with clothing

Energy Strategies

  • Investigate biomass energy options for reducing our reliance on bought-in timber for the Nectre baker’s oven and slow combustion heater.
  • Investigate options for active heating and cooling including a means of pulling cool air from under the house into selected rooms and heating by dragging air through a solar heater into the house.
  • Build and Install rocket oven
  • build biochar stove

Water Strategies

  • Conduct a water audit
  • Install a rain garden
  • Install a line from a water tank into the kitchen for potable water
  • Install irrigation using rainwater from the gutter to the fromt nature strip

Food Strategies

Sub – Strategy 1: Grow Edible Plants Year ‘Round

  • Identify appropriate species and areas to install perennial vegetable beds
  • Develop fruit harvest calendar to identify times of the year when no fruit is being produced
  • Set up mushroom growing operation
  • Identify people and areas where food production could be increased by using off site land to grow food
  • Conduct a review to identify suitable areas for growing food inside our house and/or garage
  • Obtain grow lights to experiment with food production in dark areas
  • Develop fertiliser program document
  • Develop fertiliser record document
  • Research the concept of sunken gardens and how we may implement them

Sub – Strategy 2: Develop Protein Sources

  • Investigate and trial Non-traditional protein sources (snails/insects) for consumption of chooks/quail and us
  • Relocate biopod, get it working and set it up to feed chooks directly
  • Make seitan from scratch as a trial

Waste Strategies

Sub- Strategy 1: Organic Waste

  • Compost - Make and operate 3 bay composting system to replace aerobins
  • Composters – review composting practices to prevent cockroach/mouse infestations
  • Review possibility to use tree trimmings and other organic waste on-site

Sub-Strategy 2: Waste Water

  • Composting toilet – trial current set up for composting toilet
  • Set up system to catch and use diluted urine as fertiliser for citrus trees
  • Review designs for solar composting toilet with a view to retrofit existing system

Sub-Strategy 3: Other Waste

  • Develop a plan to allow us to work towards Zero Waste
  • Develop plan to allow us to work towards zero plastic

Community Strategies

  • Start a monthly Street BBQ (On Hold)
  • Establish a community newsletter (On Hold)
  • Install 'harvest yourself' wicking beds in front yard
  • Offer low cost sustainable living courses to the local community
  • Set up a ZOOM 'Meet the street" virtual get together
  • Implement WhatsApp group for the street
  • Build and install street pantry to share excess produce

Livelihood Strategies

  • Conduct sustainable workshops at home
  • Investigate sale of E-books on the Internet
  • Continue work to increase subscription to YouTube Channel
  • Manufacture and sale of ethical products in-house

Amenity Strategies

  • Back lawn – Install a cubby house
  • Front park area, remove biopod and strawberry tower and install new seating
  • Install path in front yard in front of native garden
  • Declutter the House
  • Built a tiny house in the back yard
  • Set up anvil, and vise etc for blacksmithing

Last update 13th September 2023

 

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