Never enough options for our wee rural block

[lizzie]

Here is a good article about Australians producing natural wine ... appears the locusts have hatched and potentially moved on with the roaring 100km/hr winds of yesterday ... will keep a close eye over the next few days

http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/...smiss-it-as-pure-nonsense-20120521-1z0aw.html

 

[DaveM]

Lizzie still awaiting Somersoft wine tasting BBQ at your ranch. Please confirm date and time, I will wear a red carnation.

 

[kathryn d]

Wow - so many options and irons in the fire for a mere 27 acres.

We're close to canning the idea of the holiday accommodation due to the over $100,000 quoted merely to get additional power connected for three cottages and large start up cost of build, water tanks, septics etc.

Lizzie, have you considered other options for the cottages?
Maybe market them as 'green'?
Compostable toilets (with a fan). There is no smell.
Water tanks, solar power/hot water.

Have them more 'basic' at a lower price?

 

[lizzie]

Lizzie, have you considered other options for the cottages?
Maybe market them as 'green'?
Compostable toilets (with a fan). There is no smell.
Water tanks, solar power/hot water.

Have them more 'basic' at a lower price?

We have - and the option is still there - just concentrating on the wine and garlic at the moment ... also starting to wonder if 27 acres is enough as by the time we have wine, garlic, cottages ... where are the horses going to go?

 

[topcropper]

Lizzie, have you considered other options for the cottages?
Maybe market them as 'green'?
Compostable toilets (with a fan). There is no smell.
Water tanks, solar power/hot water.

Have them more 'basic' at a lower price?

Some wood heated hot tubs would be popular beside each cottage

And forget the compostable toilet with fan. I don't care how green it is or unsmelly, I'd go elsewhere with a flusher.


See ya's.

 

[skater]

And forget the compostable toilet with fan. I don't care how green it is or unsmelly, I'd go elsewhere with a flusher.

Me too! I hate compostable toilets.

 

[kathryn d]

Me too! I hate compostable toilets.

I think they should be compulsatory, along with rain tanks, and other water saving devices.

Also houses built on stilts/stumps like they used to be.

 

[lizzie]

Lizzie still awaiting Somersoft wine tasting BBQ at your ranch. Please confirm date and time, I will wear a red carnation.

haha - won't be for at least 18 months ... yet to harvest our first Spotty Dog Shiraz and then it takes 12 months to brew.

However - the wine cellar is pretty well stocked ....

 

[kathryn d]

Lizzie,
Have you considered adding a beehive to the property?
Where we are housesitting, they have a beehive and they told us they get approx 20kgs of honey every 3-4 months.

You could sell 'boutique' bottles of honey, and candles?

 

[lizzie]

I love bees and believe they are essential - but am allergic. Not life threatening yet, but could be if stung to many more times so won't be harvesting honey.

Am looking at getting the local beekeepers to put some of their hives on the property that they can look after - but need my flowering plants to grow a bit more otherwise there'd be no food for the wee things

 

[kathryn d]

I love bees and believe they are essential - but am allergic. Not life threatening yet, but could be if stung to many more times so won't be harvesting honey.

Am looking at getting the local beekeepers to put some of their hives on the property that they can look after - but need my flowering plants to grow a bit more otherwise there'd be no food for the wee things

You could get the stingless bees?
They are very tiny.

There are very few plants here too...I have no idea where these bees go.
These ones have stingers, because they have the bee suit.

 

[geoffw]

there'd be no food for the wee things

I guess they are really wee things. They're always looking for petrol- at the bee pee servo.

 

[AlmostBob]

+4 km radius for bees, so beekeepers would probably find your property a viable site
http://www.beekeepers.org.au/ may have a local keeper who would bee interested
bees only improve the flowers' growth
it was cool introducing stingless bees to the missus
I have been attending the onsite hive here without incident, the bees accept people
but not safe for any persons allergic