Day: August 5, 2018

Fresh wet vegetables in gardeners hands

We love supporting our local farmers market and you should too

Better for your wallet

Locauy grownOrganic produce at the supermarket is more expensive and often is covered in plastic. Local farmer’s markets use organic methods to grow their produce however some farms might not be able to certify their produce as “organic” they may still be spray and pesticide free. You can chat with the farmers directly about their growing and processing practices to ensure you are purchasing chemical free produce. As the produce is picked at its peak ripeness, the nutrition you get gives you more bang for your buck, they farm what is in season which also save money rather than importing produce such as tropical fruit in the middle of winter. Studies show diet rich in plants supports your body’s natural immunity, helping you save on healthcare expenses.

Better for your health

Fresh wet vegetables in gardeners hands

Fruits and vegetables, you find at the grocery store are picked well before they are ripe and are often several days old by the time they reach the produce aisle. Riper produce provides the best nutrition possible, the majority of the vitamins and minerals in plants are developed in the final stages of ripening. In most markets, produced is picked either on the day or day before and farmers can harvest exactly what’s ready for consumption, without having to factor in travel time.

Better for the community

Local family farms have decreased in numbers over the years as industrial farms produce massive amounts of extremely cheap produce. You can talk with the farm stand workers to learn about how they grow and handle the produce, in many cases as the most farmers operate within a 150km radius of the market you can even visit to see for yourself. Supporting local family farms provides jobs and puts money back into the local economy, by you keeping them in business it gives everyone an alternative to mass-produced foods. The farmer’s market is a great place to gather, meet the locals and create a great sense of community. Most markets even local entertainment and craft classes plus they always have a heap of free tastings.

Better for the environment

Bluberries and rasberries

Industrial farms are highly efficient by usually growing one type of fruit or vegetable. Single field farming saps the soil of essential nutrients, leaving our food less nutrient dense. Many supermarkets receive their produce from hundreds or thousands of kilometres away using a significant amount of fossil fuels for shipping and refrigeration. Industrial farming is hard on the land and contributes to environmental decay by using giant processing machines and high volumes of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Small family farms produce less environmental waste in the form of carbon monoxide, pesticide and fertilizer use. Farmers markets operate locally in the open air and do not require refrigeration, their produce hasn’t been transported far and usually is to ensure only the ripe produce is hand-picked creating less food waste also.

We encourage you to check out your local farmers market! New Earth Living supports the Margaret River Farmers Market each Saturday, we love the sense of community and the produce is so much more delicious than the supermarkets!

If you require any further information, please get in touch with us

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Rubbish on beach

We can’t recycle our way to a sustainable future & Tips to help you reduce your waste

Rubbish on beachHave you heard of the term, Prevention is better that cure? I feel like it applies to our current recycling crisis here in Australia. Recycling is a great last line of defence if done correctly but it’s nowhere near as effective and avoiding the waste to begin with. Here are our 6 small steps to help you reduce your waste to live more sustainably;

1. Bags

Big chain supermarkets are finally listening to their consumers and banning plastic bags in West Australia from July 2018. While this is a positive step in the sustainable direction, their option to purchase a ‘more durable’ plastic bag (in the hope to reuse these instead) isn’t really solving the problem of changing our behaviour. Our tips: always leave more bags in your car/ bike/ handbag than what you usually need just for if you forget! For smaller, fresh produce you can make your own bags from repurposed materials such as old sheets, reuse brown paper bags or support local initiatives such as https://boomerangbags.org – a not for profit organisation working towards shifting society’s throw away mentality by providing free, locally made, recycled material bags for your community.

Fresh organic vegetables

2. Drink bottle

Invest in a good quality drink bottle, steel bottles from www.swellbottle.com are a great option, they are multipurpose (hot or cold drinks), insulated and more durable than glass. The benefits of drinking out of steel or glass are more than just zero waste though, did you know plastic bottles can leach BPA chemicals into the water that your drinking leading to hormonal in balances in the body. Although there are a huge range of BPA free bottles on the market, they are still made with plastic which naturally we try to avoid.

3. Keep cups

I bought my first keep cup long before I got on the zero-waste train but only recently I realised why they are so important. The plastic coffee cup lids are not recyclable but did you know most cups are not recyclable either as they have a plastic lining on the inside of the cup to stop liquid leaking out. Most cafes offer discounts for keep cups so over time you will recoup the cost of your keep cup and then save on coffee in the future. There are a range of trendy keep cups that also support charity’s, our favourite is a glass cup from Sea Shepard www.seashepherdglobal.org/shop/ they make perfect inexpensive and sustainable gifts.

4. Straws

Is it just me or does everything taste better when it’s not in plastic! Metal straws super affordable and make a huge difference to our environment. Otherwise just say no to the plastic straw- this one seems to be easy to live without.

5. Jars

Welcome to the world of bulk foods and jars are you knew best friend. Try to buy foods in glass jars, then re-use to store your bulk food items. Some bulk food stores will weigh your jars first and take that weight off once you have filled it. I personally find it easier to use all the same size jars and keep one empty to tar off at the end, or again reuse your paper bags and stock up in store and pour into your jars at home. Bulk food stores are usually cheaper than grocery stores as it’s great to support local and independent shops. My bulk food staples include; dates, oats, flours, rice, nutritional yeast, spices, nuts, beans, legumes and coffee.

Eco friendly packaging

6. Take away containers

Read above drink bottles and BPA’s and it will be an easy switch to BYO containers for your heath and the environment. Take away containers also contain Phthalates which are endocrine disrupters and mimic the body’s natural hormones causing health problems. These are also found in reusable plastic bottles and supermarket food wrapped in cling wrap. A little practice of planning ahead will become more habitual over time. Helpful tip: If you are calling ahead for a take away order and want a quick pick up to ask the staff to leave it in the pans and arrive a few minutes earlier than the food will be ready, so they can transfer it straight into your zero waste BPA free containers.

If you require any further information, please get in touch with us

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Brendan log

Welcome to my Tiny Journey

Brendan logMy name is Brendan Kelly, creator and director of New Earth Living. I have been building my business from the ground up (pardon the pun) since it launched in 2016. Throughout my journey I have gained valuable experience and I continue to expand my knowledge on my passions; health, wellness and sustainability. Through writing blogs and sharing my journey I hope it inspires you to live by your passions too.

Why so Tiny? Why I got onboard Tiny House living.

The tiny house movement has taken off in recent years, gaining popularity in North America and Europe first, before catching on in our own backyards. There are Tiny House shows, movies, YouTube channels, Instagram and Facebook groups catering to those who are starting their Tiny House journey or just genuinely intrigue of how people manage to live in such a small space.

Small wooden cabin house

My interest in Tiny House living came from working with Habitat for Humanity, a not for profit charity to help those facing homelessness. I was surprised to see the statistics, more than 100,000 Australians are considered homeless. It shocks me to see the urban sprawl that encompasses Perth, every month new sub-divisions are being constructed impacting our native flora, fauna and our beautiful natural landscapes we are so fortunate to have in Australia. The average size of a new home is 233m squared, infrared shows that most homes only use the kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms areas. Most homes have spare bedrooms and bathrooms just in case guests stay over. We also have spare rooms for our dining room, office, laundry and children’s playroom. This isn’t even including our outdoor entertainment area!

Tiny homes require only a small space, give you the freedom of moving and are much cheaper than the average mortgage. We believe everyone is entitled to a home, which is why we are innovators in the Tiny House movement. My ethos, living in harmony in nature, is exactly what we need to do in order to create a sustainable and healthy future. Using only what we need, recycling what we can, creating quality over quantity.

Thank you so much for stopping by, I hope you enjoy following us on our Journey!

If you require any further information, please get in touch with us

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