Sometimes it’s really hard to do the right thing.

Boyf contacted the guy who makes them and got this response:

Thankyou for purchasing our cutting boards at Cann River Cafe.  The timber used in these boards is local native hardwood, predominantly the species Eucalyptus Sieberi (common name Silvertop) with on occassion other species such as cuttail, brown stringy or even messmate included.  Garry also makes a board which is southern mahogany (now renamed Snowy River Red Gum) and silvertop.  Garry was the first sawmiller in East Gippsland to specialise in silvertop and has been in the industry since childhood as his father and three uncles started milling in May 1952.

There is so much I could tell you on the positive side of the industry but I do not know just what you would like.  Garry loves the local, in fact all Australian hardwoods and would do just about anything within reason to promote the beauty and uniqueness of our superb native timbers. His love of our native timber goes far beyond simply making a living.

The boards you purchased are coated with a non toxic oil but can be reoiled on a need basis with any vegetable or cooking oil, e.g. olive oil, grapeseed or canola oil.  If the boards become scratched through use (Ihave been using my board for over ten years now), they may be lightly sand with a fine grit wet and dry paper then reoiled.  Enjoy your board.

I am Garry’s wife and our surname is spelt BROWNLIE.  Up until March 2009 there was a sawmill run by my husband known as G.J. Brownlie of Brownlies Sawmill Noorinbee North, but unfortunately due to problems with VicForests and the Labor Government we were forced to close due to lack of supply in March 2009.  Garry in the three years prior to that had been working on developing a hardwood furniture factory in Cann River as the ultimate form of value adding to the hardwood timber milled.  This along with the mill was also forced to close leaving eight workers without a job.  Some of the timber he is using for the boards is actually timber “saved” over many years in the sawmill as he refused to sell beautiful timber to the pallet material buyers and Brownlie’s has never owned a chipper as Garry and his father Gordon before him believed in getting the most timber possible out of the logs delivered.  Brownlie’s were also renowned for quality timber and my husband offered a very personal service to his customers, selling timber not only to timber yards but also to the general public and encouraged people to use Australian timbers rather than imported timbers, many of which are non-sustainably logged.  Another point that may be of interest to you is the fact that since 1952 Brownlie Sawmill has only ever taken from our native forests enough timber to make a living, not millions by any means, and has endeavoured to use the timber wisely.  Since Garry took control of the mill in 1992 from his father he has, even though he was one of the smallest sawmills in East Gippsland been a leader in value adding to the timber, having the first purchased timber kiln east of Bairnsdale, fought for species specific since 1995 and endeavoured to value add to the highest levels.  He has supplied furniture grade boards, flooring. overlay flooring, decking boards, both exterior and interior cladding/lining boards and even now though he has been forced from his business as a sawmiller he is still buying green timber in, kiln drying it and sending it off as overlay flooring.  Some boards he is still using to make furniture and his chopping boards.

Great to come across such people.

Doug, Duncan and Lee in the studio at WYEP Pittsburgh

Much of the building used recycled (75% of the steel, recycled jeans as insulation…) or sustainable (wheatboard, fly-ash concrete) materials with low volatile organic compounds and a design that promotes a healthy working environment. The increased building costs were quickly offset by the low energy use of the building and it seems like a great place to work (you can open the windows, yay!)

It also plays great music.

For 30 years New Mexico-based Reynolds and his green disciples have devoted their time to advancing the art of “Earthship Biotecture” by building self-sufficient, off-the-grid communities where design and function converge in eco-harmony.

When I learned that the first Australian Earthship was to be built at CERES (Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies) in Melbourne, I went to the meeting to find out more. CERES is a fantastic site – they describe it best themselves here.

I did very quick sketches of attendees of the meeting as a memory jogger - I'm rubbish at remembering names

They plan to build an Earthship this year, so there’s lots to do, including raising funds for the 12 person team that they want to bring from Taos, New Mexico (apparently this is the only option – they don’t allow less than 12 people to facilitate an Earthship build). Let’s hope that they allow the interns to be Australia-based. I would love to get some hands on experience of building an Earthship.

The site has to have space for the build and a big earth bern and it has to face full sun

Measuring out a potential site for the Earthship

Oscar experiments with aquaponics

Oscar shows Ed his aquaponic fish

These strips are based on a report I read on Treehugger, which has a more recent article here

…there is a huge amount of interest in combining hydroponics with fish farming for a mutually beneficial partnership. Most notably Will Allen’s Growing Power team in Milwaukee have shown how aquaponics can produce a remarkable amount of high-quality protein and veggies on very limited urban land.