I began this year with optimism, a new set of goals, a hopeful wish for new experiences and a determination to put 2020 firmly in the past and make the most of each and every day this year. In personal terms, society terms, global health terms and farming terms 2020 was a year of upheaval, and that’s putting it lightly.

Today, in the virtual sphere (because that’s where everything takes place these days), the Oxford Farming Conference is taking place. At the time of writing we have already been ‘treated’ to hearing from all four ministers responsible for agriculture in their various home nations. We’ve also had a session on trade and the Frank Parkinson lecture which was this year delivered by ‘the Godfather of Sustainability’ – John Elkington. Tow key things have come to the fore for me so far. One of those is the need for defined purpose and determination in communicating that purpose in a clear manner. The other is that we need to act, and that means all of us, however we can. That action in itself needs to be defined and goal orientated, ideally with a long term vision.

I am a fan of goal setting but I only became so after a few struggles in life – ‘failure’ often teaches us to change the game, to flip things on their head and to think about what it is that we really want or ‘need’. Goal setting has become part of my own way of moving forward in life. Structure, routine, lists. Every so often things will happen in life that you have to react to, but most of life can be structured and imagined beforehand. We all have the power to predict and make our own futures to some extent, even if it is only having the freedom to decide what to eat for lunch.

How then, does this follow through to land management or indeed business management? This is a broad question and broad concept and clearly goals enable progress, but are they enough? Does resilience require more? I believe it does.

I listen to the debate at Oxford Farming and I look forward to the debate at Oxford Real Farming over the next few days. I hear that we need to move when it comes to sustainability on our own micro-business levels and we need to move quickly. I then look to my family’s farm here in Essex and what we need to do practically on the ground over the next few years. We have a plan but can only enact it at a certain pace. A step by step approach has to be the way but we are limited by people, money and other similar resources. It will be an acute challenge. I know of numerous other SMEs who are in the same boat. I therefore question whether, as a sector generally, whether we will be able to move as quickly as we need to. Just on our farm level we need to transform our energy, growing methods and we need to go much further when it comes to landscape scale conservation and critically in measuring and recording data.

These are just thoughts, but an indication of how I’m thinking as we go into 2021. I am largely optimistic for the near future, but this will only be based on all of us being able to enact actions quickly, and whilst I hope we can, it is a push. All we can do is just keep moving forwards.

Happy new year to you all.

It has been months since I wrote on this blog, something that has been difficult to swallow, for it was here that I began publically thinking about and discussing issues connected with the countryside in the first place, almost seven years ago. I have titled this post ‘writer’s block’ but that hasn’t been the reason for silence – far from it, there has been an overload of topics to discuss this year. The difficulty has been fitting writing in on top of my other commitments – both new and existing – and my writing has, regrettably, suffered as a result. To try and rectify this I have begun a course in freelance and feature writing with the London School of Journalism and I look forward to increasing my writing and research output in 2021, perhaps returning to the essence of where I started in 2013.

2020 has been a year unlike any other. Personally I have had a year of turbulence, but a lot of positive to draw from it. I have rarely been busier in terms of work and podcasting especially has pushed to a whole new level. I hadn’t predicted that in 2020 I would begin making and presenting podcasts for a number of new clients, and learning new skills when it comes to audio production. With this in mind I am excited where the future of rural communications is going, and this was echoed in comments last night when I recorded a podcast with Jane Craigie of Jane Craigie Marketing. I believe we have only scraped the surface when it comes to the ability of rural businesses getting their messages across and strengthening the rural voice and story.

On the farm we faced the most difficult growing year in my memory, with a wet winter resulting in almost exclusive spring cropping and then a dry spring leading to in further complications. Further, pollination of our sea buckthorn crop was impacted by strong winds in March, resulting in a disastrous harvest. All in all, I won’t be sorry to see the back of 2020. This said, we were able to establish a new outdoor gym and activity centre on the farm (Thrive Outdoor’s Wild Gym) which, despite complications with lockdowns and COVID has been a great addition to the farm. I want to focus on food, conservation and community on the farm and this pushed us miles forward when it comes to the community wing, especially giving families in the area something that bit different, getting kids outdoors and getting back to basics.

On the horizon is Brexit and, over seven years, a transition to a new agricultural policy framework in the UK which will transform the agricultural world, and indeed, potentially the landscape itself. We are (still!) yet to see the detail on what the transition will look like and your guess is as good as mine when it comes to the impact of Brexit on the marketplace, but one thing is for sure at the moment and that is that uncertainty is the word of the day.

In the last couple of years, people have become concerned about what impact their actions can have on both the environment and climate change. A lot of the decisions and activities performed by people appear to harm the structure and composition of the Earth; hence the destruction of wildlife, the ozone layer etc.

The idea of ‘going green’ is a way for people to have the type of life they want without negatively affecting the world at large. Deciding to go green is a decision everyone should make, as your decision not to will have a resounding effect on other people and future generations. If you have plans of becoming a homeowner and you would like to jump on the ‘going green’ wagon, there are a couple of things you should incorporate into your build to give you your dream green home.

Below are a few steps you should follow to build your dream green home.

Use Sustainable Building Materials

The most important aspect of building a green home is purchasing sustainable materials, as it is the foundation of everything. There is no material in particular that is generally accepted as durable; instead, you need to look at the pros and cons of a bunch of different materials – the more pros you find, the better!

• Recycled or Reused Materials

The word recycle means reprocessing. Recycling any material for your green home means reprocessing that material. Materials like rubber tyres can be reprocessed into flooring or plastic bottles into fences and benches.

While reused materials are not processed but refurbished, some of the materials you can reuse for your green dream home can create items such as windows, doors, cabinets, flooring and plumbing fixtures.

• Sustainably Harvested

Purchasing a sustainably harvested material means the material comes from a well-managed and transparent production line; it also means the supply chain is well documented and certified. An example is any certified wood obtained from the Forest Stewardship Council.

• Easily Renewable

Some of the materials that are quickly renewable with a fast turnaround growth cycle include; bamboo, cotton, cork, natural linoleum, wood, wheatboard and strawboard.

• Locally Sourced

Why order your sheets of plywood from Indonesia, which is thousands of miles across the ocean, when you could support your local building industry instead? One of the tips for building your green dream home is to be aware of your local natural resources and put them to good use.

Be aware though, that not all items will tick this box, as some items cannot be locally sourced and would require importation.

Incorporate Water and Energy Efficiency into your Plan

In earlier times, homes used energy (gas or electricity) and water unwisely because both items were seen as infinitely renewable resources – but today, a lot of people know better. Below are some of the ways you can build, fix or remodel your dream green home to use these resources with care.

Energy efficiency

• Make use of a timer for your outside light, so that it’s only turned on when needed.
• Insulate your attic.
• Make use of a timer thermostat.
• Keep your blinds drawn in both winter and summer to boost your window’s insulating effect.
• Replace windows that lack insulating gas with new ones.
• Turn off lights when not in use.
• Wash clothes in cold water.

Water efficiency

• If you cannot do away with your lawn, consider replacing natural grass with newer, ultra-realistic artificial turf.
• Replace your toilet with a low-flow toilet.
• To avoid running your tap to bring hot water from a remote water heater, install tankless water heaters that heat water at the source.
• Install a low-flow showerhead.
• Explore xeriscaping as an alternative to water-hungry landscaping.

Emphasise Indoor Air Quality

The air you breathe should never be compromised, as nothing is more important than air. Before the invention of green homes, a few architects and designers gave little thought to the quality of air within the home.

With the introduction of more chemical substances in the house, you should consider these critical areas when building your dream green home.

• Paints

Most latex or acrylic paints out there contain little to no VOC; oil paints, on the other hand do contain VOCs and should not be used in your green home.

• Floor coverings

You should avoid the use of carpet for flooring as it ranks low when it comes to improving air quality in the house. If you must use carpeting in your home, go for natural materials like wool.

• Moisture

When we talk about moisture in the house, we are referring to mold, which can be toxic to your health. When building your dream green home, install ceiling fans that do not allow water to settle on the walls in your bathroom and laundry room.

Take Note of the Direction for Energy Efficiency

When building your house, opt for west facing if possible, as it reduces sun exposure into your home which in turn, encourages you to use less energy in the summer months to cool your home.

• Solar Panels

Solar panel installation is a costly upgrade from the traditional power supply; it’s one of the main renewable and clean sources of energy; it’s benefits more than outweigh the initial cost of installation.

• Eco-Electrical

Practicing eco-friendly electricity usage might seem tricky, but it’s doable. Install LED and compact fluorescent lighting and always use the least amount of electricity possible in your green home.

Build Smaller

A smaller house with energy-efficiency and eco-friendly construction techniques will have a minimal impact on the environment compared to a bigger house, irrespective of how green it is. Smaller homes are currently on trend because of their efficiency, affordability and low maintenance cost.

Cool Your Roof

The type of material you use for your roofing will have a drastic effect on your home’s energy efficiency. You should consider materials that deflect the solar energy from your roof and cool faster at night.

Building your dream green home is something that you can easily accomplish with some research and planning; it’s not rocket science.

About Jade

Jade owns a small business and is a freelancer writer. Her passions include the environment, healthy living, and travel.