This project will also be a long time before results come to fruition (haha pun intended). There are a couple of Australian Native foods I wish to cultivate after researching the current demand for them.

First is the Australian Desert Lime. We have a perfect couple of acres for growing these. Well drained, sandy and not far from the current mud brick house.

Next is the Bush Tomato much harder to grow and probably just an experiment to see if the conditions and well draining sand in the area would be suitable.

But like all projects one must

• determine if there is a market
• research the product
• determine best way to sell, wholesale, value add etc
• test
• then test some more

This project may or may not be a money making exercise. it certainly has NO future as a passive income type of project in itself, but as a teaching/experience/niche area it has potential.

My partner and I have bought the property to which we will be slipping away to come 2010. It is 700 acres of unspoilt bush with an existing comfortable mud-brick house in place. There are various parts of the existing property that could be rolled into products

• solar energy
• wind energy
• composting toilets
• sea change, tree change

My plan though is to build a straw bale observatory on the property. Straw bale building is becoming better known amongst the eco-aware people out there, and makes sense in the climate to which our property sits.

Here is a site that is doing the whole niche marketing thing, but doing it pretty well. Their free newsletter is worth signing up for if you are interested in learning about straw bale building.

Back to the project plan for the observatory. This is a very very long term project and I will be keeping the blog updated on progress…but do not expect anything for a while