Hedgend Maze – fun for everyone

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     What is our Blog about?           

Hedgend Maze  is a family run business purchased  by Anthony and Lea Bowen in 2007. We actually bought the property initially because of the stunning views (views make my heart melt), but the pre existing tourist business was part of the package, too. The business was already structured with a few attractions that were in need of some new energy. But I am such a visionary, I saw this adventure as a blank canvass, as if Hedgend herself was waiting patiently for its artist in residence to begin to paint! 

Our son William at the front entry, 2007 

So Anth and I began our story, trading as it was, changing slightly in areas, exploring and understanding what this property can offer. We needed at least 1 – 2 years up our sleeve to understand the nature of tourism, weather, the foundations of the property and of course how to manage a 7 day business. It was a massive learning curve. We had everything thrown at us, some good, some rotten, but all in all, it was the learning we were grateful for. The learning that could only lead us to clarity of what we do want and what we do not want in life. It also gave us clarity in the area of relationships with not only ourselves, but our gorgeous children, friends and our amazing staff. 

I really need to thank Donna Donovan from the Shire of Yarra Ranges for my introduction into business within the Valley. She opened my eyes in so many areas, particularly in two areas. One being Sustainability, the other becoming a confident woman in business. I would present myself in many of her events from marketing your business, interactive media, networking, women’s forums, women’s forums and more women’s forums. I could ask her anything about the business world (no matter how stupid), and respectfully answer and open up my eyes to her wealth of business knowledge. But it was a general email she sent out to her data base that took me on the next biggest learning I am ever so grateful for. She was offering all businesses an opportunity to study a new and exciting course the Shire was facilitating. The course was called ‘Business in Sustainability’ and I convinced straight away, this was for our business. I wanted align myself with like minded people. People who cared about the future resources and opportunities, and how that can impact trade in a positive way. How our business can maximise this term ’sustainability’ and how to create posture within our industry. There are so many reasons for businesses in a community not to go down this track, but thankfully, for us, the reasons to endure this change and knowledge super-seeded many, many times over. I feel now, that our motivation for Hedgend Maze will be one that can outlast other businesses in the same industry, because of our vision and desire to change and research and see this as opportunity and most importantly share this knowledge with others. We will never be stuck, never be reliant on precious resources that are literally costing the earth and provide a resource in the community of how this change can be taken in successful steps. 

So I completed the Sustainable Business Program in 2009 and was awarded Sustainable Leader within our Shire.  I was so excited. What a great 12 month journey! So with that under my belt, it was time practise what you preach and begin this adventure and help make it become conscious change in all areas of Hedgend Maze. I began with the simplest things… asking suppliers where they sourced their stock. Was it local, made under licence? Can I have proof no child labour has been involved in making certain products? Sadly there wasn’t a list of basic questions available for me to question my suppliers. Some got quite anxious and even angry that I was interested in this type of knowledge of their stock. I had to delve in deep and inquire a lot to get to a level where I was happy. Well actually I wasn’t happy, because my shelves became sparse. But happy to let them go, not trade with these companies anymore. No one could supply me with the old stock I had been getting for the the past two years. So we haven’t really gone down the area of a shop yet, because this is something that I really need to do a lot of homework in. So I kept moving through the easy changes first. Our staff embraced to change. We were measuring water usage, composting waste sorting, heaps of minor things that we just consciously made an effort to change our behaviour in. Was that simple. We have been making many changes, but now we are ready to encounter massive change in our park. And this is where the idea of this blog takes place. I want to share our trials and tribulations to make this journey a resource for you. A learning tool to ripple our love and urgency to create change in all areas of businesses, schools, homes and communities in support of sustainability and add power and value in our choice, too! Its going to be an exciting journey, so pull up a chair and hold on tight, its going to be a roller coaster ride!

 

671 Comments by hedgend on January 30, 2011
filed in News + Events
tagged

Worm Farm and Composting

Creating your own worm farm or compost area is a simple project which can be done where ever you live. Composting garden and kitchen waste will result in a reduction the amount of landfill sent away and instead these valuable minerals and nutrients will be put back into your own garden as organic fertiliser.

 There are numerous types of boxes and containers that can be purchased to set up composts and worm farms, but using recycled containers, boxes or polystyrene containers can do just as good a job.

 When finding the right location for your worm farm you need to remember that you don’t want them to get too hot or get filled with water if it rain.

 There are a vast number of different types of worms found in our earth, but the Tiger Worms, Red Wrigglers and Indian Blues are the best worms for composting as they thrive in the rich, warm, moist conditions and can eat up to half their body weight a day.  You can get your worms from others who already have a thriving worm farm or purchase them from gardening stores or on line.  To start off your farm you will want about 2,000 worms, with the right conditions these will multiply to about 8,000 in ½ a year.

 Worms love to eat just about anything, but there are a few rules to follow;

  • Cardboard including egg cartons
  • Vegetable, fruit peelings and waste
  • Hair clippings and vacuum cleaner dust
  • Stale biscuits and cakes
  • Coffee grounds and tea bags
  • Crushed washed egg shells
  • Saw dust (non treated wood)
  • Soaked cardboard 
  • Green grass cuttings can be added thinly, too much generates ammonia & excess heat which kills the worms.

Food the worms DON’T LIKE:

  • High protein foods (tofu)
  • Animal products (fish, seafood, beef, chicken, dairy, egg yolk)
  • Chili
  • Large amounts of tomato
  • Uncooked onion and garlic
  • Uncooked rice and dried food
  • Acid fruits like citrus and pineapple
  • Dog poo

Every time you add new food, place it in a new location, moving round the box. This way you can see how much of yesterday’s food they have eaten and if you need to give more or less.  Remember, don’t feed them too much. Too much food will just rot on the top and become a problem.

by hedgend on May 14, 2012
filed in Education, Kitchen Garden

Lynbrook PS

Year 2 students from Lynbrook PS visited Hedgend Maze on Thursday 3rd May.  The over 130 students explored the Bush Tucker Walk, discovering indigenous plants of Australia and how they can be used in the kitchen.  They investigated erosion and the effects it has on the land and ways of how they can reduce the effects in their own school or home gardens.  The students also explored the Kitchen Garden, discovering plants that we use in our kitchen.  They looked at how to read packaging to find out where foods were made and how to reduce food miles in their shopping.  The students also had the opportunity to run through Giant Hedge Maze and unearth giant dinosaur bones in our Fossil Dig.  The students were very keen to be apart of all the activities and keen to share their learning with us.  What a great day!  We wish all the students and staff the best as they continue to explore the topic ‘Our Earth’s Resources’.

by hedgend on May 3, 2012
filed in Excursions

Illusions

Exercise your brain.  Challenge your mind with these illusions.  Illusions

by hedgend on April 11, 2012
filed in Illusions

Beer in the Garden

Beer can be put into plastic containers and put in the garden as environmental friendly traps.  The snails are attracted to the beer because of the sweet, sour and yeasty smell.  Snails and slugs crawl in and then either drown or are poisoned from the alcohol.  Make sure the containers are emptied regularly and be aware of children around the beer.

by hedgend on March 6, 2012
filed in Kitchen Garden
tagged , ,

Organic Seasonal Vegetable Frittata Recipe

We have been very successful in our food yield these recent months, as our Kitchen garden has been mass producing. El has found that she has odd bits of vegies today. Not quite enough to make a menu item from each variety of food for our cafe, so she threw this amazing concoction together. She called it her Organic Seasonal Vegetable Frittata. It was sooo delicious, we had to get her recipe on the blog. And it wont matter what sort of odd vegetables you have in your pantry, just keep the quantities roughly the same and you too will have a fantastic feast to share.

Serve hot or cold with your own fresh garden salad or simply by itself.

 

Organic Seasonal Vegie Frittata:

You will need:

Please note, we had these veggies growing in our kitchen garden, so make changes accordingly to the veggies you have growing in your patch.

 

Fresh seasonal vegetables, I chose to use:

¼ pumpkin

1 pale green squash

1 zucchini- medium sized

handful green beans

1 onion

125gm Fetta- small chunks

½ cup sundried tomatoes

½ cup oil + extra for frying

1 cup grated cheese

1 1/3  cups self raising flower

1    Preheat fan forced oven 160 degrees, line large round baking dish with baking paper.

2    Chop all vegetables, including onion into small chunks.

3    Steam the pumpkin until half cooked.

4    Put a large saucepan on medium and add a splash of oil, minced garlic and thyme      (broken up).
5    Then chuck in onion followed by the rest of the vegies, add some salt and pepper to season.

6    Once lightly cooked remove from heat to cool.

7    In a large mixing bowl hand beat eggs, add flour, 1/2 cup oil and grated cheese.

8    Combine and then add all the vegies plus sun-dried tomatoes and fetta (chopped into small chunks)

9    Mix together and place in your baking dish. Season with salt, pepper and thyme leaves.

10   Bake for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown on top and a skewer from the centre comes out clean.

by hedgend on March 3, 2012
filed in Recipes
tagged , , ,
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Hedgend Maze and Laser Strike, Healesville..... P. 03 5962 3636..... E. info@hedgend.com.au..... FB. Hedgend Maze..... T. @hedgend