Green Dollars/ trading with animal goods.

What are Green Dollars?

Green dollars was established in 1983 by a man called Michael Linton. Green Dollars is a system of barter and exchange in which goods can be given instead of cash, and can be used to exchange items with someone who has something of the same value as yours.

What are green dollars?

Which animals have the best uses for trading and providing food and goods within 20 families?

 

Cattle would have to be the most efficient animals to keep on a lifestyle block as they provide meat, dairy and even leather if you like, they also don’t require a lot of maintenance as all they need is to be kept on grass to graze and in the winter they might need either hay or baleage.

 

Cattle 

• unwanted weeds and plants.Goats 

Keeping goats is useful as their wool (cashmere) is worth a lot of money when they are shorn. Also you can get dairy products from them. They are also useful to eat unwanted weeds and plants.

Goats 

Pigs are our other choice to provide some extra meat and they eat left over scraps, and also their fat, skin, hair, glands and other parts are used to make lard, leather, brushes, soap, fertilizer, glue and medicine.

Pigs 

Sheep Sheep are a good source of many varieties of meat and their wool can be used to make a number of things like jerseys and gloves etc.

Chickens provide eggs throughout their lives and meat. They are also helpful for eating weeds, insects and leftover scraps as well.

Chicken

We chose the following animals because they have a number of helpful uses and require low maintenance.

The meat, wool etc we get from these animals will be used to trade within the community.

     Our lifestyle block consists of 6 acres with 40 animals through-out the property.  Our 9 cattle would be spread out over 3 acres of land.  

The 4 goats will get one acre to themselves because goats need a lot of space to run around. 

On our 5th acre the 20 chickens will take it up. There will be 2 coups, perch and nesting boxes for them to lay their eggs in- one of the chicken coups will be for the hens who are separated from the roosters to prevent them from fertilizing their eggs and the other will be for both hens and roosters. There will also be a outside area so they are safe from predators. 

Our 6th acre will be occupied by pigs. The two pigs that will live on this acre will have a shelter for when it gets cold and mud to roll in. 

     The 7th acre will be used for the 5 sheep who can graze and eat grass with a shelter when it gets cold.

 

How much space will our animals need on the lifestyle block? 

Out of our nine cattle none of them will be related so when

it comes time to start breeding we will have a big choice instead of if some of them were related. Our cattle will be traded so we will have a variety of cattle to breed from, this will also be done for the rest of the 35 animals.

 How will we use trade to avoid inbreeding in out stock?

What will our stock be fed?

Cow's are herbivores and eat grass and in the winter months when it starts to get cold they may need hay or baleage.

Sheep are herbivores and will usually eat mostly grass and sometimes gumnuts. Like cows in the winter months they will also need some hay or baleage.

Pigs are omnivores which means they will eat plants, meat and almost any scraps you give them including dead insects, worms, trees, bark and even dead pigs.

Goats are herbivores and eat almost anything they can find but have grass, oats and weeds.

Chickens are omnivores and will eat leftover scraps, wheat, pellets, insects and weeds.

During times of the recession when money in the community is in short supply and people are in need of jobs and resources Green Dollars would be helpful for a number of families who can trade exchange their items for something that they need.

Example: You could trade for some wool and see what is worth its value and get a number of eggs in exchange and this would enable people to get the things they need without using money or going to the supermarket.

Trading in Green Dollars helps boost cash flow shortage but is dependent on peoples trust and commitment.

What advantages will trading have for the community?

Bibliography • http://www.j2fi.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/three_cows.jpg • http://itech.dickinson.edu/chemistry/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/flock_of_sheep.jpg • http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/Politics/Images/pigs.jpg •  http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2007/09/26/goats_lead_wideweb__470x352,0.jpg •  http://web1.msue.msu.edu/poultry/baby_chicks222.jpg  • http://goodbadandugly2.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/grass.jpg  • http://southernfriedblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/smiley-face.jpg  • http://greenmgpl.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/grass.jpg • http://www.corbisimages.com/images/42-21882727.jpg?size=67&uid=E01DF95F-6662-4016-BA06-7FC9A37A745B • http://www.bankstownsports.com/images/community_pic.jpg                  • http://www.bankstownsports.com/images/community_pic.jpg • http:// www.forexprofitingpro.com/sites/idintino_/flies/image//GreenDollarsSign_XD%5B5D.jpg•  http:// www.rubinville.com/dailydave/uploaded_images/calves-whispering-7a6650.jpg • http:// www.damgate.com/images/news/lambs.jpg • http:// www.pennywellfarm.co.uk/download/pigs_at_pennywell_5.jpg • http:// www.blog,case.edu/kellio/2007/05/23/goats.jpg • http:// www.gplteensblog.flies.worldpress.com/2009/06/grass-5.jpg • http:// www.kiralambert.flies.worldpress.com/2008/01//511037_grass_green.jpg • http://www.h6.ggpt.com/Qj5eErCu7o/sdv3KKaw5/AAAAAAAbk/q8Ye4uw/scenery%_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg• http://wanttoknowit.com?what-do-pigs-eat/ • http:// www.globalideasbank.org/site/bank/ideaphp•  http:// www.ibes.orcanhosting.net.nz/ • http:// www.selah.k12.wa.us/soar/projects2001/MichelleC.html•  http:// www.ezinearticles.com/?Multiple-Uses-Of-Goat&id=499844 • http:// www.cdj.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/31/4/319

Bibliography 

By Jessie & Sarah :D