Happy Green Beings

What to do… what to do? We have just learned that our food co-op has suspended operations and will not be delivering our monthly groceries. That means, among other things, that we are out of coffee and toilet paper. This is not good news.

We haven’t learned why exactly but we know that the co-op has been struggling. (It’s been evident by the number of things that have been back-ordered over the last six months.) I can’t help but wonder though if much of the struggle has to do with the still limited interest in natural and organic foods.

Last week I attended this conference. In order to offer a mix of small and large group learning experiences, the conference offered 20 different learning tracks. Each learning track had 20-30 participants and provide opportunity for discussion. My learning track was “Beyond Consumerism” and while I won’t hash out all the details I will say that I was shocked that those who were leading the discussion were not particularly well versed in the ways in which consumers can purchase food that either lightens the carbon footprint of the consumer or supports the farmer with a substantial percentage of the sticker price or both.

For example, one leader had spent time in Costa Rica and was discussion coffee exports. Roughly, for a pound of fairly trade coffee, the grower is getting $1.26, for the non-fairly traded pound, the grower gets 70-90 cents. (click here for a visual comparison). And we are paying, in this country, $8-$12/lb for the same coffee. The thing that bothered me the most is it seemed (although was never said explicitly) that buying fairly traded products doesn’t matter and it was even implied that the certification process is not to be trusted.

Is it a perfect system? No. Of course not. But should we completely disregard it? I think that is irresponsible (not to mention cynical and pessimistic.) But clearly, responsible food is not yet in the mainstream and companies that sell and distribute it are struggling and leaving consumers to piece together less than ideal buying solutions. So…

For the time being, it looks like coffee will come from Coffee Bean Direct and TP from theearthshack.com

Are you part of the growing number concerned about food?  How do you buy green?

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Today is the day I get my backyard chicken flock underway.

Our family decided to start a backyard chicken flock for many reasons. First, we think it is important to be as close to the source of our food as possible, and who can really be against fresh eggs from the backyard? Second, chickens provide many other beneficial services other than meat and eggs - such as eating insects that want to eat our garden, provide fertilizer for the lawn and garden, and some pretty cool entertainment for us, our friends and family.

I am fortunate enough to have found a local person that is willing to set a few eggs in an incubator and watch over them for me. I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of tracking down an incubator of my own - cheap ones usually will work but you really need to watch the temperature and humidity in them to make sure that the eggs are under the correct conditions for hatching, and the ones that take care of all of that for you are really expensive. Since I am only looking to raise 4 or 5 layers (chickens for eggs) and then 1 or 2 meat birds it seems silly to spend a lot of money on an incubator.

So what’s next in this process? Once he gets the eggs together that I ask for, then I have 21 days for the eggs to hatch. That means 28 days to get my act together and have a little place set up for them to live when I pick them up. They will need food, water and a heat source to keep them pretty close to 100F. They will live inside for a week to 10 days, and then they will be big enough to move outside to a coop - which I still need to build.

Once they are big enough to be outside, then they will be put to work around the yard eating the bugs, dandelions and other weeds.

So I guess that is the beginning. I will keep everyone posted on the progress, including pictures, as we get up and running around here.

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OK, so I’m not just about to talk about all the things that doctors talk about, that’s for doctors. I’m going to talk about MY version of staying healthy. Don’t be offended if I leave something out, i can be pretty forgetful.

We all know moving is important and that everyone should do about 20 min. + per day, but seriously, who actually does that? Not me, that’s for sure. If you do, congratulations! You’ve won the Healthy and Fit… Contest! Anyway, it’s getting to be summer, and for people like me, that means WAY more moving than my usual 45 min. physical education class per week. Well, I’ve come up with some ideas about moving this summer, so that I get out more than I did last summer to enjoy the good weather, while it lasts. Here they are:

1. biking to: library, park, video store… ect.

2. swimming on sunny days (maybe even having a few lifeguard supervised pool parties)

3. walking the dog more often than usual- this way, both me AND my dog get the wonderful benefits

4. push-up and sit-ups every morning- or when I fell like it

5. gardening- this will help make our landscape less dreary

6. NO CARS, unless it is necessary

7. boating- that includes canoing and kayaking. Once it’s warm enough, I’ll be out paddling the river with my dad

So, those are my 7 ideas that I can think of at this moment, but I’m sure you smart people can think of many others.

Now, I’ll talk about that wonderful thing that keeps out complicated human machine running and serves as “gas”: food. Summer may mean more getting out and moving around, but it also means BBQ and grill-outs. Personally, I think a lot about how food is good for my body and how it is good to eat it. If it has no purpose what so ever, or if it is super important. I know potato chips and a greasy hamburger with a load of corn syrup-y Ketchup isn’t exactly good for my heart, but I gotta admit, it can be a good once-in-awhile treat. Growing up in a family that’s CRAZY about healthy food may seem like it wouldn’t be much fun, but overall it is defiantly helpful. Not only does it educate you about how things can have a good/bad impact on your body, but it also teaches you to enjoy food that comes strait from our good friend Mother Earth. In my life, I’ve probably eaten more pounds of rice and kidney beans than most people, but those two foods are great staples. Add a few stir fried veggies and you have a whole meal!

It’s always nice to plop down with a sugary artificial flavored Popsicle, but wouldn’t you rather have a natural freezy than one that’s loaded with sugar? Well, here’s how you make them:

Ingredients: all natural frozen juice concentrate.

Instructions: follow the directions on the tube of juice concentrate to mix it in a jug. Poor juice into ice-cube trays, or if they are available, Popsicle trays. If you used the ice-cube trays, stick a toothpick in each square filled with juice. let the juice freeze in the freezer over night or until solid. Enjoy!

Here’s one more healthy snack before I rap it up:

Ingredients: your favorite fresh veggies, and natural ranch dressing or peanut butter.

Instructions: Cut the veggies of your choice into 3″ pieces. Put dressing or peanut butter into a small container. Dip veggies into the dressing or peanut butter. Happy eating!

I hope you have enjoyed my little post!

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[Warning to boys and those squeamish about bodily functions:  I'm about to talk about girl stuff.  You're welcome to read on, but I thought I should give fair warning]

It’s that time of the month.  That time when I DON’T travel to the store to buy tampons or pads that are bleached with dioxin containing substances, and lined with petroleum containing plastics.  Instead, I pull out my stash of flannel cloth pads and my Diva cup, a favorite tea called “My Last Nerve“, and I’m all set.

Why choose cloth pads?  I decided on cloth pads some 14 years ago, when I had just one little toddler in cloth diapers.  I read about cloth pads somewhere, I don’t remember exactly where now.  I thought it made sense if we had babies in cloth diapers, that this would be a consistent choice.  (By the way, we cloth diapered four children.  For four years, we had two in diapers at a time.  This is a story for another post.)  I wasn’t sure I would like the pads or dealing with them, but I ordered a few and got started.  My favorite pads come from Glad Rags.  In the years since I started using them, I’ve spent probably a total of $100 on reusable pads.  That’s a considerable savings over what I would have spent using disposable products.  A second benefit of this choice is how they feel.  You know when you’re feeling a little queasy, crampy, not so up to par, and your episiotomy scar is throbbing a wee bit? A little flannel pad is very comfortable and, well, comforting.  (Who invented the episiotomy, anyway?  I’d like to give him a piece of my mind. . .)

I know many of you are probably saying “eeewwww” right now, so I thought I would address the yuck factor.  I’ve had plenty of people dismiss the entire concept of cloth pads by saying “I just don’t want to deal with it.”  To that I say, what do you think happens to those pads and tampons you put in the garbage?  They don’t just magically disappear.  Someone has to empty that cute little trash container in the public bathroom.  If I consider handling my own waste versus handling someone else’s, the yuck factor increases exponentially.  Additionally, many of these products end up hung up on the infamous “bar screen” at the sewage treatment plant.  If your sophomore biology teacher didn’t take you on a field trip to your municipal sewage treatment plant, you should march your little self there as soon as possible.  Check it out, see where all that stuff goes, and talk to the folks who “deal” with your garbage and everyone else’s that gets flushed down the toilet.

As an interesting little aside here, I’ve toured three sewage treatment plants in my life.  The first one was when I was a high school sophomore biology student and I toured the Milwaukee, Wisconsin plant.  That was a life-changing event for me, as I was horrified to discover that at that time, when there were big rains, not all the sewage exactly got treated before it was dumped into Lake Michigan.  I was an instant environmentalist.  Someone also asked what was the strangest thing that showed up at the bar screen.  We were told that a body had once ended up there.  It obviously wasn’t flushed, but managed to make it’s way into the sewage pipes some other way.  Perhaps this is more information that you bargained for?

Back to the cloth pads.  They come in beautiful colors that help to remind you to celebrate your womanhood.  You can make your own; a pattern can be found at http://sewgreen.blogspot.com/2007/05/cloth-pads.html, or several can be found here: http://www.fuzbaby.com/articles/makeyourown_clothmenstrualpads.htm.

Cleaning is easy.  Most of the purchase and other info sites recommend soaking.  I have done that, and even used the water to fertilize my plants, but it’s really not necessary.  If you do decide to soak, you need to change the water at least once per day.  I just wash with some BioKleen in the water.  Or if I’m out of that, just regular soap with vinegar in the rinse.  The pads actually grow softer with repeated washings.

Cloth pads make great postpartum pads as well.  You can dip your inserts into witch hazel, pop them in the freezer, and have a nice little ice pack for your tender healing bottom.

Four years ago, I discovered the newest edition to my sustainable monthly tools, the Diva Cup.   Unlike the episiotomy, The Diva Cup (or other menstrual cup) is truly a remarkable gift to women.  I found mine at Glad Rags, but we now carry them at The Red Radish.  If you purchase a brand other than the Diva Cup, make sure you get one made of medical grade silicon.  The cups come with a comprehensive set of instructions; if your instructions are missing like mine were, the company is oh, so very nice about emailing them right away.  I found the learning curve to be rather steep with the cup, but well worth the effort.

Lots of people have said to me that they are heavy bleeders and couldn’t use the cup.  It can overflow, so it’s a good plan to keep your cloth pads around and wear one just in case.  I have short, heavy periods and the cup is really amazing.  You may just have to empty it more often (every two hours, rather than four).

There is a bit of an eeewww factor with The Diva Cup as well.  Your fingers can get a bit messy, but that’s what soap and water are for.  I rinse mine after each empty, and wash it with a mild hand soap when I’m done with it.

I admit, public bathrooms are the biggest drawback of the cup.  It’s ok if you find a private one with toilet and sink all behind one locked door.  But the lineup of stalls, with the lineup of sinks is a situation I haven’t really found a solution for yet.   You can empty your cup into the toilet, but if you feel you need to rinse it out before re-inserting, you may just have to endure some stares, or get creative.  I did manage to find a tiny out of the way bathroom in the Capitol building in Washington D.C. when my daughter and I were traveling last summer.

So, why do I do all of this each month?  It is empowering to find a solution to an everyday situation that doesn’t involve constant consumption of resources.  I feel very self-sufficient, cut off from “needing” to purchase paper and plastic each month.  The production of those products poisons the earth, and my body as well.  I’m taking responsibility for my body and at least some of it’s products, and I’m accepting this inevitable part of being a woman instead of denying it.  I enjoy knowing that in this one little way I’m (kinda secretly) making a difference.

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This blog is an excellent source of information on food and politics. The posts are long but the information is timely and often provides individuals with specific ways to get involved. (Plus the banner is beautiful!)

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We live in a part of the world where water is plentiful. The Great Lakes, the melting snow, and the summer rains all provide regular sources of water to our state. It’s easy to forget that in other parts of the country water is less available and in many parts of the world it is a scarce resource.

Water is getting more attention though these days in some surprising places. I thoroughly enjoyed the following clip and LOVE that this technology already exists.

Won’t it be cool when this project teams up with this project.

This year our family is planning on installing water barrels on many of our downspouts in an effort to cut in half the amount of water we use for the gardens. We’re not sure what we’re doing and last year it was really dry so we’re hoping for more regular rain this year. We’ll keep you posted on how the project goes.

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Around this time of year here in Wisconsin we start to get a little stir crazy for Spring to arrive.  A couple of weeks ago I hit my winter wall - I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed some spring and I needed it now.  I needed to feel dirt.  So I pushed some furniture around in our spare bedroom, hauled up the bag of potting soil, and broke out the stash of seeds.  That day our daughter Meg and I planted tomatoes, basil, parsley, potatoes, peppers, oregano and dill.  I couldn’t stop myself from planting seeds.  Well, our work has started to pay off.  There are a bunch of delicate little shoots coming up in the yogurt containers and egg cartons we used to start our seedlings.  I find myself in there several times a day just watching them grow - dreaming of when they are big enough to provide delicious meals for our table.  A taste of spring a little early.

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