Adventures in Eco-Living

Our Favorite Organic (and Cheap) Alternative to Soda Pop

I have a weakness.... on a hot summer's day, there is nothing I enjoy more than an ice cold glass of Coke. I can remember lazy afternoons at my grandma's house when I was little, with a chilled glass of Coke so cold you could barely hold on it to it. It was our special late afternoon treat.

But now that we're all grown up, and we are on a journey of sustainable living, we are trying to cut the "junk" out of our diet, and that means first and foremost high fructose corn syrup (recently suggested to be linked to liver damage and diabetes, among other things). I guess soda pop, for me, was a tough one to give up. I would say, "OK, that's it, I'm going to give up pop for good now," but then, inevitably, I would be somewhere and would find myself with a big fountain drink in my hand.

Part of the problem was that I find juice a little heavy and sweet to drink all day long, but sometimes I need something more than water. So I started experimenting with creating my own special tea-based iced beverage, and I think I am onto something fabulous.... (disclaimer: OK, I cheated.... I based my recipe on a Tazo drink I was had that was delicious, but contained high fructose corn syrup and was pricey).

This drink is based on jasmine green tea, which is full of cancer-fighting anti-oxidants, and is absolutely superb served chilled over a glass of ice. In fact, I find it much more enjoyable cold than hot. The jasmine adds a delicate floral touch that is just heavenly, and the ginger makes it warming enough to drink in winter. It is smooth, refreshing, clean, and crisp, and I now drink this organic, healthy, full-of-antioxidants drink all day long! And at about 20 cents per quart, you just can't get more economical than this!

RECIPE

1 Numi Organic Jasmine Green Tea bag

1 quart water

honey to taste (I suggest about 1/8 - 1/4 cup, but use your own judgment)

small piece of chopped ginger (optional)

1 stick lemongrass or 1 tbsp shredded lemongrass (optional)

mint leaves (optional)

Directions:

Boil the water, then pour into a glass jar with the tea bag and the honey. Let steep for approximately 5 minutes, but go longer if you want your tea strong. If you are using the ginger and lemongrass, add them to the steeping tea. You can either just throw them in, and then strain the tea when it is finished steeping, or you can add them in a spice bag or tea infuser, so they are easy to remove.

Let cool, then refrigerate. Serve chilled over ice. Throw in a mint leaf for even more yumminess and enjoy!

The Green Holiday Gift Guide 2009

The wintry wonders of November are settling in, the last of the leaves have lost their will to hang on, and mornings are chilly enough to make me wish I didn't really have to get out of bed. This can only mean one thing. Yes, the holiday season is approaching, and once again we are spending much time here trying to figure out how to make it more meaningful (and less hectic!).

Gone for us are the days of gadgets and gizmos, last minute frantic shopping to buy, something, anything, that could be given as a gift. We've started to focus on more handmade, more personalized gifts, and when that doesn't work, we go green. Recycled, Fair Trade, organic, natural- gifts of these nature are so much more meaningful because they benefit our planet, too. We are baking, putting our organic sun-dried tomatoes into decorated jars of oil, making necklaces, making cutting boards, and making photo gifts. And when that doesn't cut it, or when we just run out of time to go homemade, we are giving some awesome green gifts to our loved ones.

We've put together our 2009 Holiday Green Guide with some of our favorite green gifts this season. We've searched far and wide to carry a wide selection of gifts that will fit everyone on your list. Some of them are available on our main website, while others are only available on our eBay World of Good store. (But don't worry, if you want items from both places, just shoot us an email and we can combine your orders with a shipping discount!).

So here goes. Happy Holidays to all, and here's to keeping it simple, keeping it meaningful, and keeping it green!

Recycled Paper Cutting Board

We just love this awesome board! It is made from 100% recycled paper, pressed into a product that Preserve calls "Paperstone". It is a gorgeous, durable, stone-like material that looks sleek and stylish in any kitchen. Perfect for that eco-someone who loves to cook! Price: $24.99

Fair Trade Color Splash Bags

These gorgeous bags are handmade by a Fair Trade cooperative in India, using recycled cotton scraps from a fabric mill. Beautiful patterns make these bags a sure hit. Because of their handmade and recycled nature, each one is totally unique, so you will never see anyone with an exact copy of your bag! Price: $38.99

"Drink the Drops" Stainless Steel Water Bottle

OK, so have you ever wanted to put ice in your water bottle, but the cubes wouldn't fit? Those days are over, with this awesome, wide-mouth water bottle. Don't forget that stainless steel is THE safest, BPA-Free choice for water bottles these days. And who wouldn't love the funky, artsy designs? Price: $12.99

Tree of Life Aluminum Water Bottle

We love these beautiful bottles as a more affordable alternative to SIGG. Besides, we weren't thrilled this year when SIGG admitted they knew their bottles contained trace amounts of BPA all along. Price: $12.99

Wanna see more bottles? CLICK HERE to view all of our reusable water bottles.

Natural Shaving Kit for Men

This stylish little kit comes with the most wonderfully moisturizing sassafras, all-natural shaving soap, a natural boar's hair bristle brush and a classy hardwood soap box. For that eco-man in your life! We've received rave reviews about this kit! Price: $23.99

10-Stage Home Water Filtering System

Keep it meaningful, and give them a gift that will really benefit everyone who uses it. This filter removes along list of contaminants, including chlorine, pesticides, and heavy metals, making it easy to "take back the tap". Say good-bye to bottles, and hello to clean, sparkling, delicious tap water. Price: $109

Natural and Exotic Handmade Soap Sampler

Mmmmm.... our very favorite soaps, bundled together in this cute soap sampler. All-natural, handmade, and heavenly. These delicious soaps are a pure indulgence!Price: $10.80, on sale

Mmmm....natural soaps make a heavenly gift. CLICK HERE to view all of our incredibly indulgent natural soaps!

Recycled Silver and Fair Trade Glass Necklace

Handmade by artist Josie Lamb Williams, this is a beautiful and elegant piece of green jewelry. Hand-crafted sterling silver, accented by Fair Trade, recycled glass, this unique gift will be cherished!

We have lots of eco-friendly jewelry ideas! CLICK HERE to view our line of eco-jewelry.

"Little Yogis" DVD Set: Yoga for Kids

Now this is cute! Instead of all the plastic toys and video games, how about a fun way for kids to learn how to stay healthy and fit. This DVD set teaches youngsters easy, simple stretches that make yoga fun. Price: $21.95

Organic Merino Wool Socks

OK, I know what you're thinking. Socks for Christmas??? Isn't that what your mom gets you? But, wait, honey.... if you've never tried these socks, you just don't know what comfort is. The warmest, most comfortable socks you will ever wear, and softer than you thought wool could be. And they breathe, too, so your feet just don't sweat. Amazing! My husband won't wear any other socks now. Price: $17.99

Hybrid Solar Flashlight

We have finally found an affordable, solar flashlight! And it's not just any flashlight, wither- it's waterproof, it floats, it's shatterproof, it can hold a charge for three years, it can charge in sunlight AND room light, and just in case, it has a back-up lithium battery. Besides that, it's lightweight, and a convenient size. Once again, my husband the Gadget Guy, has thoroughly tested this flashlight, and he enthusiastically gives it a double thumbs-up! Perfect for camping, hiking, fishing, boating, biking, and as an emergency light in your car that is always guaranteed to work.

Organic Cotton "Bikefish" T-shirt

We love this fun shirt! Besides the fact that it is organic cotton, the message is awesome: a school of bicycles eating a hummer. Available in olive green with a yellow screen print (eco-friendly dyes, of course). Yes! Price: $28.99

Fair Trade Cruelty-Free, Tree-Free Leather "World" Journal

Only from India, land where cows are revered for the beautiful animals they are, could we get a cruelty-free leather journal! The leather used to make this classy journal is from cows that died of natural causes. Additionally, the paper is tree-free, made from recycled cotton scraps from fabric mills.

Handmade, Fair Trade Wood Top

It's back to basics with this simple, beautiful, hand-carved wood top. There is something about old-fashioned toys that is making wooden creations so popular once again. And with all the problems in plastics and with lead paint on toys, wood is seeming to be such a simple, green solution. Who doesn't remember playing with a top when they were little? Price: $8.99

Make Your Own All-Natural Chocolate Kit

This is an educational, fun gift for children of all ages. Not only will they learn the art of making chocolate, kids will also learn the fascinating history and economy of chocolate, as well as learning about raw materials an dhow they are sourced from around the globe. Price: $9.95, on sale.

Handmade, Sustainably-Harvested Cutting Board

A beautiful, elegant cutting board makes the perfect addition to an eco-kitchen! Additionally, this is truly a gift that will last many years, and when necessary, can be re-finished for many more years of use, making it a truly sustainable product. The maple and walnut have been sustainably harvested right from our own forest, and then crafted by my husband Alex into beautiful and sturdy boards. Custom boards are available, too! Price: $31.99

"Think Green!" Children's Book

This awesome green book is geared toward teaching youngsters about green issues, from recycling to taking care of our planet. beautiful illustrations make this an enjoyable read, and printed environmentally friendly, too! Price; $14.95

PLA Corn Plastic Water Bottle with Filter

A reusable water bottle with it own filter, free of petroleum plastics! ALthough there are still many possibilities for improvements on these new corn-based bio-plastics, we believe it's a great start for getting away from petroleum forever! Price: $7.99, on sale.

Fair Trade Handmade Cotton Batik Swirl Scarf

We love the delicate intricacies of batik. This cotton scarf is funky, stylish, and eco-friendly, supporting a Fair Trade artisan co-op in India. Price: $23.99

Fair Trade, Hand Made "Ananda" Necklace from India

This beautiful necklace is so simple, yet so chic. Made in an extraordinary family-run artisan cooperative in India that helps its artists rise above poverty. Price: $19.99

Choosing a Safe Water Bottle

With all the news lately about BPA contamination in plastics, it's no wonder that consumers are wondering what a safe choice might be for their families. Here is a brief summary of what we at The Greater Green recommend, based on the latest research and findings:

#1: The BEST choice right now would be a glass water bottle. Consider reusing a glass juice jar that you purchased (filled with juice) and then ran through the dishwasher to sterilize it. There are absolutely no contamination concerns with glass, and it is easy to clean. Additionally, glass can hold just about any type of liquid. The one catch, of course, is that glass is breakable. A clever idea: wrap your glass jar in a hand towel before putting in your backpack or duffel bag, and then you can also use the hand towel throughout the day in restrooms,etc.

#2: If glass will not work for you, your best bet is appearing to be stainless steel water bottles with no liner (liners can themselves cause problems), like the ones available at The Greater Green, 20 oz Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Carabiner, that is the perfect size for that on-the-go lifestyle. It fits in most cup holders in cars, attaches to a belt loop or backpack, and is perfect for hiking, biking, or even just running errands. Stainless is extremely crack- and break-resistant, and does not stain easily. Additionally, at less than ten dollars, these bottles are an affordable choice, especially when you consider that if well-taken care of, these bottles will certainly last for years. For optimum performance, we recommend you only use your bottle for water (which will help keep it cleaner, too), though you can safely fill it with other cool liquids as well. Manufacturers do NOT recommend putting hot liquids into these bottles (use an insulated thermos for that).

Stainless steel is great because it is totally BPA-Free, toxin-free, sturdy, usually dishwasher-safe, and affordable. There are a lot of stylish stainless steel bottles available these days. If you are looking for some funky, stylish designs, check out these picks:

Get Real Sticks and Stones Stainless Steel Water Bottle: Sleek black design fits any mood, any occasion. Dark on black with a touch of color. This handsome, elegant bottle dresses up OR down. Whatever your mood. 20oz./600ml. BPA free stainless steel and decorated with lead-free inks. Threaded screw-on cap is totally unique!

Get Real Drink the Drops Stainless Steel Bottle: Fun, quirky design with the cool screw-on cap. Birds, squirrels, strange little deer-like creatures with mouths wide open for the big drops above. Subtle and eye-catching at the same time. Mostly white design on a deep blue background. 20oz./600ml. BPA free stainless steel and decorated with lead-free inks. Threaded screw-on cap is totally unique!

Hydrate Responsibly Stainless Steel Bottle: Simple, stylish message on a sleek silver bottle. "Hydrate Responsibly" and enjoy the pure taste of clean water in our designed stainless steel water bottles. 86% of plastic water bottles used in the United States end up in landfills, taking up to 1,000 years to biodegrade. Transporting bottled water consumes approximately 1.5 million barrels of fossil fuels per year. Help reduce this number by carrying a refillable bottle. With our 25.36 fl. oz. (750 ml) stainless steel bottles, water remains free of unhealthy plastic residues. BPA-FREE.

#3: The next best option for a safe water bottle would be aluminum bottles like SIGG, with an epoxy-resin liner. Though SIGG has insisted in the past that their bottles are BPA-Free, as of the summer of 2009 SIGG finally admitted that prior to 2008, their secret liner contained trace amounts of BPA. They are now supposed to be using a liner that is BPA-Free, and if you'd like to mail in your old bottles, say they will exchange them for free. Personally, we find this to be a bit disconcerting.

A company that has been a little more upfront with the safety of their bottles is Gaiam. Their aluminum bottles also contain an epoxy resin liner, but they have been very clear about the BPA issue. Extensive testing has shown that no BPA is present under normal conditions; however, under exteme conditions, trace amounts were found. That means that as long as you don't use your Gaiam bottles to drink very hot liquids, you should be fine. And aluminum is not only super light-weight, it is also a bit more affordable than stainless. Be aware, though, that you should not put your aluminum bottles in the dishwasher, and they will dent a bit easier than stainless steel.

Here are a few of our favorite aluminum bottles:

Tree of Life Aluminum Bottle: So simple and elegant, in a beautiful sage green color. Our Tree of Life 100% recyclable, reusable aluminum leak-proof water bottle by Gaiam is a reminder that all life on Earth is related. Bottle holds 25.36 fl. oz. (750 ml) and is sealed by a ring-top screw cap. Aluminum material does not contribute to the unhealthy amount of eco-polluting disposable waste plastic.

Cloud Bouqet Aluminum Bottle: Fun metallic blue design! This 100% recyclable, lightweight aluminum water bottle comes in an attractive, metallic blue with a delicate yellow floral design. Gaiam offers reusable aluminum water bottles as an eco-friendly alternative to disposable plastic water bottles. Our leak-proof, generous aluminum bottles hold 25.36 fluid oz. (750 ml), with a ring-top screw cap.

Persian Paisley Aluminum Bottle: Our 100% recyclable Persian Paisley aluminum water bottle is light and fun, and also eco-friendly. 86% of post-consumer disposable plastic bottles end up in US landfills, where they can take up to 1,000 years to break down. This reusable, leak-proof and generous aluminum water bottle holds 25.36 fluid oz. (750 ml), with ring-top screw cap.

#4: Our fourth choice for safe water bottles is the PLA Corn Resin Bottle. Now, this bottle serves a slightly different purpose, because it comes with a charcoal filter that makes the PLA bottle reusable for about 3 months, at which point it is compostable (though only in a commercial compost). We like the filter, because it means you can fill up with tap water wherever you are. Though PLA is not the perfect plastic, it is a good first step in creating sustainable plastics that are not so detrimental to the environment. We have discussed PLA at length in previous posts. Clicke HERE to read all about it.

WORST: Near the bottom of our list are the polycarbonate bottles. Because of contamination concerns with Bisphenol-A, we do not recommend these bottles. Please keep in mind that many baby bottles are also affected by the BPA concerns, so please look for BPA-free bottles, like those made by Born Free.

And, of course, the very last resort would be regular disposable plastic bottled water. First of all, this bottled water is often just plain old tap water anyway. And we now know that only a small fraction of plastic bottles actually enter the recycling stream (some estimates show only about 14% of plastic bottles are being recycled), so we have a major problem with plastics that will potentially last for millions of year.  Read all about it in The Problem with Plastics.

Here's to healthy hydration!

With all the news lately about BPA contamination in plastics, it's no wonder that consumers are wondering what a safe choice might be for their families. Here is a brief summary of what we at The Greater Green recommend, based on the latest research and findings:

#1: The BEST choice right now would be a glass water bottle. Consider reusing a glass juice jar that you purchased (filled with juice) and then ran through the dishwasher to sterilize it. There are absolutely no contamination concerns with glass, and it is easy to clean. Additionally, glass can hold just about any type of liquid. The one catch, of course, is that glass is breakable. A clever idea: wrap your glass jar in a hand towel before putting in your backpack or duffel bag, and then you can also use the hand towel throughout the day in restrooms,etc.

#2: If glass will not work for you, your best bet is appearing to be stainless steel water bottles with no liner (liners can themselves cause problems), like the ones available at The Greater Green, 20 oz Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Carabiner, that is the perfect size for that on-the-go lifestyle. It fits in most cup holders in cars, attaches to a belt loop or backpack, and is perfect for hiking, biking, or even just running errands. Stainless is extremely crack- and break-resistant, and does not stain easily. Additionally, at less than ten dollars, these bottles are an affordable choice, especially when you consider that if well-taken care of, these bottles will certainly last for years. For optimum performance, we recommend you only use your bottle for water (which will help keep it cleaner, too), though you can safely fill it with other cool liquids as well. Manufacturers do NOT recommend putting hot liquids into these bottles (use an insulated thermos for that).

Stainless steel is great because it is totally BPA-Free, toxin-free, sturdy, usually dishwasher-safe, and affordable. There are a lot of stylish stainless steel bottles available these days. If you are looking for some funky, stylish designs, check out these picks:

Get Real Sticks and Stones Stainless Steel Water Bottle: Sleek black design fits any mood, any occasion. Dark on black with a touch of color. This handsome, elegant bottle dresses up OR down. Whatever your mood. 20oz./600ml. BPA free stainless steel and decorated with lead-free inks. Threaded screw-on cap is totally unique!

Get Real Drink the Drops Stainless Steel Bottle: Fun, quirky design with the cool screw-on cap. Birds, squirrels, strange little deer-like creatures with mouths wide open for the big drops above. Subtle and eye-catching at the same time. Mostly white design on a deep blue background. 20oz./600ml. BPA free stainless steel and decorated with lead-free inks. Threaded screw-on cap is totally unique!

Hydrate Responsibly Stainless Steel Bottle: Simple, stylish message on a sleek silver bottle. "Hydrate Responsibly" and enjoy the pure taste of clean water in our designed stainless steel water bottles. 86% of plastic water bottles used in the United States end up in landfills, taking up to 1,000 years to biodegrade. Transporting bottled water consumes approximately 1.5 million barrels of fossil fuels per year. Help reduce this number by carrying a refillable bottle. With our 25.36 fl. oz. (750 ml) stainless steel bottles, water remains free of unhealthy plastic residues. BPA-FREE.

#3: The next best option for a safe water bottle would be aluminum bottles like SIGG, with an epoxy-resin liner. Though SIGG has insisted in the past that their bottles are BPA-Free, as of the summer of 2009 SIGG finally admitted that prior to 2008, their secret liner contained trace amounts of BPA. They are now supposed to be using a liner that is BPA-Free, and if you'd like to mail in your old bottles, say they will exchange them for free. Personally, we find this to be a bit disconcerting.

A company that has been a little more upfront with the safety of their bottles is Gaiam. Their aluminum bottles also contain an epoxy resin liner, but they have been very clear about the BPA issue. Extensive testing has shown that no BPA is present under normal conditions; however, under exteme conditions, trace amounts were found. That means that as long as you don't use your Gaiam bottles to drink very hot liquids, you should be fine. And aluminum is not only super light-weight, it is also a bit more affordable than stainless. Be aware, though, that you should not put your aluminum bottles in the dishwasher, and they will dent a bit easier than stainless steel.

Here are a few of our favorite aluminum bottles:

Tree of Life Aluminum Bottle: So simple and elegant, in a beautiful sage green color. Our Tree of Life 100% recyclable, reusable aluminum leak-proof water bottle by Gaiam is a reminder that all life on Earth is related. Bottle holds 25.36 fl. oz. (750 ml) and is sealed by a ring-top screw cap. Aluminum material does not contribute to the unhealthy amount of eco-polluting disposable waste plastic.

Cloud Bouqet Aluminum Bottle: Fun metallic blue design! This 100% recyclable, lightweight aluminum water bottle comes in an attractive, metallic blue with a delicate yellow floral design. Gaiam offers reusable aluminum water bottles as an eco-friendly alternative to disposable plastic water bottles. Our leak-proof, generous aluminum bottles hold 25.36 fluid oz. (750 ml), with a ring-top screw cap.

Persian Paisley Aluminum Bottle: Our 100% recyclable Persian Paisley aluminum water bottle is light and fun, and also eco-friendly. 86% of post-consumer disposable plastic bottles end up in US landfills, where they can take up to 1,000 years to break down. This reusable, leak-proof and generous aluminum water bottle holds 25.36 fluid oz. (750 ml), with ring-top screw cap.

#4: Our fourth choice for safe water bottles is the PLA Corn Resin Bottle. Now, this bottle serves a slightly different purpose, because it comes with a charcoal filter that makes the PLA bottle reusable for about 3 months, at which point it is compostable (though only in a commercial compost). We like the filter, because it means you can fill up with tap water wherever you are. Though PLA is not the perfect plastic, it is a good first step in creating sustainable plastics that are not so detrimental to the environment. We have discussed PLA at length in previous posts. Clicke HERE to read all about it.

WORST: Near the bottom of our list are the polycarbonate bottles. Because of contamination concerns with Bisphenol-A, we do not recommend these bottles. Please keep in mind that many baby bottles are also affected by the BPA concerns, so please look for BPA-free bottles, like those made by Born Free.

And, of course, the very last resort would be regular disposable plastic bottled water. First of all, this bottled water is often just plain old tap water anyway. And we now know that only a small fraction of plastic bottles actually enter the recycling stream (some estimates show only about 14% of plastic bottles are being recycled), so we have a major problem with plastics that will potentially last for millions of year.  Read all about it in The Problem with Plastics.

Here's to healthy hydration!

Getting Your Organic Garden Ready for Winter

It came early this year. Cool, damp weather, chilly nights, blazing red and orange foliage, the need to light the wood stove and sip on hot cocoa while the wind howls outside.... There is no doubt now, with November steadily approaching, that winter is coming.

As easy as it is to forget about the garden this time of year, there are a few things you can do to help overwinter your garden and make life a bit easier come spring. Many of you may have already done these things, but if you haven't, it's not too late!

• Remove larger vegetable stalks and stems, diseased leafy material, and decaying vegetables. Diseased plant material should be either burned or put in a separate "dirty" compost pile- adding this material back to the garden might infect next year's crop. Remove any weeds that have gone to seed (try to keep them out of the compost pile, too).
• Till under remaining plant material. This will add some organic matter to the soil, and it will have months to slowly decay, providing spring nutrients.
• Cover garden with a mulch. If you live in a warmer climate, there may still be time to plant a green manure cover crop, such as annual rye grass or clover, which can then be turned under in the spring. If it's too late for a cover crop, consider adding manure and a mulch to your garden to protect and enrich your soil over the winter. Strong winds can cause serious erosion over bare gardens, and a top layer of straw, shredded leaves, or some other mulch can help tremendously.
• Did you plant garlic? Even if autumn snuck up on you, it's not too late! Our garlic is just going in (though in truth, it should have gone in a few weeks ago!). Garlic is easy to grow, requires little maintenance, and provides early spring garlic scapes- the zesty green tendrils that are a great addition to any dish. Simply till up your rows, and plant cloves 1-2 inches below the surface, pointy end facing up. Cover loosely with soil, and then cover your rows with a layer of straw mulch about 2 inches thick. And voila! You will be so grateful you did come next summer!
• Remove any remaining stakes from the garden (we used a ton of t-posts for tomato and pepper support and for pea trellises). If any of your plants developed diseases (late blight, leaf spot, etc), then mix up a weak bleach dilution and spray the plant supports thoroughly to kill any residue. Doing this now will save you a ton of work come spring, and will prevent diseases from overwintering amongst your tools.
• If you didn't do so in early summer, make a map of your garden and where you planted all your vegetables, so that you can start planning next summer's garden, taking proper plant rotation into consideration.
• Move any small trees or shrubs that you've been intending to replant. Now would also be a good time to put in blueberry bushes or other fruit tress and bushes.
• Water any perennial plants. They won't be getting much moisture from here on out, and will need it to store up energy for the winter.
• Rake up fallen leaves and put in a compost pile. If you are planting potatoes next summer, here is a great trick: potatoes grow well in composted leaves. We have chosen a new spot this year, just outside of the main garden, where we will grow our potatoes. We are piling the leaves there now, to smother and kill the grass beneath. Come spring, we will simply plant the potatoes in the giant leaf pile, about a foot or so beneath the surface. The beauty of this method is that not only do the leaves' acidity create excellent growing conditions for the potatoes, but they will also be incredibly easy to dig up (remember "swimming" through leaf piles when you were a kid?). It's so easy, it's almost like cheating!
• Finally, order some great winter reading for the slow winter nights spent indoors. For beginners, some great books are Rodale's All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening and Burpee : The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener : A Guide to Growing Your Garden Organically. For more advanced organic gardeners, Eliot Coleman's The New Organic Grower is wonderful.
  

Sustainable, Recycled Christmas Gift Bags and Holiday Gift Wrap

(Note: This is a partial re-post about homemade gift wrap from last season, with some new ideas added.)

As the temperature starts to dip here in Michigan, thoughts hesitantly start leaning toward the upcoming winter months. Could it be that's it time to start planning for the holiday season already?

It seems like people everywhere are trying to tone down the consumer feel of this most traditional of holiday seasons. Amidst the craziness of holiday gift-giving, we might stop to ask ourselves how we can make this holiday a little greener.

Every Christmas, I get this uneasiness in my stomach as the mega-clean-up after present opening begins.... usually we are at a large gathering of friends and family, and an enormous number of presents have been opened, wrapping paper torn to shreds, ribbon thrown to the floor in a mad scramble to see what's inside. And, of course, after all that jubilation, no one wants to stop and separate the recyclable from the non-recyclable, and so it all just gets stuffed into garbage bag upon garbage bag full of paper, ribbon, and cardboard boxes.

But my friend Kim has come up with an eco-solution! Even if her family doesn't recycle the wrapping paper (which I'm sure she would, but when you're at someone else's house, or not there at all when they open their gifts, it's a little imposing to insist on recycling), she re-used old Trader Joe paper shopping bags, turned inside out, and decorated by hand, instead of new, used only once wasteful wrapping paper. And isn't it cute, too?!

Other possibilities: get an old atlas from a thrift store, and wrap in the map pages. Or the funnies from the newspaper always make good wrapping paper, too. And if you're into gift bags instead of wrapping paper, we now carry recycled paper gift bags at The Greater Green.

Here are a few of our new designs, now available through World of Good. Click on the name of the bag to view the listing and read more about each bag:

Dashing Reindeer 30% Recycled Paper Gift Bags

Fiesta 50% Recycled Paper Gift Bags

Ivy Lane 100% Recycled Paper Gift Bags

The idea is simply this: to avoid using new resources to wrap something. Reuse, recycle, reduce.... in any way you can, and the more creative, the better! Got a cool idea? Please share!

Natural, Organic Halloween Candy

Could it be that Halloween is lurking just around the corner? Yikes!

That means it is time to bust out the Halloween candy. As it turns out, we've been on the search for the ideal Halloween candy since last October. We had a number of criteria to fill:

• We wanted a candy that was as organic and natural as possible, and preferably even containing some healthy ingredients, as opposed to just sugary stuff.
• We wanted a candy that tasted delicious and would satisfy kids of all ages.
• We needed a candy that was securely, individually wrapped, so that it could be handed out at Halloween time without concerned parents having to question its safety.
• We wanted a candy that was affordable and would appeal to budget-conscious families.
• We preferred a candy that would be safe for children with allergies (nuts, soy, gluten, etc.)

After all our searching, we are sticking with the same candy we sold last year- YummyEarth Organic Lollipops.

Why?

We found some wonderful candies and chocolates, but none seemed to measure up to all of the criteria above.

We love Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates, especially their Very Scary Skulls, but at $1.50 each, handing out candy can quickly add up if you live in a busy trick-or-treating area. If they can fit into your budget, we strongly recommend them!

We also love the deep, rich taste of Equal Exchange Organic & Fair Trade Dark Chocolate Minis. You can buy a 12 oz. bag for $20.00- again, quite a bit more than many families are able to budget.

Organic Milk Chocolate Bug Bites are tasty and fun. A box of 64 mini-bars (for a total of about a pound and a half of chocolate) costs $32.00, so you're paying about 50 cents per bar- not too bad.

Glee All-Natural Chicle Gum is also a big hit, and it comes in cute little individually-sealed boxes with 4 pieces of gum per box. With 21 individual packs for $6.25, you're paying about $.30 per box for a cool gum that was chewed by the ancient Maya Indians!

But at around 10 cents per lollipop, we found YummyEarth Lollipops to be the best buy for parents who have to hand out lots of candy. They come in fun flavors like Blood Orange Cocktail, Chili Mango Mambo, and Tooberry Blueberry. And they are packed with real fruit goodness! Check out the ingredients: 

Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Tapioca Syrup and/or Organic Rice Syrup, Non-GMO Citric Acid (from beet sugar – not corn), Natural Flavors, Organic Black Carrots, Organic Blackcurrant, Organic Apple

On top of those awesome ingredients, we can't forget to mention all of the things that are NOT in these candies, which is great for kids with allergies or sensitivities:

Certified Organic              Gluten-free
100% Natural Colors          Wheat-free
No Chemical Dyes             Casein-free
100% Natural Flavors         Dairy-free
100% Vegan                   Nut-free
GMO-free                     Soy-free
Allergen-free                  Egg-free

Finally, don't forget to join the Fair Trade Reverse Trick-or-Treat Program, which aims to help youth reverse the Halloween tradition to hand adults a sample of vegan-friendly, Fair Trade dark chocolate. Order your free kit by Oct. 13, 2009, which includes 25 Fair Trade chocolates with info cards, and is sponsored by Global Exchange's Fair Trade Cocoa Campaign. Cool!

https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/703/t/9669/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=5154

The First Egg

Our new batch of hens have started laying! We just found our first newbie egg... these chicks came home on May 12, so they took about 4 months to lay. Not bad!

In the photo, the front two eggs are from our 16-month old hens, and the back tiny egg is from one of the 4-month old hens. It's so cute, no?

The hens aren't even full-size yet, as you can see from this recent photo, so it might still be a bit before the rest start laying... but we're in no hurry!

Why We Raise Our Own Meat

We love our animals here on the farm, and that includes the ones we will be eating. We treat them with respect, honor their sacrifice, and grant them the dignity of a life lived to its fullest (albeit a short life, it is a good one). 

We have countless visitors here, many of them from the city, who criticize this way of life: "How can you eat an animal you raise and love?" My response to that is simply, "How can you eat an animal that suffered a miserable existence in a factory farm, where it couldn't even turn around because conditions were so crowded, where it laid in its own excrement and was pumped full of nasty steroids, hormones, antibiotics, and chemicals?" (As of yet, not one of these remarks have come from a vegetarian. Having spent 15 years myself as a non-meat eater, I would not have much of an answer to someone who has made that ultimate sacrifice in the name of mercy towards animals.)

But I am at a moral crossroads in my life, having reverted back to eating meat: either I face up to where my steaks come from, or I don't eat them at all. If I can't stomach the idea of killing an animal for my dinner, then I shouldn't be eating meat, plain and simple.

As millions of us file into the grocery store each day to buy our meat, it appears we have lost touch with where it comes from. That nicely packaged steak WAS a cow, and those delicious looking pork chops WERE once a pig, and unless you are buying free-range or organic meat, I guarantee you that animal probably had a miserable life in a factory farm (especially if it is cheap meat).

Look at the difference in photos. The one above is our pigs, hanging out in their pasture, with a sprinkler hose running so that they can cool off and wallow in the mud (a pig's absolute favorite thing to do). Here is the typical way a factory farm pig spends its days:

 

No, it will not be easy to butcher our pigs. I love them. I wake up every morning and look forward to their antics. I talk to them, croon them, scratch their backs. And I also give immeasurable thanks for their sacrifice. They will die so that I may live. In return, I will give them fresh air and grass and room to wallow and roll and play, and all the healthy food they can possibly eat, and I won't give them hormones or steroids or chemicals or antibiotics that they don't need. And I won't yell at them, or hit them, or denigrate them in any way. And when the end has come, I won't force them into a truck and drag them to a cold and heartless slaughterhouse- instead, the butcher will come here and let them die in peace, in their home. It may not be much, but it is the least I can do.

I have come to realize our here in the country that part of my mission in life is going to be to help raise awareness of our food culture. I am not saying we should stop eating meat (although, in truth, I think that would be grand), because I realize there are many, many people who will not go that route for their own perfectly justifiable reasons (like me). But I do believe we need to open our eyes to the horrors of factory farming and stand up for our food, insisting that we treat the animals we eat with dignity and respect, if not for the sake of the animals' well-being, then for our own health. Factory farmed meat is not healthy for us or the environment!

Here is a video that is not too gruesome (believe me, there are some horrible videos of factory farms out there that make me sob), but gets to the point:

Crate Confinement Video from the Humane Society

And if you need yet another reason we need to end factory farming, check out this article on the link between factory farming and potentially deadly disease outbreaks among humans:

Huffington Post Article About Swine Flue Outbreak and Factory Farms

On the Hunt for Hornworms

As our tomatoes loom tall and stout, evil forces are gathering in the midst of all this greenery. Mother Nature has created a sinister villain capable of tomato massacres and total devastation, and it is now our mission to stop its advancement at all costs, if we are to have any tomatoes to savor....

Never mind that this sinister creature is only a mere caterpillar- don't be fooled into thinking that no damage will be done! Hornworms can devour half of a tomato plant in a matter of days if they are not found and destroyed. They are voracious little buggers, so large they look more like an animal than an insect, with radioactive green guts that ooze out in copious quantities when squished.

I know it's time to start searching for the little monsters when our tomato tops rise above the stakes and cages. Those tippy top branches are usually where you will find your hornworms, since caterpillars have a tendency to climb up, up, up.

Here's what you will need on your hunt: a bucket, and preferably, a scissors to... terminate... them. The hornworms can be squashed under your foot, but you'll get green gooey guts all over your shoe. If you are incredibly brave and of true superhero stature, you might be able to squish them between your fingers. But that is rare and takes exceptional courage.... so a scissors does the job quite nicely, snipping them right in half. And actually, we cut them up into bits because our chickens won't eat them whole, oddly. (I have yet to try giving them to the pigs... I wonder.....)

As you head out into the garden, you are looking for hornworm damage. Search for stray branches that are stripped of their leaves, usually towards the top of the plant. You can see in the photo that the hornworm worked its way right down the branch, chomping everything in its path.

Here are the branches I found yesterday as soon as I walked out into the garden:

Once you have found some hornworm damage, the next step is to locate the nearby hornworm. They are fast (for caterpillars), but not that fast. You should be able to follow the route they have taken by following the damaged branches until they seem to end. Another big clue is a bundle of hornworm poop, which looks somewhat like a small black mulberry. Where there is poop, there is hornworm, usually right above the poop.

It didn't take me long to find some incriminating poop near the damaged branches. I tried to take a photo of the poop, but it didn't come out so good... if you look very closely, you just might be able to see it, there in the center.

So now I knew there was definitely a hornworm in the vicinity. The hard part is spotting the villain- they are one of the best examples of perfectly matched camouflage that nature has created. Additionally, they hang on the underside of the branches, so you have to bend down and twist your head and crane your neck, looking up, to really spot them. After about 10 minutes of searching (yep, it actually took that long!), I finally spotted this little dude:

Can you see him there in the center, hanging on the underside of the branch? He was actually quite far from the damaged area- as I said, they can move fast. During my first encounter with hornworms, I found myself unable to squish them, and so piled them up instead in the center of the garden. At one point I walked away for about a minute or two, and when I came back, they were all gone! I found one of them a good 20 feet away, making his dash for freedom.

Here's a close-up shot, where you can get a view of those power-munching jaws. If you were bug-sized, I imagine this thing would look like Godzilla!

Now the tough part- they must be killed. In our case, I feed them to the chickens, who will only eat them if I cut them into small pieces (don't ask me how I figured that out). So I drop them in my bucket, and cut them into about 3 or 4 small bits. It's not pretty. Deal with them as you will, but don't imagine that you can just move them elsewhere- they will return.

Another successful hunt! I've been finding about 3 per day, and they are getting larger each time I find them, which means more damage... it's time to step up the patrol!!

Nature's Garden

This year we opted to plant acorn squash instead of butternut squash- the acorn variety is easier to cook the way we like (baked or grilled and filled with a brown sugar, butter,cinnamon, and raisin mixture). The smaller size makes it easier to dole out individual servings, too- each person gets half.

But I do like butternut squash, and nothing beats the scent of Carmelized Butternut Squash roasting in the oven on a cool wintry evening. Imagine my surprise, then, when I walked back to the compost pile (which I have been neglecting for quite some time), only to discover a giant butternut squash plant weaving its enormous leafy vines around the pile, with three fairly large squash already on it!

The plant must have sprouted from a rotten squash that was added to the pile last fall. Go figure. With no care, no planting, no watering, nature has carried on the way she usually does, turning seeds into plants and plants into fruit.

That is the natural order of things, after all. It was a gentle reminder that I am not really master of my garden, that in fact, I don't really do the growing at all. I am just the designated caretaker, the custodian, of nature's greater plan.

Sometimes it's nice to marvel at the beauty of it all...

Freezing Fresh Sweet Corn for the Winter

Mrs. Korpak popped in the other day and has once again outdone herself. Just when I thought her corn couldn't get any sweeter, any juicier, couldn't possibly be anymore delicious, she has amazed me. The Korpaks' corn this year is, bar far, the best corn I have EVER eaten. Ever, ever, ever, yum!

But no matter how hard I try, a girl can't possibly eat three dozen ears of corn while they are at their peak of freshness (and boy, did we try). Even after giving quite a few away to our most recent visitors, we found we had more corn than we could reasonably handle, and it become apparent that it would have to be frozen.

Although relatively simple, I had never frozen fresh corn before. We usually eat our way through any and all fresh corn that comes our way (is there anything better??). Besides, I was under the impression that freezing corn is a lot of work (and to be honest, I wasn't totally mistaken, though it wasn't as bad as I thought). Once you get going though, you can get a couple dozen ears in the freezer in about two hours or so (and hey, you might be even faster than me- I'm not really known for speed! :)

Here are the steps:

First things first.... shuck the corn (remove husks). I grabbed a large cardboard box and shucked the corn on our back porch right over the box, to avoid a big clean-up later on (all those silky hairs could drive one mad if they ended up on the floor, on your shirt, in your dog's fur...trust me!). The more organic your corn is, the more likely you are to find bugs under those husks, as well, so outside is definitely an all-around better place to do this! When I was finished, I simply carried the box out to the compost and dumped all the husks there.

Next, blanch the corn (still on the cob) in a pot of boiling water for just a few minutes. I barely blanched ours, as it was so tender and juicy and fresh. The color of the kernels turns a brighter yellow almost instantly, and it's good to go.

 

Take the corn out of the boiling water and immediately immerse in ice water after blanching. This stops the corn from cooking any longer.

 

Now here's the time-consuming part (for me, at least): cutting the kernels off the cob. I seemed to have trouble finding the balance between cutting too much into the cob, and not cutting off enough of the kernel... but I guess after awhile I started to get the hang of it....

 

And lastly, after allowing the corn kernels to sit and dry just a bit, we packed them into quart-sized freezer bags.

And - yummo!- you are ready to enjoy fresh sweet corn all winter! I suppose the whole process has the potential to get a bit messy (think: renegade kernels flying wildly around the kitchen), but well worth the effort- especially if you remember the starchy, tasteless corn that seems to turn up in the grocery store mid-winter!

Happy freezing!

The Mud Hole Days of Summer

There is no doubt about it, our pigs' favorite thing to do is wallow in the mud. Roll, slurp, root, dig, and generally make a giant mess of it all. They will snort contentedly as they cool themselves down the way nature intended.

In the wild, pigs would live near rivers and streams. They are not able to sweat, so they must wallow in mud and water to cool themselves down in those dog days of summer.

Our soil is sandy and does not lend itself to getting muddy. A little intervention was required. When they were small, we would fill a cement mixing trough with water and let them play in that. They quickly became too big and you can guess what happened:

Refilling that trough all the time quickly got old, but the pigs loved the water so much... we needed to come up with a new plan.

And so one morning Ron went out to the pig pen and dug a giant mud hole for them (which was not easy, considering the pigs were trying to eat the shovel the whole time).

Depending on the weather, we have to fill up the hole every few days or so, since our soil does drain rather quickly. And our piggies are oh-so-happy, which makes me happy- I want them to have the best life possible, for the short time they are with us.

A local farmer commented to us that his pork tastes so good because they don't let their pigs wallow in the mud. I guess that is some of the local lore, but I don't agree with it at all- I say, let pigs be pigs.

I think that when pigs are allowed to live as close to the way nature intended as possible, they will be the happiest. And when an animal is happy, its meat is healthy and tasty. At least, that's the way I see it. So our pigs will continue to roll in the mud, lazily munching on roots, busily being pigs.

What's for Dinner?

As the summer harvest begins to roll in, we start to run into the same dilemma as always: we spend so much time gardening, harvesting, planting, freezing, and canning that we almost forget to EAT our harvest!

See, I'm so tired by the end of the day, it's easy to forget how much I enjoy cooking with fresh vegetables and herbs, how aromatic and uplifting it is to fill the house with the delightful scents of fresh herbs and veggies simmering on the stove top.

Sure, it's great to preserve a bunch of our harvest so that we can enjoy our organic veggies later on in the year, but frozen zucchini just can't compare to a fresh zucchini roasting on the grill. Canned green beans just don't measure up to fresh beans sauteed in olive oil with a bit of garlic. And dried basil is well.... so much blander than fresh.

So this is the time to savor the most delicious food that we will eat all year. So why do I keep working outside so late in the evening that I find myself too tired to cook anything more than a simple meal???

Today I decided to find an easy pasta recipe (as it turns out, in the latest issue of Hobby Farm magazine) that utilizes most of what is ready to eat in our garden: eggplant, tomatoes, basil, peppers, onions, and garlic.

Above is a photo of some of those veggies that I picked for dinner tonight, including purple onions, Mark Twain tomato, Goldie Yellow tomato, Black Diamond eggplant, Orange Banana Paste tomato, and a Jimmy Nardello sweet pepper. Yum!

The recipe is fairly simple. After sauteeing the veggies together with some garlic, a bunch of fresh basil is tossed in, and the whole affair is eaten over penne and topped with a ricotta-mint mixture.

Since the recipe called for some ricotta cheese, I decided to try making some (for the first time) from our farm-fresh raw milk, which we buy from a local dairy. HERE is the recipe for ricotta- which, as it turns out, is so super easy, there is almost no reason to buy ricotta from the store. Who would've thought??!

Making the ricotta was fun! Here's a photo of the ricotta cheese after the curd has formed but before straining:

And finally, nothing goes better with pasta than a loaf of fresh-baked bread. But (if you are a tad on the lazy side, like me) who has time to bake bread?? YOU do... If you are making No-Knead bread, that is.

Check out one of our previous posts here that describes this fantastic bread and gives some great links, including one to a video that demonstrates how to bake the easiest, and possibly most delicious, bread you have ever eaten!

Cucumbers

Now that our harvest is really kicking in, I thought I would try to post some photos of the myriad of different heirloom/open-pollinated varieties we grow. So here are two of the cucumbers I picked yesterday, side by side: Japanese Suhyo Long, and Super Zagross:

 
The Japanese cucumbers are longer and skinnier, and covered with spines (which I removed before taken the photo). If you do not trellis them, you might end up with some very curvy cukes (this variety, when grown properly, should be straight- notice mine is not!). The seeds are smaller, and the skinny size is great for salad slices. I've actually let them get fatter than some people might....

Super Zagross is a very prolific Iranian variety, with no spines, and juicy sweet, bitter-free flesh. The cucumbers are of the very standard shape and size, and will keep on delivering a harvest right up until frost, if taken care of.

Both of these varieties are wonderful for fresh eating! Yum!

Blueberries by the Bushel- It's Finger-Pickin' Good!

Every year our very kind neighbors invite us over to their house to pick from their enormous, 80 year-old blueberry bushes. What a treat! And this year has been exceptionally good for blueberries, with all the rain we had this spring. Gobs and gobs of giant, juicy morsels....is there anything better??

Unfortunately, it has become so popular around here to plant blueberries that the market is now flooded with them, driving the price down to only 29 cents per pound. We've heard of some small farmers around here that aren't even going to have their berries picked this year, because they can't make any money when the going wholesale price is that meager.

It's amazing to think of what most people pay for blueberries in the store- a lot more than the current wholesale price, that's for sure. So who is all that profit going to? Unfortunately, not the farmers, who do all the work and take on all of the risk. And even more unfortunately, current market prices are hardest on the small family farms, who simply cannot compete with the larger corporate agribusinesses.

So if you are looking to eat some tasty blueberries this summer, why not go straight to the source? Support your local farmers by shopping at Farmer's Market, where farmers get a fair price and nearly all of the profit (which they rightly deserve- farming can be brutally tough work), or find a local U-Pick farm and take the family for a fun day of berry picking (and eating!). It's one of the best way to get super fresh produce (which you just can't get in the grocery store) while helping small farmers survive.