14January2009
Posted by admin under: Gardening; Organic; Things I'm Doing.
Hi, everyone! (all 6 of you!!). I hope you had a good holiday season, not too crazy. Hopefully by now, things have settled down and you’re back to having at least a few minutes of free time!
The past several days have found me drooling over my seed catalogs, namely Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, The Seed Savers Exchange, and the Territorial Seed Company. It’s never too early to start planning your next garden!
This year, like the year before, I will be buying most of my seed from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Not only do they have great prices and high quality, they have a firm commitment to saving and passing on many varieties of heirloom seeds that have almost disappeared (for a quick definition of heirloom seeds, click here). They are also anti-GMO, as am I, so that’s another selling point (my beef with GMOs is that we still don’t know for sure if they’re safe. So, better safe than sorry is my motto). But the biggest reason is their personal touch. Jere, the owner of the company, and his wife Emilee have a website with pictures of themselves and others at events, pictures of vegetables in foreign countries they’ve visited in their search for new varieties, and other items that really makes me feel almost like I know them personally. Their ethics are also impeccable, and that’s why I choose to purchase from them rather than other companies. I encourage you to check them out for your seed needs. Their site also has lots of information about gardening in general.
I’m also researching pest control. As you might know, last year I lost my corn crop to what I think were Japanese beetles. So, I am looking into purchasing some milky spore to kill their nasty little grubs. I’m also considering neem oil for some other bugs. I’m not sure what they are, but I had quite a few gray bugs that looked similar to stinkbugs on my pumpkins and squash. I also had a very small brown bug on some of my bean plants. So they’re on my hit list too.
I am planning on starting some plants inside, namely some peppers, tomatoes, and asparagus. I am purchasing one type of Asian Pepper that I will actually grow in a pot inside (although my lovely wife doesn’t know that yet….).
I probably won’t place my order for another few weeks, as I plot out the ground and figure out exactly how crazy I want to get. I have some friends that went in with me last year to split some seeds, and that worked out really well (if you’re interested in splitting seeds, let me know!) Last year, the garden was 20X30 feet (or 600 square feet). This year, I think I’ll expand it to 40′x50′ (2,000 square feet). Luke will be old enough to really help (and he loves working in “his” garden) and Brennan is old enough to come outside for long periods so I can draft my wife too. 
What are your garden plans?
Update: I have discovered that the bugs that look like stink bugs on my pumpkins and squash are actually called (surprise!) squash bugs. I only had 4 pumpkins last year because of them! These little monsters are going down!
26December2008
Posted by admin under: Ramblings; Reducing Waste; Things I'm Doing.
I am frightened.
Frightened to be alone in my home at night, because of what happened last night.
Late last night, after everyone was asleep, I got up to get a drink of water.
I quietly got out of bed, and crept downstairs to the kitchen. After I had gotten my drink, I had turned to go back to bed when something caught my eye.
In our laundry room, I saw a shadow on the wall that shouldn’t be there. The shadow of a large, misshapen mass. It had hideous lumps and bumps all over it. Fearfully, my heart beating rapidly, bathed in a cold sweat, I slowly reached my hand to turn on the light… as the light came on, I saw it…..
The mound of trash left over from Christmas!! Aiieeeee!!!!
Ok, a bit melodramatic perhaps. I’m not actually afraid to be alone in my home (well, not because of the trash anyway). But as I was standing there looking at the mound, I was appalled. An entire trash bag of torn wrapping paper, pretty for a moment then discarded in the rush to get the toy out. Bows that formerly added a nice touch to a present, now squashed and useless. PILES upon PILES of ridiculously excessive packaging from toys, that required a pocket knife, pliers, and a cutting torch to open (ok, ok, I was exaggerating. I didn’t need the pliers).
Such a waste for a few frenzied moments on Christmas.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with celebrating Christmas. There’s nothing wrong with giving gifts (as long as its not excessive: Grandmas, I’m talking to you). But there is something terribly wrong with the amount of waste that typically accompanies our celebrations.
So next year, we will either use newspaper (and then recycle it!) or reusable gift bags (which I love, as I am gift-wrapping impaired). There’s not much we can do about the ridiculous packaging on toys, except encourage people to purchase toys from Amazon.com’s list with Frustration-Free Packaging. Basically, Amazon has packed some toys in simple cardboard boxes this year to cut down on some of the waste and frustration. I think its a great idea, and hopefully catches on (check out this video here). I don’t see any reason why brick-and-mortar establishments can’t do this also. Just have one or two of the item in traditional packaging for advertising and display, and have the rest in plain, recyclable cardboard boxes. What a change that would be!
But until it happens, I’m keeping my cutting torch handy.
10December2008
Posted by admin under: Uncategorized.
I think that by now we can all agree that we are in a recession. Whether or not it will get worse or better soon is still, in my opinion, anybody’s guess (and it truly is just a guess). Now that we know that we’re in a recession, it’s time to stop speculating, time to stop fear- and rumor-mongering. Time to turn off the news.
The news media makes money through advertising. Advertisers pay a lot of money to have their brands placed in front of viewers. So, the more viewers a television station or program has, the more advertising revenue they receive.
Which means they will do whatever possible to get you to watch.
Fear sells. Sensationalism sells. Crime, rumor, gossip all sell.
In a great article written by Chris Lytle and posted in the Arcamax recipe newsletter of recipe guru and consultant “Zola Gorgon”, he advocates turning off the news. I agree. I honestly believe that if Americans spent less time watching sensationalist news stories about how terrible things are, the economy would not have suffered as much as it has. Yet fear sells.
Anyway, here is the article. I encourage you take some time to really absorb the article, and to do as Lytle suggests. This is also a great time to begin some new frugal habits. It’s never to late to be frugal! And remember, fear sells!
Get Over It (Fear) and Get on With It (Your Life)
By Chris Lytle
It’s here. We’re officially in a recession. You can quit worrying that it might be coming.
Now here’s how Forbes defines recession: “A significant decline in activity across the economy, lasting longer than a few months. It is visible in industrial production, employment, real income and wholesale-retail trade. The technical indicator of a recession is two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth as measured by a country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
Recession is a normal (albeit unpleasant) part of the business cycle. A recession normally lasts 6 - 18 months.”
Hold that thought.
I was 8-years old when we got our first television set. Douglas Edwards was the CBS anchor before Walter Cronkite. The evening news was 15-minutes long. It later expanded to a half-hour. Now the news is on 24/7. CNN, MSNBC, Fox and other outlets have to hold an audience. And often they do it with fear and sensationalism.
Understand what you are letting into your brain. “There are also two distinct parts of the cable day. Daytime is more focused on crime and disaster. Nighttime increasingly is more about topics that spark controversy and suit the particular audience that tunes in to each channel.” (Source: Project on Excellence in Journalism, State of the News Media 2008, An Annual Report on American Journalism)
And you’re not getting all of the news no matter how long you watch. “If one were to have watched five hours of cable news, one would have seen about:
35 minutes about campaigns and elections
36 minutes about the debate over U.S. foreign policy
26 minutes or more of crime
12 minutes of accidents and disasters
10 minutes of celebrity and entertainment” (Source: Ibid)
Douglas Edwards had 15-minutes. Today you can be exposed to 96 times more bad news. And if you choose you can have more of it streamed to your computer screen. It can seem like the whole world is falling apart. Look, there is no need to be in denial about the state of the economy or the crazy things happening in the world. And at the same time, there is no need to magnify and multiply them.
If you must watch, I urge you to watch for a half-hour. Then turn off the news. You don’t need multiple repetitions of the same story. And be sure to listen actively to the way the news anchors tease the upcoming story before the commercial. Notice the words they use to create the need to stay tuned.
If the story is so critical, then why are they pausing for a commercial? Oh, that’s right, you’re going to need that sleeping pill they’re advertising because you’re now so worked up about the horrible things that are happening.
Suggestion: Look out the window. Walk around the neighborhood. Note people are still driving, eating in the diner and buying food at the grocery store. Write down ten things you are grateful for. Focus on those for a half hour instead of another half hour of crime, terrorism and celebrity gossip. Understand that business is being done and sales are being made. Read something uplifting.
Action will trump fear. Get on with your job and your life.
15November2008
Posted by admin under: Things I'm Doing; Uncategorized.
I just stumbled upon a new service that I will be using, called Cash4Books. Basically, you create an account, enter the ISBN number from the books you want to sell (the number above the bar code on the back of the book), print the pre-paid shipping label, ship the books, and Voila! Cash!
I haven’t actually done this yet, but one of my favorite bloggers, Money Saving Mom, gives it the thumbs up. If you decide you want to try this out, do me a favor and use my referal link, because I get extra cash for referrals. Click here to try it out. It’s a great way to snag some extra cash, and it’s a form of recycling!
30October2008
Posted by admin under: Healthy Eating; Locally Grown; Organic.
Unfortunately, greenwashing is alive and well. A study performed by The Cornucopia Institute (an organization dedicated to seeking justice for the small-scale farming community) and reported by Local Harvest rates various organic dairies on how well they adhere to true sustainable farming practices. For example, the study (originally conducted in 2006 but recently updated) asks producers about the animals’ access to sufficient pasture, and also asks about herd-replenishment practices. Some organic dairies operate using a “closed-herd” system, which means that they only replace or grow their herd from calves born on that farm. Others may purchase only organic cattle for replenishment or growth, while others may purchase conventional cattle that are certainly not organic, thereby tainting the milk supply from that farm.
Unsurprisingly, some of the brands that scored poorly are owned by large, national chains. For example, at least two of the brands with a score of zero were owned or managed by Dean Foods. Another dairy owned by Kraft Foods also scored zero points. Large grocery chains Meijer and Kroger each scored very poorly, as did Target. Ben & Jerry’s surprisingly scored 3 cows out of five, although this seems to be from a tight organic milk market rather than a desire to defraud customers (Ben & Jerry’s historically is a very honest, open, eco-conscious and reliable company). Stonyfield Farm, one of the largest names in organic dairy products, scored 4 cows out of five for a rating of “excellent”, as did Whole Foods Market. Several dairies earned a perfect score, although I was not familiar with any of them and they were all regional brands. I would like to mention that full disclosure was an important criteria of these ratings, and many of the most poorly-scoring dairies failed to be completely open with those running the study (of course, that makes me wonder what they have to hide).
Although I don’t purchase organic cow milk ( I drink soy and it’s too expensive for my wife and son to drink), I found this study especially interesting because I believe it exemplifies one of the major problems facing the American, and global, food supply, namely, how can a consumer know exactly what they are purchasing. Because many, many people are beginning to care about the food they eat and how and where it is produced, they are willing to pay a premium price for food that is grown organically and/or sustainably. Of course, because of the immense profits to be made, large-scale producers want a piece of the action. While this isn’t necessarily bad, the problems begin when large-scale producers want to market their products as organic or sustainable when they really differ very little from conventially produced items.
As I’ve said before, the best solution seems to be producing your own food, and when that isn’t possible or feasible, purchasing from local producers. When you purchase from local producers, you not only have the opportunity to get to know someone new, you also usually have the opportunity to tour their farm and ensure the animals are well-treated. But, if all else fails and you have to buy food at the supermarket, do some research first and find out which brands are truly organic.
8October2008
Posted by admin under: Uncategorized.
Collin Beavan over at No-Impact Man has posted about the new Break the Bottled Water Habit Campaign. This campaign seeks to encourage Americans to ditch bottled water in favor of tap water. Bottled water is actually no safer than tap water, and is actually subject to less regulation than tap water! I don’t know about you, but I find that to be disturbing. Not to mention, bottled water creates literally thousands of tons of waste, and uses petroleum products to create the bottles.
I encourage you to sign the petition stating that you will give up bottled water in favor of tap water. We use a Brita filter pitcher for our drinking water at home because we don’t like the taste of our municipal water. Nearly everywhere I go, I take my Nalgene water bottle filled with water from home. It costs us pennies to use, and there’s almost no waste. Ideal Bite has some excellent information on choosing a safe water bottle.
If you want to sign the petition, here’s a link to the petition. If you don’t read your local water quality report, I encourage you to do so.
To sum up, bottled water is a huge, and unnecessary waste of money and resources. It is no safer than tap water (and 40% of bottled water is tap water!), its expensive, and wastes plastic. Make the pledge to Break the Bottled Water Habit today!
24September2008
Posted by admin under: Uncategorized.
I read a lot of blogs and articles dedicated to environmental issues. Frequently, a topic that evokes heated debates is whether or not global warming is real, and whether or not it is caused by human action.
Readers: I am interested in your opinions! (I have my own ideas, but I will wait a few days to post them so I don’t influence anyone’s comments.)
A few guidelines: any insults, flaming, trolling, etc. will not be tolerated. This is a heated issue (that’s the second time I’ve used that adjective. Get the joke? Har!). If you’re being a jerk, I will warn you. After that, I will cavalierly and cheerfully delete your rudeness while drinking mint juleps and eating bon-bons. (Ok, not really about the mint juleps and bon-bons part. But I will TOTALLY delete any rudeness. Seriously).
I look forward to your responses!
24September2008
Posted by admin under: Uncategorized.
Well, what do you think?
22September2008
Posted by admin under: Uncategorized.
Author’s note: This is the third in a three-part series. To check out part two, click here.
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So, we’ve already talked about what sweatshops are, and some ways to fight against them. But Joe has another question:
“oooh…another has to do with the fact that greedy business people are slashing and burning the rainforest at an incredible rate so they can turn it into inexpensive grazing ground for beef.
In turn, countries off the coast of Africa are experiencing significantly increased drought conditions and thus poor harvest. As a Christian put here by God with part of my job being to have dominion over the earth, is this action right or wrong? Should I take a stand against it? Is there a balance, and if so, where is that balance?”
I think that we definitely have a responsibility, as Christians, to make sure that God’s Creation is being used responsibly. In the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14 - 28) Jesus makes it pretty clear that we are to use the gifts we are given wisely. And we are also told that, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:34 -40). So again, I think we have a moral imperative to safeguard God’s Creation while at the same time ensuring to the best of our ability that all people are treated well.
Now, what are some other ways we can help? By shopping with responsible retailers, we can, in a sense, “vote with our dollars”. By supporting retailers that employ responsible business practices, we are taking revenue from those business that exploit their workers and the environment. If enough consumers do thisthose businesses will be hurting, and will have to change their practices to stay in business.
For more information, Co-op America has some great resources for battling sweatshops. Click here for their excellent guide to sweatshops.
By understanding our buying choices, and how those choices can adversely affect people living in other countries, we can take small steps toward ensuring fair treatment for workers. And many small steps put together can equal great change.
19September2008
Posted by admin under: Uncategorized.
Author’s Note: This is the second in a series about sweatshops. To check out the first part, click here.
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In yesterday’s post, we had an introduction to what sweatshops are and why they exist. Today I’m going to talk a bit about reader Joe’s comments and questions.
Joe said:
“ok, here’s a thought that has been troubling me for sometime:
I am a sting [sic] supporter of fair treatment of worker’s rights in
the Third World. However, when a company runs a sweat shop it provides
indigenous people with jobs and income that they would otherwise
not have, even if it is an unfair wage or poor working conditions.
If I fight against such an atrocity, and the company reacts by closing
the sweat shop, then my attempt to help has really caused more harm
than good…
So, do I choose the lesser of two evils, or are there other options?”
Joe asks some excellent questions. But I think that he’s making a very common mistake about third-world countries: imposing his own views of what a successful society looks like onto a completely different society. The first question we need to ask about a sweatshop in Honduras, for example, is this: What does the sweatshop represent?
I think it represents a move to further industrialization, and a move further away from traditional ways of life. And a Western-Industrialized culture is not necessarily the epitome of civilization (quite the opposite, in my opinion). So, we need to ask “what benefit do the workers gain from having this income, no matter how small?” Does it improve the quality of life? Are the people healthier and happier this way? Or are there better ways to give them opportunities to improve the quality of life (which may mean something different to others than it does to us)?
The answer is that yes, there are better options. First, much of the reason indigenous peoples need an income is because their society has already been invaded by Western ideas about money and profit. Second, instead of exploiting them (every time we purchase an item that has been produced unfairly, we take a hand in exploiting the worker!), we can help them break the cycle of poverty. A great way to do this is through micro-lending. Micro-loans are small loans given to people in developing nations for education, start-up capital for a small business, or capital to expand a small business. Most micro-lenders have stipulations on the loan such as required attendance at financial management classes or training opportunities to ensure the success of the borrower. Kiva is one that I really like, because you get to choose to whom you lend. Then you get email updates on the status of the loan, and how the borrower is progressing in his or her business or education. I really like this because it adds a personal dimension to the process. Here is an article from the New York Times about micro-lending. Another option is Microplace.com, which is owned by eBay. The concept is the same, but lenders can earn interest through this site. Currently, you cannot with Kiva (due to complex SEC regulations).
So there is one way to fight back against sweatshops. On Monday, we’ll look at some more ways, and address another of Joe’s questions. Thanks for reading!
