Growers and Grocers

People have started confessing their compost failures to me. Not sure why. I’m no genius of rot and I like to think I don’t proselytize. Maybe my grubby garden jeans confer the appearance of moral authority.

I’m surprised by how many people quit composting after one bad experience. That’s no way to get anything done. If you don’t want to compost I won’t judge, but if you want to start or try again, here’s my unsolicited composting advice based on ten years’ experience. All you need is some dead stuff and a willingness to forgive yourself as you learn.

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When you talk about “going green,” people sometimes think that it means a huge undertaking. Sure, it can. But the little things mean a lot too, and sometimes it might take starting small to finally catch on. It did for me.

In a recent issue of Vegetarian Times, the authors of Wake Up and Smell the Planet: The Non-Pompous, Non-Preachy Grist Guide to Greening Your Day gave a few suggestions for easy ways to start small:

1. If your car is idling for longer than a minute, in traffic or waiting for that chronically late carpool member, turn the engine off and restart. Karma points: Over nine minutes, an idling car will emit double the pollutants of a car that’s turned off and restarted.
2. Kick off your shoes and shop online. Karma points: Shipping a 10-pound package by overnight air - the most energy-intensive delivery mode - uses 40 percent less fuel than the average round-trip drive to the mall.
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My daughter is just beginning to eat baby food. So far, it’s Earth’s Best Organic Rice Cereal and First Apples. But ultimately, I would rather be making her baby food with fresh produce.

Therein lies the dilemma: Is it better to make fresh baby food with grocery store produce, since the growing season in the northeast U.S. isn’t yet in full swing? Or is it better to buy organic, GMO-free baby food from the store? If this was the Fall, there would be no question: I would make her food with produce that we picked ourselves at local pick-your-own farms.

Premade baby food has the convenience factor on its side. And before you think “but it’s so expensive to buy organic,” it’s not. Target sells Earth’s Best, and it’s comparably priced to the regular Gerber line.

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Greening your home is certainly not an inexpensive venture, but there are many ways to go about it.  You can start small by just changing out your light bulbs, or go whole hog.  If you are looking for some inspiration or additional resources, you might want to check out the The Green Home Guide.  Whether you’re doing a massive reno or just want to do some minor updates, it’s a great site focusing on greening your home, sustainable resources and more.

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Community-supported agriculture programs (more commonly known as CSAs) aren’t new; they’ve been growing across the U.S. for the past three decades. It’s a simple concept - subscribers buy shares in a local farm, usually at the beginning of the year so that the farmer can use the money to invest in the year’s crops. Come harvest time, subscribers receive a portion of the crops. By helping farmers with the financial burden, CSA subscribers get an automatic “in” with fresh, local, sustainable goods without the middleman costs of store overhead and cross-country transportation.

Fair Shares in St. Louis, Missouri, and Growing Washington’s programs (Local Choice Food Box in Whatcom County and Growing Whatcom CSA Project, and All King County CSA Project) have put the CSA on steroids. Instead of investing in a single farm, these programs unite subscribers with a variety of local farmers and food producers.

During its inaugural week in April 2008, Fair Shares provided their subscribers with a pound and a half of hormone-free, grass-fed pork, a pound of organic black beans, two dozen locally-made tortillas, a pound of locally-roasted fair trade organic coffee beans, three heads of lettuce, one-half pound of shittake mushrooms, half a pound of local cheddar, a pound of fresh pasta, and a pint of salsa. Based on the annual subscription rate, this breaks down to about $50 a week with most of the money going directly to the producers.

While Growing Washingon’s CSA projects in Whatcom and King Counties operate similarly to Fair Shares, their Local Choice Food Box program in Whatcom County eliminates the surprise of CSAs. Subscribers choose 11 produce items from the varieties available, which is all organically-grown. A weekly share costs less than $40 a week.

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My review copy of Michael Recycle landed on my front porch just in time for an afternoon playdate… and ended up being the topic of conversation for the rest of the afternoon. The kids, ages 5 through 8, loved the bold coloring of the fantastic illustrations and found the writing to be hilarious!

Michael Recycle is an adventure about a superhero (clad with a colander hat!) who teaches people about how recycling can help make their town more beautiful and their bodies healthier. The book is fresh and entertaining for both adults and children. It not only includes information about recycling, but also contains humorous Go Green Tips that are sure to catch your child’s attention. “Most towns offer curbside pickup for newspapers, cans, glass and certain kinds of plastic… Who knows, maybe they’ll even take your little brother or sister!” Another favorite was to take shorter showers, “unless you’re really, really smelly!”

In our home, we especially enjoy books that inspire our imagination and include a call to action. Michael Recycle included lots of ideas that could encourage all readers, young and old, to become environmental superheroes.

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In a town with a whole bunch of wonderful and beloved independent coffee shops, it isn’t easy for a new coffee shop to get attention. The Green Sage, however, has managed to already get a following. One of the first things you notice about the downtown coffee shop is its dozen solar power panels on the roof. This coffee shop’s twist is the emphasis on being green.

The owner’s mission is to reduce the coffee shop’s carbon footprint, and to educate customers about green and environmental issues.

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I love reusable tote bags.  Whether I get them from Trader Joes, Whole Foods or even Shop Rite, they are ridiculously inexpensive, and the benefits to using them in terms of helping the environment make it a no-brainer for me.  Back in January, Whole Foods gave plastic bags the old heave-ho, offering customers reasonably priced reusable shopping bags and totes instead.  Considering that the New York City Whole Foods locations alone gave out an estimated 900,000 plastic bags last year, this is a huge impactful change.

Now Whole Foods is back in the news, as this week they are unveiling the newest FEED bag designed by Presidential niece and former model Lauren Bush.  Similar to its $59.95 counterpart, this one is $29.99 and is made from 100% organic cotton and sustainable burlap.  For every FEED bag purchased, you are providing school meals to 100 children in Rwanda.  Go to www.wholefoods.com to find the nearest retail location.  Go get ‘em!

Photo from Amazon.

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I am a huge fan of both Farmers’ Markets and CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture). When our local market finally opens up again on May 14th (yes, I’m counting the days), I’ll be taking the kids there as often as possible, but it’s not always easy to coordinate. CSA’s make getting fresh, local produce a little bit easier, but with our hectic work schedules and frequent summer travel, it’s hard to commit to a big box of produce arriving EVERY SINGLE WEEK.

Enter Fresh Picks! I don’t know if this concept is in play in other cities (please share in the comments if you know of any similar companies), but it’s a fabulous option for those living in Chicago. Fresh Picks partners with organic and local farms to bring fresh produce, meats and dairy products to its customers.

There are a few options for ordering. You can set up a standing order, or you can place a new order each week. You can get a “Fresh Picks Box,” which includes the very best items each week, or you can create your own order.

I will never stop frequenting the Farmers’ Market - it’s one of my favorite activities! However, when life gets in the way, and I need great food delivered to my doorstop, it’s nice to know that I have options.

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In a moment both shimmering and tantalizing, ramps have arrived.  Signifying the return of the fairy tale bounty of the summer Union Square Greenmarket, in flavor, ramps are a delightfully delicate cross between garlic and leek.

Trim off the bulb, and wash, pying attention to where the leaves separate.

Zucchini Ramp Omelet

1. Sauté one small diced zucchini in Ronnybrook Farm Dairy butter.
2. Chiffonade three ramps (roll them into a cigar and slice them thinly).  Add to sauté.
3. Beat up two Quattro’s Game Farm eggs – try their peasant or duck eggs and adjust number according to size - and crumble in either Lynnhaven Farm goat cheese or add Ronnybrook’s Jalapeno Farmers Cheese.  Add mixture to sauté.
4. Now demonstrate your divine omelet technique and serve with Hawthorne Valley Farms biodynamic apricot ginger scones.

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