So, my second goal is to go green! This doesn't mean that I will one of those people who boycott toilet paper and gasoline. What green means to me is doing my part to support local businesses, local people and therefore cut down our carbon footprint. My husband and I love this show we saw on the food network, back when we had cable, called 100 mile challenge. The concept of this was that you could only eat food that came from within 100 miles of you. Doesn't sound that hard but it is! Check your pantry, especially your spices. Do you know where your salt comes from? and how long it has traveled? What about your chicken? or beans? You name it, it probably has traveled a long distance. Which makes me wonder, who made it, who am i supporting?
Okaay, I know it is a little crazy to go that extreme, and i don't want to. But I love the idea of knowing who I am supporting and reducing the distance my food travels. Made in the USA! How often do you check your food to see if it's even made here. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with stuff from other countries. But I know that I shouldn't complain about the gov't supporting other countries if I don't do my part.
So, John and I have discussed how we can help. Some of the things we want to be a part of are csa's. Community Supported Agriculture is a program that gives you the chance to support your local farmers. You buy shares of a local farm and they give you product every week. You have to drive out and pick up your product, therefore meeting the farmers and getting to know them. You don't know what your going to get until you pick it up, although you pick the farm and they have lists of what they grow on the website. We also want to buy local beef and pork and chicken. Local eggs and honey.
I would also like to start my own compost pile, and attempt a garden of my own. I don't hold high hopes of this though because I have a black thumb.
We try and carpool as much as we can when we have to go into the city and eventually I would like to take Joslyn on bike rides for local trips.
As always I would love to hear your comments on how you help the environment. God made the earth in 6 days, lets try and keep it beautiful!
P.S. Tomorrow I am so excited to talk about my 150 adventures. be thinking of adventurous things. the picture is of my dog Sinnamon that is now in heaven, treasure every moment!
Awesome, sweetie. My suggestions are for your "black thumb". If planting & tending a large garden seems too daunting, start with container gardens. Grow your own herbs--it's super easy & cheap and you can move them inside during the winter to have fresh all year round. Try growing tomatoes in a pot with a trellis or get that topsy-turvy thing they show on TV and grow your plants upside down. Definitely look into that moisture control potting soil--it's a life saver if you forget to water the plants. Start small the first season with a few staple veggies (maybe even plant a fruit tree) and increase as you build confidence & know-how.
ReplyDeleteAll these changes you are undertaking are phenomenal! I can't wait to see how God is going to transform your life! Just remember, take it in small steps so you don't get overwhelmed. Love you!
Thanks for the suggestions, I have been dying to try that topsy turvy thing. They make it look so easy.
ReplyDelete(sorry I'm way late on this post) I LOVE your plan to only get food semi-locally. I want to do similar, which is why I started my garden. It's an 8x8 box and I got screened (no weeds, seeds, weird/random stuff) dirt for about $40 at a landscaping place this was waaaay cheaper than buying by the bag. Billy made me start w/ an 8x8, if I can keep it going this year - including keeping up w/ weeding/watering in the hot nasty months of July/Aug - we'll expand next year. I can't tell you how exciting it has been watching this thing grow. I'm also planning to exchange my veggies with coworkers who have other stuff or whose plants might not be as fruitful. :) I'd really like to hear how this #2 goal is going!
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