Welcome to the family

Today we adopted 2 ducks, a drake and another chicken. The drake is called Jonathan. He's a beautiful bird. When we came home this afternoon we found him perched on the roof of the woodshed. He then proceeded to fly to the roof of the garage. When he finally decided to come down the edges of his wings made a beautiful angel in the soft new snow that fell yesterday. I wish I had a photo for you of the angel. Here is one of Jonathan at his former home. 

His original mom misses him already and is planning to come for a visit soon. He's such a handsome bird that I can't blame her. His two little girlfriends Tootsie and Fuji are settling in quite nicely with their new bunk mates Gladys and the Peeps, our original flock of 8 assorted hens. Pepper, the new chicken (gender yet to be determined), is working on figuring out the pecking order. We've decided that if she turns out to be a he it'll be Sgt. Pepper. 

Here is Tootsie with her sister BonBon, who was recently injured by a bird, possibly an owl. Our thoughts are with BonBon and we are hoping she is going to recover. 

We are so happy to add these four new feathered friends to our family. They will be great help in the garden come spring when it is time to root out slugs and beetle larva and the pesky shoots of new weeds. They should have the beds well turned, debugged and fertilized for us by the time we are ready to plant. And we'll have the added bonus of duck eggs and perhaps a clutch of ducklings before the summer is over. 

So welcome, welcome to Jonathan and friends. May you enjoy many happy seasons in Awen's Garden.

Happy Holidays from the Homestead

Well folks, I'm sorry I missed you on Saturday the 21st and I'm a day late with this current post. I promise you that I have been a busy little sustainability bee in the mean time. On Saturday we had 23 friends old and new at the house for a Yuletide potluck. For fun we tore strips from some old shirts that were headed for the rag bag and we wrote New Year wishes on them and tied them to this giant wishing web that we constructed in the corner of our dining room. In the spring we will hang this garland from a tree or from the garden fence. 

 

I've also been very busy making posters for the Berwick Winter Farmers' Market! We are so thrilled that Berwick is going to finally have its own market. Markets will be held on Sundays from 10am to 2pm in the Berwick Town Hall Auditorium on January 19th, February 16th and March 16th. 

I was also busy making preparations for Christmas Eve dinner with the family featuring a local duck courtesy of our friend Tinuviel, and local veggies from our second winter CSA share. To round out my holiday celebration and preparations I made stockings for my son and homemade lavender and bay cologne for my husband and son with lavender from my own garden. We have right sized our Christmas so that we do only stockings and have set a $50 limit on total expense of stocking contents.  Home-made items help to fill up the stocking with more love at less expense. 

All in all it was a busy, friend and family filled, blessed and sustainable local holiday. I hope yours was blessed as well. 

Let's tackle those sustainability goals!

One of my primary sustainability goals is reducing my energy consumption. While we are in the process of transitioning from a fossil fuel dependent energy system to more sustainable methods of energy production it is important to limit our energy consumption as much as possible. By doing so we will both reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses being emitted and the demand for fossil fuels which drives much of the environmentally disastrous extraction of these fuels.

There are many ways that we can reduce our energy consumption from the novel to the mundane. Since it is December and everyone is obsessed with top 10's and top 100's, I'll give you 10 ways to reduce energy consumption. Not that there aren't a hundred ways, but I do have to get some sleep tonight. So here we go:

1. Declare an electricity free day. This might be best planned for early summer here in the chilly north east. You can cook outside, go without showering (take a dip in the nearest pond if you really need to get wet) and sit around the camp fire late into the night telling ghost stories or having a drum circle (or both), instead of sitting around inside surfing the net, watching TV or going to the Movies. 

2. Winterize your house! This is a step that I have just personally taken. There are several things to be considered here: Placing insulating gaskets behind  your outlet and switch plates, winterizing the windows (if you cannot afford replacement windows this is an affordable option that is more than worth the investment of time and money) and Increasing the insulation in your attic. This past weekend we spent 300 dollars on 26 bags of Green Fiber insulation. With this purchase we got the rental of the blower free for the day. It took us about 4 hours all together including set up  and cleanup. We doubled the heat retention in the upstairs and the investment will probably pay itself back in less than a year. 

3. Declare one screen free day each week. You will not only save energy, you will reduce your stress and you will have more time to spend on other interests that you never seem to have time for. 

4. Never use the "small load" setting on your washing machine. While it uses less water, it does not use significantly less electricity. Wait until you have a full load.

5. During warm months hang laundry outside to dry (or even in cold months if you are one of those die hard types that doesn't mind a little bit of chapped skin and a frozen nose...)

6.Switch to LED light bulbs. They are even more energy efficient than CFL bulbs and don't have the disposal issues related to the toxic chemicals.

7. Eat more raw foods. They are better for you anyway. Raw foods retain more nutrients and are generally higher in fiber and lower in fat and simple carbohydrates. You may find your waistline likes your new low energy diet as much as the planet does.

8. Install motion sensor switches on your home lights where appropriate. Lights will come on as you enter and will turn off after a period without motion. These lights are particularly well suited to common areas such as kitchen's and dining rooms where folks often pass through briefly and may forget to turn off lights. They may be less appropriate for family rooms and bedrooms (for obvious reasons).

9. Watch out for phantom energy suckers. Any appliance that has a light or clock on it is drawing energy even when not in use. Consider installing a power strip in an accessible place in your kitchen and plugging small appliances into it. Turn the power strip on when using the small appliances and turn them all off with the flip of one switch. After all, do you really need to have a clock on the stove, the microwave and the coffee maker. And how often do you really program the coffee maker to start automatically. We have an automatic coffee maker that we set perhaps twice a month. It takes 5 minutes to start coffee in the morning and how much energy do I save by not having the coffee pot drawing power the other 23 hours a day that I'm not using it? I can't tell you exactly, but I can tell you it is well worth the 5 minutes it takes to make the coffee.

10. Shower less often (I bet that wasn't what  you thought I was going to say). Honestly folks, Americans are way too obsessed with cleanliness. We've cleansed ourselves into the advent of super bugs and who knows what else in the way of obsessive compulsive behaviors.  If we showered or bathed only every second or third day and used the wash bowl in between, we would be just as clean and use far less water, electricity and heating oil.

That's all I have for you today. I could go on and on, but I hope that you will take these suggestions and add many more of your own. Have fun with it. Make it a competition with yourself to see just how much energy you can save.

Apologies for the brief Hiatus & A New Schedule

Greetings all. My apologies for the brief hiatus. I've been nursing a bad shoulder and not up for much sitting at the computer typing. While I've been keeping you in the dark, I've been busy winterizing, taking delivery of some delicious local produce, gathering new resources for this blog and for the website www.sustainableme.me and signing up for a permaculture design certificate course, among other things. I will have all the details for you in future posts. 

I'm keeping this one short. I just want to let you all know that I will be back in full swing with a regular post tomorrow. I Also wanted to give you my new  planned posting schedule.  I plan to have scheduled posts going forward in order to allow myself time to collect and prepare my materials and give you a really worth while post. This way you wont be getting blasted with update messages in your inbox every day for a week and then hearing nothing from me for 10 days. I'm all about right sizing our lives, and that includes the amount of time we spend in front of our computer screens. So I'm going to try to bring you plenty of worth-while information in a clear concise manner (interspersed with my own brand of dry Yankee humor) on a twice weekly schedule. I'll post on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and we'll see how that works. 

Until we meet again, I leave you with this quote by Yogi Bhajan  "Travel light, live light, share the light, be the light."

A Bit of Inspiration or My Top 10 for 2013

It's that time of year again. The comedians and the pundits and every periodical still published will be running their top 10 lists this month. There will be lists of the most over paid movie stars, the most popular songs and the hottest men. While they are all quite interesting I'm sure, I will leave them to the TMZ set. 

I give you here my top 10 Documentaries. There is inspiration and motivation a plenty in this list. So with out further adieu - The films!

Dirt the Movie "Inspired by William Brayant Logan's acclaimed book Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Eart, Dir! The Movie takes a humorous and substantial look into the history and current state of the living organic matter that we come from and will later return to. Dirt! the Movie will make you want to get dirty." 

With One Voice " With One Voice brings together mystics from fourteen different spiritual traditions to share their perspectives on the unifying truth that transcends all religions." Honestly it is difficult for me to place this movie as number 2. I say they really both need to share the #1 spot. 

The rest of the list should be available or Netflix or by searching for the title in your favorite browser. 

Edens Lost and Found  This PBS series examines the prospects and potential for transforming depressed urban areas from economic junkyards into vital communities. Focusing on four major American cities, the film outlines the goals and rationale of sustainable development.

TEDTalks: Giving Adicts "Meet TED's super givers, who are championing the world's most daunting problems by showing what is possible when someone takes a stand. From Somalia to Mount Everest, from the Bronx to the North Pole, these amazing individuals share their stories."

Food Matters "With a staggering number of Americans suffering from obesity and other food-related maladies, this film takes a timely and hard-hitting look at how the food we eat is helping or hurting our health, and what we can do to live (and eat) better."

TEDTalks: Environment - Project Makeover  "Gas-guzzling addiction and our dying ecological lifeblood. Can we reverse the damage? These TED speakers are paving the road for sustainability. Here, they discuss a fungus-based packaging material, a new kind of recycling plant and much more."

I AM "In this reflective documentary, filmmaker Tom Shadyac chats with philosophers and spiritual leaders about what ails the world and how to improve it"

Happy Happy takes viewers on a journey from the swamps of Louisiana to the slums of Kolkata in search of what really makes people happy. Combining real-life stories and scientific interviews, the film explores the secrets behind our most valued emotion."

The Nature of Existence "Roger Nygard travels to the sources of the world's major philosophies and talks to everyone from physicist Leonard Susskind to Ultimate Christian Wrestling founder Rob Adonis to answer the questions, Why are we here and what are we supposed to do? Spiritual leaders, scholars, scientists, artists, pizza chefs and the guy next door inform this humorously enlightening documentary about the nature and meaning of life."

I hope you will enjoy and be inspired by these great films. I know that I was. 

What's it all About? - Revolution Day 37 and A Call to Action

I have been struggling for a couple of weeks now to write a post that defines what this One Earth Revolution is really all about. Trying to distill the essential elements of my vision into a cohesive train of thought that I can share with others that will really get them thinking. But more than that, I want to inspire others to action. If we all start to think, it's a start, but It's not enough to just think. We have to act!

This week I have been privileged to share with several members of the Berwick community in putting on an exhibit of local artists, organizing and mobilizing individuals to support local art and business and planning a local farmers' market with the sustainability committee. I am so thrilled to see members of our community coming together to really make it a community, not just a place where we lie our heads at night.

This week I also applied to curate a Lexicon of Sustainability art exhibit for southern Maine, entered into talks with Hour Exchange Portland and have begun to lay the ground work for bringing an hour exchange to the Berwicks. There is so much to be done!

I started this post by mentioning that I've wanted to distill my vision into words that will motivate others to action. While I haven't been able to find the exact words myself to do this, I stumbled upon something this morning that really sums it up. This is an excerpt from the forward to Local Dollars Local Sense by Michael Shuman.

"The world is constantly changing. Revolution should not be a scary word. It has three basic definitions: rotation, rebellion, transformation. Great moments of history are written when what is usually just rotation-cycles of nature, repetitious-becomes transformative....The American Revolution did not happen in 1776. It took several decades, at least, to achieve the transformative qualities that we mark in that year...

As the saying goes, "when you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail." Systems define the process. But if the nail changes, the hammer must eventually change too.

Ultimately this is...about changing nails. Lots of them. Because the hammer that is our socioeconomic structure (with a large dose of techno-cultural mash) cannot last. Nothing does. At some point the repetition becomes too much. And the opportunity for a new (r)evolution emerges.

Evolution: development, growth, advancement.

The fear of the idea of things being different-the end of the world as we know it-is joined by the accompanying realization that a revolution also brings certain core principles back around. Not the end of the world as we know it... but a return of fundamental aspects of human nature that have always existed: community, relationship, connection-connection to the impact  of our investments, to the source of our food, to our footprint on the planet." 

 Peter Buffett

I really appreciate all those of you who have commented and shared this blog. Knowing I've got you with me helps to keep me motivated. This post is a blatant call to action. I am asking each of you who have been reading this blog to share it in every way that you can and to please, please click the "follow" button. Every revolution needs an army and this army needs recruits.

If You Slip Don't Give Up The Ship

So, a while back I made a WAG that I could source all of my "needs" "locally". By that I meant: 80% of food, goods, and services to be produced and purchased from within 50 miles, with the remaining 20% produced and purchased from within New England. Furthermore, I said, "I believe that if I cannot locate what I need or the materials with which to make it from within that area, then I don’t really NEED it, and I can live without it." If you have been following along here you know I have had some great successes. It turns out that I live in an area where the local organic food movement is in full swing and I'm able to get delicious nutritious local food year round. 

I have also had some challenges, and by the way the NJ facial tissue experiment was terminated at the request of Hubby who felt it just wasn't up to snuff. So it's back to the drawing board on that one. Anyone got any suggestions?

And well, some failures... Yesterday morning, in a rush, I left the house without a cup of coffee. Locally roasted coffee is already a compromise and yet I succumbed to the temptation of stopping at the drive-through! I know :-( 

My point in sharing this with you is this: if you slip, don't give up the ship. This isn't all or nothing folks. Because if it is we are in big trouble! We each just have to do the best we can, and so...Tomorrow I will go right back to striving for my goal to source my needs locally and I'll think a little harder about just exactly what is a "need". When confronted with the desire to purchase something that is not in keeping with my goals, hopefully I'll resist that temptation.

Now just over a month into this experience and I've had to make some adjustments.  At this point I think 75/20/5(that 5 being from sources outside of New England) is a reasonable goal. 

The reasons behind all of this localization are legion. I want to reduce my carbon footprint to 1.47 acres within 5 years. If you don't know what a challenge that is, please note that the average American's carbon footprint is over 24 acres and even a resident of Ithica's Eco Village is significantly higher than the goal I have set for myself. I want to encourage and promote a strong sustainable local economy and live my life in line with the permaculture principles: earth care, people care, fair share. And that's just for starters. It's going to be a long hard row to hoe, but every step will be worth it when I reach that goal.

Each of us has a goal, something that has motivated us to take the road toward sustainability. For many it is the specter of climate change. For some it is the desire for more self reliance, given the current unsure state of affairs in the world. Whatever it is that has us moving in this direction let's keep our eyes focused on the goal. We can overcome whatever setbacks we may encounter, even if they are of our own making, so long as we keep the goal in sight and keep moving toward the mark. 

US Transition Movement

While doing research for another sustainability project that I am working on,  I came across some information on the Transition Town movement in the US. I have seen videos in the past on Transition Towns in the UK, but this is the first information I've found on the movement in the US. 

Here is an excerpt from the introduction to the Transition Primer:

Town Hall; Berwick, Maine

"Transition Initiatives make no claim to have all the answers, but by building on the wisdom of the past and unlocking the creative genius, skills and determination in our communities, the solutions can emerge.

Now is the time for us to take stock and to start re-creating our future in ways that are not based on cheap, plentiful and polluting oil but on localized food, renewable energy sources, resilient local economies and an enlivened sense of community well-being.

Local Transition Initiatives provide a process for relocalizing the essential elements that a community needs to sustain itself and thrive."

Because I agree wholeheartedly with these statements and with the concepts and precepts of the Transition Town movement I would like to share a couple of links here that you can refer to for more information on the movement. 

Transition US Home page can be found here.  And a primer for new groups can be found by following this link. I'm eager to put a pin on the map for an initiative in Berwick, Maine.  Let's all mobilize our communities!

Until next time, step lively.

Meet the Artists

Just a few of the fabulous pieces and people who participated in yesterday's Red Saturday art show at the Summit Church in Berwick, Maine. Everyone did such a lovely job with setting up their displays and showing their works. Thank you all for sharing your creative genius with the community.  There were so many wonderful artist, I wasn't able to get to spend time with everyone and take photo's.

You can see more at Red Saturday Facebook event page or from the Berwick Arts home page.

Above: Joel K. The elephants were mystical and everything was simply charming. You can find Joel on Facebook and Etsy.  Right Anne Vaughan in her jungle of color. Thanks Anne for sharing your beautiful visions.

Jane Lissner with her inspirational and meditative labyrinths. Thanks Jane for sharing your work with me. I really enjoyed chatting with you about the paths unwinding. 

Bob Farrell with his work "Oh That's Too Bad". Other works by Bob in the foreground.  Bob's works are often sculptural adding depth and texture that works with the image to create a unique artistic experience. You can find Bob on Facebook.

Erin Duquette surrounded by her works. Erin you are beautiful! Thank you for the beautiful works that you bring to life and all the many things you do. You are truly an inspiration to all of us both for your art and for the work that you do to encourage the growth of our local economy and community. 

Patrick Hartnett has his own unique style and a dry whit to match. Thanks Patrick for the fond memories of the Cookie Monster and Alistair Cookie's Monsterpiece Theatre and thank you for sharing your work with us. you can reach Patrick here. 

Isabella Mella's whimsical creations were a favorite of my son and his girlfriend. We loved the owl's. Thanks Isaella for the smiles! you can find Isabella's work on etsy. 

Many many thanks to all of the artists. It was a fabulous experience to share the day with all of you experiencing your art and talking with all of you on subjects far and near.  

Namaste!

Weaving a Web of Community: Local Art, Food and More

Today was the first annual Berwick Arts Association Red Saturday Art Show. More than 20 artists came together in a donated space to provide the community with the opportunity to purchase locally made goods in the form of fine art objects and to support local artists. Several artists donated works and Hubby and I volunteered to run a raffle table to benefit the association. As we manned the raffle table and visited the tables of the various artists we were able to rekindle old friendships, and begin new acquaintances that we hope will develop into future friendships. 

Throughout the day we were amazed by the number of conversations that came around to buy local, local food movements, sustainability and permaculture. We made several new contacts with individuals and groups who are working in this area. It looks like we will be assisting in the planning of some upcoming local food events. We also were able to meet with some folks about  moving forward with an idea for setting up an hour exchange here in the Berwicks and I had one truly inspiring conversation with a young lady about a vision I have for a local needs and skills assessment. It was refreshing and inspiring because of the light and enthusiasm that I could see coming into her eyes as I described my idea. It was so nice to speak with someone who has the youth, enthusiasm and vision to see were we can really go with this type of project. The people I spoke with today  were able to see a future where we have localized our economies and reduced our impact on the planet to a level that is sustainable for the long term.

After the show we retired to the home of a friend who lives just down the street from the building where the show was being held. Ms. T was hosting a pot luck and duck roast featuring a duck that she had recently raised and named Chester. As you can imagine the conversations around local food and sustainability continued in full swing at such a gathering. Everyone was thankful for Chester's sacrifice and also for the delicious Latvian potato tarts that Ms. T made. As we were driving home, I was impressed by just how quickly the day had flown and how what we had really be doing all day was weaving a web of community that we hope will grow closer and more tightly knit as the days go by. 

With Deepest Thanks

Today our family enjoyed a blessed time of sharing, visiting with friends and partaking of a bountiful feast. We have so many things to be thankful for that we could hardly enumerate them all here. But I will take a few moments to give thanks and credit to the local Maine farmers who made this fabulous feast possible. 

Thanks to Spruce Creek Farm for the juicy delicious bird

In keeping with our desire to live and eat locally, our Thanksgiving feast was supplied by our local farmers and grocers. Here is a roll call of the great folks who helped to make this wonderful meal possible.  Thanks to Gaia for the brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes from our own garden, to Chase's Farm for the creamy mashed potatoes, to Wolf Pine Farm for even more sweet potatoes, and onions and squash, to Nature's Way Market for the little extra's that wrap up the feast including the cranberries from Ricker Hill Orchards. 

And for desert: Apple, Mince and Pumpkin pies. With thanks to Misty Brook Farm for the flour that made our delightful pie crusts, to Chase Farm for the pumpkin and to the Guptill family of Hackmatack Playhouse for the apples. After dessert everyone took a break from eating to visit friends, play some games and then it was back for a second helping.  As we wind down our day we just want to say Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours. 

Father enjoying some Dilly Beans
that Hubby put up earlier from the wax
beans and dill we grew in our garden

Well fed and resting

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

I've been making cranberry sauce for over 20 years but this is my first time canning it

This cranberry sauce is easy and delicious. Hubby says it's the best he's had in almost 50 years of Thanksgivings (though I'm sure he really can't remember the first few all that well). I made an extra large batch this year and canned some to share and to bring back that lively taste of fall when we are deep in winter. I used 5 bags of cranberries! The cranberries we got from Nature's Way Market were local berries from Ricker Hill Orchards in Turner, Maine.

Here is my quick and easy recipe for cranberry sauce:

1 12 oz. bag of cranberries

1 cup of sugar

zest of 1/2 of 1 orange - finely chopped. 

juice of one orange

put it all in a small saucepan on medium low and heat stirring frequently to prevent scorching until most of the cranberries have popped. Allow to cool. Sauce will thicken as it cools. 

Tip: be sure to be very careful when removing the zest from the orange. You want to get only the zest. Try not to take any of the white pith with it. The pith can be very bitter. 

That is all there is to it! So easy yet so tasty. Enjoy it with your Thanksgiving dinner for sure, but it also makes a great accompaniment to a sandwich in place of chips. Or, use it to garnish your vanilla ice cream. Use your imagination. Have fun with it.

Until next time. Taste lively!

Just Enrolled in Maine Green Power

Just a quick post this morning. I just enrolled in Maine Green Power. 

It's one of those little steps. By supporting the development of local green power and reducing our own energy use, we are trying to do our bit to be part of the solution. Eventually I would like to take our place totally off grid. In fact I think that moving in the direction of a distributed grid system is the way we really need to go (more on this later.)

It's Here! And Just in Time for Thanksgiving.

Here I go, taking pictures of my food again. I've become a repeat offender. You'll have to come to expect this from me I think. Couldn't help myself. All that beautiful, fresh, healthy food in my CSA share from Wolf Pine Farm inspired me. I expect it will also inspire some great meals and some healthy conversation. 

I'm going to try to document where and how far all this luscious food goes. I'll share just the highlights with you in a future post. More food pics anticipated, likely involving our Thanksgiving feast. 

I have a feeling it will be more of a true Thanksgiving this year than it has been in some time. We always pause to give thanks for the blessings of the year, but somehow you FEEL it so much more when you are really close to the source of the food that you are eating as you ponder those blessings. While the fabulous foods pictured above will certainly participate in the feast, much of the bounty will be things that we have already harvested and preserved from our own land. Does anyone have an emoticon for "feeling thankful"?

Until next time. Eat Lightly...

Great Grand-Dad's Granny Square Afghan

It's Friday night after a long week at the office. I'm exhausted, really need to be working on the website, but just haven't got the energy for reading through pages of links and trying to make attractive and navigable pages with all the new information I've been compiling. I'll get those updates out to you just as soon as I can, but right now I'm curled up on my second hand sofa (which I got nearly brand new for about 25% of retail - very lucky find) wrapped up in an old afghan that my great grandfather crocheted back in the 1960's or it might have been the 50's. In either case, it was before I was born.  Have you ever seen one of these?

It is simply gorgeous and snuggly. And it gets me to thinking again about reusing and repairing things. This particular afghan that I'm snuggled up in was severely neglected and thread bare when I was a child. My mother rescued it and redid the stitching between the squares. When I bought my grandparents house, many years later,  Ma gave me the afghan. I've been in the house for 12 years now and here I am, still warming myself in the same old afghan. I've taken a few stitches to it myself over time.  I truly treasure it, even though my great grandfather is only a collection of stories to me. I have no memories of the man himself. Still, knowing this little blanket was made by loving hands and used and repaired by 4 generations of my family is a testament to the lasting quality of such things and to the fact that when cared for things don't have to be disposable. 

Let's add a 4th R: Repair!

So a girl gets herself a pair of the most fabulous little black boots. 

image from http://emmalinabeauty.blogspot.com/2012/08/paying-homage-to-topshop-boots.html

(This girl is not a shoe junkie.) And she wares them almost every day. Well, they're fashionable and versatile. They go with just about everything and before you know it that little hard plastic cap on the heel is just shot. It's worn right through! I wish I had a picture to show you, but you'll just have to imagine it. There is the shoe with the black plastic all worn and ragged and this strange white plastic honeycomb showing through. Now I got these fabulous boots second hand, which is already reuse right? And so they wore out and I tossed them (well actually I think Hubby may have squirreled them away and partsed them out for the leather). But then this morning, as I was getting ready for work, I realized I didn't have any sturdy little black boots with chunky little heels that wouldn't make me feel like I was walking around on stilts all day like the ones I was wearing.  I suddenly thought, "gosh I wish I had those fabulous little black boots!" This thought was immediately followed by, "I probably could have repaired them." Which was followed by, "You know, we really need to add "repair" to that great list of: reduce, reuse, recycle."

I think that often times the excuse for new acquisitions is that something we currently own has become less efficient in its operation due to wear and tear or has become non-functional due to same or to mistreatment. Often these over-loved and utilized objects could be restored and or repaired for a fraction of the input of resources and money that replacing them would cost. So the next time you have some object that is worn down but not quite out - just grab your trusty electronic device and Google away to find great how to tips and videos on how to repair it or, if you prefer, search for local repair persons and support a local business. Perhaps you will learn some new skills, find a new interest or meet a new friend. They are all good things and you will be helping the environment and the local economy to boot. (No pun intended, no really....) It's a win, win, win!

As for this girl, I guess it's off to the thrift store to find me another pair of fabulous second hand boots. And the next time I'm feeling a bit down-at-the heel I'll just take my own advice and get a little knowledge on how to spruce up those tired old clod hoppers and get them ready for dancing again. 

Until next time, dance lightly...

Why I Will Soon be Making My Own Pet Food

So why on earth would I make my own pet food? I want to reduce my reliance on outside inputs and my impact on the planet. I think the time and effort required to make food for my pets will be well worth it. Making my own pet food would allow me to utilize certain kitchen scraps which are currently going to waste because they are not good candidates for composting in a cold compost pile. It would also allow me to control what is going into my pets' food, which is important to me. I don't like the idea of my cat eating ground up baby chicks that were tossed live into a grinder simply because they were the wrong sex, or filler provided by GMO corn meal.  And who knows what's in the poor pup's food? When you come right down to it, it would reduce the overall footprint of my pets' diet by reducing production and transportation inputs and it would reduce demand for a product whose manufacturing methods and ingredients I find reprehensible. So yes, I will probably start making my own pet food very soon. I will keep you posted and will share photos and recipes!

They are certainly worth it!

Building Community and Local Food Networks

I truly believe that, given the chance, most people would prefer to eat fruits and vegetables that grew in their neighborhood or at least their own town or state, as opposed to produce that was trucked in from somewhere half way across the country or around the world. There is a lot of great local food out there, but how do you find it? Frequently produce in stores may only say product of USA. You may not know if it was grown in Maine or California. You can start with your grocer. Tell them that it is important to you to know where your food comes from. Ask them to clearly indicate where produce is from. It doesn't have to be difficult for them and they will likely see their sales increase. 

Here's an example. This evening on my way home from a Meetup event (more on that later) I stopped at my local grocer in South Berwick. Hubby pointed out to me that there was a little placard clipped to the front of one of the displays. It was the size of a name tag and was simply hand printed "Locally Grown" and then had the name of the farm and the town in which it was located. This was brilliant and I certainly would have bought a couple of bags of those cranberries if I hadn't already stocked the larder with my needed supply for Thanksgiving. But now as I'm sitting here thinking about it.... Why not pick up a couple more bags on the way home tomorrow and I can can a big batch of cranberry sauce and have enough to last all winter. It is truly lovely as a relish and its bright color and tangy bite definitely brighten the cold dark months. 

Nature's Way Market also has a sign posted over the cash register that reminds us "we are what we eat". 

There is another in the deli that identifies the various local vendors and where they are from. I'm sure that you can recognize the shape of the great state of Maine on several of these placards. Nature's Way is located in the south west corner of the state just across the border from Rollingsford, NH, so you'll see a few New Hampshire outlines there as well. I think this is a great way to let folks know where their food is coming from. These are simply printed on a standard office printer and slipped into inexpensive sheet protectors before being hung on the wall. I've also noticed a couple of restaurants and another small market in the area taking up the practice. 

Another great source of local food would be local farm stands. Many of them are open from Memorial Day through Halloween selling everything from seedlings to pumpkins and corn stocks. A few even hold out through Christmas and offer trees, wreaths and other natural and local decorations. Local farmers markets and CSA's and co-ops are also great sources of local foods. Most of these are pretty traditional, but there are some less common sources, some that take advantage of the age of social media in order to bring local foodies together. 

And now we've come back to  the meetup group that I mentioned earlier. This evening the Seacoast Permaculture Meetup had its annual swap and share. Members all got together and brought their excess. 

Just a very small selection of the wonderful assortment of foods to share.

For this late fall meetup we focused on preserved foods and other items that could be stored over the winter; canned foods, dried foods, root vegetables and the like. It works roughly like this: There are times when your garden suddenly, for no apparent reason, produces six bushels of green peppers and your entire freezer is full of froze green pepper strips, or you canned half a dozen more jars of salsa than you can ever possibly get through before the tomatoes are in full swing again next year. So you've got all these peppers and salsa, but no pears, or apples, or grain or dried beans. You bring your peppers and salsa and any other items you have that you know is just more than your family is going to consume over the next 3 months and pray for someone to bring the sweet fruits and other things you are looking for. All the stuff is laid out on big tables and everyone takes turns explaining what they brought and then we barter with other members to trade for the stuff we would like to bring home. Hubby and I brought several jars of salsa, both green and red, some herbal vinegar, a large canning jar of apples and some green tomato relish. We scored some hand made tea tree soap, fresh pears, canned peaches, pesto, mustard seed, chives, black walnuts..... I think there might have been a couple more items as well. We had a great time sharing ideas with like minded people and met some new folks as well. We learned, laughed and share healthy food. No-one spent a penny and everyone left happy. All in all a great experience and a good way to get your hands on some rocking local food. 

If there isn't a Meetup like this in your area, start one. Go to the Meetups website and you're on your way.  You could also use this tool to set up a neighborhood or area food shed project. We are only limited by the scope of our imagination. Until next time, enjoy your local food search adventures. 

Local Arts and Crafts in North Berwick Maine

The town of North Berwick, Maine is a hive of art and craft activity this weekend. This was our entertainment of the day, local art and craft fair hopping. We took a break from putting away our summer tools and mulching and I picked up some delicious smelling hand made soap. The fun continues through the weekend. So if you are in the neighborhood of North Berwick tomorrow (Nov 17),  you can work your way through town starting at the Open Studio of artists Kim Bernard & Christos Calivas.

Then it's on to Varney Crossing Nursing Home 47 Elm Street for the Holiday Craft Fair. 

A short trip downtown to 41 Main Street and you will find a pair of treasures as Lori takes up the space  next to Annie and Meme's for her annual craft fair. 

Be sure to stop in at Annie and Meme's for great vintage items at fabulous prices. 

Now it's back out to Wells Street (ME 9 East). Just at the edge of town you will come to a big gray barn that once each year houses the fantastic work of 9 Women and Their Goods. They will be happy to greet you with warm smiles and snacks and a dazzling array of crafts and art works.

I'm certain you'll enjoy yourself and feel good picking up a few Christmas gifts or stocking stuffers that will be the joy of their recipients and your purchase will support a local artist. Keep the local economy going! 

Best Permaculture & Homesteading Books: The Ultimate Reading List for Sustainable Living

Totally off topic, but I love the way this little garden looks as it is beginning to go to sleep.

This list was originally shared by Permaculture Media Blog. I give them full credit and I think the best way to share it is to give you the link directly to The Ultimate Reading List on their blog. I can tell you that I personally own several of these books, have checked several others out of the library and have just added several more to my own personal reading list and wish list. If you are a sustainability junkie, a localizer or a permaculture activist, you will be like a kid in a candy store when you get to this blog. They promise "The best free sustainable living & educational media on the web. Over 2000 videos, eBooks, podcasts and documentaries". I've already checked out a few of the links. I can tell already that the knowledge sponge in me is going to be very busy over the next few day soaking up on this new information, but I will still make time to search the local shops for great local foods and I'll continue to share my finds here with you. 

Also watch for a new "Local Recipe of the Day" page that I hope to get up and running very soon. Feel free to share a recipe. Please be sure to tell us where you live and where you get your great local produce. Please focus on recipes that feature your local, in season goods and provide links to the suppliers wherever possible. I would love to be able to build a matrix of great local suppliers that users can navigate by state and locality. Photos are also welcome and encouraged. We want folks to see just how delicious these beautiful recipes are going to taste. 

So, you have your assignments. My assignment is to get the recipes page up and running and ready for your submissions and to update the website with all the great new links I've dug up this week. 

Until next time. Walk lightly.

A New Look at an Old Saw

We've all heard the phrase "reduce, reuse, recycle". It has been posted on billboards, recycling bins and bumper stickers. We instantly recognize the symbol of three bent arrows forming a triangle as indicating that a material is recyclable or that the designated container is a receptacle for recyclable materials. This symbol has become a ubiquitous tool of the recycling movement. But how often do we really think about the phrase, the entire phrase? It doesn't start with the word recycle and there is a very good reason for that. Because recycling, while it is good and helps to reduce the need for mining new feed stocks from the planet, is still an energy intensive process that does require additional inputs of finite resources. 

Reuse comes before recycle because by reusing and repurposing items we are keeping them out of the waste stream. We are conserving resources required at the front end of the production cycle by reducing the need for new goods and also putting off the need for using resources at the end of the item's useful life when it is recycled.  By repairing an item or passing it on to someone else, or by repurposing it into another useful or beautiful object we are reducing our impact on the planet. For some items this may be only a fractional amount, but add up all those fractions for all those items and you are starting to have a noticeable impact.

Reduce heads the list. I'm not just talking about packaging here folks, while that is important. I've heard stories of people going to the department store and buying a new TV, taking it out of the package, leaving the packaging at the store and telling the management that they are insulted by the excess packaging. But did they ever consider not buying the new TV? It's very likely that they have a perfectly functional TV at home, maybe even more than one. What is this one for? Perhaps the picture quality is marginally better? Perhaps it is a bit larger. Perhaps they are getting a new 32 inch TV for the family room so they can put the 27 inch in the kid's room. But did they stop to think that maybe the children don't need a TV in their room? That maybe if they had fewer TVs they could spend less time at work and more time with their family? In the 1950's the average American family lived in a house only 1/2 to 2/3rds the size of today's homes. They might have one television. They did not have cell phones and iPads and all the other things that we seem to think are necessary. Yet studies show that people where happier then than they are now. Do you wonder why? I think it's time we all stop to ask ourselves that question. 

An older phrase along the same line was "use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without". There was a different motivation behind this phrase, but they do share a similar goal. The goal of both is to teach us to conserve the finite resources of our planet and to do so first and foremost by reducing out level of consumption.