The Greener Sheep: A Greener Side of Life

Snow in DC Does not Disprove "Global Warming"

2010-02-12T16:35:00.005-06:00

So many newscasters have been cracking the joke lately that this record-breaking amount of snow getting dumped on the East Coast disproves Global Warming. Some of them are joking, some aren't-- either way, it deserves clarification.

First: Global Warming is no longer the term scientists are using, because it causes too much confusion. The new, official term is Climate Change.

Second: All this snow in DC actually helps to prove that "Global Warming" is happening.

1990-2000 was the warmest decade in the past thousand years. Climate change is a slow process, not a day-to-day occurrence; therefore, an unusually cold day in DC is not really a big deal, because it's not the big picture. But also, think of it this way: when you heat up a pot of water, the hotter it gets, the more quickly the water molecules move. A boiling pot bubbles out of control. The same thing happens when we heat up our climate: it gets more intensely active. Which means bigger snow storms, hurricanes, tsunamis, etc. The heat and damage we're inflicting upon our thin atmosphere is essentially super-charging the weather. And as everyone can see, that's not such a good thing for mankind.

The dominant force powering the Earth's cycles is heat, both from the sun and the Earth's core. Damage to the atmosphere reduces our very fragile shield from the sun. The more sun [heat] allowed in, the more powerful the Earth's cycles become. Natural disasters have gotten much more regular and intense in the past years-- plain and simple, there's no denying this.

But even if you don't believe in Climate Change, there's absolutely no reason to destroy our planet's protection from the rest of the non-life supporting universe. It's like climbing up on your roof every day and tearing a shingle out just so you can drive your SUV or eat food that's imported from thousands of miles away. It doesn't make sense. But since people don't feel directly connected to the damage that's occurring, it's easy to ignore... But at this rate, it looks like the weather will become pretty hard to ignore soon.

Here's an entertaining video from the Rachel Maddow show about why the snow on the East Coast does not disprove Global Warming. Featuring everybody's favorite, Bill Nye the Science Guy (yes, he IS alive).

Increased Exports & Big Ag Won't Feed the World

2010-02-06T14:45:00.006-06:00

So there's a big myth circling around right now that in a couple decades, we won't be able to feed the world's population. The global population is expected to top 9 billion by 2050. There are currently 7 billion people living on Earth, and so many go hungry, that this assumption makes sense. But it's not true. We produce more than enough food today: we grow over 4,000 calories per person per day, or twice what we need.

We just don't distribute the food correctly. In 2008, we grew more food than ever before; more people were obese than ever before; food companies made more profit than ever before; and more people went hungry than ever before. If all the food we grow gets turned into money-yielding byproducts, like high fructose corn syrup, packaged cereals, and microwave dinners, of course it won't feed the world. And of course it won't keep the world healthy.

The solution to global hunger is not Big Ag, food exports, or prepackaged meals. According to over 400 of the world's leading scientists and naturalists (IAASTD), genetically modified crops and chemical agriculture have not actually been proven to increase crop yield. Experts from all over the world agree that the future of agriculture rests in local food production, not increased exports. Local food production, on the other hand, dramatically decreases energy use and pollution, while focusing on local necessities and therefore producing more of what is needed, in the ways needed. If farmers are taught how to work with their land and climate, instead of relying on expensive chemicals and GMOs, we will see a better solution to hunger.

But of course, the truth of local food keeps getting ignored in favor of giant corporate moneymaking opportunities. In Obama's State of the Union Address, he touted the need for America to produce more exports in order to support more jobs here in America. Well, yes, we should produce more of what we need here... but we should also keep it here. Big Ag companies want to turn global hunger into a market opportunity. Global hunger is a humanitarian issue, not an opportunity for another American moneymaking monopoly.

Oprah talks Real Food.

2010-01-29T18:37:00.006-06:00

Normally, when Oprah talks food, it's about diets and fads. But this time? It's not about calories and carbs. Oprah talks real food with Michael Pollan.

As I've said before, you should watch Food, Inc. But if you haven't yet taken the time to, you can get a preview of what it's all about from the Oprah Show.

The episode is split in three parts, and all are embedded here, along with a brief article about the episode. Enjoy!

Vegetarians Don't all Care About Animals (really)

2010-01-15T11:51:00.006-06:00

Vegetarians are all vegetarians because we think animals have feelings and souls, right?

Fellow veggies, you know what I'm talking about. The people who think we're overly-sensitive or just plain crazy animal-worshipers. The people who think we don't eat animals because we don't want to "hurt their feelings" or something. But this is such a misconception.

I became a vegetarian in gradual steps, and it wasn't until I was living a fully meat-less diet that I became an animal rights activist. For me, it all started in my junior high cafeteria when I bit into one fateful hamburger, so undercooked and thoroughly disgusting that I swore to never eat a burger again. It was kind of a joke, but things snowballed from there as I began to question why I ate any meat in the first place. My research showed me disgusting factory farms, horrifying abuse of both employees and animals, health hazards, and more unpalatable truths.

I love animals and always have, yes, but I am also, like most vegetarians, a naturalist: I do believe humans are naturally omnivores, and I do not challenge that. But I also believe in natural meat. Free-range cattle, chickens that get to see the light of day in their lives, turkeys that can actually walk and reproduce on their own, etc. The fact is, the meat people are eating today is nowhere near natural, unless you're lucky enough to raise your own or have access to organic meat. The stuff in the grocery stores is pumped full of antibiotics, raised in artificial conditions, and fattened up on an unnatural diet. You are what you eat, so a cow raised only on corn is... corn... and that just ain't right. Cows get plenty fat on a grass diet; that's what is so great about them. Plus, their meat is healthier, and, most would agree, tastier.

Another reason a lot of us don't eat meat is the environment. The way the majority of meat in the US is "farmed" today is unsustainable and destructive. Chemical run-off ends up in water supplies. Shipping meat over 1,000 miles to get it to consumers is just ridiculous. Huge factories are used to raise, slaughter, and package... And most Americans eat way more meat than they should, which just magnifies this whole problem.

People also have health reasons for abstaining from an omnivore's diet. Some people just do it to challenge their self-motivation. For many, it's actually about human rights: to safe, fair working conditions and healthy food. For others, it's about cutting off the big companies and supporting the little men. Whatever the reason, we are not all just in this because we think piggies should be hugged.

A lot of people say they could never go veggie, meat is just too tasty. A lot of people think vegetarians are sissies. But if meat is so tasty, and we're resisting it in order to stand up for our beliefs, we're not really the sissies, are we?

In Defense of Cows

2010-01-11T12:00:00.002-06:00

"If these organic farm animals have such great lives, isn't the more humane thing to eat a cage-raised, industrially processed chicken? At least we'd be putting it out of its misery." -Jennie Yabroff.

When I read this, printed in Newsweek (01/11), I just stared at it with my head cocked to one side for a few seconds. Is she serious? Did she seriously write that? Why yes, yes she did. Yabroff also wrote, "While it's true that sustainably raised, grass-fed beef may be better for the consumer, it's hard to argue that it's ultimately better for the cow... No matter how 'lovingly' the cow was raised... he gave up that life to become dinner."

Miss Yabroff, we are all going to die, and we are all, in a way, going to end up as dinner. Cows get eaten by humans; humans get digested by the soil in which we're buried. Or we get consumed by fire, if so we choose. So, since cows die and apparently therefore deserve horrific lives, well then, we should lead horrible lives, too. So that we're all longing for the end.

This is dangerous thinking. This idea that a living thing should be abused because it is supposed to die is dangerously, dangerously misguided. If we really define life by death, then we've got a big, big problem.

No butts about it, Molly the cow supports organic farms.

Newsflash: Blowing Up Mountains, Harms Mountains.

2010-01-09T11:00:00.000-06:00

Scientists recently, in the face of "differing opinions," made a profound discovery: Blowing up mountains, harms mountains.

This is Earth shattering stuff, people. I mean, wow. Almost as earth shattering as dragging giant industrial equipment into North America's oldest mountains, clear-cutting forests boasting rich biodiversity, blasting millions of tons off the tops of the mountains, dumping the waste into formerly pure streams, and then driving the coal out on enormous trucks.

Well, thankfully, some scientists have finally finished their research, "Mountaintop Mining Consequences," published in the journal, Science, and now they're ready to tell us this is bad. Really bad. Needs-to-stop-now-bad, they're saying. 'Cuz it's not just terrible for the environment and the communities of Appalachia, but also for human health. It's great that scientists are trying to persuade the government to put a halt to mountaintop removal... I don't take it for granite (pun intended, sorry). But it is a little silly that we rely on scientists in order to acknowledge the obvious...

Who would've thought that forcing people and animals from their homes, cutting down forests that help off-set carbon emissions, destroying entire ecosystems, and dumping toxins and chemicals into water supplies would be bad? Well, apparently the EPA doesn't see much wrong with this. Since, you know, they've got rules and regulations in place to... uh... hm.

Enough with the sarcasm. Let me tell you, seriously, about mountaintop removal. Whenever I bring this up, I get quite the shout out of people. They just don't believe me. Why would anyone believe the US government would support blasting the living daylights out of some lovely ecosystems? Well...

Mountaintop removal is a surface method of mining, wherein explosives are used to blast up to 400 vertical feet off the tops of mountains in order to reach the coal within. The extra rubble is then dumped into what they call "valley fills," or just land that was unfortunate enough to be chosen as a dumping ground. Any streams in the valley fills are filled with rubble.

This practice began in the 1960's, and petroleum crises since then have created further incentives for American-based fuel. Today, in West Virginia and Kentucky, over 2,000 metric tons of explosives are used per day for surface mining. By 2012, the EPA estimates that 2,200 sq. miles of Applachian forests will be cleared.

Apparently, it's fine to do this, because after coal companies have finished blasting everything to bits, excavating all the coal and chugging it out on vehicles (that ironically are probably not powered by coal), they cover the newly flattened landscape in some soil, a bit of grass seed here and there, some "mulch" (newspaper), and then let the former inhabitants have a go with it. Sometimes, they even plant a few trees. How thoughtful. Other times? The land is used for "economic development."

Federal courts have ruled, a total of four times, that the US Army Corps of Engineers has violated the Clean Water Act through MTR. Energy companies are allowed to continue mining, however, because in 2007 a judge ruled that "most of the substantial harm has already occurred." So they can have their cake, and eat it, too. The Bush administration helped a lot, by saying it was OK to place "mining waste" directly in headwater (source) waterways. So it's OK to place stuff like sulfur compounds, which are corrosive and a known health hazard, in people's drinking water. Thanks, Bush! I love health hazards in my drinking water, it makes me feel rugged.

Mountaintop removal may have eliminated some worker danger, but it has increased hazards for civilians, destroyed entire ecosystems, ruined families' homes and landscapes... Coal may help power North America, but at what cost? Clean coal is the biggest oxymoron. We know better. Coal is dirty. Coal is costing America too much.

Power Past Coal

I Love Mountains

Beehive Collective's True Coast of Coal Blog

2010: Will Real Food Start a Comeback?

2010-01-07T18:27:00.007-06:00

Activism is, historically, a progressive, living, breathing part of society. It grows and evolves side-by-side with humanity. The masses reject one thing, and society moves forward. Then, with their newly, more open boundaries, they tackle the next issue. Americans fought to de-segregate society, allow interracial marriages, and now, we are fighting for gay marriage, for example. It's a chain reaction.

But where does food activism fit in for our society? It's not a natural progression of our activism, because it's actually a rejection of what we formerly considered "progress." This is something new. How often have we seen people really rise up against a nation's progress? There weren't mass movements against electricity, cars, microwaves, or laptops. And food has become a similar luxury item, pushed forward by factories. But suddenly people are making the connection between rising health problems and food's "progress," and they're rejecting this notion of advancement.

I can connect the dots for how I personally ended up here. I started off as an animal-rights activist when I became a vegetarian at twelve, stood up to my high school at fourteen by refusing to support the factory-farmed pigs they used for dissection, and eventually became the co-president of my school's Animal Protection Club. The environment slipped into my consciousness somewhere along the road, and I began my quest to become a more self-sufficient person. That, plus my love for cooking, is what drew me to organic farming. And, well, once you're pursuing organic farming, it's pretty hard not to become a food activist.

But for the rest of America, where does this fit in? How educated are most people about these issues? Most of my friends have no idea that the majority of their food isn't food, but "food-like substances." I myself wasn't fully aware of the situation until I read Michael Pollan's books. Movies like King Corn and Food, Inc also helped to inspire and inform me. But the majority of citizens have not yet even heard of many of the authors and films behind this movement.

In 2010, this may change. Check out The Green Fork's post, "2010: The Year Real Food Makes a Comeback?". We're seeing these issues mentioned far more often, people are buying tickets to films like Fresh and Food, Inc and copies of Pollan's books. The public is slowly becoming more informed. So maybe, just maybe, this new decade will mark a turning point for the proverbial American melting pot: instead of chemical flavors, perhaps we will begin to add real food, from real farms, nourished by real soil.

"Whatever lofty things you might accomplish today, you will do them only because you first ate something that grew out of dirt" -Barbara Kingsolver

10 Thoughts of a Foodie for 2010

2009-12-25T21:03:00.005-06:00

1. Forget buying powdered hot cocoa mixes... Make hot chocolate with real, pure chocolate! Use chocolate chips, shavings, or break up your favorite bars. It doesn't work with water, but if you drink milk (even soy)-- it tastes a million times better than the powder!!

2. For home-made mac & cheese or pizza, use more than one type of (whole!) cheese. It helps keep home-made more appealing because the taste is richer and more dynamic. Mozzarella and sharp cheddar is a particularly tasty combo...

3. Use ginger for motion sickness or an upset stomach. The real roots, tea, lollipops, tablets, etc.

4. Eat protein and/or dark greens with starchy or carby meals... Your stomach will thank you!!!

5. Make your own applesauce. 6 medium-large apples makes a decently sized batch. Just peel & core the apples, boil water on the stove, add apples, heat until soft, then drain water. Mash the apples in a bowl with a potato-masher. Add brown sugar, honey, agave nectar, cinnamon, nutmeg, or whatever else you please. Experiment with adding other fruits, like raspberries. It's delicious, and it will have only what YOU want in it!

6. A lot of maple syrup in grocery stores today isn't actually maple syrup. It's "maple-flavored," if you look closely-- aka maple flavored corn syrup. Eew. And real maple syrup is prettttty expensive. An alternative? Mix pure or natural maple extract with agave nectar (or honey) to taste. Mmm...

7. Free-range eggs have 3-6 times more vitamin D than "conventional" eggs. Vitamin D deficiency is becoming a huge problem in this country, so providing the extra buck for these eggs is well worth it... They also have less cholesterol & saturated fat, but more Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and beta carotene than other eggs.

8. Make your own juice! Most people I know aren't too happy with store-bought juice. Too sweet, too watery, ingredients we'd rather not ingest, etc. Making your own is cheap and easy! Plus, you control how it tastes. Juice lemons, limes, oranges, etc... and just add sugar, honey, agave, or other sweeteners till you're content.

9. Ok, so this isn't about the food you eat, but your leftovers or scraps... COMPOST. The average American produces about 4-5 lbs of waste a day-- why not put some of that to good use? Your apple core, bread crust, and old pasta won't do any good stuck in a landfill, where they don't decompose properly or put nutrients back into the soil. So why not let them do some good for your yard, garden, or potted plants?

10. Try only conducting your grocery store shopping on the outer aisles. The processed foods tend to be in the middle of the stores, so if you start at the outer stands, you'll find fresh broccoli... instead of frozen "cheese" covered broccoli.

Happy New Year!

Holiday Idealism

2009-12-23T10:30:00.002-06:00

With Christmas in the next few days, a good portion of the world is adorned with messages of cheer, hope, peace, and goodwill.

Aside from the irony in the way these messages are displayed, their intentions are honorable and I do appreciate a time of year when so many people think of family meals, sharing, and spreading happiness. And all this cheer got me thinking of something: the difference between an optimist and an idealist.

A lot of times, when I go off ranting about child labor or toxic chemicals in our food or the plight of US farmers, people tell me I'm too idealistic. Like it's a bad thing. Like hoping for a better future is just silly and not worth anyone's time. But idealism spreads hope and plants the seeds for change. Without idealists, most possibilities would never become realities.

Before the civil rights movement, how many people do you think were called idealists, and told to forget about it? Before the women's rights movement, before the gay rights fight began...

The difference, as I see it, between an optimist and an idealist is this. An optimist, when presented with the 50+ ingredients* in their strawberry flavored milkshake, shrugs it off and just decides everything will be ok, they probably won't ever be harmed by these toxins, anyways. An idealist turns down the milkshake, possibly in favor of something organic, and thinks, maybe we can change this. Maybe someday people will consume less chemicals, and we'll support real farmers who grow real, healthy food.

So this holiday season, let's support idealists. People who not only dream of peace and happiness, but work towards making them a reality.

Click here to see the original photo.

* Typical strawberry flavoring ingredients: Amyl acetate, amyl butyrate, amyl valerate, anethol, anisyl formate, benzyl acetate, benzyl isobutyrate, butyric acid, cinnamyl isobutyrate, cinnamyl valerate, cognac essential oil, diacetyl, dipropyl ketone, ethyl acetate, ethyl amyl ketone, ethyl butyrate, ethyl cinnamate, ethyl heptanoate, ethyl heptylate, ethyl lactate, ethyl methylphenylglycidate, ethyl nitrate, ethyl propionate, ethyl valerate, heliotropin, hydroxyphenyl-2-butanone (10 percent solution in alcohol), a-ionone, isobutyl anthranilate, isobutyl butyrate, lemon essential oil, maltol, 4-methylacetophenone, methyl anthranilate, methyl benzoate, methyl cinnamate, methyl heptine carbonate, methyl naphthyl ketone, methyl salicylate, mint essential oil, neroli essential oil, nerolin, neryl isobutyrate, orris butter, phenethyl alcohol, rose, rum ether, g-undecalactone, vanillin, and solvent

The Story Of Stuff

2009-12-17T14:16:00.003-06:00

The Story of Stuff pretty much sums up how I feel about, well... stuff. Watch it and find out!

This is especially important right around the holidays. I could go on and on, but Annie Leonard's brilliant video speaks for itself!

So please take 20 minutes out of your day to think and learn about the extraction, production, distribution, consumption, and disposal of your stuff.

Recycling your Brita Filters

2009-12-16T12:04:00.003-06:00

I just spent the weekend with a friend in her college dorm, and saw so many students using Brita water filters... since dorm water isn't normally too tasty. And it reminded me: Brita filters ARE recyclable! So, if you're a filter-user, here are some ways to recycle.

Preserve is virtually the leading producer of 100% recycled consumer goods. They have teamed up with Brita to create a great recycling program, Preserve Gimmie 5 . Brtita filters are #5 plastic, which is common, yet not recycled everywhere. Sadly, if you just throw #5 into your home bin, there's a good chance your community won't be able to recycle it. Check for participating Gimmie 5 locations near you, or just mail your filters in (instructions for both US & Canada).

Preserve accepts all clean #5 plastics, like Stonyfield yogurt cups or hummus containers. Any Preserve products you may own, like their toothbrushes, are also re-recyclable.

To top it off, everything is BPA- and animal-testing- free and made in the USA!

Let's Talk About the Weather

2009-12-09T11:11:00.000-06:00

When we open old English literature novels, such as those by Jane Austen, we find characters enduring fairly bland conversations about the weather. And we're all familiar with the old idea that to talk about the weather is to maintain polite conversation.

So does anyone else find it funny that this has changed? The weather is no longer boring, and it has become a controversial topic, rather than a cornerstone of unoffensive conversation.

With the Climate Change Conference going on in Copenhagen this week and the next, the weather is suddenly all we're talking about. Democracy Now! is providing interesting daily coverage live from the conference. Check out their website to learn more. I particularly recommend their fascinating interviews with environmental refugees-- people who are native to countries where climate change is so real that it is a daily threat to their survival.

I was impressed by Mohamed Axam Maumoon, a 15-year old from the Maldives. Watch the interview to learn about Mohamed's inspiration, as well as the all-too real impact climate change has had on his homeland.

Democracy Now!'s segement, Voices from Africa, features poignant commentary from natives of Malawi, Swaziland, Kenya, and more.

Sarah James, a leading indigenous activist from the Alaskan Arctic, talks in this interview about the impact environmental change has had not only on her life, but on the sacred culture of the Gwich'in people.

Hibernation and... Chickens.

2009-12-08T21:37:00.004-06:00

Hello all! Sorry for my week-long absence... I have been a bit busy I due to the fact that I uprooted myself from Chicago to Boston, but I confess: I have also slipped into hibernation-mode. I seem to have developed a profound ability to curl up and fall soundly asleep anywhere, anytime. This greatly amuses Adam, who will be chatting with me one minute, only to find me asleep the next.

My hibernation instincts awoke (that's ironic) when the first snow fell. Which got me thinking about... no, not bears curled up in their winter caves... but chickens!

Chickens don't really lay eggs in the winter. Light triggers egg laying, and during the winter the reduction in natural light causes hens to almost entirely cease laying. If you're eating eggs (from light-reduced regions) in the winter, the chickens are being forced to lay due to artificial indoor lighting.

The hens don't get to enjoy nature's pre-planned vacation. I personally feel that if nature intended for the hens to take a rest, then I'm not the one to mess with it. It's also more environmentally friendly not to run artificial lights all winter long. Plus, as a woman, I am particularly sympathetic to the idea of... laying an egg... every day. I'm not sure what the human equivalent would be, but no matter, I still sympathize.

At least those lucky ladies at Antiquity Oaks get to hibernate like me in the winter!

Consumer Reports Warns Against Chicken

2009-12-01T12:27:00.005-06:00

I was pleasantly surprised this morning to see an article titled Lax Rules, Risky Food in Consumer Reports.

CR's recent tests found that an alarming 66% of grocery store chicken meat is contaminated. "The Department of Agriculture has been pondering new standards to cut the prevalence of certain bacteria in chicken for at least 10 years," the article states, "but has yet to act." Over 3.4 million Americans get sick from contaminated chicken every year. The Department of Agriculture and the USDA still don't act, in spite of the fact that we have a clear example of practices that reduce-- or altogether eliminate-- contamination: in CR's tests, "store-brand organic chicken had no salmonella contamination at all."

The USDA has no regulations for campylobacter, which sickens an estimated 2 million people a year in the US. Contamination is more likely to happen in the giant ware-house style "chicken coops" used by the large-scale farmers who provide grocery and restaurant chicken. To combat the problems of cramped, filthy quarters, they pump the animals with antibiotics. But CR is quick to point out that these antibiotics are misused or unnecessary: "a high percentage of bacteria in our tested chicken were resistant to one or more antibiotics." Yet the Union of Concerned Scientists still estimates that 70 percent of antibiotics given in the US are used to "pump up animals," not to treat existing illnesses or infections. Consumers Union urges Congress to pass legislation to end this unsafe practice.

Stricter regulations would make our food safer, treat animals better, and reduce chemical waste production. Safe food does exist. We just need to care for the plants and animals in the right way.

101 Reasons To Buy Handmade

2009-11-30T17:25:00.008-06:00

Check out 101 Reasons to Buy Handmade.

Shopping is going to be a bit different for all of us this holiday season, due to the bad economy. A great way to handle the challenges you may be facing is to buy local & handmade. Directly supporting artists, your neighborhood, and your neighbors is a gift in itself.

Department stores are cheaper... but that's just it: they're cheaper. Sometimes less is more. To be perfectly honest? Almost everyone I know would greatly prefer a small hand-made item to a pile of things yanked off the clearance rack at the last minute.

Here are a few of my favorite reasons from Poppytalk's list:

4. purchase from artisans/craftspeople who ENJOY creating their wares.

17. Giving handmade is truly the essence of gift-giving. When you give a friend or loved one a gift, you are really saying "I care about you." A handmade gift conveys so much more than something pulled off the end-cap display of a mega store. Of course there are the obvious economic benefits of supporting independent makers and artists, but buying and giving handmade is, at heart, a loving act.

21. Many items are much more environmentally friendly since there is no use of large manufacturing machines, chemicals, labor (some of it probably illegal) and waste.

44. Because normally, buying handmade does not require fighting for a parking space, having your ears pierced by blaring holiday music, walking around in a daze under flourescent lights, fighting to push a shopping cart with one bad wheel, or having a cashier you don't know ask for your phone numb

er and zip code.

55. No human explotaition.

>>Hand-made jewelry tree. $22

http://www.etsy.com/shop/RedBarkDesigns

>>Hand-made string-lights, featuring real petals. $15.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/myangelshop

Woolly This, Woolly That.

2009-11-28T12:13:00.010-06:00

I have been in a knitting frenzy ever since I came home from Antiquity Oaks. In January, I started my first knitting project: a giant, multi-colored scarf. Well, I had no idea what I was doing, so in my fervor of "oh my goodness I finally figured out how to knit!!!", I cast on something like 180 stitches and then started... only to realize how insane this was after getting far enough into it that I was too stubborn to rip it out. Well, in the meantime, I started knitting many other, more reasonable projects, and just picked up this shawl every now and then. But I FINALLY sat down & finished it this week! I am very excited.

I also knitted the yarn I spun, courtesy of McFee the sheep, at Antiquity into a lovely white, lumpy bumpy scarf.

I'm currently working on knitting a gift for someone special. Shhh! It's a scarf with vertical stripes. I'm using 5 types of yarn: 4 are 100% wool from either Ireland or Scotland, and 1 is 100% organic cotton from the US.

And this brings me to my sheepish complaint. Has anyone else noticed how extraordinarily difficult it has become to find 100% wool products?! Whether looking for yarn, sweaters, pea coats, hats, whatever, it's a big struggle. They keep sneaking synthetic fibers into the real thing! I wandered around a bit on Black Friday out of curiosity. Some of the only 100% wool sweaters were at upscale retailers, and of course those were super expensive. Almost everything else was a blend of wool and acrylic, or something along those lines.

It's sad. I adore my wool, but you certainly won't see me paying $150 for a sweater! Still, there are ways to afford it. I just ordered a well-priced vintage wool sweater from etsy and in October I found a second-hand 100% wool pea coat at Crossroads for under $40!

I realize some people don't know what the big deal about wool is, and I also did not fully appreciate it until I worked as a professional sailor. I would be shivering up on deck in a squall, despite my big bulky bundle of synthetic sweaters, jackets, and rain coats. Somehow, I still managed to get wet. And other crew would be up working with me, moving with ease, wearing just a wool coat. I thought they were insane. Then I realized, I was insane. Wool is warm. Period. It stays warm even when it gets soaked. And it takes a lot for it to get soaked.

Wool is nature's fine-tuned raincoat. Even when it pours and snows, sheep never complain. But they probably snigger at the people they see, covered in layers of plastic-this, synthetic-that, moaning and groaning at the cold...

Harvest Day

2009-11-26T12:50:00.002-06:00

Happy Harvest Day! Why am I calling it Harvest Day? Because it's a celebration of food. Of delicious, real, old-fashioned food and a real, family meal. Of slow food. Of pumpkins and cranberries and home-made treats. A time when people appreciate the tastes of the land and take time to make a good, whole meal. It's not just about giving thanks; it's about savoring a beautiful harvest at a season's end.

Everything on my family's Thanksgiving day table will be home made, except for our splurge, an assortment of organic cheeses & crackers. :) We got creative this year: a lot of our food will also be functional. Like the edible bread basket and the pumpkin bowls.

I am also proud, and thankful, that my family has a Heritage turkey from Antiquity Oaks, the farm where I interned. I don't eat meat, but it means a lot to me that my loved ones are able to enjoy a real turkey that was cared for & raised by people we personally know and trust!

And please keep Buy Nothing Day in mind tomorrow. If Black Friday shopping beckons you and you cannot refuse the call, please think as you're shopping. Ask yourself where your items came from and what their environmental footprint could be, ask yourself if they were made by child labor and if you want to show the "Holiday Spirit" by supporting child labor, ask yourself if it's worth it, and always support local businesses when possible.

Before you think about everything you want, remember what you have. Remember what you are thankful for.

Ram Wrangling

2009-11-23T11:38:00.009-06:00

Sometimes, you just grab life by the horns!

Or... you just grab a ram by the horns! Same difference.

Those tricksy rams broke out of their pasture and straight into the ewes' last week. Fencing is like the sheep form of protection, and we farmers are like a Planned Parenthood. We gotta help these kids out, or they'll make mistakes, like lots of unwanted pregnancies and little lambs with with mystery daddies. Due to the busted fence, we were forced to relocate the three rascally rams to a safe, distant location where lady sheep only exist in dreams. Aka the other side of the farm, where multiple gates, fences, and even a barn, will stand between the star-crossed lovers.

But how to do this?

Well, it wasn't easy. It involved lots of running on Michael & Jonathan's part, lots of laughing on my part, and lots of sheep hurtling around like wooly bullets. They may have short legs, but man, those things are fast! There were many close calls, like when Jonathan managed to grab just this much of one ram:

Thankfully, sheep respond to fear by going limp and playing dead. So once they're caught, they're mostly docile. It's a bit hard to maneuver a 60-70 pound ram that's floppy & unresponsive over a fence, into the bed of a pickup truck, out of the truck, and over another fence... but we made do!

The poor guys. They were holding so still, but when you looked in their eyes, they looked so incredibly terrified. We were all relieved when we dropped them off in their new pasture together and they relaxed again. I'm sure they're devastated to be so far from the ladies, but they'll all get their own breeding groups soon enough!

For You Water-Saving Die-Hards... :]

2009-11-21T10:28:00.002-06:00

Learn Something Every Day

Winter Frosts & Costs

2009-11-19T09:47:00.003-06:00

Who wants to get hypothermia in their own house? I personally find that a distinctly unsavory idea. When the thermostat drops outside, our electricity bills go up. Most people advise you to keep your heating down, and it's a great energy- and dollar-saving measure, but that can only go so far before it gets too ridiculous. Like when icicles form on your hair when you step out of the shower. In your own bathroom.

So here are three small ways to reduce your energy bills, without threatening your personal health:

1. The vast majority of the energy you pay for... is actually energy loss. That's shocking, more so because one of the biggest causes of this issue is probably not what you expect: leaving your plugs in outlets. Even when your cellphone charger, for example, isn't charging your phone, it is still consuming energy if left plugged in. When the appliances your power adapters are connected to are turned off, they can still consume just as much energy as if the appliances were on.

The solution is simple: just unplug your appliances when not in use. I know, I know, it's annoying to turn off the TV, unplug it, come back in to watch, plug it in... But seriously: It's a minor inconvenience that will save you money... and CO2 emissions.

2. Converting at least half of the light bulbs in your home to compact flourescents can save you up to 36% in CO2 emissions... aka more money and energy than you may expect. (And please, don't leave lights on when not in use-- what a silly way to spend your money.)

3. Don't leave your refrigerator or freezer open! Minimize the amount you open oven doors while the appliance is on. Every time you open those doors more than briefly, the temperature inside changes just enough that the appliance automatically uses more energy to make up for it. Decide what you want before you open the door, check to make sure the doors seal shut properly, and use the oven light when possible.

A Classic Jinx

2009-11-17T10:10:00.014-06:00

On Saturday morning, I called Midknight the calmest horse ever. And on Sunday? Well, I realized I totally jinxed it.

Katherine and I decided to embrace a bright, sunny, and fairly warm November day by taking pictures with Midknight and going for a ride. We got some great pictures indeed:

But then, after struggling to get the chubby Sir Midknight to even walk... well, he took poor Katherine for quite the wild ride! It ended rather suddenly, when Midknight skidded to a halt just before hitting a fence. Thankfully, after her unexpected and speedy meeting with the ground, Katherine is sore, but OK. It was definitely a shocking performance on Midknight's part.

After this, I worked with Midknight, got him to calm down, and climbed back in the saddle. Never let a horse think he wins by throwing his rider off. Everything was going well, he was moving at a good pace, listening to my commands, when I heard a strange noise to my left. I turned and saw an angry cow charging down the hill straight for the horse and me.

Not wanting to be in the saddle while horse and cow faced off, or cow chased horse, I immediately did a surprisingly successful flying dismount (jumping off while the horse is still moving). I planted myself between Molly and Midknight. To my relief, Molly slowed down. But she and Midknight pawed hooves, lowered heads, and snorted at each other for a few tense moments. It was then that I became really, truly glad that Molly doesn't have horns!!

Sadly UnSikly!

2009-11-14T23:48:00.007-06:00

On Nov. 2nd, MarketWatch reported that Dean Foods posted an increase in its third-quarter profits of 32%. Dean is the largest supplier of milk in the United States. Way to go, Dean!

But you want to know what's NOT the way to go, Dean? Buying Silk organic soymilk, switching to cheaper, inorganic ingredients, slyly replacing the word "organic" with "natural" on the exact same packaging as before, charging almost exactly the same price, and keeping the newly inorganic product's barcode the same as the organic product's.

Changing to inorganic beans saved Dean 34-42%... and cost the unknowing consumer 34-42% more than it should have. And what does "all natural" mean anyways? Well, yeah, a soybean is all natural-- it sprouts up out of the dirt. But arsenic is natural, too! And we know that's not good for us. Organic is clear: it cannot be genetically modified, pesticides are not allowed, no artificial additives or flavors, etc. But the term "all natural," in contrast, is terribly fuzzy.

Dean made this change about a year ago, but most people never found out because they kept their switcheroo pretty quiet. "Grocers are irked that they weren't notified about the reformulation of the product," writes Tribune reported Julie Deardoff.

Target may or may not have noticed the sly switch-over; regardless, they continued to advertise Silk as organic, and are now undergoing a lawsuit for a "willful violation" of organic certification processes. (AP) Many other companies, including Whole Foods, continued to advertise the product as organic long after the switch. Dean claims they notified carriers, but something seems fishy.

Be careful when you buy "all natural" products. The market is still developing its definition of these foods and what makes them natural vs. organic. So read ingredient labels; don't just trust the way the product is marketed.

Food for thought: If you don't recognize the ingredients as food, maybe you shouldn't be eating them. . .

The Truth About Asparagus

2009-11-13T13:53:00.006-06:00

When I finished my 9 month sailing contract, not only was I free to wander the land as I pleased, but also the grocery store aisles. Free to pick my own food and cook it as I desire. Upon my first visit to an organic grocery in Chicago, I headed eagerly for the beautiful bunches of green, sumptuous asparagus... The first displayed veggies read "Peru," so I, a local-foodivore, checked the other three varieties available, and was shocked to discover they were all from South America!

I've done some research since then, and as it turns out, we all have a lot to learn about asparagus.

The US government had the clever plan of helping Peru many years ago by paying them to grow asparagus. Good idea, right? A developing country makes money, we support their agricultural growth, and we get delicious greens out of it, too! Well, it worked, but perhaps not for the best: Peru is officially the world's top asparagus producer... and the US is the world's top asparagus importer.

Essentially, we paid Peru to put our own farmers (as well as other countries') out of business. And, though we can all put on our rose colored glasses and conjure up dreamy images of Farmer Pablo y su familia feliz, the truth is... we're supporting Mr. CEO y su mansion grande. Juan makes maybe $6 USD a day, compared to the CEO of Dole, who is worth $1.4 billion. Because Pablo is so far away, he's sadly not the primary beneficiary of our dollars. That money goes to shipping companies, the oil companies that fuel them, the brokers who manage them, and the marketers who sell them.

This problem is growing. You may as well wheel your refrigerator up to the Exxon station every week and pump it full of gasoline. Alone, this world re-shuffling of food is leading Americans to consume at least 400 gallons of oil a year, per citizen. Maybe we should also get frequent flyer miles for our dinners, since each food item in an average US meal has traveled about 1,500 miles before landing on our plates.

But the best part? There is a solution: "If every US citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we would reduce our country's oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week" (Hopp). Not to mention, developing countries would get to keep their own food, instead of sending it to us. Fancy that!

Local food is just better. Supporting your local farmers is much more beneficial than supporting Big Oil, Big CEO, Big Government, and sending Small Pennies to the real farmers. Plus, it's fresher and tastier!

(I won't even get into the fact that the asparagus season is incredibly short, yet we eat it all year round... that discussion is for another time.) Your mission until then: Eat Local!

Sources:

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and Seven L. Hopp

"World Asparagus Situation & Outlook" United States Department of Agriculture

From the Horse's Mouth

2009-11-12T22:47:00.004-06:00

Midnight & Merlot enjoying an afternoon siesta.

Home Made Chevre

2009-11-10T12:09:00.006-06:00

How to Make Your Own Chevre

Ingredients:

1 gallon pasteurized goat's milk
1 packet culture/rennet
Extra flavors like chili powder, dill & garlic, etc, if desired.

Directions:

Heat 1 gal. pasteurized milk to 86°F
Add 1 packet and mix in.
Let set at room temperature undisturbed for 10 hours, or until thickened (like yogurt). How do you tell? When you can run a knife through it and it comes out clean, leaving a clear, defined mark in the cheese.
Ladle curd gently into molds (or a similar, appropriate colander). Let dry for 6-12 hours, unrefrigerated. If you want extra flavors, add them in layers as you ladle the cheese into the molds. Use as much or as little as you'd like.

And there you have it: delicious, soft French goat cheese!

For more cooking ideas,

check out Food Renegade's

Fight Back Fridays!

=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=

I got this chevre photo,

a great example of how creative

you can get with this soft cheese,

at www.henwaller.com

And the Cow Jumped Over the Moon

2009-11-08T23:04:00.003-06:00

An escaped cow, speed-fencing, the gorilla method, and ramming rams. That pretty much sums up my day!

This morning, while eating breakfast, we heard one of the cows mooing in distress. Bridget has been very vocal the past few days (aka she's been in heat), so we figured it was just her, moaning about being single, like ladies do. But at breakfast, Deobrah was concerned that the mooing sounded like it was coming from near the chicken shed, which is outside the cows' pasture. The rest of us convinced her that couldn't be the case...

Well, surprise surprise! Deborah was right. Katherine and I went out and saw Molly behind the chicken shed. Not a really big deal, right? Wrong again!

Molly fled across the river. Mike, Deborah, Margaret, and I went over to try to bring her back. I helped keep Midnight, who was surprisingly distraught over the cow in his pasture, out of the way. It took a long while to get Molly; she is a fiery Irish redhead, after all! We tried using treats, her halter, and herding her, but nothing worked......until Deborah turned her back on Molly and we all stopped watching. Once Molly thought we didn't want her to follow us, of course she did! We got her returned safe and sound to her pasture buddy, Bridget, and hope she'll stay put now!

=-=-=-=

Later in the day, Mike and I ended up speed-fencing. Speed fencing should be a new sport: it takes true talent. We were fencing off a new area for the dairy goats to graze, when they got free of Deborah & Margaret and started racing towards us-- good inspiration to fence like pros! As we fenced, I scared the goats back by using the tried and true gorilla method. It's the only thing that scares goats, when you run at them waving your arms like King Kong.

Trust me.

=-=-=-=

Last, but not least: The Ramming Rams. Katherine and I were outside in the front yard when we heard an extremely loud and equally strange groan. I looked over to see Jonathan sprinting through the rams' pasture, fleeing a wooly blur that just happened to have big horns. He leaped the fence as I cried "Run Jonathan! Ruuuuuun!"

The Lovely Miss Pearl

2009-11-07T23:31:00.010-06:00

Hello, my name is Pearl. Apparently, I am a Nigerian goat, though I truly believe I am human. I was born prematurely and had to be raised in the house by the family, so I've been bottle-fed for all 3 or 4 months of my life... Me? Goat? No way!!

I mean, just look at me:

I know how to use the dishwasher.

I help plant tulip bulbs.

I kiss my mommy hello.

And I use (and re-use!) plastic bags!

Everybody loves me because I'm absolutely adorable. Today, my last baby goat buddies went to their new home, so I'm the only baby on the farm now. I tried to join the goat herd today, with all the grown-ups, but I'm not ready yet...

I'm just still waiting for those silly humans to realize I'm one of them!

Making Mozzarella From Scratch

2009-11-04T20:18:00.014-06:00

Home-Made Mozzarella

Ingredients:

1 gallon goat milk (Note: we use fresh, organic milk from the dairy goats here at the farm. You can use cow's milk, but whatever you use it needs to be WHOLE and unpasteurized... or at the very least not ultra-pasteurized.)
1/2 tablespoon citric acid
1/4 cup water
10 drops double-strength vegetable rennet (OR 20 drops regular strength rennet)*

Instructions:

-Heat the gallon of goat milk on the stove until it reaches 55° F. Mix 1/2 tbsp citric acid with 1/4 c water, and add to milk.

-Continue heating milk & citric acid mix until it reaches 88° F. Stir in 1/4 c water mixed with 10 drops vegetable rennet.

-Continue stirring until mixture reaches 100°-105° F and begins to thicken.

-Separate whey (liqiud) and curds (should look like cottage cheese). Remove the curds and

place in a separate bowl. Drain the whey out by kneading with a spoon or your hands (I'd recommend gloves). Tip: the more whey you remove from the cheese, the longer the cheese will last. Microwave the cheese for 1 minute, then continue draining whey, and then microwave in smaller increments as needed (ex: if there's still whey in it but it's loosing elasticity).

-Once the cheese is satisfyingly stretchy and as much of the whey is removed as possible, drop it into cold water until it becomes firm.

Viola! You have home made mozzarella!!

*Rennet is naturally found in the linings of dead calf and goat stomachs. I use vegetable rennet because I'm a vegetarian, and the two are interchangeable.

Tiny Streams are Terrifying & Fences are Merely Suggestions.

2009-11-03T15:21:00.012-06:00

Today I went out to work with Midnight and Merlot. Midnight is an Arabian-cross gelding, about 8 to 10 years old. Merlot is a beautiful white gelding, over 20 years old, and unfortunately has arthritis.

I wanted to see how Midnight was with a halter, since he hasn't been ridden in a while. Well, I got the halter on Midnight with absolutely no trouble and started leading him around the pasture to see how well he cooperated. He was an absolute angel, which was encouraging, so I decided to take him across the little creek that has formed due to recent rains.

He followed me sweetly as we headed to the stream-- and then stopped suddenly in his tracks. I turned around to find him quivering, a look of complete fear in his eyes. I tried to calm him and coax him forward... he took one step towards me, and then started sliding down the mud on the small bank! As he slid down with all four legs braced, he made the most ridiculous sound-- I wish I could describe it! It was utterly hilarious. This giant horse, afraid to cross a

couple feet of a stream about 6 inches deep!!

As I was dealing with Midnight, I turned around-- only to see the entire herd of goats on the other side of the stream had escaped! They saw me, seeing them, and froze. I turned to deal with Midnight for a minute, turned back around... and all the goats were innocently back in their pasture. Hmmmm... Tricky little guys!

Eventually, I convinced Midnight to cross the stream (with me holding him). We got to the other side and attempted to recover his dignity. I decided that was enough for one day, so I took off the halter and walked away to check the goats. I couldn't tell how they'd gotten out-- they must have jumped their fence-- but I did notice something funny. Midnight was standing at the edge of the water staring at me expectantly.

I went over to him and could easily tell he wasn't going to cross without me. I walked down closer to the water. He walked up to me but didn't go further. So I walked into the middle of the stream. He came up to me again, and at this point I realized he really wasn't going to cross without me. So I crossed all the way, he followed, and as soon as his feet were back on the soil, he bolted like no other, straight back to his pasture buddy Merlot. I was laughing so hard!

On the way back to the barn, I saw the llamas behaving quite ridiculously. I turned to the two Irish Dexter cows, Molly and Bridget, and jokingly said "Well they're silly aren't they?" Molly mooed in agreement.

Midnight waiting for me to cross the stream with him.

Molly & Bridget think the llamas are quite silly.

Milking Goats, Fording Streams, and Takin' Names.

2009-11-02T17:19:00.007-06:00

This morning I milked goats for the first time!

...wellllll, that's an over-statement: I tried to milk goats, is more accurate. It was surprisingly difficult for my fingers to coordinate themselves well enough in the chilly morning air. Katherine, who has been milking goats for years, made it look too easy! I, in contrast, was almost completely ineffective. I've milked a couple cows in the past, but found goats much more challenging, mostly because they're much smaller in size.

Later, Deborah showed me around the farm as we fed and checked in on the animals. To get to the back pastures, we found ourselves fording a flooded stream. How very rustic of us! I discovered my rain boots have a hole in them; that was delightful. Once we got out to the pastures, we played with a herd of Nigerian goats. These goats are small -- adults are 50-70 lbs-- very friendly, and very pretty. We also visited the two horses, Midnight and Merlot! It was so wonderful to be with horses again and I am particularly excited to work with these two. :D

After we made our way across the stream, back to the main farm pastures, we finished feeding the rest of the animals. At what should have been the end of our chores, Deborah turned around to look over the farm again. "Why are there goats all over that side of the creek?" She cried suddenly. We realized the entire herd had escaped!

We grabbed grain and minerals and headed back over to lure the goats home into their enclosure. It was pretty hilarious, making our way slowly and carefully across the freezing stream, grain balanced overhead, and my boots filling with water. As soon as we clambered up onto the other side, the goats and horses surrounded us and almost knocked me down into the mud.

Deborah made her way to the pasture in front of me, and the herd of goats completely surrounded her, bleating and jumping, as she walked with the feed held above her head. I ended up with the two horses desperately harassing me for the grain. We were some ridiculous Pied Pipers!

We got all the goats back safe and sound, and will definitely remember to lock the gate next time! It was a great first day. We also made mozzarella from scratch, so stay tuned for the recipe! :)

Baaaaa,

Sarah

Green Halloween!

2009-10-30T22:25:00.006-05:00

Halloween is enough to make any eco-friendly person scream! All the individually wrapped candies, plastic costumes, decorations, litter...

So if you haven't rocked the Green Halloween so far, you can at least consider washing away your sins in sustainable style. ;)

Instead of cotton pads or q-tips that you use once to remove makeup and then toss, just use a washcloth! Like these cute fall-themed organic wash cloths. Not only is it more efficient, but over time, it will also save you some money.

And organic soap is always a good call. Why clean your face with harsh chemicals?? Especially when you can use your brains.... and buy beautiful vegan soap!

Happy Halloween!!!

I'll be celebrating with a home made costume and seasonal, organic treats... And then heading off to the farm on Sunday!

-Sarah

Color Me Green

2009-10-28T22:56:00.009-05:00

My first post was about sheep poo... how baaaa-d of me! I forgot to introduce myself.

Well anyways. My name is Sarah and I am currently taking time off from university to explore the more natural, organic ways of life. And I really mean explore. I spent the last 9 months sailing around North America and Europe on an 18th-century replica wooden tall ship. From using sail power to making our own water, there are a lot of cool ways to find a greener lifestyle out on the deep blue. Though many current maritime practices are not environmentally friendly (think super heavy duty chemicals!), sailing on a tall ship opened my eyes to how little I need in life and the beauties of living with nature. I got to see the extraordinary glories of the Earth: dolphins playing in the phosphorescence, shooting stars, the Milky Way glimmering brightly in the night sky, endangered Leatherback sea turtles swimming by... I went snorkeling in Bermuda, hiked Connemarra's glorious valleys, and gazed upon the saffron cliffs of Southern Spain...

And so, with these memories and lessons still fresh in my mind, you could say I'm on a journey to discover how I can live and contribute to a more organic life. I've accumulated a broad range of knowledge and sources... and this is where I'll share them! Along with, of course, my own experiences. Next up? An apprenticeship on a small organic farm in central Illinois... :)

Color me green-

Sarah

Baa, Baa... Green Sheep?!

2009-10-28T00:40:00.005-05:00

In the spirit of not just being another sheep in the herd, why not reject established thinking and try something sustainable... and a bit wacky?

Like Sheep Poo Paper. That's right. Your eyes are not deceiving you. Check it out!

Conventional paper making uses incredible amounts of harsh chemicals and an unsustainable amount of... you guessed it... TREES! Now we love trees, right? Climbing them, resting in their shade, and of course hugging them! There's no sense in cutting them down and using exorbitant amounts of electricity, packaging, and scary chemicals to make them into paper-- when we can just use something we, well, don't really like: sheep poo.

It takes years and years and years for a tree to grow to her full, oxygen producing glory, and it damages ecosystems when we cut them down. Sheep poo is produced daily (ok hourly!) around the world and needs to be "disposed" of on most farms anyway.

check out how it's made and, of course, their products!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Baa, baa, green sheep, have you any wool?

Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full!

One for my master,

One for the dame,

And one for those who are organic and humane!