As we quickly approach Food Independence Day, I ask what you’ve considered about your own food consumption habits?

*I spent last weekend in lovely Manchester, TN at the Bonnaroo Festival. Bonnaroo does more than most festivals in trying to lessen its footprint, which got me thinking about what a little citizen action could do at ANY event!

1-Separate bins for trash, recycling, and compost throughout the grounds.
2- A person called a “trash talker” posted at trash stations to help tell you whether you needed to recycle, compost, or trash. (I do wish they’d been dressed like scarecrows so the pointing would’ve been more theatrical…)
3- Water refilling stations throughout the venue that encourage the use of reusable bottles.

How easy would it be to incorporate these small steps into any community festival or even outdoor concert facility? How can we make this happen? Public events are monsters for trash generation, and I would argue the implementation of the “trash talkers” made a significant difference in making sure disposables got placed in the right container… just some thoughts.

**Do you eat soy? (tofu, edamame, soy milk… chances are you eat soy whether you know it or not!)

Our pals at the Cornucopia Institute have provided this guide to help navigate which companies are giving you the goods, and which ones are giving you the runaround. (Personally, I love their use of the word “charlatans.” Grrrr!)

Soy Report and Scorecard

[while you're there I also recommend checking out the "Who Owns Organic?" chart... it will make you choke on your wheatgrass to see how the food system is structured!]

***Want something to look forward to on Mondays?

Sir Paul McCartney (my third fave Beatle) has announced his MEAT FREE MONDAY campaign– just one day a week can help reduce world carbon emissions, your own carbon footprint, and with the recipes provided on his website, your waistline, too!

MEAT FREE? PASS THE TWO VEG!

**** And if you’re just looking for some healthier substitutes in your regular diet, MomCentral compiled this list of easy substitutes that improve your nutrient intake… frequently with yummier substitutions. (Admittedly, I’m biased– most days I’m convinced I could live on sweet potatoes and avocados.)

Mom says eat right!

Be delicious!
BB

Yet another reason we should recycle everything we can, and find new ways to recycle what, right now, we can’t.  Maybe donate your old computers to schools or libraries or your less-fortunate neighbor, or a homeless shelter, or whatever!  Just keep it out of the landfill – and China!

Namaste,
A. Caleb Hartley

If you’ve ever had the pleasure </sarcasm> of dealing with gnats, here’s a great way to get them under control:

First, eliminate the source – any soft (meaning rotten) fruit or vegetables will spawn an infestation of gnats.  Check your trash, and get rid of anything that might remotely attract them.  Old fruit, spots of honey or balsamic vinegar, etc.  I would even get rid of any stale bread… anything that any bug might find appetizing.

Next, find a tall, narrow glass (something you might drink iced tea or milk out of).  Put a little cider vinegar in it (enough to cover the bottom of the glass to about 1/4 of an inch deep or so). 

Now, put a few drops of detergent in it (dish soap will work fine for this part). 

Stir it up, and set a funnel on the top of the glass, narrow part down inside the glass.

Gnats will be attracted to the cider vinegar, and will crawl down the funnel into the glass.  Once there, they are unable to get back out and will ultimately end up in the vinegar.  The detergent holds them there once they land, and they ultimately “drown” in the vinegar.

I was pretty skeptical about this solution initially, but I thought I’d try it. Other than a little bit of vinegar smell wafting through the room sometimes, I was pleasantly surprised at how well it worked!  We set it up, left the house for a little while (maybe 30 minutes or so), and when we came back, there were gnats all over the glass – on the inside!  At least 50 of them, with many already dead in the vinegar!

I highly suggest using this tactic – it’s much better than buying a can of (ineffective) chemicals and leaving a coating of poisonous residue all over your house!