Tag Archive for vegetables

You Don’t Need Worms for Success

SUNSHINE! Time to care for our traumatized yards. This year, grow vigorous plants without chemicals, prevent wind/water erosion, and use less water while decreasing the chance of plant-disease.  It’s easy.  Just start composting.

Hate worms?  No problem.  You don’t need the squiggly creatures, or even a container.  Start small, with a compost trench.  Rake those leaves into trenches between flower beds and forget them.  They’ll turn into mulch which you can spread around plants or mix into their soil. 

Compost pockets are easy, too.  They’re 18” deep holes into which you place scraps, like fruit, vegetables, and coffee grinds, then fill with dirt.  In a month, plant something there and watch it thrive. 

Consider this: by composting, most communities could reuse 50% of the waste they produce.  Give it a try and have some family fun.

How to Tell if that Organic is Worth It

Organic or not, always wash fruit and veggies before eating them. But first you have to buy them. There’s so much hype about how much healthier organics are.  Sometimes, though, paying for organic isn’t worth the money.

A rule of thumb is  whether or not the fruit or vegetable has a thick skin that chemicals can’t get through.  If so, call them the “Clean Ones.”  If not, call them the “Dirty Ones.”  Here’s a helpful list.

“Dirty Ones” (buy organic)

  1. Strawberries
  2. Spinach
  3. Nectarines
  4. Apples
  5. Peaches
  6. Pears
  7. Cherries
  8. Grapes
  9. Celery
  10. Tomatoes
  11. Sweet Bell Peppers
  12. Potatoes

“Clean Ones” (don’t waste $$$ on organic)

  1. Sweet Corn
  2. Avocados
  3. Pineapples
  4. Cabbage
  5. Onions
  6. Sweet Peas
  7. Papayas
  8. Asparagus
  9. Mangoes
  10. Eggplant
  11. Honeydew
  12. Kiwi
  13. Cantaloupe
  14. Cauliflower
  15. Grapefruit

Enjoy!

A Lunch to Chew On

A simple sandwich takes about 172 gals. of water to make a loaf of bread and lots more for the meat and veggies to go into it.  Save water by using organic lettuce and tomatoes from a sustainable, water-wise garden and make the sandwich open-faced.

Leaf 6

[For more easy, money-saving, earth-friendly tips, download a FREE copy of Green Riches: Help the Earth & Your Budget. Go to www.Smashwords.com/books/view/7000 or your favorite e-book seller and download to your computer or e-book device. Totally free, with no strings attached.]

Veg Out this Summer

 

Look at all those yummy fresh fruits and vegetables in that Farmer’s Market!  And it’s all grown locally.  Why does that matter?  Because they’re fresher (haven’t traveled 1-2 weeks to get here), have fewer or no preservatives or genetic modifications to extend freshness, save energy (local production takes 3%-17% less oil for transportation), and have less packaging.  Besides, buying them supports our local farmers and economy.  So, enjoy the abundant fruits (and veggies) of summer!

Leaf 6

[For more easy, money-saving, Eco-friendly tips, download a FREE copy of Green Riches: Help the Earth & Your Budget. Go to www.Smashwords.com/books/ view/7000, choose a format, and download to your computer or e-book device. Or download a free copy from your favorite e-tailer.]

Earth-Friendly Tip: Cut Back on Meat

Hold off on that steak!  Eating less meat and more fruit, vegetables, and grains makes us healthier while using less land and energy. That pound of beef took 5 pounds of grain, 2500 gallons of water, and lots of fuel to bring it to your table.   In fact, since meat production accounts for 18% of greenhouse emissions, skipping meat one day a week is similar to removing 8 million cars from our roads.

[For more easy, Eco-friendly tips, download a FREE copy of Green Riches: Help the Earth & Your Budget. Go to www.Smashwords.com/books/ view/7000, choose a format, and download to your computer or e-book device. Or download a free copy from your favorite e-tailer.] Cow