Nov 23, 2010
Since I started this holiday tips tradition a few years ago,
the sustainable food movement continues to transform fields of corn,
soy and CAFOs to more verdant, bountiful lands filled with organic
produce, heirloom greens and pasture-raised livestock. Countless more
school and community gardens have sprouted up. Hundreds of local groups
are transforming food deserts by bringing in supermarkets and community
gardens. Thousands of people are gleaning public fruits for food
pantries across the country. And there's plenty more backyard farmers
with their personal chicken coops, goat shelters, fruit trees and raised
beds.
This is in light of the gloomy news that approximately two-thirds of all Americans are overweight or obese and 17 million households are food insecure (meaning they don't have regular access to food).
This year's holiday tips offer more ways to make your Thanksgiving meal
an opportunity to support sustainable agriculture, reduce your water
use and go on a low carb(on) diet.
Eat organic. We've all heard it before but it's pretty simple. Eating organic doesn't pollute our drinking water or air, reduces your carbon dioxide emissions , protects farm workers and is safer for humans. And, best of all, it tastes better.
Meet a farmer.
Take a trip to your local farmers' market to savory locally grown
produce and handcrafted goods, meet farmers in your community and stock
up on goodies for your holiday meal. Best of all, it's one of the most
interesting and exciting ways to keep kids preoccupied during your
holiday shopping.
Celebrate endangered species. Help to keep our food chain diverse
and support local culinary traditions by consuming nearly-forgotten
endangered beauties like the Wilson Popenoe Avocado, Hauer Pippin Apple and Algonquin Squash.
Skip Meat.
Yes, it might be sacrilegious to suggest that people opt-out of eating
meat on Thanksgiving. However, factory farming (where most turkeys live
their miserable lives before ending up on your dining room platter) is
inhumane. Livestock is responsible for one-fifth of all greenhouse gas emissions. If it's too much for you to go meat-free on Thanksgiving, start the following week with Meatless Mondays.
Adopt-a-Turkey.
Whether or not you decide to eat turkey during Thanksgiving, some lucky
farm animals were rescued from the cruel, inhumane conditions of
industrial farms. They are now enjoying blissful, grassy fields at farm
sanctuaries and need your support.
End Hunger Year Round. Thanksgiving sparks countless effort to serve
meals and donate canned goods to local food banks. Unfortunately, food
pantries alone will not solve our nation's hunger crisis. Support
groups like Mazon, Bread for the World and Meals on Wheels
which are delivering meals to millions of people every day but also
working to change the system so that there is no hunger in America.
Save your scraps. The average US family wastes $600 in food annually.
Rather than throwing out uneaten fruits and veggies, transform them in a
compost bin. City green compost bins are on the path to being nearly as
ubiquitous as blue recycling bins. Or get your own bin and transform
your scraps into gorgeous dirt that will make your plants quite happy.
Grow.
So, now that you have a compost bin, it probably makes sense to have a
place to put that mulch. Whether your choosing to start simple with some
herbs (pretty hard to kill) or more challenging crops like lettuce or
root vegetables, all you need is a windowsill , a little plot of yard or
community garden spot and some sunshine to start growing.
Drink local water. Ironically, Americans spend $18 billion on bottled
water, much of which is actually tap water but has the added bonus of
the plastic's toxic chemicals leaching into the water. Bottled water
creates mountains of plastic which will be here for thousands of
Thanksgiving meals to come. If you're concerned about the quality of
your drinking water, opt for a filter on your tap.
Share your own tips! This list is hardly exhaustive so please share
your ideas and resources for a sustainable Thanksgiving for all.
Happy eating!
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Since I started this holiday tips tradition a few years ago,
the sustainable food movement continues to transform fields of corn,
soy and CAFOs to more verdant, bountiful lands filled with organic
produce, heirloom greens and pasture-raised livestock. Countless more
school and community gardens have sprouted up. Hundreds of local groups
are transforming food deserts by bringing in supermarkets and community
gardens. Thousands of people are gleaning public fruits for food
pantries across the country. And there's plenty more backyard farmers
with their personal chicken coops, goat shelters, fruit trees and raised
beds.
This is in light of the gloomy news that approximately two-thirds of all Americans are overweight or obese and 17 million households are food insecure (meaning they don't have regular access to food).
This year's holiday tips offer more ways to make your Thanksgiving meal
an opportunity to support sustainable agriculture, reduce your water
use and go on a low carb(on) diet.
Eat organic. We've all heard it before but it's pretty simple. Eating organic doesn't pollute our drinking water or air, reduces your carbon dioxide emissions , protects farm workers and is safer for humans. And, best of all, it tastes better.
Meet a farmer.
Take a trip to your local farmers' market to savory locally grown
produce and handcrafted goods, meet farmers in your community and stock
up on goodies for your holiday meal. Best of all, it's one of the most
interesting and exciting ways to keep kids preoccupied during your
holiday shopping.
Celebrate endangered species. Help to keep our food chain diverse
and support local culinary traditions by consuming nearly-forgotten
endangered beauties like the Wilson Popenoe Avocado, Hauer Pippin Apple and Algonquin Squash.
Skip Meat.
Yes, it might be sacrilegious to suggest that people opt-out of eating
meat on Thanksgiving. However, factory farming (where most turkeys live
their miserable lives before ending up on your dining room platter) is
inhumane. Livestock is responsible for one-fifth of all greenhouse gas emissions. If it's too much for you to go meat-free on Thanksgiving, start the following week with Meatless Mondays.
Adopt-a-Turkey.
Whether or not you decide to eat turkey during Thanksgiving, some lucky
farm animals were rescued from the cruel, inhumane conditions of
industrial farms. They are now enjoying blissful, grassy fields at farm
sanctuaries and need your support.
End Hunger Year Round. Thanksgiving sparks countless effort to serve
meals and donate canned goods to local food banks. Unfortunately, food
pantries alone will not solve our nation's hunger crisis. Support
groups like Mazon, Bread for the World and Meals on Wheels
which are delivering meals to millions of people every day but also
working to change the system so that there is no hunger in America.
Save your scraps. The average US family wastes $600 in food annually.
Rather than throwing out uneaten fruits and veggies, transform them in a
compost bin. City green compost bins are on the path to being nearly as
ubiquitous as blue recycling bins. Or get your own bin and transform
your scraps into gorgeous dirt that will make your plants quite happy.
Grow.
So, now that you have a compost bin, it probably makes sense to have a
place to put that mulch. Whether your choosing to start simple with some
herbs (pretty hard to kill) or more challenging crops like lettuce or
root vegetables, all you need is a windowsill , a little plot of yard or
community garden spot and some sunshine to start growing.
Drink local water. Ironically, Americans spend $18 billion on bottled
water, much of which is actually tap water but has the added bonus of
the plastic's toxic chemicals leaching into the water. Bottled water
creates mountains of plastic which will be here for thousands of
Thanksgiving meals to come. If you're concerned about the quality of
your drinking water, opt for a filter on your tap.
Share your own tips! This list is hardly exhaustive so please share
your ideas and resources for a sustainable Thanksgiving for all.
Happy eating!
Since I started this holiday tips tradition a few years ago,
the sustainable food movement continues to transform fields of corn,
soy and CAFOs to more verdant, bountiful lands filled with organic
produce, heirloom greens and pasture-raised livestock. Countless more
school and community gardens have sprouted up. Hundreds of local groups
are transforming food deserts by bringing in supermarkets and community
gardens. Thousands of people are gleaning public fruits for food
pantries across the country. And there's plenty more backyard farmers
with their personal chicken coops, goat shelters, fruit trees and raised
beds.
This is in light of the gloomy news that approximately two-thirds of all Americans are overweight or obese and 17 million households are food insecure (meaning they don't have regular access to food).
This year's holiday tips offer more ways to make your Thanksgiving meal
an opportunity to support sustainable agriculture, reduce your water
use and go on a low carb(on) diet.
Eat organic. We've all heard it before but it's pretty simple. Eating organic doesn't pollute our drinking water or air, reduces your carbon dioxide emissions , protects farm workers and is safer for humans. And, best of all, it tastes better.
Meet a farmer.
Take a trip to your local farmers' market to savory locally grown
produce and handcrafted goods, meet farmers in your community and stock
up on goodies for your holiday meal. Best of all, it's one of the most
interesting and exciting ways to keep kids preoccupied during your
holiday shopping.
Celebrate endangered species. Help to keep our food chain diverse
and support local culinary traditions by consuming nearly-forgotten
endangered beauties like the Wilson Popenoe Avocado, Hauer Pippin Apple and Algonquin Squash.
Skip Meat.
Yes, it might be sacrilegious to suggest that people opt-out of eating
meat on Thanksgiving. However, factory farming (where most turkeys live
their miserable lives before ending up on your dining room platter) is
inhumane. Livestock is responsible for one-fifth of all greenhouse gas emissions. If it's too much for you to go meat-free on Thanksgiving, start the following week with Meatless Mondays.
Adopt-a-Turkey.
Whether or not you decide to eat turkey during Thanksgiving, some lucky
farm animals were rescued from the cruel, inhumane conditions of
industrial farms. They are now enjoying blissful, grassy fields at farm
sanctuaries and need your support.
End Hunger Year Round. Thanksgiving sparks countless effort to serve
meals and donate canned goods to local food banks. Unfortunately, food
pantries alone will not solve our nation's hunger crisis. Support
groups like Mazon, Bread for the World and Meals on Wheels
which are delivering meals to millions of people every day but also
working to change the system so that there is no hunger in America.
Save your scraps. The average US family wastes $600 in food annually.
Rather than throwing out uneaten fruits and veggies, transform them in a
compost bin. City green compost bins are on the path to being nearly as
ubiquitous as blue recycling bins. Or get your own bin and transform
your scraps into gorgeous dirt that will make your plants quite happy.
Grow.
So, now that you have a compost bin, it probably makes sense to have a
place to put that mulch. Whether your choosing to start simple with some
herbs (pretty hard to kill) or more challenging crops like lettuce or
root vegetables, all you need is a windowsill , a little plot of yard or
community garden spot and some sunshine to start growing.
Drink local water. Ironically, Americans spend $18 billion on bottled
water, much of which is actually tap water but has the added bonus of
the plastic's toxic chemicals leaching into the water. Bottled water
creates mountains of plastic which will be here for thousands of
Thanksgiving meals to come. If you're concerned about the quality of
your drinking water, opt for a filter on your tap.
Share your own tips! This list is hardly exhaustive so please share
your ideas and resources for a sustainable Thanksgiving for all.
Happy eating!
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