Garbage Free Lunches

"Be the change you want to see in the world." Mahatma Gandhi

I am re-posting this today because as Baby enters preschool next week, I need to buy a new lunchbox. Lunchopolis is fantastic, but there has been changes in where you can buy it. So, after much research and an unsuccessful trip to Whole Foods, we have discovered two websites where you can buy these wonderful lunchboxes, but unfortunately lime green is no longer available. So if you are interested, please go to one of these two websites:

Your Guide To Green

Home Green Solutions

At the end of the 2007-2008 school year, I vowed to myself that I would take a stand against all the garbage I produced in my children's lunch boxes. I sadly realized that the school encouraged zero recycling in the lunch room and knew I had to stop contributing. From yogurt cups to boxes of sandwich bags,3.5 billion (yes Billion) pounds of garbage is created each year just from lunch boxes.

I began my search for lunch boxes and the appropriate containers that fit snugly into the lunch box, I was quickly frustrated, and increasingly concerned about the plastics I was using to store my children's food. I was beginning to fret when I found my perfect solution!

Lunchopolis has created the garbage free lunch box. Lunchopolis was designed with everything you need to pack a healthy, planet-friendly lunch. This means no more sandwich bags, tinfoil, juice boxes or other unnecessary waster. Lunchopolis includes a lead-free, insulated lunchbox, four brightly tinted containers and a drinking bottle so you can pack a fresh, healthy, planet-friendly lunch with lots of variety. I bought the pink polka dots for my daughter H2, and the water for my son Puckstopper. Next year I will buy the Lime when My Baby starts preschool. And when I open my home business, this will be a product I hopefully will be retailing.

Reusable Dryer Lint?

I have heard of reusable ways to use dryer sheets, but dryer lint? Well, believe it or not, yes you can now re-use your dryer lint, for of all things, the children.

I recently picked up the Real Simple Fall 2009 Family special edition, hoping that I could find some special nugget for streamlining my back to school schedule, find a fast dinner recipe for those busy soccer evenings, or maybe just maybe find some nice back to school supply that would bring a smile to my children's faces. Never did I imagine finding something that would fit so perfectly on my blog.

The page in the magazine has been dog eared and long forgotten for a few weeks, until tonight when SP picked it up and I heard him shriek, "Now that is disgusting!" and I knew exactly what he had found. So you might think it's disgusting, and you might even think me crazy for finding merit in this activity for children that reuses of all things dryer lint, but if you know me at all by now you will know that I just love the ingenuity in this precious find.

So what is this find?

for the original recipe, please click the link below
Dryer Lint as Modeling Dough


To make the modeling dough:
1. Place 3 cups (shredded) dryer lint into a pot.
2. Pour in 2 cups water.
3. Stir in 1 cup flour.
4. Add ½ teaspoon vegetable oil.
5. If desired, add food coloring.

6. Stir continuously over low heat until the mixture binds together and is of a smooth consistency.

7. Pour onto a sheet of wax paper to cool.

8. Shape as you wish.

I have not tried this recipe yet, but if Real Simple published it, it must work. I am also still happily using my clothesline, so I am not creating too much dryer lint these days, but I can guarantee you that when the colder months come and I am home alone with Baby, this is one activity we will most certainly be trying! I will let you know how it goes and take some pictures of the little critters we make.

Nettle Meadow's Kunik

We went away to the Catskills a few weeks ago and my friend from Brooklyn brought a wheel of cheese called Kunik. It is a rich, yummy, triple cream, cheesy, butter - oh wait, I meant a rich, yummy, triple cream, buttery cheese! Made from a blend of cow and goat's milk on a farm in New York called Nettle Meadow, Kunik is one of my new favorites. I am pretty sure it is not the first time I have eaten it, but it is the first time I have eaten it since I started blogging and really paying attention to where my food came from. So get up and walk, no run, to your closest cheese monger and ask for Kunik - you will be happy you did!
I am particularly fond of the logo on their website:

"Happy Goats - Great cheese!"

Artisan Cheese Tasting

While preparing for my mini lesson on cheese, we tasted a lot of cheese. Several evenings were spent indulging my turophilic nature, and clogging poor SPs already threatened veins. I do love him and care for his health and well being and would happily say farewell to meat for a life time. But give up my cheese? I think not. This particular night we sampled several artisan cheeses, both local and international.
On this cheese board are the remains of Vermont's Jasper Hill's bloomy Constant Bliss, some out of this world Bandaged Cheddar from Cabot VT (and aged at Jasper Hill's caves), the amazing delicious buttery Eleanor Buttercup from Hahn's End from coastal Phippsburg Maine. The final and most visually appealing cheese is this one. The gorgeous yet far from local Campo deMontalban, a true cheese from La Mancha! I was so impressed with the color and texture of the rind of this cheese that I took another picture. Isn't she pretty? Maybe it's just me, and I need to set up a support group called Turophiles Anonymous. In this economy cheese is one of the most expensive things to buy. But there is no stopping a Turophile, we resist recessions. I think you should do the same and go out and support your local artisan cheese maker!

I am just crackers for cheese

Like Wallace I am just crackers for cheese.

"Gromit! it's the cheese Gromit!"

"Gromit, that's it! Cheese! We'll go somewhere where there's cheese!"

I took this silly picture while prepping for a mini lesson I did on cheese.
Can you guess why?

The funny hint is, that that sheep actually became a Water Buffalo in sheep's clothing.

Saturday Morning Sleeping-in

I really am a lucky woman. My husband SP really takes good care of me. I allowed to sleep as long as I want on Saturday mornings, which means that I am typically not up until the hour approaching noon. I can sleep that's for sure. I sleep about as well as I eat cheese - both of these things could make me famous. I digress... the point is that I am lucky. Better than lucky. Not only do I get to sleep in, but SP makes sure that a portion of breakfast is set aside for me so that I am well nourished when I finally decide to grace the world with my presence. See that picture above? It's a home made egg and CHEESE sandwich on Rye bread with ketchup, nicely wrapped in tin foil, and hand decorated by my loving husband SP.

My lilies have bloomed!

When my dear mother HiHo died, she asked us to remember her with flower and music. I haven't gone more than a week without a fresh flower in the house in all of these long 10 years.
I love when my lilies bloom because then I can bring fresh cut flowers into the house that smell just wonderfully! Of course, I cut the anthers and pollen off because of the mess they make! I love flowers and I thank HiHo for teaching me that! In this picture are one of the lilies I chose from White's Flower Farm in Litchfield CT. In the back ground is my knitting in a wonderful knitted and felted bag from my MIL Barby. The book is one on IPM that is getting a lot of action during this gardening season! The next flower to bloom looks like it will be my Phlox and then the Asters. I can't wait for this humidity to end so I can happily be outside again with all my wonderful plants!

Backyard Beauties from Backyard Farms!

Why has it taken me so long to realize that those beautiful vine ripened tomatoes at the market are locally grown!? Backyard Farms grows those wonderful tomatoes year round in the largest greenhouse in New England. They even have native bumblebees inside the greenhouse to pollinate each tomato flower. Bees are struggling these years so it is a win win situation for the bees who then receive their food from the tomatoes’ pollen. I wonder if they will make honey too? Their use of sustainable energy and rainwater reclamation round them out to be one of my favorite discoveries this summer. I do hope that they will not fall prey to the late blight, because I just might have to rely on these beauties for my upcoming tomato sauce project! And better yet, they have recipes on their website! Thank you Backyard Farms for all that you do!

Summit Springs Farm

Another wonderful find at the farmers market this weekend was Summit Springs farm. I purchased this gorgeous quart of and some fresh cilantro. I used them with some local goat cheese to make a fantastic Farmer's Market Salad . These tomatoes really impressed me because of the variety of colors, but also because of the terrible late blight that we are facing. My plan to can sauce again this year is unlikely to come to fruition. So thank you Summit Springs for sharing some of your beauties with me! Summit Springs offers CSA to the local community, has a blog (which I will begin following today), and... they even have recipes on their website! Terrif!

Local Goat Cheese!

Fresh goat cheese from The Ram's Farm.
Mmmm mmm good!

That's not the best picture, I know, but I couldn't resist. I love cheese, but I REALLY love this cheese!

This stuff is so yummy and refreshing it almost makes me want to go swimming in there on this sweltering August day. I love Saturdays because I can find Helen and her cheese at the farmer's market and get my fix for the week! I am hoping that she will offer a cheese making class soon so that I can get my first hands on lesson in cheese making.

Restore Organic Law

My trip to the farmers market this weekend yielded three wonderful pints of organic wild blueberries. I promptly vacuum sealed them and put them in my freezer, for a winter full of yummy berry dishes for the family. Each quart of blueberries came with a sticker on it that identified that they were certified organic by MOFGA, picked on Arthur Harvey's blueberry farm in Hartford Maine, and packaged by Betsy’s of Maine. But the most interesting tidbit on the small sticker was the link to this website where I discovered the danger organic standards are in. In essence, lobbyists allowed the inclusion of non-organic substances to be allowed into foods that can still be labeled as organic. Harvey, a 72-year-old organic blueberry farmer and inspector, then sued Agriculture Secretary, alleging that the National Organic Program was overstepping the bounds of the Organic Foods Production Act. This change in the standards of organic foods and processing, "is to allow synthetic ingredients in manufacturing foods to be labeled organic. Prior to this change the words quoted above served as a firewall for organic products, preventing the addition of synthetics. But now, only the discretion of USDA will determine which synthetics are used---mostly without being named on the labels." If you are interested in preserving the purity of organic foods, please go to the website and see what you can do to help. A sample letter that you can send to law makers can be found here. Another website to visit is Organic Consumers. One thing I know for sure, I am proud of who and where my blueberries came from!

More Recommended Reading

Thank Goodness it is Friday! It's not only a payday when I can get some long awaited books (bought used of course) but tomorrow is the Farmer's Market!!! Yippeeee! It's the small things in life that really excite me! So without further ado, here are the books I have just been drooling over!

We let it go? Maybe it's time to go FISBO!

I am officially fed up with this real estate market, with it's lazy brokers and rude buyers. We knew putting the house on the market this spring would be a reach but our most recent feedback included the statement that we "let the place go and it would be a great deal if it was in better than average condition". WHAT!?

We bought this house brand new 5 years ago. It was a modular spec house for which nothing was done externally. It was a bare bones minimalist job with a heck of a lot of short cuts which we discovered and fixed. WE did all the work, including a 3 flued chimney, hard wood floors, and at least 3 gardens. We also repaired the stone walls, put paths in the woods, and put lawn back where the septic was installed. Were are they possibly talking about the quasi dirt road that we live on or the lack of a paved driveway? Maybe they were from down south somewhere and were expecting a pristine subdivision like the ones they have back where they came from.

I am the first to admit that we had just gotten back from vacation and having separated my shoulder two weeks ago, things were NOT spic and span around here, but we made this clear to our selling broker when they called with the last minute showing. We requested that this news be passed along. My guess was that it wasn't, just like the unanswered requests for open houses and ads in the local paper. Is this the tact that real estate brokers are now taking? Let it be a buyers market and do nothing to help sell? If I hear one more time that I should reduce the price of the house I think I will implode - it's already listed 20K below it's appraisal price and listed well below the money we have put into it over the years.

So my question is, should we just go FSBO (for sale by owner)? What do we need to do to do that? Maybe if we did, I could actually be a motivated selling broker who will attempt to sell the house for what it is - a score! Going FSBO we would save/earn us a lot of money and we would put great effort into being a good and motivated selling broker - that much I know is true. If you are reading this, I would really love some feedback, advice, or experience.

Homemade Fruit Fly traps

The season is here, just as those tomatoes start ripening in the garden and are brought into the house, those fruit flies find their way in. Unless the late blight has it's way with my tomatoes this year, I have a lot more tomatoes on their way inside. So last night, SP made our first fruit fly trap of the season. Here's how you do it.

Materials
1 liter plastic bottle
scissors
tape
red wine or juice

Process

1. Cut the top of the bottle off (from the point it starts to taper)
2. Place top down inside the bottom and tape cut edges together.
3. Pour a small amount of wine in the bottom.
   
4. Set out next to bowl of fruit or tomatoes.
   
5. Periodically, place a hand or a piece of paper over the top and tap the bottle ensuring that the flies go downwards to their inevitable deaths.
   

Voila!

Preserving the Harvest

I just received this book as a birthday present from Ms. Judy. I am SO excited to use it. I find that my Ball Blue Book is getting worn and is also limited in terms of my options. I am really looking forward to putting this book to good use! THANKS MS. JUDY!!!! And thanks to Carol Costenbader for writing it!

Locally Known and Grown on Merrymeeting Bay

"We see local as: the closest place to get what you need at the lowest environmental cost."

The only salad that can make me happier than one that I have grown and made myself is a salad from Locally Known. I first found them at Whole Foods in Portland and have been so sad for over a year that I could not get them at my local Hannafords. Then the other day as I walked in and paused to pick up a paper, my eye swept across the salad cooler and there they were. Locally Known has made it to my town at long last! These folks have a mission akin to my own personal vision for the future and we too hope to farm, once again, on the shores of the Merrymeeting Bay. In their mission statement they write:
"At Locally Known, our goal is to provide the east coast with readily available, regionally grown, organic produce. We are supporting and establishing regional organic farms by creating a market and regional distribution network currently unavailable to New England's organic producers. Sustainability, environmental stewardship and social responsibility are the founding principles of company policy."
My thanks goes out to the folks at Locally Known for all that you do, particularly for making my daily cheese sandwich even better with your Baby Arugula! What I need to do is to get Hannafords to stock ALL their products year round so that my home made Ceasar Salads will be perfect year round.

Local and Homemade Buttermilk

While this economy has forced us to move away from organic milks and lean more heavily on the local Oakhurst or Cabot dairies, I was delighted to find at our local Hannaford, buttermilk from Kate's! It's a new product for her!

But, if you want to make something that calls for Buttermilk and you don't have it, here's what you can do to make it.

Buttermilk in a Pinch

• 1 Tablespoon Lemon juice PER 1 Cup of milk.
• Whisk together and let stand 10 minutes.

Voila!

Maine Morning Micro Roasters

There is nothing better than locally roasted coffee, and I don't think there is anything more local to me than Maine Morning Micro Roasters. Every time I go to the local farmer's market I smile when I see Heather under the tent for Maine Morning Micro Roasters. This family owned business has a rotating stock of seasonal beans that are hand selected, free trade, or organic; and chosen to ensure "good wages, a healthy working environment for the farmers and healthy coffee beans." Their commitment is clear and they even offer free delivery to those that qualify so please... go check them out! For a look at their current "bean bios" click here!

A Fine Gin and Tonic

Summer is here, and while the weather is not hazy hot and humid, all this rain is certainly making it a bit muggy and hence the season of Gin and Tonics is upon us. SP, on his way home from his most recent northern wind power project, found a bottle of local gin for us to enjoy. Unlike my usual Tangueray, this gin has an enjoyable taste of juniper berries. I really enjoyed the added hint of spice. Made on Sweetgrass Farm in Union Maine, I am pleased to see that along with this gin, they craft and sell an assortment of other locally made wines and spirits.

Sorrel Salad

Sorrel grows all over my property. Last fall, Amos brought this wonderful local edible to my attention. The sorrel leaf tastes like lemon adding zest to your salads. All winter, I couldn't wait until I could eat it again, and craft some wonderful pestos and salads around it. I am currently working on a recipe I am going to call Sustainable Salad. It was a brain child of two wild edibles and my abundant radish crop!

A couple of my Flowers

Chives and Peony

An attic full of Glaucomys sabrinus

It's been a while since my last blog. Things have been busy here at our abode. The early spring gave me a healthy head start on the garden. But today, trying to neaten things up inside while SP repaired some outdoor window trim, I heard the unmistakable sound of scratching in the attic over Puckstopper's bedroom. A month or so ago, Puckstopper asked me what the sound in the attic was. I said, "Oh that's nothing dear - it's just the cats in the garage!" Until today, when I heard the noise that was distinctly overhead, did I actually go into the garage to see if my earlier hypothesis could have been correct. I couldn't have been further from correct. The garage comes no where near the ceiling of Puckstopper's room. So, in near panic, I wandered out to the front yard to get SP's attention on the roof.
The funny thing is about 3 years ago to date, I had done a similar thing, pacing like a lone wolf at the foot of his 3 story scaffolding, while SP was building our chimney, waiting for the "right moment" to tell him "the news". The news? Yes, the news that I was pregnant with Baby. His response upon seeing me pacing was a blunt, "What the hell is wrong now!?" Nice way to break the news, eh? Well today, he saw panic and his response was exactly the same. "SP there is something in the attic and I need you to help me get it out NOW!"
Thankfully for our well insulated attic, our house stays very cool in the summer, but today our attic was a sweltering 110 degrees, at least. Following carefully along the beams of the attic, we found the corner that the noise was coming from, but all we saw was undisturbed insulation. SP and both thought, "Hmm... there's nothing there and it is far to hot for anything to WANT to be up here!" but decided that taking a look under the insulation was warranted. Sure enough, with the first piece we pulled back we saw an awesome furry fat grey tail slink away under the insulation. "Aw crap" was the least we said, and proceeded to pull back more, sending the cutest flying squirrel scurrying toward my feet. Fortunately I had a good hold of the rafters and pulled my feet up, and watched it move past me, run the length of the attic, launch itself up into the rafters, and out a hole in the far corner. A hole in the far corner? Did I mention that that chimney project is still not done? That's next weekend's project. Well, one squirrel down, how many more to go? Back to the insulation. We uncovered 2 more squirrels, one quickly squirreled it's way off into the soffit, and the other we managed to get into a box and out to the kids for an exciting Sunday afternoon show and tell in the front yard. After it tried to bite SP and he flung it, we actually got to see it fly. It's nap time now, but we'll be back at the squirrel eradication in a few hours I am sure. Oh the life of being a homeowner in rural Maine.
Isn't he cute? Here's lookin' at you babe!

Cheese - another way to keep it local

The Portland Press Herald published this article recently about the localvore simplicity of homemade cheese. I found this article through the blog of the Maine Cheese Collective. I recently published the recipe from Gourmet for homemade mozzarella cheese, but the uncanny timing of this article can't go unnoticed. I just returned from a week long trip to New York City, where I was able to dine on any ethnic food I could choose. From American to Italian to Indian to Brazilian and ending with an American Australian - my final meal one morning in Brooklyn was markedly the best. My daughter's Godmother and I ate in Greenpoint at Five Leaves and it was a treat to say the least. The cafe which opened 7 months ago was financially backed by the late Heath Ledger, another yummy favorite of mine. I chose for breakfast the Sage scrambled organic Eggs w/aged cheddar, which served on a roll but the swirly herbed eggs made the most beautiful sandwich I have ever eaten. But my friend's choice was even more stunning: house made ricotta with fresh thyme, chestnut honey, figs, Maldon sea salt and fruit bread. It was heaven in a bowl and an inspiration for the things to come. Before I move along to the point of this blog I must say that everybody should go and eat at Five Leaves. The experience I had at Five Leaves was a reminder that some day we will keep bees and I will make cheese. So when I returned home last night and read through the blog posts on my dashboard, discovering that the Portland Press Herald had written an article titled, "Another way to keep it local? Say cheese", I knew I had come full circle. So without further ado, here are the recipes.

WHOLE MILK RICOTTA

1 gallon whole milk, pasteurized or raw
1 teaspoon citric acid
1 teaspoon salt

In a large stockpot, combine milk, acid and salt. Heat to 185 to 195 degrees, stirring often. Do not boil.

As soon as the curds and whey separate, turn off the heat. The whey should look somewhat clear rather than milky. Let sit for 10 minutes. Line a colander with cheese cloth and place in a large bowl. Ladle the curds into the cloth. Tie the corners of the cloth together and hang for 20 to 30 minutes.

You can hang the cloth from a knob on a kitchen cabinet or use a wooden spoon through the knot to hang over a deep container.

Eat immediately or refrigerate for up to two weeks.

Makes 3 to 4 cups (11/2 to 2 pounds).

As a parting shot, and reminder to go to Five Leaves, my favorite part of the decor was the bathroom door which though baffling at first approach, turns out to be a recycled boiler door.

Burt's Bees and Happy Green Bee

Any one who strives for the greater good ranks high on my list and one of my favorite companies that do this is the local Burt's Bees. Recently, I happily discovered the children's clothing endeavor they have started a few years ago. Happy Green Bee, is a baby clothes line designed for comfort in the hope that is inspires more organic cotton growth in the U.S. One of my favorite parts about their website is the online factory store where you can buy discounted products! Burt's Bees began in 1984 and has maintained their strong commitment to the environment . Happy green Bee was started in with the mission to create gender-free (yea!) organic (yea again!) children's clothing with sustainable manufacturing practices (hooray!). Their efforts were to meet and increase the demand for organic children's clothing that contribute in positive ways to the welfare of our planet. What else can I ask for as a parent and an ecologist!?

Geolopes

New England Cartographics, of Amherst Massachusetts, reuses their surplus U.S. Government topographic maps by turning them into envelopes and stationary. These unique and affordable mailers are a surprise every time - you never know what area of the U.S. you will receive. The few of these I have I have cherished for years, to the point that I have photocopied some of them in order to preserve the ones I have! These make great gifts as well!

Responsible Paper?

I have found a paper company, Mohawk Paper , that matches a lot of I am looking for in an paper supply company. Independently owned Mohawk is headquartered in Cohoes, New York. In 2005, Mohawk acquired the Fine Papers business from International Paper, which included the respected Strathmore, Beckett, Via, and BriteHue brands. Today Mohawk operates three mills (six paper machines) with over 175,000 tons capacity. Mohawk is also known in the industry for its high environmental standards and sustainable practices. The mill offers sustainable paper choices certified by FSC and Green Seal, independent, nonprofit organizations dedicated to environmental standard setting, product certification, claims substantiation, and public education. In addition, Mohawk is one of the first major manufacturing companies to match a significant amount of its electricity with RECs from windpower projects.As of June 1, 2007, Mohawk Fine Papers has increased its purchase of wind-generated electricity RECs to 100,000,000 kWh annually. This represents 100% of all of the electric energy used for all of Mohawk’s manufacturing, converting and distribution operations in New York and Ohio. In 2003 Mohawk became one the first large-scale production facilities in the United States to use non-polluting wind-generated electricity.

100% of the electricity used to manufacture all of Mohawk's paper is matched with Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). Green-e, the nation’s leading independent certification and verification program for renewable energy products, certifies the RECs to be sure that they meet strict environmental and consumer protection standards.

Treehugger.com has an article about this company too.

Bagasse is better than Biopolymers

Let's face it, unless something catastrophic changes in this world, all the people in the world are not going to opt to use a reusable cup, for those frequent trips to Starbucks. I most certainly did not turn down that cold draft beer when served to me in a plastic cup this past winter. So, until that catastrophe comes though, we need to seriously rethink disposable products we are using.

I have spent the past several hours looking into this whole corn based plastic dilemma and it's farcical biodegradability claim and have discovered that our picnic options can be less taxing on the landfills. Bio-polymers, or the bio-plastics like PLA made from corn, might be renewable but they are not sustainable in terms of waste or byproducts.

Bagasse on the other hand, derived from the byproducts of sugarcane use, is essentially a waste product that once cost sugar mills additional costs for disposal. This fiber, left over after the juice has been squeezed out of sugarcane stalks, is how used as a biomass. It holds promise as a fuel source since as it can produce more than enough heat energy to supply the needs of a common sugar mill. A waste product, it is also used as a locally-grown source for manufacturing cellulose ethanol.

Bagasse offers new possibilities for disposable or reusable products without the lasting reminder in the landfill. Sugarcane is renewable annually, is widely cultivated in several countries with developing economies, is a convenient way of clearing a waste product, and requires minimal processing to turn it into a usable and high strength paper product.
Paper vs. plastic was the selling point for me. Bagasse products can be found at TheGreenOffice.com , where I will also be ordering my business supplies from.

Corn to the rescue? I think not.

This is a follow up to my prior post "How Green is It"in which I ranted about the suspicious label of biodegradable on a plastic drinking cup and the disbelief I had in PLA and other corn based "fix-its".

Corn is becoming the ubiquitous fix all for our nation- from packaging to plastics to animal feed - finding far too many unnatural entry points into our product based life. Just because it is made out of corn does not mean that it is natural, nor biodegradable. Maybe I am a purist, but I do not think I am along to believe that biodegrading is what should be happen naturally, as in our compost heaps, and not in some large scale industrial composter (which has it's own very large carbon foot print). In this article, the Smithsonian looked into the misleading notion of biodegradable plastics which is a farce. . It may be a cost effective solution, (in the beginning, it cost $200 to make a pound of PLA; now it’s less than $1) but it is not a solution without it's own environmental problems. “It was a big step backward for the biodegradability movement,” as the article discusses of the advent of the biodegradable bag, “Whole communities abandoned the concept of biodegradable bags as a fraud.” While PLA is a good place to start, it presents us with it's own subset of problems. So, yes, as PLA advocates say, corn plastic is “biodegradable”, but in reality very few consumers have access to the sort of composting facilities that can make it biodegrade. Regardless of it's misleading biodegradable label, it is more often than not listed as a #7 plastic and therefore will end up in a landfill or incinerator like the majority of our nations garbage. The fact is that we need far better alternatives and processes to replace PLA.

To see the entire article, click the link below.
Corn Plastic to the Rescue

Wal-Mart and others are going green with "biodegradable" packaging made from corn. But is this really the answer to America's throwaway culture?
By Elizabeth Royte
Photographs by Brian Smale
Smithsonian magazine, August 2006

Getting to know Goats

I need to know more about goats, and if anyone can help me, I need all the help I can get. It has been a life long dream to be a goat owner. It actually started out as a family joke, when Mom wanted a goat so badly because of her own memories of her grandparents farm and the goats they had. Thanks to Mom's love of goats, I always promised that I would be the child who would get her goats. Unfortunately, Mom passed away before I could make the dream come true, but I promise, the dream will come true. One of my favorite errands to run with Mom as a child was to take our weekly trip to "The Cheese Shop" - yup that is what it was named and we LOVED it! Unlike the other members of our family, Mom and I loved goat cheese. I may name the first goat HiHo, after Mom, but if that's too emotional I will take my sister Mush's advice and name the first goat Feta! If I do name the first one HiHo, I will then name the rest of the flock, decided by temperament, after each of the 7 dwarfs!

As for what kinds of goats I want, I know I want Nigerian Dairy goats. I fell in love with these goats last fall at The Common Ground Fair when I went to a milking demonstration put on by the woman who runs Painted Pepper Farm. Nigerians are small and manageable - perfect for a family farm.

Books I am interested in for researching are the following.

Books from Maine

I have decided to take a break from the stressful things in my life today, and focus on laundry and catching up on some long put-off blogging. The intention of this blog has always been to document my process and research for beginning my own business. While it is a long term plan, that involves moving to our own family farm, much of my research involves finding plants, livestock and products to grow, make and sell once I have the business off the ground. The business will focus on sustainability and local products. One of my favorite products, as a researcher, teacher and parent, is of course books. In December's Down East magazine, they had in inset called "Best Books from Maine" which has been thumbed through and dog eared for far too long. So before that magazine joins the pile of magazines in my "business canvas bag" and or torn into pieces and glued into my journal, I might as well post about the books here!

By a Maine River - A Year of Looking Closely by Thomas and Lee Ann Szelog
A new book, published by Down East Books, features professional photographs of nature and wildlife along the shore of a small Maine river by photographer Tom Szelog. An evocative book that opens our eyes to how closely we live with nature even now, in this 21st century.



A Place Called Maine by Wesley McNair
24 Authors, both native and newcomers who reside and write in all reaches of Maine, write about the Maine experience, described by the Maine Sunday Telegram as"A vision of the Pine Tree State that is, at once, vivid, recognizable, and frank... a rich tapestry."







The Year of the Goat - 40,000 miles and the quest for the Perfect Cheese by Margaret Hathaway
I take a particular interest in this book because of my pending research on goats and cheese making. This book is a great starting place for my research on raising goats and making cheese. Part food memoir and part picturesque travel narrative, this book marries the author's twin obsessions with food and all things goat and tells the story of one couple's fascinating journey in search of peace, pastures, and the perfect goat cheese.