Farm Visits

Green Living Newsletter - April 2011

Welcome to the source for the latest eco-news and information that will guide you in leaving behind a lighter footprint!
There is a “greener” alternative to every decision we make. Our lives, our family, and ultimately our planet, are made better by these choices. Let this be the place that will be your one source for learning how to thrive in your personal “green revolution”! Always remember to Live Green!

USPS Goes Green!

Eli Noyes of San Francisco’s Noe Valley drew his inspiration for the Go Green stamps from his own green living learning lessons. He and his wife “grow peppers, quince and roses alongside worm bins. The roof is coated in solar panels.”
Noyes says of being green: “You don’t have to spend money,” says Noyes, “You just have to be conscientious.”
It took Noyes 6 months to design the stamps and they are set to hit the market April 14 (Thursday)!

For more information regarding this story, visit:San Fran Chronicle

Earth Day Fun for the Family!

How to make seed balls for your garden. A fun family & friend activity!

Seed bombs were started in Greece around 1998, they are about the size of a marble and they have gained a lot of popularity due to the fact that each ball contains necessary components to help herbs or flowers grow: clay, compost and seeds! The balls help keep animals away from the seeds as well as keep the seeds from scattering every which way in the wind. After it rains the seeds spread out and take root to create a beautiful flower bed or herb garden.

Materials needed:

Large tub to mix ingredients
16 oz. plastic cup (one cup equals one part)
5 parts red clay; dry and lump free
3 parts good soil
1 part seed of your choice; wildflower seeds, native plant seeds, herb seeds, etc.
Trowel
1-2 parts water
boxes (recycle what you have around the house)
Friends & Family

Directions:

Decide on the area(s) to be re-seeded and invite plenty of friends over to help you make the seed balls.

Gather and mix the dry ingredients in a large tub. There should be no lumps.

Add small amounts of water at a time to the dry mix and continue to mix well.

Roll little marble sized balls (about one inch in diameter) with your hands; balls should be firm and not crumbly.

Dry seed balls in shady area for 24 hours before scattering them on top of the ground in chosen spot; about one ball per square foot.

Once dry, scatter the seed balls on top of the ground and area where you would like them to plant.

For any remaining seeds left over, create little seed packets by recycling wrapping paper, tissue paper or the like and give them as little Earth Day gifts to your friends & neighbors. It’s a fun and inexpensive way to give a thoughtful, cheerful gift to spruce up the neighborhood gardens in your area!

To learn more about seed ball making.

Recipe of the Month

Kale Chips

One of the hardest temptations for me and many of my friends had been potato chips, but since I made adjustments to what I eat and feed my family many years ago, I have found alternatives that make me just as happy as those “chippies” but it’s healthier and so easy to make! I would love to share this recipe with you and your family, and I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Ingredients

1 bunch organic kale
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar (or your favorite vinegar, they work too!)
for a spicy kick add: chili flakes (about 1 tbsp), or paprika/cayenne pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove kale leaves from their stems, cut larger kale leaves into smaller bite size pieces.
Place leaves in bowl and add olive oil slowly, if you need more than 1 tbsp add it in very small increments, too much olive oil will make the chips turn out soggy.
Add vinegar and toss.
Add seasonings, including sea salt or any spicy spices you like, I like to experiment with something different every time! Spicy just happens to be my current favorite!
Place kale chips in single layer on baking sheet.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, a few minutes before they are finished baking gently toss the kale chips on the baking sheet to evenly crisp them.

I found a great site where a woman made cheezy kale chips, no cheese only cashews! See her spin on kale chips and enjoy!
Delicioso!
Cheezy Kale Chips

Featured Vendor:

Kendall Garden Roses
At the Pacific Palisades Farmers Market

Kendall Garden Roses are my most favorite roses, dare I say it…yes, in the world! Their roses are the most beautiful, fragrant, eye catching roses. One of the only growers, in the United States to offer true, natural cut garden roses featuring beautiful English and American roses.

These beautiful roses are only available April through December every Sunday at the Pacific Palisades Farmers Market. The Kendall garden family is a family that I know you will love just as much as I do. Their roses are a beautiful extension of who they are, stop by the market say hi and pick up some roses that will truly make a statement.

Kendall Garden Roses Information

Kendall Rose Garden

Our garden is located in the Santa Rosa Valley area of California, about 10 miles from the ocean.  We are proud to be a family owned company with long growing season for roses since 1994.  Today, we are one of the only growers in the United States to offer true, natural cut garden roses featuring beautiful English and American roses.  After many years of hard work, our garden roses have very unique character and charm, with delicious fragrance. During our April through December harvest season there are thousands and thousands of roses in bloom.  You can find our designer rose arranger in Pacific Palisades Farmer Market every Sunday morning.

Visit www.KendallRoseGarden.com for more information.

Green Living Newsletter - October 2010

Jennifer McColm’s “Green Living” Newsletter

Greetings!,

Welcome to the source for the latest eco-news and information that will guide you in leaving behind a lighter footprint! There is a “greener” alternative to every decision we make. Our lives, our family, and ultimately our planet, are made better by these choices. Let this be the place that will be your one source for learning how to thrive in your personal “green revolution”!

How to Shop Your Farmers Market

1. Makes buying local easier
Eating locally and seasonally is good for both you and the environment but keeping track of what to buy, where it comes from and how to get it can be confusing. By shopping your local farmers’ market you can be more assured that what you’re buying is seasonal, fresh, and local.

2. Plan Ahead
Before heading for your local farmers’ market, do some research on what’s in season. Make sure you know what everything you want looks like at its peak. Bigger isn’t always better, so find out the ideal color, size and texture of what you’d like to buy beforehand. Some good resources include: Vegetable Harvest Calendar Fruit Harvest Calendar

3.  Come Prepared
Bring your own backpack or large canvas tote bags with comfortable handles for easy transport, along with small reusable plastic bags to protect more delicate items like herbs, fruits or potted plants. Have a reusable bottle of water and a few paper towels on hand to keep extremely perishable items like fresh herbs and asparagus hydrated. Also, most vendors are cash only, so come prepared with small bills to speed up your shopping, and look for signs indicating if WIC or Senior Coupons are accepted if you use those.

4.  Arrive Early and Shop Around
Make sure to get to the market early before eager chefs and foodies have bought all the best stuff. Don’t be afraid to look at more than one vendor before making a purchase. There’s nothing worse than making a purchase only to find that it’s better and cheaper four stalls down.

5. Talk to the Farmers
No one knows the ins and outs of food like the people who grow it, so get answers straight from the experts by asking the really important questions. Find out exactly where your food comes from by asking where the farm is located, how far it is from the market, and if it’s organic. Most farmers are proud of their products and don’t mind detailing exactly how their food is grown and what to do with it-so if you don’t know how to cook artichokes or what to do with rutabagas, ask how he or she likes them prepared.

6. Store Your Purchases Properly
Fresh, organic food and plants are easily damaged and bruised, so treat purchases with care while transporting them home. Store herbs in a zip top bag with a damp paper towel to keep them from wilting on the way home (and continue storing them in the fridge this way). Before leaving, make sure to ask whether your food purchases can be stored in the refrigerator, how long they will last, and how often plants should be watered or left in the sun.

Cracking the “Organic” Egg

The Cornucopia Institute released a report on organic egg labeling including information about the true lifestyle of the chickens our eggs are coming from.  In the report Mark A. Kastel (The Cornucopia Institute’s co-director & senior farm policy analyst shares.

“After visiting over 15% of the certified egg farms in the United States, and surveying all name-brand and private-label industry marketers, it’s obvious that a high percentage of the eggs on the market should be labeled ‘produced with organic feed’ rather than bearing the USDA-certified organic logo.”

In essence many of the chickens that are regarded and labeled as organic, share the same facility with thousands of other chickens & rarely if ever, are treading on real soil and grass fields.

Click to learn more

Recipe of the Month Avocado Shrimp Ceviche

Ingredients

• 2 pounds large shrimp - peeled, deveined and chopped
• 3/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 5 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 5 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced
• 2 (4 ounce) packets saltine crackers

Directions

Place the shrimp and lime juice into a large bowl, and stir to coat. Let stand for about 5 minutes, or until shrimp are opaque. The lime juice will cook them. Mix in the tomatoes, onion, and cilantro until coated with lime juice; cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove from the refrigerator, and mix in the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, hot sauce, salt and pepper. We have our own hot sauce recipe, but you can use whatever hot sauce you like, or leave it out and let people add their own when serving. Serve in glass tumblers and top with avocado pieces. Set out extra Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, lime wedges and hot sauce for people to individualize their dish. Serve with saltine crackers.
Recipe courtesy of
Kettle Corn & Stuff a division of
Keith Jackson Enterprises Inc
www.kettlecornandstuff.com
http://twitter.com/KETTLECORNSTUFF

Featured Vendor:

Eco-Chic Designer: Patricia Candido

I always frequent the local Farmers’ Market & recently while visiting the Calabasas Farmer’s Market I found a designer that I just adore.  Her designs & inspiration come all the way from the Brazilian Amazonian Region where local Brazilian Indians sew organic materials easily found in the forest into beautiful jewelry.  Patricia took her inspiration home to create designs that would use Brazil’s natural gemstones & recycled dark denim cords to create very unique and alluring bracelets.  By using recycled denim cords instead of leather, she was able to stick to her Eco-conscious roots, while creating designs that have now become a coveted item by stars & people all over the world.
click to read more

ENTER TO WIN!

A Gift Basket filled with Jennifer McColm Earth friendly products
Just email Jennifer McColm with the words Gift Basket sweepstakes in the Subject line. Include your name, phone, address and you could win a basket full of wonderful eco-friendly Jennifer McColm products. 2 baskets will be given away this month. Names will be drawn on October 25th.
Please submit your email entry no later than October  21.
Don’t be left out!
Email Jennifer at info@jennifermccolm.com

Green Living Newsletter - June 2010

Greetings!,

Welcome to the source for the latest eco-news and information that will guide you in leaving behind a lighter footprint!

June is a busy month. Many students are graduating and June 20 is Father’s Day. I want to share with you some of my ideas on how to make June a green month.

Father’s Day
Some Green Ideas

Keep your green on Father’s Day (June 20) with these earth-friendly gift ideas.

Shop vintage: Rather than buying a new fishing rod, find an antique that’s just like the rod your father used as a child or the rod he used to teach you how to fish. The gift will have sentimental value, and gifting antiques leaves a lighter footprint by not using any additional resources for manufacturing

Recycle: Give new life to your father’s old things (it’s best to ask your dad which items he considers in need of a refresh before you attempt any drastic revamping projects). Recover a tattered chair, or send an outdated tie to Replayground.com , then place an order for a recycled necktie cell phone holder.

Save energy: If your dad loves to have the latest gadget, shop for eco-friendly innovations like a solar powered motion sensing outdoor light, or a wind/solar powered cell phone charger.

Featured Market
Larchmont Village

If you happen to find yourself near the corner of Beverly Blvd and Larchmont in Los Angeles this Sunday make sure to visit the Larchmont Village California Certified Farmers Market.

Much like the neighborhood it resides in, the Larchmont Market is small but has everything you’d expect.

There’s plenty of great produce and variety. Dried fruit, fresh fruit, juices, veggies, breads, olive oils, greek salads, seafood, nuts, flowers, plants, music, prepared food, jewelry.

I hope to see you there!

Larchmont Village Certified Farmers’ Market
Larchmont Boulevard just south of Beverly Boulevard
Sundays 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Recipe of the Month
This month I bring you a quick and simple recipe for asparagus which is in season in June

Asparagus Recipe

Preparation time: 10 minutes.

Ingredients
•    1 bunch of medium sized asparagus, about 1 lb
•    2 Tbsp of the most exquisite extra virgin olive oil
•    2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
•    1 teaspoon lemon zest - freshly grated lemon rind
•    Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
1  Prepare the asparagus by rinsing them thoroughly, break off any tough, white bottoms and discard. Cut into 1 to 2 inch sections, slicing the asparagus at a slight diagonal.

2  Fill a medium sized saucepan half way with water, bring to a boil. Add the asparagus and reduce heat slightly to a simmer. Parboil the asparagus for exactly 2 minutes. Drain the hot water. While the asparagus are still hot, toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, Parmesan, and lemon rind. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or room temperature.
ENTER TO WIN!
A Gift Basket filled with Jennifer McColm Earth friendly products

Just email Jennifer McColm with the words Gift Basket sweepstakes in the Subject line. Include your name, phone, address and you could win a basket full of wonderful eco-friendly Jennifer McColm products. 2 baskets will be given away this month. Names will be drawn on June 25th. Please submit your email entry no later than June 21. Don’t be left out!

Email Jennifer at
info@jennifermccolm.com

Coastal Cleanup Day 2008

Coastal Cleanup Day is September 20th, 2008!!

Every year, the state of California relies on volunteers to help clean up the coasts along the entire state. Coastal cleanup day in California is easily one of the largest volunteer events in Southern California.

This year, the coastal cleanup day will be September 20th. In 2007, there were more than 60,000 volunteers who moved trash from all of the beaches and lakes in the state. This huge undertaking helped to remove nearly 1 million pounds of trash; this is an astounding number that is unfortunately too common. While there are thousands of volunteers, there are millions of people who trash the coast and do not understand the importance of keeping it clean.

Why Clean Up our Coast?

There are two major reasons to clean up the coast; the humans, and the wildlife. Those who do not have a large soft spot for Mother Nature can still appreciate a clean coast. No one wants to walk onto a coast and beach only to find cigarette buts and wrappers. All of this trash can be incredibly distracting, and downright disgusting, for those who are attempting to enjoy a day at the beach. This is also incredibly unsanitary, as junk on the beach is not necessarily a healthy haven.

The animals are an entirely different story. While many people have heard of animals who have a hard time on the coasts with trash, the may not understand how wide spread the problem is. Many people have heard of birds or fish that have been stuck in the pop can plastic connecters. People generally do not hear of the birds and other animals that eat cigarette butts, and the animals who cut themselves on sharp trash. All of this trash can easily find it’s way to the coasts. If no one cleans this u, the animals will remain in danger.

How to Register and Volunteer

Registering and volunteering for the coastal cleanup day in California is incredibly easy. First, you need to figure out where you would like to clean up; there are local coordinators for all of the different areas on the coast. Once you reach the local coordinator, you can receive directions and instructions for the day of the cleaning. You can also do so online, and can actually set up a site of your own if none exist.

On the day of the actually clean up you will check in at your location and will receive most of the things that you need. While you need to bring your own shoes, hats, and gloves, you will be given trash bags and the information you need to track the trash you pick up. Volunteering for the coastal cleanup day is really this easy. Searching California’s government website will easily lead you to the database for the coastal cleanup day so that you can find your area and be well on your way to making a difference on California’s coasts.