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Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I like the simplicity of Thanksgiving - that on this day you are meant to join together with friends and family, eat a large, lovingly prepared meal, and give thanks for all the blessings in your life.

I also know that Thanksgiving can be a stressful time for all kinds of reasons - vegans and vegetarians may have a hard time finding food that suits their philosophies (and often have to fight their families about their beliefs), people battling eating disorders are barraged with food at every turn, and those struggling to take charge of their diets (for health reasons, for philosophical reasons, for monetary reasons), are usually forced to give up control and eat what others have prepared.

If you’ve arranged your life around organic and locally produced foods, Thanksgiving might seem like the beginning of the end - it’s the official kick off of holiday parties, holiday food and holiday meals that are filled with foods you might otherwise never touch! While you may have to take a few deep breaths this season and eat what others have cooked, you don’t have to drop your efforts at organic if you’re making the meals. Small and family farmers all over the country raise organic turkeys under humane conditions. While you may have to place your orders early (most of the sites I saw listed November 21 as the cut-off date), you will be rewarded when a healthful, fresh, organic turkey arrives on your doorstep ready to cool.

Organic Turkey Farmers & Retailers

The Diestel Family Turkey Ranch raises Heidi’s Hens - Certified Organic Turkeys that are range grown on the family’s ranch in the Sierra Foothills, fed certified organic corn and soy, and blessed with the Certified Organic label by Oregon Tilth. Diestel Family Turkeys can be found in stores all over the US and in nationwide Whole Foods Markets.

Lobel’s Organic Free-Range Thanksgiving Turkeys are raised in an all-natural environment that is free of hormones and sub-therapeutic antibiotics. The turkeys are fattened up on a diet of certified organic grains, and arrive fresh (never frozen) on your doorstop on the day of your choice between November 21 and 25. Lobel’s turkeys are from 10-24 pounds, and range in price from $75-$140.

Organic Whole Young Turkeys from Organic Prairie are small birds (less than 14 pounds each) that are produced by an independent cooperative of organic family farms. According to their website, Organic Prairie farmers never use antibiotics, or synthetic hormones or pesticides in production, and for turkeys, organic management starts the first day out of the egg. You can purchase these birds through the website or find a store that sells the turkeys near you.

Tropical Traditions Pasteurized Turkeys are free-range turkeys that are raised on Cocofeed - an organic turkey-feed ration that contains no soy products and has been specially developed by Tropical Traditions for their turkeys. Tropical Traditions is a family farm in Wisconsin where they’re allowed to roam free on diversified farms practicing sustainable agriculture. Tropical Traditions turkeys cost from $75 - $140 and the are shipping now for receipt before Thanksgiving.

Willie Bird Organic Turkey from Williams-Sonoma are raised on natural grains and vegetable proteins and certified by the Oregon Tilth to be free of artificial pesticides and chemicals. These 10-18 pound birds are shipped overnight from Oregon and arrive at your home the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Orders can be accepted until noon on November 21, and cost from $72-$105.

You’ll obviously need more than organic turkeys to get you through the season, and while you might already have a whole list of organic and local food providers, it never hurts to connect with new famers or find farmers when you’re traveling. LocalHarvest is an organization committed to preserving the connection between farms and communities by providing information on small, locally-owned, and family farms. LocalHarvest maintains a Turkey Guide to help people find turkeys that have been raised under organic conditions on small-scale and family farms. Most of the turkeys in the LocalHarvest guide are certified organic and have been raised without the use of antibiotics or hormonees. You can also find information about all kinds of other foods through the LocalHarvest website, including all the fixens you’ll need for your holiday meals.

If you’re interested in learning more about organic and heritage turkeys, check out these resources:

Heritage, Organic & Wild Turkeys: Better Than Butterball? in The Nibble

How to Have an Organic Thanksgiving from iVilliage

Take the Local, Organic Thanksgiving Challenge! from The Green Fork

During the Presidential campaign, Barack Obama touted the creation of green collar jobs as one of the primary objectives of his environmental agenda. If Obama stays true to his word, and Congress works with the new President to pass his green initiatives, I would expect a plethora of new green jobs to spring up over the next few years.

Some companies have already created green collar jobs, and there are plenty of people in America doing eco-related work today. To help environmentally comitted companies connect with the next generation of green employees, green-focused job sites have sprung up all over the Internet. If you’re interested in working for a company that is passionate about environmental issues, that develops green, cleantech and renewable energy technologies, or is looing to move into the green sector, you might find your next job on one of the following sites.

Coop America’s Green Business Network is a network of socially and environmentally responsible businesses that are focused on helping businesses with deep social and environmental commitments emerge and succeed in the marketplace. In addition to offering support and information to small and medium green-growing businesses, the Green Business Network has a job board with links to green job hunting sites.

Greenbiz.com is a news site that publishes information geared toward helping companies align their environmental responsibilities with business success.TheGreenbiz.com job board is populated with job openings from companies focused on implementing and promoting green, cleantech, and sustainable business practices.

Green Business is a news and information blog that highlights current events and news as it relates to green business, and technology. A section of the site is focused on green jobs, and you can find links to green job boards in various posts.

The Green Careers Center (formerly known as the Environmental Career Center) is an eco-focused job site that promotes green employment by connecting eco-employers with like-minded job seekers. Green Careers Center has been working for the betterment of the environment for over 25 years, and their job board reflects theircommitment in the quality and diversity of available positions.

Green Careers on MonsterTrak is the first green job site that is geared toward college students and recent graduates that are interested in finding green collar work. By partnering with job-giant Monster.com, green marketing guru ecoAmerica, and the Environmental Defense Fund, Green Careers on MonsterTrak offers a comprehensive list of entry-level, part-time and internship opportunities for green job seekers looking to jump into new roles.

Idealist is a global non-profit organization that promotes dialog and action between people and businesses interested in making this world a better place. While not all of theinformation on Idealist is green-centered, they have increased their green content and seem to be focusing more on environmental issues than they had done in the past. The Job Board on Idealist includes non-profit jobs, volunteer opportunities and internships all over the world.

RenewableEnergyWorld.com is a news and information site that strives to educate and inform people and companies on all issues related to renewable energy. RenewableEnergyWorld.com has a Job Board that helps green professionals track down jobs related to the development and production of renewable energy technologies.

Sustainable Business is a news and networking organization that promotes sustainable business practices and provides resources to help companies integrate sustainability in their business practices. Sustainable Business connectseco-employers that meet their “seal of sustainability” standard, with job seekers via the Green Dream Jobs board.

TreeHugger is a mainstream media outlet that prides itself on “helping the masses get hooked on sustainability,” by providing news, information, “how to guides, and multimedia related to green living. Users can search the Green Job Board for global environmental employment, just be aware that the search functionality is limited and doesn’t let you view all of the open positions at once.

Additional Sites

ClimateChange.org Job Board

Common Good Careers

Environmental Career Opportunities

Environmental Jobs

Green Collar Economy

Grist Jobs

Just Means

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It’s come to my attention recently that I have not been entirely fair in presenting a selection of eco-friendly products that work for both men and women. Since writing for the Green Buy Guide, I’ve realized that, while it’s relatively easy to find interesting, hip, stylish eco-goods for the ladies, tracking down equally cool goods for guys is a little trickier.

In tracking down products for this publication, I’ve come across hundreds of eco-businesses owned by women who design cool, interesting and stylish clothes, shoes and accessories specifically for women. When it comes to finding similar products for men however, I often come up short. Perhaps it’s because women buy more clothes, shoes, and accessories than do men, thus creating a larger market for their wares. Regardless, I’ve decided I need to work harder and uncover more green goods for my male readers. In the spirit of my previous post, I thought I’d start by introducing eco-boots that guys can wear too.

Timberland has a reputation for making high-quality rugged shoes and boots that keep the wet and cold away from your feet without sacrificing comfort. And with the introduction of their Earthkeepers line of footwear, the company has stepped up their environmental stewardship and made a real commitment toward treading lightly on the Earth. Shoes with the Earthkeepers label are manufactured using recycled materials and must meet design criteria around recycled, organic and renewable content, solvent-free adhesives, and reduced climate impact.

The Earthkeepers label includes both work and dress boots that are eco-friendly, comfortable and generally waterproof as well. If you’re looking for heavy-duty workboots, you might like the Earthkeepers 6-inch brown waterproof leather boot. The boot lining and outsoles are made from recycled materials that wick moisture away thereby keeping your feet dry all day, and the soles are designed for all-day comfort. These light-weight boots retail for $160 and are available in black, dark brown and brown. If you’re in need of a dress boot, check out these Earthkeepers Leather Chukka boots. Worn under dress slacks, these ankle-high leather boots are also made from recycled materials, are entirely waterproof and retail for $140.?

If you’re in search of Friday night footwear that you can feel good about sporting, NOVASCAS offers stylish shoes and boots that look like leather but are actually crafted from the finest microfibers and cruelty-free materials available. NOVASCAS products are 100% vegan, are produced in European factories and distributed by a few retailers in US, Canada and the UK. NOVASCAS’s Jacob boot is ankle-high, finished with decorative stitching and could easily pass for leather (at least from the photos). You can purchase the Jacob boot for $140 through the MooShoes site or through one of the other fine retailers listed on the company’s website.

While it’s easy to find eco-boots of any color and style if you’re a woman, there are fewer funky options out there for guys who want to mix it up and make a statement with their footwear. Vegetarian Shoes makes unforgettable footwear using microfibers and biodegradable synthetics (including something called Stretch Fake Suede) in worker-friendly European factories. These shoes are cruelty-free and made-to-order according to your specifications and measurements. Check out these Airseal Paraboots in bright green! These “military-style” 10-eyelet boots are made from Vegetan Micro-microfibre uppers and look, wear, and feel like real leather. Vegetarian Shoes also makes the Acton Boot - a good choice if you’re looking for a tall boot that doesn’t need to be unlaced everytime you kick off your shoes.

I am always looking to expand my database of eco-retailers, so if you know about eco-companies - especially those making products for both men and women - feel free to drop me a line and let me know what’s up. Here’s hoping you can find eco-boots that suit your tastes and that will keep your toes warm all winter long!

When you live in New England, winter starts once Halloween ends, and you have to be prepared for snow, sleet, ice or rain until you think that it will never be warm again (a time most commonly referred to as “May”). And since you’ll be wearing it for so very long, it’s critical to outfit yourself with winter gear that’s warm, well-made and hip enough to wear ALL the time.? With such long winters it’s easy to get sick of your boots - so I’ve compiled a list of companies that are designing eco-friendly boots that will keep your toes toasty and look cool as you slog through the snow.

Beyond Skin is a British shoe company that hand-makes shoes using ethical labor and trade practices,? eco-friendly synthetic materials (non of the company’s products are made with animal products), and sustainable manufacturing processes. Beyond Skin products are are crafted out synthetic fabrics (thereby reducing the waste generated by the overall production of the products), and are suitable for vegetarians and vegans who are looking for cruelty-free footwear.? Beyond Skin boots are made with Polyurethane (PU) - a synthetic material that looks like PVC leatherette, but doesn’t contain dioxin - an environmentally damaging chemical.

While Beyond Skin doesn’t offer a huge selection of boots, their slouchy Celeste boots (shown above) are stylish and ethical. Made from faux suede, these mid-calf boots come in brown or black, and will set you back a few bucks (about $374). If you’re looking for ankle boots, Beyond Skin also makes funky black hemp Nadia boots which retail for about $690.

If you want eco-boots and don’t mind wearing leather, you might like the boots offered by California designer Calleen Cordero. Hand-made in a small California factory, these boots are crafted out of beautiful Italian leathers, hand-sculpted wood bottoms, and molded orthopedic foam insoles. Quantities of each product are limited (as each boot is hand produced by artisans), and expensive - though it looks like each pair is well worth its price. If you have the budget to splurge this season, consider outfitting yourself with a pair of Calleen Cordero’s truly unique boots.

If I could pick just one pair of Calleen Cordero boots for my feet, I think I’d go for these sexy Topa Boots (above & to the right).? Hand-stitching on the boot uppers adds a flirty finish that would look great over jeans, and the funky heel makes the boots all the hipper. The $670 Topa Boot is only made in limited sizes - 8 and 8.5 (which just happens to be my size!), and can be purchased online or from boutiques in North America, Europe and Japan. Calleen Cordero offers ankle boots too, including the Adrianna Half Boot (to the left). With 4 1/2 inch heels, these short boots will help you stand out in a crowd and feel confident that your $620 was well spent on eco-friendly footwear.? For further insight into the production of these boots, make sure you check out the company’s online Factory Tour.

Founded in 2005 out of the idea to create a “luxurious, socially-conscious fashion label,” Charmone incorporates the founders’ eco-ideas into the design and production of their high-end shoes and boots. By using microfibers (instead of leather) in their footwear, Charmone products are crafted with the philosophy of “compassionate design,” and product less waste than do leather boots.? In an effort to bring compassion to every part of their business, Charmone shoes and boots are manufactured in sweat-shop free factories where quality craftmanship is encouraged.

If you want something really different this winter, consider Charmone’s moss green Darjeeling ankle boots. Crafted out of microfiber faux suede and faux leather, these $250 vegan boots will look cool peeping out from under your jeans. Darjeeling boots also come in black, but I think the mossy color is what really makes these boots! Charmone also makes a knee-high boot called the Dragonwell - I like the how they look,? but the boot heels don’t really suite my pragmatic winter needs.

Form & Fauna is another eco-shoe company that makes hip and funky footwear using sustainable materials and practices. Using non-traditional and renewable materials to manufacture their boots, Flora & Fauna is committed to reducing their environmental impact on the Earth. Fabrics and materials included in the production process include Italian synthetics, organic hemp, bamboo and regenerative wood (for the heels), rubber outsoles, recycled fibers and breathable eco-liners for inside the shoes. These Cocca Hot Rod thigh-high boots (to the left) have Anil Kid uppers and rubber outsoles that keep the eco-conscious in stylish attire.

Terra Planet makes sustainable footwear that fits into three primary categories: 21st century artisan (shoes made using classical designs with modern technologies), Recycled (shoes made from recycled materials), and Barefoot (shoes that are as close to the principle of going barefoot as possible). While Terra Planet does manufacture their shoes in China, they work hard to develop life cycle metrics for all of their products and to minimize their negative environmental impacts through better sourcing, the use of sustainable and recyclable materials, and a professional code of conduct for all of their factories.

The Terra Planet Janis boot (shown at right) is made from vegetable tanned leather and is adorned? with a recycled quilt panel (made from recycled Pakistani and Bangladeshi quilts) in the shape of a flower on the boot’s back. These $295 boots eco-boots are held together with minimal glues (to reduce their environmental impact), and built with recycled materials when possible. Finally, if you’re looking for some really different boots this winter, make sure you check out these quilted ankle Lauren boots. These high-heeled short boots are also made from recycled quilts, are vegetable tanned and locally sourced.

The boots and companies listed here are just a sampling of the eco-comitted businesses out there who are dedicated to designing, crating and selling environmentally friendly goods. If you have an eco-business, or know of eco-companies that you’d like to see promoted, let me know! I am always looking for new sites to visit and new products to share with the eco-aware.

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• Good for the sole

So at last, the end is near. On Tuesday we will collectively change the course of America and elect either Senator Barack Obama or Senator John McCain as the next President of the United States. After 2 years of nearly non-stop campaigning, hundreds of millions of dollars spent on advertising, and near media saturation by both candidates over the past few weeks, the end is finally in sight.

As I sit here tonight listening to the American Roots “Singing and Swinging the Election 2008” radio program, I can really see that a revolution has been taking place in small towns, suburbs and big cities across this country. Sitting here, listening to Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, and Ralph Stanley sing protest songs about rising up as a nation and taking back the reigns of power, I feel a sense of change is in the air. Revolutions don’t just happen -they require the commitment, strength, energy, funds, and sweat-equity of ordinary people. And at this time in our history, the ordinary people of this country are standing up for that in which they believe, and while we don’t all believe in the same things, the fact that so many people have taken the time to stand up for their beliefs is powerful.

It took me most of this year to really warm up to him, but in the past few months I have been increasingly moved by Barack Obama’s compassion and understanding of the American people, by his vision for the future of this nation, and by his plea for personal responsibility, engagement and support from each and every one of us. I appreciate the fact that Senator Obama is a populist - that he believes regular people can change the country for the better -? and that he seems to understand his greatest strength is the citizenry of this country. And while I am tired of the radio and TV commercials, annoyed by the glossy flyers that land in my mailbox, and repulsed by the daily attacks by both parties, I know that the end is near.

So here is my message to any and all reading this post - whatever you do on Tuesday, please make sure you VOTE! If you don’t vote, you give up your voice in the debate, and you relinquish a little piece of your personal power. Our government is “…of the people, by the people, for the people,” and in order to be included in the process, every eligible citizen needs to get out and vote! And while this post is not specifically related to the environment or green buying, the outcome of this election will very much impact the future of this nation and this planet’s environmental well-being.

I have already written about both Obama and McCain’s environmental viewpoints and policies, and I have no problem stating that a vote for Obama is a vote for responsible, scientifically sound environmental policies that will benefit all of our futures. With this election, you have the opportunity to do what is best for the the planet and all of its inhabitants, so do your civic duty and vote on Tuesday, November 4!

Here’s to hope and a community activist who really believes in the power of the people!

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