This post is Part 2 of my holiday gift to readers and to other environmental researchers and writers that spend their time trolling through the web in search of good sites.

Consumerism

GreenerChoices.org - Published by the folks who bring us Consumer Reports, GreenerChoices.org is an online initiative designed to inform, engage, and empower consumers about environmentally-friendly products and practices. The site includes product ratings, calculators, eco-label information and buying guides to help steer your eco-dollars in the right direction.

Knowmore.org - A resource for those looking for information on Ethical Consumerism. Initially compiled as a wiki by volunteers, Knowmore.org runs the “Behind the Logos” project to help consumers understand the corporate practices of the world’s most profitable companies.

The Center for a New American Dream - An organization with the mission to help Americans consume responsibly to protect the environment, enhance quality of life, and promote social justice. The Center identifies environmental issues facing consumers and provides tools, resources and solutions to help Americans change their ways.

Directories & Guides

Local Harvest - Local Harvest is a comprehensive directory for?small farms, farmers markets, and sustainably grown foods. Whether you’re looking to find a farmer’s market where you’re going to be vacationing or are interested in learning more about CSA programs, you can find what you need by visiting the Local Harvest site.

MetaEfficient - Dubbed “the guide to highly efficient things,” MetaEfficient publishes lists of all kinds of highly efficient and green goods. From broad product categories like “Furniture,” to niche goods like earpods, MetaEfficient finds the most sustainable goods and delivers the scoop in their guides.?

The Green Guide?- Find out how to incorporate “green” into every area of your life with National Geographic’s Green Guide. The Green Guide is updated regularly with tips, products, companies, services and advice on going green, and is a reputable source of information for all things green.

Online Communities/Social Networks

Huddler’s Green Home - If you’re looking for a community full of like-minded eco-individuals, consider joining Huddler’s Green Home. You can submit product reviews, contribute to the site’s green wiki or engage in any number of green forums on this eco-focused social networking site.

MakeMeSustainable - MakeMeSustainable is an online community that provides individuals and businesses with the tools necessary to identify and accomplish their sustainable goals. Members can calculate and track their carbon emissions, encourage others to join the movement, and build a network of individuals, businesses and organizations that are committed to achieving a sustainable future.

People For Earth - People for Earth members work together to take action, learn, share, connect and collaborate on projects that promote eco-friendly living while addressing the serious issues related to the future of the planet. Community members can launch and join groups, post content, engage in debate and network with others who share their goals and ideals.

Research Resources

CorpWatch - The CorpWatch website is packed with information, links and research that citizens, journalists and organizations can use to hold corporations accountable for their actions. In an effort to aid researchers and keep an eye on big companies, CorpWatch provides news, analysis, research tools and action alerts about corporate practices around the globe.

The University of Michigan: Statistical Resources on the Environment - This no-nonsense site is a portal for statistical information related to the environment, global warming, climate change, pollution, alternative energy and other eco-topics. Use this site to find facts that back up your claims and fight propaganda and incomplete arguments with concrete data.

USGBC Green Building Links - The USGBC has compiled an extensive list of green and sustainable building resources. You can use this site to find organizations and governments that have implemented sustainable practices in the planning and development of their communities.

Think Tanks & Research Centers

RAND: Energy & Environment - RAND works to solve complex social, economic and governmental problems using scientifically-backed research and quality analysis. Drawing on multiple departments within RAND, the Energy & Environment group compiles research and works toward developing solutions that balance environmental concerns with economic development and social needs.

Union of Concerned Scientists - The Union of Concerned Scientists is a science-based alliance of citizens and scientists working together for environmental solutions and responsible change in government policy. Combining rigorous scientific analysis, innovative policy development, and effective citizen advocacy, the Union of Concerned Scientists strives to achieve practical environmental solutions.

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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

To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves.
Mahatma Gandhi

I love to grow food and flowers - doing so makes me happy, productive and grounded. Gardening is an easy way to reconnect with the basics of life - soil, sun, water and plants - and to give back to the Earth, your community and yourself. When you grow food, you give the gift of beauty to your neighbors, you contribute directly to feeding your friends and family, and you live in a more sustainable manner.

Growing your own food is also a good way to reduce your carbon footprint, and most farmers are willing to share what they know to help get you started. In researching seed companies, I was heartened to find that all of the companies I checked out offer information on growing organic and heirloom foods. When you choose to grow organic food, you choose to do more than simply plant a garden - you choose to respect the planet and reduce your negative environmental impact on the land. And each time you choose to consume food that’s grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, ionizing radiation or genetic modification, you choose to place your health and the health of your community above the interests of agri-businesses and corporate food suppliers.

Once fall settles in and my garden is packed away for the winter, I like to spend time going through seed catalogs and looking for plants for next year’s garden. Check out the organic seed suppliers below - each company sells organic and heirloom seeds, tools and supplies to help in building your beds, and resources to help you know all you need to get started.

Johnny’s Selected Seeds is an employee-owned farm in Albione, Maine, that offers a selection of over 300 kinds of organic and heirloom seeds through their mail-order catalog or via their website. While they aren’t 100% organic, Johnny’s does ensure that none of their seeds or plants are genetically engineered, and they are expanding their supply of organic products. And when it comes to selection, Johnny’s offers a diverse array of vegetable, herb, flower, and cover crop seeds (such as oats and wheat).

Seeds of Change is an organic farm and seed supplier that is committed to living organically and offering organic products to the public.? Founded in 1989, the company’s mission is “to help preserve biodiversity and promote sustainable, organic agriculture” which they achieve by growing 100% organic seeds, seedlings and food. With a selection of over 600 distinct seeds for home gardeners and 100 distinct seeds for commercial growers, Seeds of Change is dedicated to preserving open-pollinated, organically grown, heirloom and traditional vegetable, flower and herb seeds. Looking around the Seeds of Change website, it’s clear that the company truly believes in the importance of living sustainably, and in harmony with the Earth.

Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply is an organic farm and seed company that supports commercial and home growers by offering a wide selection of organic seeds, and by providing their customers with information on organic farming. With a true desire to educate people about organic farming (the company started out in a garage, and sent out 4-page newsletters to growers), the company’s website has a range of resources aimed at keeping growers informed about farming education, grants, publications and news. Searching for seeds is interesting too, as you can “flip through” the company’s electronic seed catalog and flip from section to section with the interactive navigation tools.

The Natural Gardening Company has been around since 1986, and was the first certified organic nursery in the United States. Offering a selection of organic seeds and seedlings for vegetables, herbs, and flowers. The Natural Gardening Company places a high value on the quality of their seeds, and, like the other growers listed here, does not sell any genetically engineered plants or seeds. You can select from over 50+ different kinds of organic vegetable seeds, and spend the spring sowing endive, okra and collard greens if you’re so inclined.The Natural Gardening Company also sells gardening accessories and offers helpful gardening tips on their site.

If you’ve never grown vegetables, I encourage you to give it a try. You can grow some vegetables in containers on your porch, dig up the grass and plant a big, sunny bed, or drop seeds into an existing flower garden - it’s not how much you grow that matters, it’s that you grow at all.

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Early fall is the best time of the year for tomatoes, and of those available at farmer’s markets, farm stands and grocery stores, heirlooms are the tastiest, most interesting tomatoes on the market. If you’ve ever bitten into a perfectly ripe Brandywine, or savored slices of an Old German varietal, you know the joy that is an heirloom tomato!

Heirloom tomatoes are classified as such when the plants’ seeds have been passed down from generation-to-generation, when they are open-pollinated (meaning they are pollinated by insects and birds instead of by hand), and when there’s been no genetic modification of the plant. According to Wikipedia, seeds used to grow heirloom tomatoes must be at least 50 years old (some claim that heirloom seeds must be at least 100 year-old), as hybrid seeds entered the tomato growing industry in 1945 - at the end of World War II.

Regardless of the exact definition of what it means to be an heirloom tomato, the fact is that there are many varieties of these old-fashioned seeds available from growers all over the country. Gary Ibsen’s TomatoFest site offers over 600 different heirloom tomato seeds to growers interested in preserving this part of our nutritional past. Gardeners can purchase seeds that have been part of a family’s history and grow their own varieties wherever they live. And since heirlooms are all grown using open-pollination, the genetic make-up of the seeds changes over time, as pollinators introduce different genetic materials into the plant during pollination.

Some people don’t like heirloom tomatoes because they aren’t the shiny, bright red, round fruit that we’re used to finding in our grocery stores. Genetically modified tomatoes are produced to be hearty (for transportation), consistently sized (for easy harvesting and storage/transport), and flavored (because people want to know what they’re buying tastes like on a whole). Heirloom tomatoes come in all kinds of sizes and colors and range in flavor from sharp and bitter to juicy and sweet. When looking through boxes full of heirlooms, it’s easy to think that the farmers picked the rejected fruit from the vines and threw them into the bins labeled heirloom!

The difference in the appearance of these tomatoes is in large part due to the open-pollination of the seeds. With hand-pollinated tomatoes, farmers can control the genetic materials that mix with their plants. Once a seed is open-pollinated however, there’s no telling where the insects and birds have been and what pollen they’ve dropped in the process of pollinating your plants.

Here are just a few of the hundreds of heirlooms out there - if you want to taste food at its very best, try to find some locally grown heirlooms before the end of fall. Even if the fruit are funny looking and not what you’d normally expect in a tomato, I bet your mouth will thank you for your efforts!

Yellow Lollipop Cherry Tomatoes, available at TomatoSeeds.net, are small yellow tomatoes that have a sweet lemon-like flavor that is fruity and unique.

According to the folks behind the TomatoSeeds site, the Caspian Pink Tomato originated in southern Russia and produces 1 lb. pink beefsteak tomatoes that rival the famous Pink Brandywine for taste.

The Cherokee Purple, available from the Victory Seed Company, is over 100 years old - having been passed down from the Cherokee Tribes of North America, and is a good producer of medium sized, purple brown tomatoes with darker shoulders.

Offered by TomatoFest, the Peacevine Cherry Tomato is a tiny (dime-sized) tomato that grows in the hundreds per plant. These tomatoes have the highest Vitamin C content of any tomato and, because of their high amino acid content, have a calming effect on the body according to TomatoFest.

Yellow and red in color, these Arkansas Marvels are beefsteaks that can grow to be up to 1 pound. According to the growers behind the TomatoFest site, these beauties have a mild, peach flavor and produce a good yield on the vine.

I hope you find some delicious tomatoes this fall - and let me know if you have tips on how best to prepare these beauties, though I dare say it’s difficult to beat slicing them right off the vine and gobbling the fruit up while it’s still warm from the sun!

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This past week I decided that I have Green Guilt. There are aspects of my life that could be a little more environmentally responsible (not the least of which is the fact that I drive 500+ miles a week - mostly because my job is a 70 mile-a-day commute). In thinking about all of the large and small things I do that aren’t very environmentally friendly, I thought it might help me break my bad habits if I write up a list and post it for the world to read. This way, my sins will be on display for all, and that might make me more likely to act responsibly, if only to point to the fact that I’m changing my way.

So here it is, my list of green sins:

1. I drive upwards of 500 miles a week. And while I try to limit my driving to commuting, necessary errands and visits to friends/ for my personal life, I sometimes make unnecessary trips. There’s a bus from downtown Portsmouth out to Newington (about 5 miles). I like to go to the bookstore out that way on occasion, but I have to admit that I never take the bus. Likewise, I visit my doctor in Boston every couple of months, but rarely ride the MBTA Commuter Rail to do so.

2. I don’t recycle at work. My workplace does not have a recycling program in place, and I’ve not made any inroads into establishing one. My best friend has been working on a hardcore recycling program for her workplace (and she works in the biotech industry, which makes it particularly difficult to do this kind of thing because of all of the biohazard requirements they have to follow), and I can’t even find out if we can get paper recycling bins for underneath our desks. And while I do try and bring my recyclable bottles home with me and toss them in the recycling bin here, I don’t always succeed in my efforts.

3. I throw away food. This one kills me. What tends to happen is that I go to the grocery store with high ideals and purchase enough produce to last me two weeks. Upon arriving home, I cut up the veggies and store everything in my fridge for easy consumption later. Over the course of the week however, I just won’t eat the food that’s in my fridge. Sometimes I eat out, sometimes I eat with friends, and sometimes I simply don’t eat. At the end of the two weeks, I’ll go to clean out my fridge and make room for new food, and end up throwing what had been perfectly good green peppers and broccoli into the garbage.

4. On the weekends I go out and leave the radio on in my apartment. Don’t ask me why - because I seriously don’t know why I do this, I just do.

5. I occasionally forget my mug when I get coffee at the local coffee joint. When I do forget my mug, I don’t always recycle the plastic cups that hold my iced Java - though I will say that I do make a good effort to recycle these, except of course when I’m at work. The fact that I buy my coffee pre-made from the local coffee joint isn’t so great either, though I almost always grab my morning elixir from locally owned and operated shops - Breaking New Grounds and Popovers on the Square, both in downtown Portsmouth.

6. Sometimes I get my coffee at Dunkin Donuts.

7. When it’s hot outside (really hot), I love to drive around with my windows open and the air conditioning on!

8. I still purchase synthetic clothing that’s made in countries like China, Malaysia, and Thailand. It’s not that I want to purchase these kinds of clothing, it just so happens that I can’t really afford organic cotton and hemp clothes that are hand-made in the USA. In my favor, I never throw out any clothes, I recycle and reuse them or donate my old outfits to charity.

9. Although I do buy a great deal of organic and locally produced foods, sometimes I can’t afford to do so. Some of the organic food that I do buy comes in individual servings (Amy’s Kitchen is my biggest sin on this front), and some of the organic food is mass-produced in California, than shipped to New Hampshire for my consumption (again with Amy’s Organics).

10. My favorite drink is Polar Seltzer Water - which comes in 1 liter plastic bottles and which I can drink 2 of each day when given the chance. I also buy Vitamin Water, Tazo Tea and Poland Spring Sparkling Water every once in a while. I do however, recycle all of the bottles.

With the publication of this list, I am going to try and make some real changes in my life and start acting more responsibly. Green guilt isn’t a good thing to carry around, though it can be used as a motivating factor. Let me know about your green guilt - what kinds of environmentally-distressing things are you still doing? What holds you back when you think about all of the good things you’re doing to make this planet a greener place?

I promise that I’ll report back soon and let you all know what kinds of changes I’ve made and what I can cross off this list of green guilt!

With the onset of spring, it’s a good time to think about your vegetable buying habits and consider your options for purchasing fruits and veggies in places other than national chain grocery stores. For those of us who live in chilly climates or urban areas, grocery stores offer an abundance of produce year-round to keep us healthy and meet our nutritional needs. Once it turns warm however, we’re no longer as limited in where we can purchase produce.

By buying locally grown produce, you support regional farmers, decrease your carbon footprint (since your produce doesn’t have to be shipped across the country) and contribute to your local economy. Locally grown food tends to be fresher than supermarket produce since it doesn’t need to travel far to reach your table, and does not contribute to the agribusiness industry. And while not all smaller farms are organic, the fact that the farms are small means they probably use far less chemical fertilizer on their lands than do their mammoth corporate counterparts.

So where can you find fresh, locally grown produce…

Farmer’s Markets

Let me start by saying that i love farmer’s markets. I would one day like to own my own farm, and when I visit my local farmer’s market on Saturday mornings in the summer and fall, I talk to the farmers and learn about what you need to do to make it in this shrinking industry. Portsmouth has a great farmer’s market that’s run by the Seacoast Growers Association, and offers live music, a variety of vendors and cheap, locally grown produce. Whenever I head out to the farmer’s market here I feel as if I’m connecting with my community and I usually meet someone interesting while browsing the tomatoes or picking out flowers to take home.

Farmer’s markets provide the sole venue for over 19,000 American farmers to sell their wares, and their popularity grew 18% from 2004 to 2006 (the most recent USDA statistic). Additionally, farmer’s markets are all about getting healthy food to as many people as possible, and many farmers will accept food stamps or WIC (Women, Infants and Children) vouchers. You can find a farmer’s market in your state by checking the USDA Farmer’s Market site, by visiting Local Harvest, a website dedicated to the promotion of local and organic foods, or by searching for “farmer’s markets” and your zip code.

Farmer’s markets sell more than just fresh fruits and vegetables. At most markets you can find herbs, plants, flowers, eggs, cheese, meats and breads all produced locally. You will often find artists and craftspeople at farmer’s market as well information on community organizations and outreach programs.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Community Supported Agriculture consists of community members joining together to support a local farm and share in the farm’s output. By funding the farm’s operations over the course of a growing season, community members participate in the production of their food, and also face the same risks as do the farm. When participating in a CSA program, consumers pledge financial support of the entire growing season, thus removing the burden on the farmer to market or distribute their food via retail outlets (though some still do so).

When food is ripe, CSA participants receive their share, but do not have the same choices that they might when buying from a farmer’s market or grocery store. When you participate in CSA farming however, you are making a commitment to the farm and to your community. This kind of support tends to establish closer ties between the farmer’s and their customers, and participants tend to feel more connected with their food. You also benefit from the diversity of the farmer’s crops, and may end up eating foods that you’d never previously considered due to the often erratic nature of growing food.

You can find out more about CSA programs by checking out the USDA Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, or the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association. CSA farms are scattered about the country, and most organizations supporting their use are regional. Other links to consider include: UMass Community Supported Agriculture (supporting Greater New England), Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (supporting the Berkshires, Hudson Valley & Pioneer Valley), and the Madison Area Community Supported Agricultural Coalition (supporting southern Wisconsin).

Farmer’s markets and CSA programs aren’t your only alternatives for procuring produce locally. I will write more in a future post about Community Gardening, Cooperatively-owned Markets, and Farm Stands. In the meantime, consider checking out your local food market or doing a little research into CSAs in your area.

This past week I was lucky enough to see Stonyfield Farm Chairman, President, and “CE-Yo,” Gary Hirshberg, give a lecture at the RiverRun Bookstore in Portsmouth, NH. On my way home from an evening walk, I noticed the bookstore was filled with people and decided to stop in and see what was going on. Am I happy that I stopped! Not only is Hirshberg a fantastic speaker, but his lecture touched on all things environmental, from organic farming and foods to solid waste management and conservation at the highest levels of business.

Hirshberg has a new book, Stirring It Up: How to Make Money and Save the World, and is on an extensive book tour promoting his efforts and touting tips on how to cut your carbon emissions, use fewer resources and still turn a profit. I thought he was an extremely good speaker - his honesty and sincerity were evident from the start of his talk, and you could just tell that his passion for saving the planet is real.

In addition to letting us in on his past - from his beginnings at The New Alchemy Institute on Cape Code - to his recent conversations with CEOs of major companies including Wal-Mart, Hirshberg shared stories about how Stonyfield Farms is doing their part to be a steward to the environment by managing their externalities, reducing waste, and recycling anything that’s left over.

While I’ve not yet had a chance to purchase his book, I intend on doing so. Hirshberg uses the text in order to call on individuals and businesses:

to realize their power to effect change in the marketplace - ‘the power of one’ - while proving that environmental commitment makes for a healthier planet and a healthier bottom line.

And in listening to Hirshberg, I truly got the sense that not only does he believe in his philosophy, but that he wants to do everything possible to make his philosophy a reality for as many people as humanly possible. Part of what made his talk so compelling too, was his emphasis on the positive - he wasn’t all gloom and doom when speaking about the challenges of changing human behavior in order to save the environment. Rather, Hirshberg offered an attitude of optimism, and made me feel that all of the little things I do on my own may actually make a difference in the long run.

Hirshberg also spoke extensively about Stonyfield Farm’s non-profit foundation, Climate Counts - an organization that fosters a “collaborative effort to bring consumers and companies together in the fight against global climate change.” One of the services that Climate Counts provides is a Scorecard that grades major corporations on their environmental responsibilities. I checked out the tool and was surprised to see how poorly companies including CBS and Levi Strauss scored, and also how well Nike and IBM did on their scores.

What I found most interesting about the entire lecture however, was learning about all of Stonyfield’s environmental initiatives. At the farm, nothing is wasted, and they really strive to make green changes with every new product they create, and with all of their existing products. Additionally, Stonyfield Farm gives 10% of its profits to environmentally-friendly organizations, has its carbon emissions offset 100%, and invites their customers to return their yogurt containers to the farm so they can be recycled into spoons and other products.

Check out Stonyfield Fams if you get a chance - and by the way, their yogurt is great too!