Tag: nature

Urban farming can at first seem a bit odd because for a long time there’s been a divide between agriculture and urban living. This is especially true in the more impoverished urban areas, where roads are lined with fast food joints and corner markets, but locals rarely have access to fresh foods. But the urban landscape, with its empty lots and vacant schoolyards actually serves as the ideal place for growing food. From abandoned lots to warehouse space, green roofs and window boxes, there’s plenty of room for urban farming. In fact, urban farms can pop up just about anywhere.

The Benefits of Urban Farming

Urban farming is the easiest way to connect the urban population to where their food comes from. Apples and tomatoes don’t come from the grocery store or the cafeteria and that hamburger and fries wasn’t produced out of thin air. Growing your own food, whether in a rural or urban landscape reminds us that all living things are in fact connected to one another through the circle of life.

Additionally, the legacy that fast food joints and processed junk food have left behind is one of obesity and chronic disease. And impoverished urban neighborhoods with their food deserts likely suffer the most from this epidemic. Urban farming brings fresh, local, organic foods to a population that doesn’t have access to healthy foods at a low cost.

Community gardens, especially those in urban areas, bring together communities around an outdoor, physical activity. It’s about connecting on a number levels: connecting people to the land, to their food, and to each other. After all, there’s no better way to come together than over a delicious local meal.

The Urban Farming Revolution

There’s an urban farming revolution going on in cities like Los Angeles. The documentary Urban Fruit follows three urban farming revolutionaries: Ron Finley, an urban farmer in South Central LA, Jason Kim of Forage Restaurant, and Rishi Kumar of The Growing Home.

These three urban farming revolutionaries are changing the face of the urban landscape in LA. Finley plants vegetable gardens in South Central’s abandoned lots, traffic medians and along curbs. He’s working against stereotypes and showing young people in his neighborhood that getting your hands dirty is actually a good thing. Kim is the owner and chef at Forage LA, a restaurant that trades garden loot from local urban gardeners with meals at the restaurant. The restaurant uses produce from a number of certified home growers to showcase the best in local urban eats. And then there’s Rishi Kumar, a former computer programmer who after spending time in India learning about organic farming, decided he would fulfill his passion at home with The Growing Home, an urban farm located in the suburbs of LA. The Growing Home serves as an educational center and model of sustainable living.

Obstacles to Urban Farming

While the word is getting out about urban farming, and as a result, more and more people are planting gardens in LA, New York and everywhere in between, urban growers do face some obstacles. For example city laws can prevent you from growing your own food in places like curb sides, parkways or abandoned lots. Soil contaminants, can be an issue especially when plots of land that were formerly used for something else like a gas station or industrial site. But according to American Society of Agronomy, while the soil may be contaminated, very little of the contamination makes its way into the fruits or vegetables themselves. However it is a good idea to have your soil tested when planting a new garden anywhere. This will help you determine the quality of your soil and the amendments needed to make it a healthy, nutrient rich soil for fruits and vegetables to thrive.

The potential for urban farming is indeed limitless, especially in cities that have an onslaught of abandoned lots. Green roofs and window boxes are another opportunity to plant food. These growing opportunities not only provide local food, they remind us where our food comes from while bringing the community together around something we all love: good, wholesome food.

Hiking is one of the most popular outdoor activities around, with millions of people heading out to walk a trail on a regular basis. But in addition to providing us with great views and a chance to get back to nature, did you know that hiking can also be really good for your health too? Here are some important benefits you can gain simply by taking a hike.

It’s a Good Workout

Since hiking is usually seen as a recreational activity that most of us enjoy it isn’t generally viewed as a workout in the traditional sense. But believe it or not, taking a stroll in the woods is actually a solid alternative to a day in the gym. Not only does hiking work the cardiovascular system, it can also help to strengthen your core, and build muscles in your legs and hips too. Spend a full day trekking on a local trail, and you’ll soon come to realize just what a good workout hiking can actually be.

It’s Great for Your Overall Health

In addition to being good exercise; hiking is great for your body in other ways too. For instance, it has been shown that hikers are less susceptible to heart disease, diabetes, and both colon and breast cancer. Hiking can also lower your blood pressure and drop your cholesterol numbers too. All of that leads to much better health in general, which often translates to more energy and a longer life.

It’s a Calorie Burner

Many of us are constantly on the lookout for ways to burn calories and lose some weight. Hiking can definitely help in that category, as a vigorous hike can burn as many as 500 calories per hour depending on speed and the difficulty of the terrain. That’s a surprisingly high number that puts hiking almost on par with activities such as running or cycling. That would explain why we’re always so hungry right after we get off the trail.

It’s Good for Your Mental Health Too!

Hiking doesn’t just provide benefits for the body; it can have a positive impact on the mind too. Taking a walk outside can help reduce stress levels dramatically and has been shown to improve a person’s overall mood as well. Additionally, hiking can lessen anxiety and bring higher levels of happiness, which research has shown is a common side effect that comes from regular exposure to nature.

It Will Help You Sleep Better

Hiking is a good cure for insomnia and will help you to sleep much better too. The physical nature of a hike will obviously tire out the body, but exposure to fresh air, sunshine, and nature all contribute to a better mental state, which in turn leads to a deeper, more sound, sleep. That alone will have a positive impact on your mental state and quality of life.

It’s a Good Break From the Routine

Taking a hike is a good way to break out of your normal workout routine while still managing to stay active at the same time. If you find yourself stuck in a rut, and not enjoying your usual exercise regimen, mix in a hike or two to not only change up the schedule, but give your body a breather as well. You will probably be amazed at how good the change of pace will feel, and when you do return to the your regular workout it will be with renewed zest.

Anyone Can Do It!

Unlike some forms of exercise, pretty much anyone can go for a hike and receive positive benefits. While not everyone can run or ride a bike, most of us can at least walk, and walking on a trail is a healthy alternative to taking a stroll around the neighborhood. Best of all, hiking is a good activity for people of all ages, which means you kids can join you on your treks and you can continue to do it later in life too.

As you can see, just heading out to your favorite trail can provide some incredibly positive benefits to your health. On top of that, it happens to be a fun activity that you can do with friends and family too. What more could you ask for?

National Honey Bee Day is in August. Honey bees; an animal I usually disregard but take advantage of on a daily basis. 

As a child, one of my favorite cereals was Honey Nut Cheerios. That sweet tang was just enough to get me to eat breakfast. As I’ve grown older, I’ve relied heavily upon local honey to help relieve my seasonal allergies. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve taken this sweetener for granted. I mean, why not slather copious amounts of this sweet nectar onto my dry toast? Then, I began hearing and reading horror stories of how honey bees are on the brink of extinction and how our food supply will quickly dwindle if this is the case. 

I recently had the privilege to chat with Edward Spevak, the Curator of Invertebrates at the Saint Louis Zoo, regarding honey bee health, our ecosystem, and how pollination is essential to the food we consume. Spevak has not only devoted his time to the zoological park of Saint Louis, but he is also the Director of the Center for Native Pollinator Conservation and Bumble Bee Programme Officer for the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission Bumblebee Specialist Group. Needless to say, he was the exact person I wanted to speak with about the latest “bee scare.”   

In 2006, Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) was identified. We still do not know the exact cause because, at the end of the day, there are a plethora of reasons why the collapse has been happening: pesticide use, loss of flower resources with habitat loss, and diseases are just some of the situations occurring. There’s a lot going on at once (United States Department of Agriculture).

Many issues stem from the bee collapse. One of the bigger problems manifesting itself is that commercial beekeepers are having a harder time providing adequate pollination services. Most crops rely on bees, but a lot of times there are not enough native bees to get the job done. So, beekeepers place honeybees in boxes and transport them wherever pollination is needed. When the number of hives a beekeeper maintain collapses then the number of crops being pollinated is severely reduced, which greatly reduces the crops we have for our consumption.

The process of bee pollination is largely instrumental in giving us nutrition. The plants that supply us with vitamins, minerals, lipids…they’re all dependent on bees. Many people don’t understand just how reliant we are on bees. To put it in perspective, 75% of our crops require pollinators. One out of every three bites we take relies on bees. We typically think that bees are pollinating flowers, but flowers are the crux to most crops that we eat: rice, oats, barley, and other grains.

We’ve made it a priority to expand our agriculture, but we’re not keeping a suitable habitat for pollinators. It’s impossible for us to survive on wind-based foods (essentially plants that receive their pollination via wind), since they will not provide us with the proper nutrition that is crucial for a balanced diet.

In addition to expanding our crop production, we’ve created a huge problem – habitat loss.

Habitat loss is a major issue that most wildlife is experiencing, but it’s not just occurring in and around our corn fields, it’s happening in our own backyards.

The current trend in suburbia is the desire for manicured lawns; the greener the better. But lawns are a biological desert. There are no wildflowers for pollination or trees to support other insects. Although the majority of people find lawns to be aesthetically pleasing, it is not sustainable for a healthy environment. The same goes for the roadsides. Commuters want roadsides to be mowed due to an aesthetic aspect, but milkweed and other wildflowers that are crucial for pollinators are being eliminated. States, such as Iowa, are developing roadsides specifically for pollinators. In fact, a presidential memorandum was released in 2015 that directs all federal departments to develop a pollinator plan since the decrease in bees can quickly affect the agriculture of our country.

It’s not just government policies that are beginning to make changes to secure the safety of the honey bees. The Saint Louis Zoo is a prime example of an organization that is not only protecting but is also raising awareness for the plight of these magnificent creatures. Their Monsanto Insectarium features honeybees and lets visitors take a peek inside a working beehive to show how these insects help pollinate our crops. Not only do they have a stunning information center but they have a meadow outside their butterfly house where a variety of bees is encouraged to pollinate in safety. Information plaques litter the Missouri Meadow so viewers can understand that there is more than one type of bee (STL Zoo).

In addition to the habitat loss, job security has been on a slow decline. Job security is firmly rooted in the access and livability of pollinators. Take, for example, almond trees. Almond trees only require pollination during the bloom period, and this is a very short time-span. Native bees are more than capable of pollinating almond trees, but there is nothing else in these regions to sustain the native bees year-round. Therefore, native bees have left these areas of California that play host to almond trees. And the same goes for blueberry plants. They have a fairly decent bloom time, but bees don’t have anywhere to be active before and after the bloom period. If you’re wanting to keep native bees around these plants, or any other seasonal plant, you’re going to need to cultivate a year long flowering garden (Beyond Toxics).

However, most agricultural producers don’t have the time or resources to create flowering gardens large enough to sustain the amount of bees that they need to pollinate their entire crop. Since native bees aren’t available for pollination, bee colonies are rented. Originally, honey bee rentals were about $30-35 per hive, but now hives are costing upwards of $200 because of the demand. Each year bees are driven in to pollinate seasonal plants so that farmers can yield a profitable crop. After pollination has occurred these bees are then shipped out to the next location. To put the gravity of the situation into perspective, about 1.7 million colonies of honey bees are placed in California almond orchards each year. That’s a frightfully large cost for pollination (Almonds).

Another economic issue that farmers are running into is that 50%, 60%, all the way to 80% of beehives have been lost by individual commercial beekeepers. You can split hives to make up for the loss, but you have to build them up. Unfortunately, this is a costly endeavor because of the efforts put in by the beekeepers and the increase in the total amount of crops that are requiring pollination services.

Aside from an economic perspective, the U.S. is finding a greater increase in obesity levels as well as people who are undernourished. Essentially, the lack of pollinators is creating a nutritional obstacle. Products that are dependent upon pollinators are going to provide long-term health benefits since we won’t have to rely so heavily on supplementary care. And if we take heed to the USDA food pyramid and follow it then it would be much healthier to rely upon crops that need pollination.

The implications from the loss of bees start off as economic and health-related. However, if we look beyond our U.S. borders, bees can create a national security issue as well. Loss of pollinators means that there may be food scarcity, which in turn can create civil unrest, propelling people to migrate to different countries. The U.S. is known for aiding countries in times of crisi
s, and if people are rioting over the lack of food or flooding to other borders then it is somewhat inevitable that military deployment may occur.

So far we’ve been looking at the loss of bees as a concern to a human’s well-being, but bees are crucial to other animals’ existence as well. Twenty-five percent of bird species are dependent upon fruits and nuts that require pollination as well as bears, mice, a

nd other wildlife. Additionally, many trees and other plants that create wildlife habitat, and provide other environment services require pollination as well. If this doesn’t sound the alarm for the need to protect a sustainable environment then I don’t know what will.

However, the takeaway from this discussion should not be that honey bees are the best or preferred pollinators. For instance, let’s take bumble bees. They are the only species, in the entire world, that can pollinate tomato plants. Then there are squash bees, alkali bees, and alfalfa bees, just to name a few. The native species that cover the globe is dizzying and puts the loss of one bee into perspective.

Although honeybees aren’t about to go extinct, native bees are becoming endangered through the loss of their habitat. 

Bees are one of the greatest creatures you can become familiar with. As long as we have a demand for fruits and vegetables, which we will, then the importance of bees will be even more visible to the naked eye. And to put those of you at ease who are scared of getting stung, Spevak makes a great point: when a bee is on a flower all they’re thinking about is food. The only time we should be concerned about getting stung is if we’re interfering with a colony. If the bees believe that their queen is in danger then they will attack. Bees are generally a solitary animal so chances are you’ll be fine.

Finding information about bees is easier than you’d imagine. The Saint Louis Zoo isn’t the only zoo in that has a fantastic program. Go to your local zoo or nursery and just strike up a casual conversation. In the span of five minutes, you’ll learn invaluable tools on how to respect our planet and help it thrive. So next time you’re hesitant to plant flowers because you’re worried of bees now you can remember they’re not there to harm but to help. 

Minnesota might not be the first place to come to mind when you hear the words sustainability or environmentalism. However, the Land of 10,000 Lakes recently completed an incredible green initiative. 

Webber pool in northern Minneapolis is the first naturally filtered pool in the country open to the public. The pool doesn’t use chemicals such as chlorine to cleanse the water. Instead, the pool is filtered and cleansed with a piping filtration system and a “regeneration basin.” Every 12 hours the water in the pool (around 500,000 gallons) slowly drains in and out of the basin. It utilizes more than 7,000 aquatic plants, gravel, and limestone. 

The plants consume bacteria and nutrients in the water, while anything remaining sticks to the gravel. It’s a rather ingenious, and natural, approach to creating a hygienic pool. A cleaning crew and a vacuum system help to keep the surface of the pool clean, as well. The pool itself consists of 21,000 square feet of swimming space and features shallow and deep ends, a wading pool, diving area, and lap area. 

Since the pool relies on natural processes for filtration, the water looks more akin to to a lake or pond than the crystal clear pools to which most Americans are accustomed. It can take some getting used to for some swimmers. The benefits are probably worth it, though. Taking chlorine out of the equation eliminates many of the irritating side effects of a traditional pool such as red eyes, dry hair and skin, and bleached swimsuits.

Pools like Webber have been popular in Europe for some time. The first natural pools were built in Austria and Germany in the 1980s. Currently, there are 20,000 natural pools in Europe, 100 of which are public pools in Germany. In the U.S., natural pools have been mostly reserved for a handful of well-off private citizens. Opening natural pools to the public has been difficult due to a number of state-mandated regulations on the use of chemicals to treat bacteria. 

The Webber project certainly faced its share of obstacles.

The pool was supposed to open in 2013, but construction delays, equipment failure, unexpected wildlife migrations, and other issues pushed the completion date to 2015. There have been financial issues as well. When the project started the pool was estimated to cost around $4 million. However, it was completed for more than $6 million. 

Jayne Miller, superintendent of the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board, said sometimes you have to pay a price for innovation. 

She told Upworthy, “You do something new and innovative like this, there are risks. … But we’re getting a ton of coverage on this nationally, and a lot of people are paying attention. I suspect this will be the beginning of many more natural pools in the U.S.”

With ideas like this, it’s easy to see why Minneapolis and St. Paul have the two top-ranked park systems in the country.

Hopefully, this ground-breaking project will be an example to other states and municipalities around the country! 

More and more consumers are spending a little extra cash on organic foods. From ensuring that your produce isn’t doused in pesticides, to avoiding genetically modified foods, hormones, and antibiotics, health conscious consumers are choosing organic.

But according to a recent study, your health isn’t the only reason to choose organic foods. Researchers recently found that organic farming is also beneficial to the local flora and fauna.

Organic farming is good for biodiversity, according to a recent study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B- Biological Sciences. Researchers found that organic agricultural fields have more local biodiversity in terms of wild plants, which offsets the lack of biodiversity on conventional fields. Researchers at Swansea University compared organic winter wheat fields to conventional winter wheat fields in the Charente region of France.

“Wild plants are important for birds, bees and other farmland species. Organic farming has advantages in maintaining these,” said Dr Luca Borger of the Department of Biosciences at Swansea University, reported on Global Agriculture.

Conventional herbicides and pesticides kill off local weeds, which in turn, impact the local animals that feed on them.

“Even a mixture of organic and non-organic farming in an area can help maintain this biodiversity. Even only 25% of fields being organically farmed can make a difference,” said Dr Luca Borger.

Pesticides Kill Off Biodiversity

This study proves a theory that organic enthusiasts already know. When you apply tons of pesticides to crops you do more than kill a few weeds, you impact the entire habitat. This is the problem with genetically modified crops. Roundup Ready corn, soybeans, and cotton for example are modified to be immune to Roundup so farmers can dump an onslaught of the pesticide on their crops. But by using too many pesticides, farmers poison the soil, the earth, wildlife and everything that surrounds the farm including animal habitats.

In some parts of the country, toxic chemical runoff from conventional farms is so big that dead zones are being created in bodies of water like the Gulf of Mexico. That dead zone, or low oxygen water, at times can be as big as the size of Connecticut (around 5,052 square miles). This is significant because sea life can’t survive in low oxygen water. They either have to migrate or die.

Another example is the Monarch butterfly, a species of butterfly that feeds on milkweed. As a result of the overuse of pesticides, milkweed is disappearing across the Midwest which means Monarch butterflies are disappearing too. Habitats and their built-in biodiversity work in concert, and by killing off parts of the circle of life, the cycle ceases to work. Not to mention that pesticides pollute the soil and groundwater, which further kills off biodiversity.

The Living Soil and Crop Diversity

A biodiverse landscape helps organic crops grow. For example, clover is used as a cover crop to help suppress unwanted weeds and balance nitrogen levels to create a nutritionally rich soil and help control diseases. Predatory insects are often introduced to help control other unwanted pests. Ladybugs, minute pirate bugs, and other beneficial insects add to the biodiversity. Compost and manure are also added build a rich soil.

Crop rotation is an important part of organic farming. By rotating crops year after, the soil is kept in balance by feeding it the required nutrients crops need to support and grow robust and sustainable crops.

Conventional farms on the other hand are often monoculture farms where one crop like sugar beets, wheat, or corn, you know the ones that are grown as far as the eye can see, which depletes the soil of vital nutrients year after year. This dependence on one crop can cause a monoculture farm to become even more dependent on toxic chemicals to grow their yearly crops because of their nutritionally deficient soil.

Many weekend gardeners already know that organic farming allows the environment to thrive while conventional farming, and all the pesticides that go along with it, work against the environment. Organic farming uses methods that have been used since humans started farming. It’s about keeping the soil healthy and utilizing cover crops, bugs, and natural fertilizers to promote a healthy growing environment and a healthy planet. When land is nurtured in this fashion, you can grow clean food year after year.

Nearly one quarter of consumers today report reading nutritional labels to avoid artificial additives, so in an effort to appease a more modern, health conscious customer, food companies are dropping artificial ingredients. It’s a widespread movement that includes some of the biggest names in the food industry. General Mills is removing artificial flavors and colors from all of its cereals and Kraft ditched the artificial colors and preservatives from its iconic mac and cheese.
But what does this really mean for the consumer? Is it a true menu facelift or a marketing ploy?

Food Companies Are Taking Baby Steps

Food companies are making positive moves in the right direction but many are still taking baby steps. It’s important to read between the lines. How many of their products are actually changing considering how huge these companies really are in the first place? How far reaching are these changes in terms of products?
For example, General Mills said that 90 percent of its cereals will be free of artificial flavors and colors by the end of 2016. This is great news, but General Mills is way more than just cereal, it’s baked goods, pizza rolls, and prepared meals. The company owns a host of other processed food brands including Betty Crocker, Bisquick, Pillsbury, Hamburger Helper, and Totino’s. What is it doing to make these brands healthier? How many products still contain artificial ingredients?
While Kraft Foods removed artificial colors and preservatives from its Original Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, what about its numerous other products like JELL-O, Cool Whip, and Stove Top Stuffing? Does Kraft plan to change up these products as well?

What’s Being Added To the Ingredient List?

As these companies begin to remove artificial ingredients, what are they replacing them with to keep the flavor consistent? Are natural flavors that much better than artificial flavors? It helps to understand what exactly artificial flavors are in the first place.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) defines artificial flavors as substances that impart flavor and are not “derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof.”
Natural flavors, on the other hand, are sourced from “a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root” and so on. And while that may seem innately healthy, a number of not-so-healthy substances can be derived from nature. Natural flavors can still contain dangerous ingredients. For example, natural wood smoke flavor is made from liquid smoke. Liquid smoke is captured, condensed, and filtered smoke that’s mixed with water after burning wood at a high temperature. But liquid smoke contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are known carcinogens. Then there’s castoreum, a mixture of the anal secretions and the urine of beavers, which is used to make natural vanilla and raspberry flavorings.
These flavors, whether natural or artificial, are created by professional flavorists and do not have to be fully disclosed on food labels. If the label reads natural flavors, you could be eating a supposedly natural ingredient made of beaver urine.
That’s pretty gross.
What’s more, the Environmental Working Group, which rates the health of food based on a number of criteria including genetic modification, pesticide residue, processing, and ingredients, gives foods with natural and artificial flavors the same rating because it says that one is no better than the other.
So when a food company claims it’s replacing artificial flavors with natural flavors, be wary. Read the ingredients label carefully and look for ingredients that you recognize. If you can’t find the ingredient in your pantry, you may want to put the product back on the shelf.
The good news is that food companies are responding to consumers and removing unhealthy ingredients. Panera, for example, changed its entire menu by removing over 80 additives and clearly defining the changes on its website. Food companies are taking steps to make real food from real ingredients, but we as consumers still have to be vigilant about reading labels. If the ingredient panel resembles a novel rather than a sentence, think twice about purchasing the product.
You have the power to help create change in our food system by using your American dollar to purchase only clean and real food products at your local markets.

The farmer’s market is the place to see and be seen in my hometown. Yes, it’s a place to buy local foods, but it’s also a place to meet friends, have coffee or listen to some great music. On Wednesdays and Saturdays in Los Angeles if you’re not at the farmer’s market, you’re missing out. But eating local is about way more than just hitting up the farmer’s market. Dive a little deeper into your local foods community.

1. Join a CSA

Community Supported Agriculture, or CSAs are a great place to start. At the beginning of each season, you can buy a share of the harvest. While it’s more expensive when you’re getting started, buying produce in bulk like this is a more economical way to go. Organic CSAs are available as well if you’re concerned with the use of pesticides.

CSAs give farmers the support they need to thrive in your local community. CSAs also help educate you on what’s really in season locally. When it’s stone fruit season you can uncover and test every applicable recipe and when there’s a bumper crop of squash, you learn how to put the excess to work in your kitchen.

2. Join an Animal Share

In addition to CSAs, if you’re a conscious carnivore, you can also become a member of an animal share. When an animal is slaughtered, you split a portion of the meat with other community members. This way, you’re eating the animal from head to tail and not letting any of it go to waste. What’s more, you’re supporting the producers that raise animals. And by getting to know your farmers and producers personally, you can learn firsthand how your foods are grown and raised. You can ensure that animals are raised humanely, lived a happy life (hopefully on the open range) eaten their real natural diet Mother Nature intended them to eat and not given hormones and antibiotics. I’ve even heard of fish shares in some oceanside communities where you pay a fisherman upfront for a certain lot of seafood. In return, you get a certain amount of points and when the catch comes in, you pay with points. The amount of points you pay depends on the price of the fish.

3. Learn to Cook Like a Locavore

Farmer’s markets and harvest shares give you access to great local food, but learning how to prepare your local eats is crucial. I started off by simplifying the recipes I choose and letting what’s available locally dictate the menu, rather than the other way around. Local eating is more than fruits and vegetables, it’s about eggs, honey, herbs, butter, milk, and so much more.

Not only should you simplify recipes, learn to cook in big batches and freeze the rest for next month. Soups and casseroles are great for freezing. What should you do with the huge batch of heirloom tomatoes? Think creamy tomato bisque. What about some turnip green casserole? Enjoy it tonight and in a month’s time. It means you don’t have to cook and you’re not wasting the local bounty.

4. Grow a Kitchen Garden

Supplement what you can’t find at the farmer’s market or in your CSA with a kitchen garden. Your kitchen garden can be home to all kinds of herbs so you don’t have to waste cash at the grocery store on those tiny plastic containers of basil and mint. I also recommend growing at home what’s expensive at your local market like lemons (If your growing zone will support it).Your pocket book will thank you and it’s incredibly rewarding!

5. Preserve, Preserve, Preserve

Freezing is the easiest way to preserve a bumper crop. If you have tons of melon from your CSA, cut it up and freeze for a smoothie down the road. But the ultimate way to preserve an over allotment of produce is to can it. My friends and I have canning parties where one friend who is well versed in how to can, shows us how to get started. That way, it’s not so intimidating.

6. Support Restaurants That Buy Local

When you go out to eat, remember to support restaurants that support your community as well. Farm to table restaurants are more common than over. A restaurant in Los Angeles is taking it a step further. Forage has a program that allows you to get certified as an approved food source for restaurants and markets so you can bring in food that you’ve grown at home and get paid for it. If you bring in a huge batch of melons, Forage will give you money toward a meal at the restaurant. It’s a win-win for all involved.

Local eating is about celebrating your local eats and the changes that the seasons bring. It’s also about investing and supporting your local community farmers and producers. And it’s one more excuse to love where you live.

The original Star Trek series took place in the mid-2200s, and to the television audiences of the 1960s, the technology in the show was pure, jaw-dropping science fiction. But in the 50 years since Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) of the U.S.S. Enterprise first uttered the immortal words, “Beam me up, Scotty,” a lot of what then seemed like fantastical technology has actually materialized—200 years early.
Those communicators the crew used every day? You’ve probably got a better one in your pocket right now–and so does everyone you know. Phasers set to stun? We call them tasers now and they do pretty much the same thing. Computers that respond to voice commands and speak to us? Just say “Siri,” “Cortana,” or “OK Google” and you’re on your way. The universal translator is still a ways off, but there’s plenty of software that does a pretty good job of translating to and from a variety of languages. Want to put someone from another ship or planet “on screen”? No problem; Just fire up Skype or Google Hangout or FaceTime. Tricorders and diagnostic beds? Between MRIs and a variety of handheld diagnostic devices, we’re nearly there. Oh, and let’s not forget about GPS, Bluetooth headsets, touchscreen computers, and even floppy—and jump drives—all of which were pipe dreams in the 60s but yawn-inducingly common today.
At least two pieces of Star Wars tech have stubbornly remained out of reach: warp drives and transporters. But a third, the replicator, which produced meals and objects on demand, is here now and has the potential to save millions of lives. We call it 3D printing.

3D 101

3D printing (sometimes also called additive fabrication) has actually been around for decades and was used in manufacturing to produce complex prototypes. Most non-engineers had never heard of it, but when Cody Wilson, a student at the University of Texas showed off the Liberator—a 3D-printed, working handgun—everyone started to pay attention, and the technology is getting cheaper and better every day.
On its most basic level, 3D printing uses a digital 3-dimensional model of an object, and “prints” it by applying hundreds or thousands of incredibly thin layers of material (often some kind of quick-drying liquid plastic or metal) on top of each other until the object is complete. The applications are endless—3D printers can now print almost anything you can imagine (including personalized bobbleheads based on pictures you take) using gold, silver, chocolate, wax, ceramics, and even animal and human cells. These last bits—the cells—have the potential to quite literally change the world we live in.
Let me give you some examples of the absolutely amazing ways doctors and scientists are using 3D printing to improve—and save—lives. We’ll start with “that’s cool,” move on to “wow!” continue through “awesoooooome,” touch on slack-jawed, stunned silence, and finish up with a look into what’s in the pipeline.

Training

A 5-year old boy in Barcelona, Spain had a tumor that was dangerously close to an artery. After two attempts, the surgeons thought it was inoperable. But, unwilling to give up, they 3D printed a detailed model of the tumor that they used to develop—and practice—a new approach. The third surgery was a success. Doctors around the world have used similar modeling to practice dangerous and highly complex surgeries on fingers, hips, optic nerves, heart valves, and others.

Tuning

Scientists treating cancer in the UK have begun using CT scans to print exact replicas of patients’ tumors. They then fill those models with liquid and are able to see how chemotherapy drugs would flow through the tumor. This one’s not quite ready for prime time, but the hope is that oncologists will be able to use this technique to precisely target the best places to deliver those drugs.

Bracing Yourself

Have you ever seen anyone using Invisalign—an alternative to traditional metal braces? Orthodontists create a model of the patient’s current bite, then 3D print a series of clear plastic “aligners” that gradually—and more aesthetically—move his or her teeth to where they’re supposed to be.

Other Braces

Scoliosis patients often have to wear back braces for hours every day. Until recently, those braces were bulky, uncomfortable, and impossible to disguise—a highly embarrassing combination that keeps many young people from wearing them enough to see the benefits. It’s now possible to print up a lightweight, breathable brace that fits the patient’s body perfectly. And it’s so thin that it can be worn under the clothing so it’s less visible. The same basic technique is being used to create splints and casts.

Skull and Bones

Surgeons in several countries have used 3D printing to create skull segments and facial bones that don’t exist (such as a jaw in a baby who was born without one) or have been badly damaged by trauma (like a motorcycle accident) or disease. They use the patients’ own intact bones as models to create replacements that perfectly match the patient’s face or skull. Sometimes the 3D printers use titanium, but they often use calcium phosphate, one of the major ingredients in our natural bones. That helps the implant fuse together with the surrounding bones.

Iron Man and Beyond

Very few people use prosthetic limbs to make a fashion statement. But thanks to 3D printing, a boy born without an arm now has a prosthetic one that looks just like Tony Stark’s, responds to movements, and even has a superhero grip. How cool is that. Making a prosthetic limb the soon-to-be-old-fashioned way can take weeks, but with 3D printing, we’re talking days. Regular prosthetics also tend to be expensive, routinely costing thousands—sometimes tens of thousands—of dollars. That’s a particularly big obstacle when a child is the patient, since kids outgrow their devices and regularly need new ones. Printed prosthetics typically cost hundreds, not thousands. Patients around the world are now wearing prosthetic arms, legs, hands, and feet. 3D printing is also being used to produce lifelike skin, noses, ears, and other external appendages that have been lost to disease, trauma, or birth defects.

Inside Out

It’s a lot easier to print replacements for bones or external body parts than internal ones. Putting any foreign object inside the body involves the risk of infection or rejection. But scientists and doctors are on the case and have already made amazing progress. Researchers have developed 3D printers that print with the patient’s own cells. Using that technique, they’ve successfully grown—and then implanted—veins, bladders, a trachea (a procedure that saved a baby’s life) and a few other not-very-complex organs.

The Holy Grail

In the U.S. alone, there are about 120,000 people on organ transplant lists. Every day, 79 people receive a transplant, but 22—more than 8,000 per year—die. Being able to print customized, rejection-proof organs is the ultimate goal for man researchers. But with complex organs like livers and kidneys, one of the biggest challenges is replicating an organ’s vascular structure (the system of veins and capillaries that keep it supplied with blood and oxygen). If you don’t get that right, the patient dies. But the advances are coming fast and furious. Labs in China and the U.S. have printed miniature, fully functional livers and kidneys (they’re great for research, but we’re still pretty far from human trials). It’s all about when, not if.

Tossing unwanted trash is a part of our daily routine. It’s so easy to drop that apple peel down the disposal, or trash that unwanted pillow right into the garbage. But let’s get to the real nitty gritty. Show of hands, how many of you flush down your tampons, cotton balls, or even Goldy the goldfish? Come on, don’t be shy. Well, you probably want to pump the breaks on this. Although no one wants an acetone soaked cotton ball or “moist towelette” littering their trash bin the results of flushing them down the loo are actually catastrophic.
Chemicals are being eliminated into the water polluting water systems and killing animals. And remember good ol’ Goldy that you thought was dead? Well, many sewer inspectors say that they’ve found massive goldfish just living down there breathing in all of those fumes. Can you imagine a more horrifying existence than that? Oh don’t forget the condoms you or your significant other have been flushing. Ya, those bad boys are not biodegradable and have a tendency to clog pipes and once again eliminate small ecosystems.
Here’s a quick and easy list of items you should most definitely NOT be flushing.
Tampons: Tampons are the bane of plumbers’ existence. Tampons clog toilets; they’re not even meant to be flushed. So stop, just stop.
Cigarette butts: Not only are they just bad for you, but there are a ton of really disgusting chemicals inside them. All of those toxins that are released into the water eventually have to be filtered out again and chances are some of them are gonna squeeze past that filtering process.
Dental Floss: Even though it’s minuscule in size it is NOT biodegradable.
Animals: No animal should be flushed down the toilet. Whether it’s a minnow to an alligator. We’ve all heard the horror stories. Just don’t do it.
Prescription medicine: You know those climactic scenes in movies where the drug addicts flush their pills? This is extremely harmful on the environment. These drugs kill bacteria, will contaminate groundwater supplies, and can have terrible effects on wildlife downstream. There are various services, such as takebackyourmeds, that will dispose of your meds properly.
Condoms: Condoms don’t break down in water. Enough said.
Wet wipes: Even though they claim to be biodegradable this is when they’re observed for an incredibly long time. Sydney Water claims that 500 tons of wet wipes are removed from Sydney’s sewer each year. Pretty gross, huh?
Hair: Hair clogs showers so what makes flushing hair down the toilet any different? Over time all of that hair you’re flushing will turn into one giant ball that will not only clog major pipes, but the smell that’s been accumulating over time…pretty horrendous.
Cotton balls: Cotton balls are another one of the offenders that don’t break down just piling up bigger and bigger until the entire sewer system just explodes with soggy cotton balls. And let me tell you, no one wants to be around for that!
Some of these are pretty common knowledge while others…not so much. So what’s a good rule of thumb? If it’s not your bodily waste or toilet paper…just chuck it in the trashcan. Wouldn’t you rather whisk it outside than risk it coming back up all over your floor?

Remember when we were kids and our parents were constantly badgering us about going outside to play? All we really wanted to do was sit on the couch and watch reruns of The Brandy Bunch, but they were usually quite insistent. When we inevitably asked why we needed to leave the comfy confines of our homes they’d usually give us some vague answer about how it was “good for you.”

Well, it turns out mom and dad knew a thing or two, even if they didn’t have any science to back up their claims. Going outside really is good for your health, even as an adult. Here are some ways that spending a little time outdoors can improve your mood, clear your mind, and make you an all-around healthier person.

A Shot of Vitamin D

One of the better known side effects of going outside is that your body can actually pick up a healthy dose of vitamin D from just being exposed to the sun. This helps to promote stronger bones, which can help to stave off osteoporosis. But there is also mounting evidence that suggests that vitamin D can also help to prevent type 1 diabetes, as well as certain types of cancer, including colon, breast, and prostate. And with a plentiful supply right out your front door, you don’t even need to take supplements. (WebMD)

Improved Immune System

Looking for ways to boost your immune system so you can fight off illnesses such as the flu or the common cold? Then you’ll definitely want to head outside. Studies have shown that taking a walk in the woods has a positive impact on your white blood cell count, which is important in fending off viruses and germs that can make you sick. Better yet, the benefits from that simple hike have been shown to hang around for as much as a week after the visit to the forest, which indicates that the impact on the immune system is substantial and long lasting. (NCBI)

Restore Focus

Going outside has been proven to help restore your focus. Connecting with nature allows us to escape the daily grind, which puts constant demands on our attention. Computers, smartphones, televisions, and other types of technology can bombard us with updates, notifications, and messages, sometimes to the point that it can be overwhelming. But stepping away from those devices not only helps to clear the mind, but allows it to focus more keenly as well. Spending time outdoors on a daily basis is like a mini-vacation from those distractions, giving your brain the break it deserves. (Journal of Environmental Psychology)

Combat Stress

In addition to being incredibly distracting, modern life is also very stressful. We all have bills to pay, jobs to do, and friends and family that demand our attention. Simply going outside is one of the best ways to combat that stress, as nature has a way of bringing a sense of serenity to our lives. Taking a walk can go a long way towards helping you to relax, even more so if it is on a secluded trail rather than a busy street. You’ll be amazed at just how much a short stroll can do for your overall well being, bringing stress levels down and bestowing a sense of calmness. (NCBI)

It Will Make You Happy!

Pure and simple, going outside will improve your mood and make you a happier person. In fact, researchers have found that when we perform the same exact activities outdoors as we do when we’re inside, our levels of satisfaction and contentment go up considerably. That means taking a walk outdoors is better for you than walking inside on a treadmill. The same can be said for other forms of exercise too. But the bottom line is that nature just has a way of putting us in a better mood, no matter what we’re doing. (NCBI)

These are just a few examples of how going outside can have a positive impact on your life. If you need further proof, just start spending a bit of extra time outdoors and you’ll start to see the impact it can have on your life for yourself.