Category — sustainability

Conservation Tip #29 – eat local!! from Brighter Planet on Vimeo.

As this short video shows us, our food is more well-traveled than we are!  All of those miles add up to a lot of money spent and resources wasted.

Summer is here, and with it come the availability of fresh, locally grown foods that we can feed our families.  Many families are planting a garden this year, but if you don’t have the time or space for that you can check to see if there is a CSA farm near you – that’s Community Supported Agriculture.  They usually give you a great bargain for your produce, and more often than not it’s all organic!  For example, our local CSA (Garden Treasures) has plans ranging from $450 to $800 for shares in their produce… and we will be getting produce each week from this Thursday (June 18) until November 27… That’s 5.5 months!  It’s all organic, grown within 5 miles of my house, ans saves me a TON of money.  The smallest share starts at $18/week.  To get a comperable amount of produce each week I can easily spend $80 at Safeway… and it’s not organic or local!

Don’t have a CSA drop point near you?  How about a farmer’s market?  There are farmer’s markets all over the place, and the produce is (generally) locally and organically grown.

On top of that, you can build a relationship with the people who grow your food!

This is just one way to both improve your families health and cut down on waste.  Eating local saves you money, helps the farmers actually make money, cuts down on the poisions that are put into our food and runs off onto our rivers, and cuts down on travel time.  And the produce is better for you, since it was generally just picked within 2-3 days on your family eating it.

That sounds like a win-win to me!

To help find a CSA farm or farmer’s market near you, check out LocalHarvest.org!

Yes, I know, everyone is dealing with the “Current Economic Crisis” and we are ALL getting tired of hearing about it. Well folks, it’s about to get worse.

On Feb 10, 2009 the new CPSIA will go into effect. What is this new regulation you ask? It will bring about the end for so many small businesses in America.

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act makes it illegal to sell ANYTHING geared towards the under age 12 set. ANYTHING.

For those of us that shoe at second-hand stores, guess what stores will no longer be legal to operate?

For those that sell their kids old clothing, toys and books to make some extra cash, guess what you can be thrown into jail for. Oh, and get a whopping $100,000 fine PER OFFENCE.

For those of us who like being able to buy locally, handmade, sustainably made toys and clothing for our kids, sorry, those are now illegal – or cost so much that no one can afford them anymore.

Yes, it looks like it is just targeting toy manufacturers in China, but who are the real targets of this regulation?

• Second-Hand stores
• Work At Home Moms
• Craft Fair Vendors
• Small Toy Manufacturers
• Low- and mid-income families that cannot afford to buy retail
• everyone who has to buy ANYTHING for their kids, because the cost will be going up
• Employees of small and mid-sized businesses that manufacture or sell children’s goods – they will most likely be out of a job
• Every tax-paying American – just who do you think will now be supporting all of the people who will now be out of a job? Paying for the debt created by all of the businesses going bankrupt?
• The Chinese people. Yes, this is an odd one, but the working hours are already way past what should be allowable, the conditions are horrific, and they aren’t paid enough to ever get ahead. Does anyone really think that forcing China to produce MORE will help this?

Now, who will be benefiting from these new regulations?

• China – that is the only place anything will be able to be manufactured anywhere near affordably – and the products still won’t pass the necessary testing because of the next group
• Large Corporations – they make so much that these new tests will simply be absorbed and the cost passed along to you – the consumer. But they won’t really care about safety – eventually they will find a way to allow their manufacturers to go back to the less expensive way of doing things.

Once again our government is making the rich get more by stealing it from the poor – and anyone who isn’t already rich! The “Middle Class” that we enjoy in this country is slowly being erased. We are heading back to a system of the few wealthy controlling the masses of poor, ill-cared for people.

For those of you that think this will not affect you, wake up and smell the load of crap they are feeding you! EVERY American will be affected. The poor will no longer be able to find products to clothe their kids cheaply, the middle class will be put out of business – thereby becoming the poor – and every taxpayer will foot the bill.

Socialism, here we come.

Please, I beg you, take the 5 minutes to send a letter to your Congressmen and -women, to your Senators, to the CPSA, to everyone you know! There is a poll up at Change.org where you can vote to get the word out about issues to our new President-Elect Obama. You can visit and cast your vote on this issue at:

http://www.change.org/ideas/view/save_handmade_toys_from_the_cpsia

Yes, it calls out handmade toys, but this is so much more far-reaching than just toys.

And for those that think I’m just chasing after the dollar, please believe me that I care about the safety of all of our kids. I have 2 of my own, and at this time I try very hard to feed them healthy, wholesome foods that actually are grown rather than coming out of a box. I try to make sure that their clothes are modest and will last. I prefer to get them toys that have as little plastic in them as possible. I prefer to get them outside into nature as often as possible. We don’t have TV in our house. We don’t buy clothes, school supplies or toys that are emblazoned with Hannah Montana and other brands that are being forced down the throats of the American public.

These alternative choices will soon be gone. No more sustainability manufactured handmade toys, no more going to the 2nd-hand shop for back-to-school shopping and being able to trade in old clothes for new ones so it doesn’t cost $200 in August to put clothes on their backs that fit.

Please, take a few moments to get informed. Spread the word.

Even if you don’t have kids, you will still be paying the price for idiotic legislation. Even if you are financially ahead of the game, you will still be paying for it.

The “Current Economic Crisis” is fixing to get a whole lot more “crisis-y” We are heading for a recession the likes of which have only been seen during the Great Depression, but it will soon be illegal to use many of the things that helped Americans survive the last one. Oh, and there are a whole lot more people alive now than there were then.

America has always been known as the land of the free, but we are slowly trading in those freedoms that we so cherished out of fear and giving those with the money more and more control over what we can and can’t do. 9/11 made us trade in freedoms in transportation, the lead in toys from China will be trading in our freedoms of choice. Yes, we need to protect our kids, but forcing them to only have the option of mass-produced junk that will fill our landfills even faster is not the answer.

Now that I’ve once again thrown this out there, I will step off my soap-box.

Oh, and I’m adding this in the the Thrifty Green Thursday carnival, because it affects so much of what we do to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Have a nice day.

I have begun a new experiment… in cultured dairy products!

Yes, I have started to make my own yogurt and kefir. Wow. Health benefits aside, I have to say that this stuff can be made pretty tasty and for cheap! Then you get to the benefits… well, let’s just say that no matter your age or health level, consuming cultured dairy is a pretty good thing. Many people who have a lactose intolerance can easily consume kefir, and some even more so if it’s homemade from raw goat or cow’s milk.

Our kitchen that was already filled with lots of active yeast is now filled even more with yogurt cultures and kefir grains. My oven is the happening place to be these days!

Homemade yogurt = plain yogurt… to start with. But add a little bit of honey or agave nectar and some fruit, and it becomes something delectable. I even tried making it in a jelly jar the other day with fabulous results. It was one of those times that you just can’t get the last bits of jelly out of the SQUARE jelly jar’s corners, and you don’t want it to go to waste. What’s a girl to do? Toss in some yogurt cultures and fill it 3/4 of the way full with milk. Takes a couple of days, ad you have yummy homemade yogurt! The little people even like it… well mostly.

The Eldest was a bit put off by the idea that Mommy was making one of her favorite treats. She tried it plain and determined that this was NOT the thing for her. She wouldn’t even try it after I doctored it up a bit. So, enterprising Mommy that I am, I made a batch in the yogurt container that she is used to seeing me get her bowl from. Bwa ha ha ha ha *insert evil laugh*. She had two – yes TWO – bowls of it on Saturday, lightly flavored as honey vanilla chai, and LOVED it. Asking for more and everything. Then she found out that I made it and won’t eat anymore. Ugh. Kids, they just have to be difficult, don’t they!

As for the kefir, the hubby has been drinking a smoothie every morning, and loves them. Aside from the fact that he’s using about 4x the fruit he needs to be (yes, as of today I’m OUT!) he is hooked on them now. *another evil laugh* He has even gotten used to his smoothies having a bit of natural carbonation in them – that’s the kefir. The girls say that “it sparkles on your tongue!”

Yogurt, frozen fruit, kefir, honey, cinnamon and a small handful of salad greens… blend them until smooth, pour, drink and enjoy! Yes, salad greens. They are so good for you, and you will never taste them in with all of the fruit. Trust me on this one…

One thing I will warn against though… don’t add some kefir to moderately warm hot cocoa… the results can be a bit, er, surprising. Did I mention that kefir grains like to be warm? Ideally around 70F. Cocoa seems to be the equivalent of a spa for them, and they will multiply very quickly! A bit off-putting when you aren’t expecting them.

Add to this the savings you will have over buying them at the store, and it’s a win-win. Kefir seems to be averaging around $4.50 a quart, and yogurt is around $0.99 for a single-serve container – for the good stuff without HFCS. The starters cost around $10, and they will last indefinitely.

If this seems to be interesting to you at all, and it should, you can get your own yogurt cultures and kefir grains from culturesforhealth.com

Go on, try it! There are so many health benefits, and it’s tasty too!

Yes, I found another thing to sign up for (it’s a good thing Eric never reads this!)

But THIS one is really useful! Really!

Compacting: The Compact has several aims more or less prioritized below:
- To go beyond recycling in trying to counteract the negative global environmental and socioeconomic impacts of disposable consumer culture and to support local businesses, farms, etc. — a step that, we hope, inherits the revolutionary impulse of the Mayflower Compact.
- To reduce clutter and waste in our homes (as in trash Compact-or).
- To simplify our lives (as in Calm-pact) .
(Copied from Mama’s on the Compact)

Well, I’m signing up to try this out for the next 4 months… yes, just in time for back to school and Christmas. ugh. It shouldn’t be too hard though, right?

Well, here goes. My Pledge.

I pledge (starting on Aug 1, 2008) to not buy anything new from a big box store for the next 4 months – through Jan 1, 2009.

If we need something, we will utilize freecycle, craigs list, goodwill, 2nd hand shops, etc.

I also pledge to donate un-used items through the aforementioned channels.

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Some exceptions:

As I have a business to run, I can purchase NECESSARY items for that – thread, notions, printer paper, etc. No fabric shopping sprees though. I really need to use up what I already have!

As the hubby has some projects that he wants completed by the end of Summer, we are allowed to purchase mulch and blocks to build the terraces in the back, although I will post to freecycle to see if there are any available there first.

In the event that we do not have enough canning jars left (after giving them away last year – filled, of course!) we can purchase some new ones – or find them on freecycle! I will need to purchase new seals though.

Christmas…
Christmas gifts will be handmade wherever possible. In the event that we do not already have everything necessary to complete a project, we can purchase the needed items provided that we already have 75% of the needed supplies, and there is no way to work around the missing supplies (like foam for that certain gift…)

Christmas Gifting can also be purchased through Indie/small businesses to help support my fellow independent crafters. Etsy is a good thing!

Back To School…
After looking over the supply lists, I think we have 95% of what is required. As I don’t have the tissue boxes & glue already on hand (and they want new ones for that!) I will need to buy new. New purchases will be on an absolute MUST HAVE as required by the school. No “oh Mommy, but I WANT it!” purchases.

As per tradition, Eric can take the girls to get 1 new outfit each. It’s just a Daddy thing. HOWEVER, I will be making a trip down to Others Mothers to trade in old clothes, and get clothes appropriate for school!

Before purchasing any new fabric for clothes, I will use up what we already have. There should be plenty for the next couple of years!

Shoes. As their feet are growing, we will need to get more shoes. HOWEVER, we do not need to buy 5 new pairs each! They can each have 1 pair of running shoes and 1 pair of dress shoes.

Tights. There really isn’t a way around this one… they need new ones, and 2nd hand ones just don’t seem to exist. I’ve looked, a lot.

Part of this pledge extends to school lunches. They each have a Laptop Lunchbox, and a bento box. We do not need to purchase plastic baggies for lunches. I will NOT do it! They will take their lunch each day, and they will be filled with wholesome, homemade food. No pre-packaged junk! This worked well last year, although I did have a couple of slip-ups.

Books.
We will utilize PaperBackSwap.com for new books.
This will help with cleaning out some old books too – a pleasant by-product.

Software.
Unfortunately, there are a couple of programs that we do need, and as we have funds, we can purchase those. No games though.

Flowers.
As per a prior agreement, Eric is allowed to buy flowers for the kitchen. Actually, he is allowed to buy flowers for any reason at all! ;~)

Music.
Electronic purchases are allowed. They don’t end up in a landfill somewhere, and are one of the few things that Eric spends $ on – and it isn’t excessive by any stretch. HOWEVER, we need to continue weeding out the CD’s we no longer listen to.

Birthdays.
We can purchase “specialty” ingredients to bake birthday cakes. We have wrapping paper, bags & tissue, and should have plenty of decorations. We can use regular dishes instead of paper plates. Invitations can be handmade. Gifts can be purchased from Indie shops or handmade. Even for the gents…

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Outside of these exceptions, we will re-use, recycle or do without. It should help on the financial front too. Honestly, Target is my biggest downfall. It doesn’t seem to matter what I go in for, I end up spending around $100 somehow. It’s frustrating.

For food, we should be set for a while.
- We get our veggies from a CSA farm weekly, and that lasts into October.
- We purchased a 1/4 of a pig, so we have meat for a bit.
- The currants are coming in, so we will have jam made to last for a few months. I need to go pick some berries though.
- Once the apples are in we can make some applesauce.
- I pledge to make bread at least once per week. It’s cheaper, and I know what is going into it.
- The herbs are doing well, and are drying now for use until next Summer.

I also pledge to not purchase any new plants during the next 4 months. If I really want something, I will see if someone else has a start for it. This will be a hard one! Anyone have Lemon Balm? How about Basil? I will trade Oregano for it! Or Lavender! Please?

I pledge to use cloth napkins and towels rather than paper. We have some paper napkins on hand that we can use for camping. We were doing this, but the girls found the stash & went back to paper.

Unless something vital breaks (a possibility!) we will not purchase new. Vital: the oven, washing machine, etc. The car already broke, so that’s no longer an issue!

Well, I think thats just about enough loopholes, don’t you?

curious? This is a post on eating your lawn… well, actually it’s about replacing your lawn with home-grown produce!

I recently popped over to Chow.com and read a post on people turning their suburban front yards into mini farms – and with great success!

So, I thought I’d do a little bit of research…

Some of the tips that I found were great reminders of our tendency to be over-achievers… what can we say, we are only human!

1 – start small!
Just because you have decided to take the plunge into mini-farming, doesn’t mean that you need to tear out the entire lawn in the first week! Take your time and learn as you go. Start with a raised bed – build the bed, fill it with good soil, and start out planting your favorite fruit or veggies in it. Don’t get too carried away the first season either! You need to grow just as your garden does!

Another thought in this front – make sure that you remove the grass UNDER the raised bed before filling it with dirt! My first attempt at this was a failure due to my being too lazy to till or dig up the grass. All I grew were grass and weeds that first year – the carrots & onions I planted just didn’t have anywhere to go because the grass under them was waaaaay too lush and thick.

On a personal side note… if you are planning to eat the things growing in your yard, I recommend NOT using herbicides and pesticides on them. If it is designed to kill organisms, do you really want to chance it? Keep in mind that YOU ARE AN ORGANISM TOO!

well, I couldn’t title it Happy New Year – that’s too much like everyone else!

2008 is officially here – everywhere now.  2007 has past, taking with it it’s own set of high’s & low’s – here’s hoping ’08 will be filled with a few more high’s!

The start of a new year is a harbinger of a chance to start over – a fresh slate, if you will.  People look at the past & decide what they need to change to bring about a better future – and once in a while they actually stick!

What are my resolutions?

1 – get over this cold - grrrrr it arrived at 2:00 am – the time that some form of disease seems to descend upon our house each Jan 1.  This is one that I can keep! ha ha

2 – clean  house  - take down all of the Christmas decor, fold the mountain of clean laundry, find a sparkling, clean sink somewhere in the kitchen, and de-clutter the house.  This will make the Mr. MUCH happier.  Well, once he gets over HIS cold it will…

3 – Keep the clutter at bay - tough -I’m a pack rat, and admittedly, I’m just lazy.  Add 2 young girls into the mix, and you have a recipe for disaster – hurricanes & tornadoes look to have blown through with regularity, and they start with A & M

4 – find a place to donate all of this excess STUFF - when we moved, goodwill knew me by car.  We donated soooooooooo much junk (complete set of James Bond anyone?) BUT – most unfortunately – we still have half of a garage full of boxes.  ugh.  I haven’t found goodwill up here 30 minutes from anywhere, however I think there is a kids clothing place.  That will help!

5 – become active in PaperBackSwap again - this requires going through the extensive library – again – and finding new homes for many dear friends – and a few mere acquaintances.  Haven’t heard about it yet?  Well… check it out below!

6 –  Continue with the healthier diet that we have begun.  We eat mostly vegetables with some chicken.  I just need to find a local CSA farm.  The drop for our old one is over 30 miles away – not quite eating local is it!

7 – cut down on the amount of STUFF that we bring in the house.

8 – reduce – reuse – recycle – reduce waste, reuse things as much as possible, and recycle everything that we can.  We already have the smallest trash can that WM NW offers, and we recycle 3 times as much as goes into it.  I also want to get the compost pile REALLY going.

9 – plant the vegetable garden.  we already have raspberries & red currants, but we need to add in the other veggies – carrots, long beans, sunflowers, garlic, potatoes, etc.  I have a ingenious thought on the potatoes – I’ll share more about that later.  It requires some straw…

10 – do what I can to help others realize just how much they consume and throw away.  We are a nation of consumers – wasteful, over-spent,  greedy, and blind to the world around us.  We don’t want to do anything that changes our cushy existence, or makes us stop for even a second to think about the effects of our actions.

We need to wake up and look at the world.  We are destroying it.

We are cutting down trees at an alarming rate, cutting down mountains to get the fuels that are located inside.  We pollute our water sources with toxins and poisons, throw away plastics at an alarming rate – plastics that float around in the waterways and oceans, and are consumed by animals that don’t know better.

We fill the products that we bring into our homes with toxins – and wonder why we are a nation of people that are always sick.  Cancer is rising – and those diagnosed are getting younger & younger.  We inject our children with metals disguised as immunizations and cause more diseases.

Why is it that the USA thinks that we need to alter the food that God created for us?  If farmers would husband the land rather than destroy it with chemicals, they wouldn’t have the problems with too many pests.

How is it that humanity survived for millennia without altering the chemical make-up of food and filling everything with corn, yet we are told that if we don’t do these things humanity can’t survive?  There is a difference in taste between fresh, natural, organic food that the mass-produced junk that fills our grocery store shelves.  And don’t get me started on the HFCS and hydrogenated oils and MSG that food factories fill everything with.  Gee, I wonder why our kids are so obese.  We fill them with sugar & fat & corn and sit them down in front of a TV or video games or computers for hours on end.

Get outside and enjoy nature.  Once you have an experience in nature – away from technology and cities – and truly look at the world around you, how can you NOT want to save it?

We are stewards – we need to take care of the planet that God created and told us to take care of.  At this rate, we will have to start colonizing other planets just to support humanity – or allow a massive war to kill half of the population.  Oh, and wipe out technology so we have to re-learn how to exist at a simpler level.

All of this is done in the name of progress.  Are we really progressing?  Or are we causing a huge problem that we cannot fix?

Just remember, today is the first day of the rest of your life – make the most of it!

I recently came across a video that everyone in this country (and other industrialized countries) needs to watch!  Here is a teaser… [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz3tPxUFGbY&rel=1 <http://www.youtube.com/v/dz3tPxUFGbY&rel=1> ]It’s certainly an eye opener about WHY everything breaks so quickly… but that is in the full video.  It only takes around 20 minutes, so head over and take a look! 

If you have read the about me page, you have been warned.  If not, consider yourself warned (go and read to see why)

I recently read a post over at the Natural Family Living Blog  that got me to thinking…I consider myself to be a republican… after all, I believe in God – that Jesus was born to a virgin girl and died to take away every sin that was ever committed – provided that the sinner accepts Him as their Savior. I also do not believe in big government handouts – I think that the welfare system is a huge joke.  Just because someone has a different color of skin than the “majority” is no reason for them to get free money.  However, I am also an environmentalist.

I believe that our society (and that of other “developed” countries) is destroying our earth.

I believe that humanity was given stewardship of this planet – the authority to oversee everything in the absence of the owner (that would be God, in case you are wondering) and the responsibility for what happens while under our control.

People, we are failing miserably.

We are spewing out noxious gasses at every turn.We are filling our bodies with garbage (gee, I wonder why we are ALWAYS SICK!!!)

We are filling our oceans with plastics that will NEVER go away

Our government is more concerned with the almighty dollar than with the people it is supposed to protect.  If this was not true, then we would not have frankenfoods being hidden in the ingredients lists of 95% of the products available at your local grocery store.  If this was not true, then we would have alternative fuels available to power cars – bio-fuels, electricity, etc. The USA has become a giant test lab.  

Imagine with me for a momnet…”Let’s see, if we change the bioligical make up of corn to make it resistant to bugs, we can sell more & make more money!” “But do we know yet what effects that will have on the people that are eating it?”  ”Who cares? What they don’t know won’t hurt them!  Besides, we will make 3 times the money!” “But what if they find out?”  ”No one listens to those environmental freaks anyway – we’ll just spread an ad campaign that everything is OK.”

Did this conversation ever actually occur?  No, but it does help to point out what is certainly LOOKS like from the consumer’s prospective.

Why does our government throw money at genetically modified foods and ignore the small farms that are trying to grow a healthy, natural, poison free, BETTER alternative?  

Actually, our gov’t takes it a step further… they are trying to keep the small organic farmers OUT of the market.  They are trying to turn them into the large industrial farms that are KILLING US & OUR CHILDREN.

The farm bill was up for a vote again this year.  Did you know?  Do you care?  Guess what… corn got more money thrown at it, organic farmers got ignored.  Why do big farmers in Iowa get to have $250,000 per ear paychecks for growing crap while small family-run farms are being run out of business?
There is a new movie out called “King Corn” It’s about 2 east coast guys who decided to see what it would be like to grow corn… and it was life-changing for them.  They got some GM corn seed and an acre of prime Iowa land… and them followed their corn through the production line to see where it goes.  Our diet truly consists of corn, corn & more corn.  Find out where it is showing & go see it!

While I am on a rant, what about Maryland trying to force us to vaccinate our kids?  Do you really think it is good for an infant to have metal injected into their blood stream?  Poisonous metals?  Guess what is in vaccines… and flu shots.  The government should not have the right to tell me that I have to fill my kids full of garbage just because it keeps the hospitals open and fills the pockets of big pharmaceutical companies.

I’m not saying that we all have to go live in a cave & walk everywhere & live on nuts that we can grow.   What I AM saying is that we need to take a look at our own families and see if there is anything that we can do to be a better steward of what has been entrusted to us.Here are some ideas: My daughters school recycles plastic bags.  If there isn’t a school near you, I’d be glad to take in your clean, used plastic bags and get them recycled into other products rather than see them fly around in the air & end up inside the belly of a sea turtle. I personally use a fabric bag when I go to the grocery store.  It is re-usable, and if it gets dirty, I can just toss it into the washing machine and it’s as good as new.  Another benefit to bring your own bag – if I know that I only have 1 or 2 bags with me, I don’t buy as much at the store because I have a pretty good idea how much will fit into my bags & I don’t want to use plastic.  And my grocer gives a 5 cent credit for each non-plastic bag used.  And if you buy your bag through Mimsi Bags, you will be helping to support a Work At Home Mom who is trying to be at home with her kids.

Does your power company offer wind power?  Can you purchase carbon credits?  These are small ways that your family can help offset the fuel used to power your home.

Do you carpool to work?  Can you?  I understand that this in not an option for many – we can’t.  My husband works far enough from our home that he has to drive, and his hours are odd enough that no one wants to wait around for him.  But if you can, you should.  Many large corporations offer free vanpools for their employees, and others offer free or reduced cost bus passes.

Letting your kids ride the school bus is another way to cut down on the amount of driving that you do.  If you have to drive your kids to school & pick them up, keep in mind that 10 seconds of letting your car idle takes more gas than turning it off & re-starting it when you are ready to move.

If you are in the market for a new car, look into cars that are more environmentally friendly.  Most diesel engines can be converted to run on vegetable oil, which you can get used from many restaurants & filter.  Yes, this is a larger investment up front, but it’s cheaper than paying $3.50 per gallon!

If you are close enough, walk or ride a bike.  It not only helps the earth, but it will get your body in better shape too!

Avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup & hydrogenated oils like the plague – they really are! And you will be surprised what they show up in…

Turn off the lights when you aren’t in the room, unplug your cell phone charger when you aren’t using it, and the TV for that matter.

Pack a lunch for your kids – the Laptop Lunchbox is a great tool for that!  We have 2, and the girls LOVE them.  AND, I know that they are getting a healthy lunch instead of the microwaved crap that the school dishes up. Pack a lunch for you too… you will save money and eat better food than McD’s offers.  gag.

Join a CSA farm – Comunity Supported Agriculture.  I’m currently looking for a new one, so when I find a nationwide directory, I will post a link! 

These are just a couple of ideas.  I’m sure if you stop a moment and think about it, you will come up with MANY more ways!