Green Patchwork

If you are conscientious about the foods you eat and are a label reader then I hope you do the same when it comes to the products you put on your skin. Anything you put on your skin is the same as putting it into your body and just like there are a lot of foods out there that are harmful there are a lot of skincare products that are harmful. Even if the label says it’s natural, organic, or herbal doesn’t mean it really is. Buying truly safe and natural skincare is harder for me than shopping for natural foods, because with bodycare products you have all these long and scientific names and you don’t know what the heck they really are. Luckily, there are people out there that write books about natural shopping and start watchdog organizations to protect the public from unsafe activities. Read the rest of this entry »

Last year we subscribed to Mother Earth News‘ bimonthly magazine, but for the sake of budgeting and saving natural resources we decided to not resubscribe. Instead, we go to their online site or go to the library to read the most current issues. If you have never read a Mother Earth News they offer information on organic gardening, real food, sustainable energy, native plants, and simple living. I was recently looking through their site and saw that they have tons of new information on real food and healthy food choices and thought I would pass it on to you all.

For those of you who live in Madison and want to eat meat, but without all the antibiotics, steroids, growth hormones, and anything else that goes into an animal before and after it is slaughtered, there are many retail options to find organic or naturally raised meats. I haven’t been to Artamos’ Specialty Meats and Deli yet, but I have eaten some of their products and think their store is a conscious carnivore’s delight. “All the organic meats featured at Artamos’ are free-range and raised without hormones, antibiotics and steroids. In addition, the animals are fed an all-organic vegetarian diet (no animal by-products), which is particularly important. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been wanting to write about one of Madison’s hippest group of people who make up the Underground Food Collective. This group of 5 plus some caters parties and serves up some pretty mean breakfasts at the Saturday Farmer’s Market using seasonal foods and sustainable meats. If you’re lookin’ to find a catering crew that is creative, unique, and willing to cook in a non-traditional kitchen then look no further.

When I discovered the website Free Rice I couldn’t get away from it! Free Rice is a sister site of the world poverty site, Poverty.com. Their goal is to help people build their English vocabulary for free and help end world hunger by providing rice to  hungry people for free.

Go to the site and test your vocab knowledge. If you can’t stop earning rice it’s your own fault! You’ll understand what I’m talking about when you go to the site.

Check the number on the bottom of your plastic drinking bottle the next time you drink from it. Chances are you will see #7 on the bottom. If that is the case then read this article from National Geographic, simply titled Plastic Containers. Much of the plastic we use leaches toxins into our food and drink, but if you are aware of the types of plastics on the market you can steer clear of those horrible nasty chemicals. I gave my Nalgene bottles away when I found out they were possibly leaching chemicals into my water, and replaced them with food-grade stainless steel bottles. I never get that plastic taste in my water anymore either.

Check out this link for alternatives to plastic bottles, they carry many sizes and styles for your drinking water needs.

When I was 19 I decided to stop eating meat for ethical reasons. I couldn’t stand the thought of supporting animal cruelty and factory farming so I phased out meat, then cow milk, and eventually I ate a vegan diet. When I stopped eating these foods I had to learn about other foods to eat instead and how to cook in general. Read the rest of this entry »

Some years ago I discovered Divine Chocolate and now it is one of my favorites! It is made in Ghana with fair trade cocoa beans by the first farmer-owned chocolate company in the world.

Divine Chocolate is associated with SERVV International and A Greater Gift, an alternative trade organization that works with low-income farmers and artisans around the world to promote social and economic progress. If you go to their website you can learn more about the individual farmers and artisans from around the world.

Many communities around the nation have access to local organically grown produce without having to go to the grocery store or the farmer’s market. CSA, or community supported agriculture, is an innovative way to connect local farmers and local consumers through a direct growing and purchasing relationship. Here in Madison we have many CSA farms to choose from along with our wonderful farmer’s market around our state capital building.

Our friends Cate and Mat Eddy are the growers at Ridgeland Harvest in Viroqua, Wi. and will be a part of the CSA community this summer. I know of many more CSA farms, but please read Local Harvest’s CSA list for 2008 and learn more about CSA’s.

There are many reasons to buy organic food other than it tastes great. For those of you who may have been wondering what all the buzz surrounding organic food is all about then please read the Organic Trade Associations top 10 list.