Composting and Vegetable Garden Classes

I've talked about composting before, as in, I want to take a composting class and here are some being offered in the valley. Well, tis the season again...here are some upcoming classes for both composting and gardening in the desert. Check your particular city for other options as these are just a sampling.

Parks and Rec Classes
GLENDALE
Organic Gardening
Learn to prepare soil, make compost and use organic fertilizers and soil amendments.
Fee: $34 (Non-resident $41)
Oct. 6, 10 AM (4 hours)

TEMPE
Gardening; Vegetable Gardens
Learn how to plant, fertilize and care for your vegetable garden - naturally.
Fee: $14.
Sept. 27, 6:30-7:30 p.m.


City Classes
GLENDALE
Landscape/Gardening Classes
Saturday, Oct. 16, Glendale Main Library
1 to 2:15 p.m. Vegetable Gardening – Learn how, when, and what to plant.
2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Composting – Several methods of composting and soil building will be presented.
3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Care of lawns - Will include how to install, water and care for winter and summer lawns.

MESA
Backyard Composting: Breaking it Down to the Basics
Saturday, Oct. 9, 1:30 – 4 P.M., Mesa Main Library


Others
Winter Vegetable Gardening
Saturday, October 2, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Southwest Gardener, Phoenix
Local grower Gregory Ware of Dos Arbolitos Nursery will share his considerable knowledge on growing veggies in the desert. Each participant takes home two six-packs of starter plants to get their garden growing. Cost $35.

Backyard Composting Basics with Doreen Pollack
Saturday, October 2,  1pm to 2:30pm – Central Slope Design Center, Phoenix
Turn your kitchen scraps and certain waste materials into nutrient-rich fertilzer! Compost not only provides a source of slow-release organic fertilizer, it also boosts the community of microorganism… $10 suggested donation

The Story of Cosmetics

Strawberry Hedgehog recently posted this new video on Facebook. From the creators of the Story of Stuff, we now have the Story of Cosmetics. And it is a scary story that will induce nightmares, my friends! I hope everyone watches and shares it.

Daryl Hannah Love Life

Thanks to The Streets I Know vegan fashion blog, I learned about Daryl Hannah vlog series, dh love life. Daryl Hannah is a vegan and eco-activist, and I read somewhere that she is actually quite shy. Anyway, she's covered quite a lot of topics in her vlog series, and I recommend you check them out.

Below are two episodes, the Girlie Green one (green and vegan beauty products) and the Live Food one (aka raw vegan food).

And here's a fairly recent interview with Daryl Hannah in Vegetarian Times.

Fashion Friday: Eco-friendly Tote Bags

Fashion Friday! For a little change of pace, today I am showcasing eco-friendly tote bags. I picked out ones that would come in handy at the farmer's market, so they are a little more practical than trendy, but still cute and with good messages.

Wonder Woman Saves the Planet. [Warner Bros.]

Herbivore. [TrashRags Etsy]

VegNewsMag. [VegNews]

(It might not be the purtiest, but it's one that I have
and I love it because it is so roomy.
And you can get it free if you order the magazine special pack.)

Pink Save the Earth. [Lanie's Creations Etsy]

Earth! [EcoZuzu Etsy]

Peace. [RainbowSwirlz Etsy]

Elvis- Love Me Tender- Go Green. [ShoeBuy]

Peace, Love, Bike. [LoftyMornings Etsy]

Peace Bird. [SunSwirlGirl Etsy]

Save the Planet Hobo. [BagLadeeze Etsy]

World Peace. [BucktoothedBunny Etsy]

Earth Flowers. [REI]

Vegan Feminist Bitch. [TheHeadShop Etsy]

Peace, Love, Recycle. [DraftCultureStudio Etsy]

Peace Sign Parade. [Monettl Etsy]

Save the Gulf! [RCtees Etsy]

Save Our Chocolate. [KristaBDesigns Etsy]

Vegan Condoms

Yeah, I know, you probably didn't even think condoms would be an issue for those of us concerned about animal welfare. Unfortunately, many latex condoms are processed with casein, a milk protein, and some have been tested on animals. Wait, I mean, some come from companies where they test the ingredients on animals. But there are vegan condoms out there to avoid all that. The downside is that most of them are hard to find except online.

But brand new to the market and hopefully arriving in local stores around October, is Sir Richard's Condom Company. Their product will be certified 100% vegan, and they will be working towards 100% biodegradable, Fair Trade-certified latex. (Sir Richard's says, "Latex condoms are 100% biodegradable but not if they end up in our Oceans or waterways, so be sure never to flush them!") Unfortunately the FDA has regulations that still require individual Mylar wrappers, which are not recyclable, but the cardboard boxes will be recyclable and, in the future, could be embedded with wildflower seeds.

What's truly great about this company is not only do they have a vegan and eco-friendly approach, but they are taking a page from the TOMS Shoes business model. "For every Sir Richard's condom bought, we donate one condom to a country in need." They will be planning condom "drops" in Uganda, Thailand, and Haiti.

Sir Richard's in:
Boulder Daily Camera
Ecorazzi

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Other vegan condom brands available and where you can find them:
Glyde Health Condoms - Cosmos Vegan Shoppe, Vegan Essentials, The Sensual Vegan, Different Daisy

RFSU Condoms from Sweden- Vegan Essentials, The O!Zone, Babeland

Condomania Condoms- Secret Society of Vegans (USA)

Fusion Condoms- Official Site (UK), Vegan Health and Beauty (UK)

And for those of you with a latex allergy:
Glyde Health Natural Sensation Non-Latex Condoms- Vegan Essentials


Other vegan-formulated condoms (but not registered with vegan certifying groups):
Durex Avanti Ultima (Polyisoprene non-latex)- most stores that sell condoms
Pasante Naturelle, Ribbed, Flavours, Extra, Xtra Sensitive, Large, Trim, and Delay- Official Site (UK)

Storing Fruits and Vegetables

I have trouble balancing my fruit and vegetable purchases with the rate in which I use them. I'm lazy about getting to the store so I try to buy enough produce for a week or so, but sometimes I don't eat it fast enough. This dilemma drives me insane, because I want fresh fruit and veggies handy at all times, and yet, I don't want to waste them either. I've been trying to compromise by attempting the grocery store more often, buying fewer pieces of produce at a time, and buying more frozen ones as insurance that I'll always have what I need. I still don't have it quite right, but I'm doing a better job. There are still days where something I buy rots in 36 hours and I want to go on a rampage.

I'm hoping the below tools will make me an even better 'gatherer'.

STORAGE TIPS
I recently found this awesome list of how to store the most common fruits and veggies so they last longer...without plastic...from Berkeley Farmers' Market via Fake Plastic Fish. I think this is going to be very helpful to me.




BLUAPPLE
I also saw this neat little product at Whole Foods, the BluApple. You're supposed to be able to put it in your fruit and vegetable compartments in the fridge and it absorbs the ethylene gas that produce gives off. Since these compartments are enclosed the ethylene gas builds up and the fruits ripen faster and rot. BluApple is supposed to help prolong the life of your produce. Ok, so they're not plastic-free, but the blue apples are reusable for-like-ever and just require non-plastic inserts.

Found at The Daily Grommet:

REUSABLE PRODUCE BAGS
Also, since we're on the topic, you might consider getting some reusable produce bags. Sure many of us have canvas bags for our groceries, but how about smaller bags for produce? My pea brain took a while to catch on to the need for these bags too, instead of all those produce plastic bags, but I made the switch awhile back. Whole Foods has some for sale, that's where I got mine, which are nothing fancy, just natural cotton mesh. But if you want something a little more fashionable, do a quick search on etsy.com for "produce bag" and you'll find plenty of fun, reusable bags like these cute little owl-stamped bags from MissMotley's Etsy.

Seventh Generation

Seventh Generation products are completely vegan and FREE of animal testing. They offer a complete line of non-toxic household products.

Seventh Generation brand-name products include: non-chlorine bleached, 100% recycled paper towels, bathroom and facial tissues, and napkins; non-toxic, phosphate-free cleaning, dish and laundry products; plastic trash bags made from recycled plastic; chlorine-free baby diapers, training pants, and baby wipes; and chlorine-free feminine care products, including organic cotton tampons.

I use a ton of their products Some of my faves:

~Natural Laundry Detergent White Flower & Bergamot Citrus HE
~Natural Fabric Softener Free and Clear
~Toilet Bowl Cleaner Emerald Cypress & Fir
~Natural Dish Liquid Lemongrass & Clementine Zest

I particularly love the smell of the Lemongrass & Clementine and the Emerald Cypress & Fir. But I think my absolute favorite is the Wild Orange and Cedar Spice Kitchen Cleaner. Sadly, it's been a few months since I have seen it on the shelves, and I am a little worried it has been discontinued. In the meantime, I've been settling for the Lemongrass & Thyme Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner. The only thing wrong with the Lemongrass and Thyme is that the scent makes me want to eat something because I love both lemongrass and thyme.

Here are some of their product scents. About the only one I avoid is lavendar, as I am not that fond of the scent.

White Flower & Bergamot Citrus

Blue Eucalyptus & Lavender

Wild Orange & Cedar Spice

Lemongrass & Clementine Zest

Lavender Floral & Mint

Emerald Cypress & Fir

Green Mandarin & Leaf

Ruby Grapefruit & Herb

Overall Ranking: *****

***** awesome! Highly recommended.

**** hey, this is pretty dang good.

*** not bad at all.

** eh.
* bad. Keep looking for alternatives.

[Seventh Generation can be found at Sprouts, Whole Foods, Frys Marketplace, Walgreens, and Target.]

Etsy for Earth Day

Here are some of the cool odds and ends on Etsy with an Earth Day theme.

Recycle Sea Glass Pendant

Peaceful Earth Netbook Case

Recycled Typewriter Key Cuff Links

Green Recycle Pendant

Peace Toddler Beanie

Earth Plantables Gift Tags/Favors

Reusable Sandwich and Snack Bags

Earth Earrings

Magnets or Pushpins

Earth Onesie

Earth Heart Pendant

Erf the Owl (made from recycle plastic bags!)

The Beautiful Deschanel Sisters

Both Emily and Zooey Deschanel are actresses, and vegans. Emily stars on the Fox show Bones. Zooey starred in Elf and is the lead vocalist in the duo, She & Him. I was looking for some video with both of them involving veganism and animal rights. Here is what I found.

Go Green by chosing a vegan diet, with Emily Deschanel.



Emily being interviewed at a past Genesis Awards, which pay tribute to the major news and entertainment media for producing outstanding works that raise public awareness of animal issues. The 24th Annual Genesis Awards (2010) air on Animal Planet on April 24th and 25th.




Watch as Zooey Deschanel is catered a vegan meal on Top Chef.

Fashion Friday: Go Green...Bicycle

We don't have as much public transit as I would like, here in Phoenix. We do have a fairly new light rail, which is quite limited and really only the first step in creating a good public transportation system. But the light rail is linked to our bus system, and both components allow for bicycle-riders. There are still large gaps in public transportation depending on where you live in the valley, but if you can, why not try using the bus, the lightrail, and/or biking to work, school, or the local farmers market. April is Valley Bike Month and there are a bunch of fun rides, races, expos and events taking place this month. Thursday, April 22nd is the Mesa, Tempe, and Scottsdale Bike to Work (and School) Day, and Monday, April 26th is the Gilbert Bike to Work Day.

These shirts emphasize the option of using a bike (or, erm, a TaunTaun).

Cyclists shall inherit the earth. [Ban T-shirts]

Bike Love [The Giant Peach]

Conserve. [Your Conscience]

[on sleeve: Conserve]

I like boys that cycle. [Ecojoia]

Bike. [The Giant Peach]

Cycle. [Ecojoia]

Conserve fuel, ride a TaunTaun. [Star Wars Zazzle]

(Some shirts are available in unisex, men's, women's, juniors, plus sizes, and children's sizes. I only display one shirt as a representative of the style. Please see the websites for available size and style/color options.)

Old Town Scottsdale Farmers Market

This past weekend a friend of mine took me to her favorite farmers market, the one in old town Scottsdale. It was mega crowded and people seemed to be really enthusiastic about the produce and other products available at the various stands. There were six cashiers for the produce stand and each line was at least 6 people deep. And I can see why. The produce on display was beautiful!

I picked up some goodies...tangelos because I can never pass them up, a giant Meyer lemon for some lemon cookies I owe my mom, giant green onions from Kyoto because I love green onions, an English cucumber because it looked so nice and I decided I needed some cucumber sandwiches this week, cranberry beans because they looked cool and I want to cook more with beans, and TEPARY BEANS!

Ever since I first learned about tepary beans, pretty much when I started this blog, I have been looking forward to trying them. They are native to the Southwest and used to be a staple of local Native Americans. Tepary beans are supposed to have a really high protein content and are very low glycemic. They are by no means easily found in regular grocery stores though. You won't find them canned, or even in the dried bulk bins. You almost have to special order them online, especially if you don't live in the Southwest. The Tohono O'odham Nation is one of the bigger producers of tepary beans, and one of the few. So, I was greatly surprised to see them at the Old Town Farmers Market at the McClendon Select Organic Farms stand and I snapped up a bag to try. There were three varieties: black, white, and brown. I went with brown.

I'll be writing up a whole post on the tepary beans when I get a chance to make a few recipes with them. I'm really looking forward to it. And I am very much considering making the tepary brownie recipe I found, plus maybe a dip and a stew of some kind. ::drool::

*******

Old Town Farmers Market

About:
Local growers, specialty food producers, and artisan vendors.

What to Buy: Organic and pesticide free produce, cider, freshly baked artisan breads, jams, [vegan] tamales, [vegan] baked goods, hummus, raw crackers, flavored olive oils, and more.

Hours:
Saturdays 8:30 am - 1:00 pm
October 31, 2009 - May 29, 2010

Location:
3854 N. Brown Ave.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Parking:
Located on the corner of First Street and Brown Avenue in Old Town Scottsdale. Free Parking is provided in the underground garage, street and adjacent lots.

                                                         McClendon's Select Organic Farms

Raging Raw Organics

                                                   Kyoto Kujo-Negi (aka Kyoto green onions)

(l to r:) Brown Tepary Beans, English

Cucumber, Kyoto Kujo-Negi, Meyer

Lemon, Tangelos, & Cranberry Beans

For a list of several Farmers Markets in Arizona, please click here.

And for the Mill Avenue Farmers Market, click here.