I know it’s cliché, but the phrase “there are starving children in ____” is repeated over and over with good intentions. There are starving children everywhere, but your momma was just trying to help teach you a lesson about being grateful for what you have. It’s impossible for some kids to appreciate food security simply because they have not experienced it; not everyone always has food waiting for them on a dinner plate like many of us do.
Waking up in the morning, there is nothing like a fresh cup o' joe. While most of us are running against the clock in our morning routine, efficiency is key. Thus, the single serving coffee pod was born. Quick, easy, efficient, and in a variety of flavors, it became the new instant coffee. A blessing for the busy working individual, right?
Running an organic, sustainable garden is not easy to do solo, especially when you have a larger garden with plenty enough to tend to. Having support and assistance from others within your community can really lend a helping hand, and there are often people within communities who could truly benefit from gardens. For those looking for ideas on how to gain gardening support within your community, check out these 10 ideas for connecting your garden with your community.
1. Give and Share
We all know that veggies are good for us. However, if the veggies have turned mushy or wrinkly, trash them not. Instead use them to boost your beauty routine!
For those of you who are looking for something easy and edible to plant in your garden or kitchen, look no further than microgreens! Microgreens are small, leafy vegetables that are fairly easy to grow for most home and backyard gardeners. They are grown from the same seeds as their full-sized counterparts, but the greens are harvested much earlier – earlier than baby greens, but later than you would harvest sprouts.
Solar-powered cars may sound like something modern, but the truth is that they actually made an appearance in the late 1970s. However, the first completely solar-powered car was developed in 1984 by Greg Johanson and Joel Davidson. Solar-powered cars were obviously slow to catch on, but electric cars in general have been gaining in popularity in recent years. While electric cars were difficult to find 20 years ago, several automakers have now developed electric versions – and the crowd is loving it.
Seed paper is more than just fun to make: It's eco-friendly. It's a great way to give back to the earth. After all, paper is made from trees. It seems only right to return paper to the earth so it can grow new life again. The best part about making seed paper? It's relatively easy.
Ever wonder what you can do with some of those old items you no longer use? Use them as new homes for your plants! Plant containers can be made from all sorts of things, so there’s really no need to spend your hard-earned money on boring, conventional planters. To give you a little inspiration, here are 13 reusable items that make unique plant containers.
Winter can be a beautiful time to connect with nature and watch birds forage for food. Something that has become particularly popular nowadays is using bird feeders to help give birds access to food through the winter. There are studies still being conducted on the effects that personal feeders have on the bird population, so it has not been fully concluded in research whether they are harmful or not. With that being said, the more sustainable route seems to always be the best way to go. This can be accomplished by growing plants that produce bird-food during the cold season.
The Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) in California is making great strides with the Farm to School program it started in 2008. Through this program, OUSD sources the majority of their produce from local farms, and in 2016, they won a “California Farm-to-School Network Golden Seed Award” from the Community Alliance with Family Farmers.