Farmer’s Market · Eco-Chick

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Harvest Time! Eco Chick Escapes to Stowe, Vermont for Waterhole Swimming, Hiking and Farmer’s Marketing

Along with the ‘big city’ of Burlington, Stowe is the epitome of Vermont’s many facets; conscious, cosmopolitan and cozy. I love visiting the Green Mountain state any time of year (well, except mud season!) but there’s no time like August, September and October for a trip to what I think of as “The Promised Land” (because every time I go, I get to do all the things I promise myself I will do! How often does that happen?).

When I visit Vermont, I’m lucky enough to have excellent tourguides in my friends who have moved there over the last few years from New York and Connecticut. Holistic health expert Cara Joy, a good friend I met in 9th grade honors English class, drove me around, pointed out the best places to eat, and took me on a waterhole tour of mega proportions. Read on….

Our first stop was Moss Glen Falls, which, as you can see are a huge waterfall that you can swim at the bottom of, or climb into. After a 5-hour drive from my house in Connecticut, the mountain-cold refreshment was intense! And delicious, not to mention instantly calming many of my worries away. Among alternative health practitioners, it is noted that the negative ions surrounding places of water movement are excellent for stress-relief.

These almost perfectly circular potholes were caused by hundreds of years (or more!) of water action on the rock that has now moved and left these behind. This tiny one held an ecosystem within its depths.

eco chick escapes, farmer's market, Hiking, travel, vermont

You Might Be an Eco Chick If…..

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by Starre Vartan · 06/01/09

My wonderfully grey kitty, Penelope, who actually allows me to leave the heat off by keeping my lap warm while I blog, so I think she might have a negative carbon footprint!

……..you get embarassed when you absolutely HAVE to buy a bottled water one night after closing down a bar in the East Village. Severely dehydrated, and sloshed, you have so much guilt about buying water that you tell the bodega owner and the guy you’re hanging out with ALL about how bottled water is evil. Double d’oh!

……..your basement is filled with things that you haven’t figured out how to recycle yet. But you WON’T get rid of them until you do!

……..you’re so eagerly awaiting a trip to the farmer’s market, you’ve already picked out which cute cloth bags you’ll be taking with you. And the market’s two days away.

……..you’ve actually wondered about your cat’s carbon footprint.

This is the fifth post in an ongoing series (of my green neuroses!) Others linked below:

Read You Might Be #4 here

Read You Might Be #3 here

Read You Might Be #2 here

Read the Original You Might Be here

After reading through these I realize I think I have a recycling fetish! Is that bad?

bottled water, carbon footprint, farmer's market

Deplasticize Your Life!

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by Starre Vartan · 08/18/08

This movie from the 1950′s shows Disney’s “House of the Future” which is totally kitted out in plastic EVERYthing. Ironic that here I am from 2008 writing about how to get plastic out of my life!

I haven’t picked up a plastic bag in weeks now*, and I’m looking for a new eco-challenge. I think a wholesale elimination of ALL plastic from my life could be a worthwhile next step towards the continuing greenification of my life.** Why plastic? Yes, it CAN be great (plastic medical devices save lives and plastic helps reduce the weight of cars so they’re more fuel-efficient), but mostly, it’s evil.

Reason 1: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an area TWICE the size of the continental U.S. that’s filled with floating plastic debris. The smaller the plastic gets, the higher in the water column it floats, with marine life choking on the stuff. The source of the debris? North America and Asia (that’s you and me).

Reason 2: Plastic is made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource that we’re spending millions of dollars and the lives and well-being of our fellow humans to obtain. Eight percent of oil worldwide goes to make plastics. My use increases demand.

Reason 3: Many plastics (we’re not even totally sure which ones yet) leach toxic chemicals into our environment (and us, especially fetuses) when they’re created, and into our bodies when we use them for food and beverage storage. Life is toxic enough without adding to it.

Instead of plastic storage containers, try: Glass ones. There are all kinds, from traditional round-shaped ones from Pyrex, but I like these square versions with frosted tops even better.

Instead of plastic produce bags try: Cloth or reusable ‘green’ bags (or none at all). Naturally-protected produce like bananas, oranges, apples, limes and avocados don’t need a bag- I never use them and my veggies aren’t suffering. Only leafy stuff and small fruits and veggies (cherries, brussels sprouts) really need to be bagged. I use the Evert-Fresh bags (but several companies make these now) because they keep produce fresh in the fridge way longer than supermarket produce babs. You can bring these to the market for those items that demand a carrier, and you can just rinse and reuse these. (I’ve had mine for four years now.) A friend of mine likes different-sized cloth bags which she throws in the laundry every now and again, so that’s another option.

Instead of plastic wrap try: A dish! (My father who lives in Australia actually taught me this one-thanks Dad!) Instead of putting plastic over a plate of leftovers, just use another dish of the same size or smaller. Want to be able to see what’s under there? Use a clear glass plate. For bowls, use teacup saucers (you can find these a goodwill for pennies. Food will stay moist and protected sans plastic, and the plates are reusable forever.

Instead of plastic baggies try: Wax paper bags or a cloth napkin.
This is a toughie. Sometimes there’s nothing like a sealable plastic bag- for something mushy or potentially messy- if I have to, I use mine over and over until they die so I don’t buy more than a box of these every couple years, if that. But for drier items (sandwiches, fruit, cut veggies) a wax paper bag will keep moisture in and it will eventually biodegrade (unlike plastic). I use a cloth napkin for short-term transport of homemade burritos, sandwiches and veggies which won’t leak much but need a bit of protection. I can use it as a napkin while eating; plastic, not so much.

Instead of plastic silverware, try: Bringing your own.
I carry my own utensils- or I should say utensil- with me: the Aussie splayde is perfect, but a spork works too, so I never need to use plastic. You could also try a set of collapsible chopsticks (I find a need a spoon more often than a fork, but think about what you eat and what works for you).

*The key to avoiding plastic bags is to carry an oversized bag so you always have a place for small items, keeping a fold-up reusable bag like Envirosax in your bigger bag, and leaving your canvas bags for grocery shopping in the car so you’re always prepared.

** So far I’ve switched to 75% organic food in my home, I drive only on the weekends, I’ve gotten a super-efficient furnace, use only low-VOC paints, compost food scraps, grow my own veggies and herbs, buy from my local farmer’s market from April-October, adopted all my animals, buy more than half my clothes and shoes from sustainable companies (see my blog, Eco Chick for a listing), take the train instead of flying, switched from a desktop to a laptop (they use 90% less power), bought a water and energy efficient new washer, and line-dry my clothes whenever possible. I’ve been vegetarian for 15 years, so that’s not recent, but it still counts!

Amazon, Animals, Australia, bags, BPA, car, cars, clothes, eating, Eco-Chick, Energy, epa, farm, farmer's market, Food, fruit, fur, garbage, Home, homemade, local, News, oil, Organic, organic food, paper, plastic, plastic bags, plastics, plates, produce, reduce, reuse, shoes, Shopping, sport, sustainable, Tea, vegetarian, water

Etsy's handmade goodies

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by Courtney Tenz · 05/30/07

A few weeks ago, while strolling through a farmer’s market in Amsterdam, I came upon a stall selling these purses …

Katrina Kaye Handbag Katrina Kaye Handbags

I chatted with the seller for a bit and he explained the process his partner went through making these. The idea was simple, really … recycled munitions pouches from the army surplus store were made to look pretty with ’60s and ’70s era material leftover from Scandinavian home goods stores.

I bought one, he handed me his card, and lo and behold – my unique Amsterdam find is also available online at Etsy. At first, I was sad to know that I’m probably not the only one carrying a Katrina Kaye handbag. But then I checked out the Etsy shop and discovered it’s filled with handmade goodies!

Basically, Etsy’s a creative community. Artists from 84 different countries use this platform to sell all sorts of clothing and housewares and just about anything else that can be hand made, including baby clothes, bathing goodies, journals, furniture, and Ts.

In addition to all the unique creations on sale, they’ve also got a group of sellers who call themselves Etsy for Animals and donate part of their profits to various animal rescue charities. It’s all so inspiring. I think I’ve found my ideal place for serious internet shopping.

Animals, Baby, baby clothes, bags, bath, car, charities, clothes, clothing, community, Etsy, farm, farmer's market, fur, Furniture, handbags, Handmade, Home, purses, recycle, recycled, Shopping

Portovert Debuts

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by Starre Vartan · 01/22/07

Back in the beginning of December, I mentioned that a new online-only wedding magazine would be debuting in January. Well, Portovert is up and running, and it looks like they have some great content going on in their premiere issue!

If you are getting married, or know someone who is, check it out as there are some great features, like “5 Ways to Be Greener” during your nuptuals, and “Perfectly Zen” with tips for stress reducers prior to the Big Day. And don’t forget to check out their resources page, which they’ll be adding to as time goes on.

I attended the magazine’s launch party last week and there was all sorts of mainstream media there covering it (and eating awesome organic munchies, along with organic wine and vodka- Yum!). The wedding industry is so insanely waste-producing in so many ways that it’s great to see a publication dedicated to going green. Just think, if your average to-be-married couple just did half their wedding in an eco-concious way I’m sure they would save money (I say spend it on the Honeymoon!) and use fewer resources.

My Top 5 Wedding Planet- and Pocket- Savers

1. Request stuff you actually need and will use for wedding presents (duh!). If you are requesting linens, go organic (there are soooo many companies that offer organic sheets and towels now, in gorgeous colors and prints that rival anything you’d find in a department store or Pottery Barn). If you do need cookware, go for the good stuff that will last you a lifetime (I’m still using pots my grandmother got at her second wedding in the 60′s). If you are already pretty set with stuff, ask friends to give to your favorite charity/animal advocacy group/women’s shelter/environmental organization.

2. If you travel for your Honeymoon, buy carbon offsets for your plane trip (Mental note: that would be a great gift!) and stay at one of the many eco-lodges around the world. A honeymoon is a great excuse to go somewhere exotic….just don’t get so blissed out with your honey that your forget the gorgeous planet that you’re enjoying!

3. Consider only serving organic food or organic alcohol at your reception. If you can afford it, do both. If you have a summer or fall wedding, you should be able to find the bulk of the food at the farmer’s market. Going local will be delicious, cheaper, healthier and better for the planet. Using locally-grown flowers to decorate is also cheaper and Earth-friendly.

4. Skip the goody bags filled with junk-nobody needs. it. Or try giving away seed packets or soap– something that won’t end up in a landfill.

5. If you are going to get a diamond ring and gold or platinum band, look for certified non-conflict gems (ask the jeweler to see the paperwork, they’re obliged to show them to you) and recycled metals, or better yet, go vintage! (For Eco Chick’s coverage of diamonds, click here and here.)