A Press Democrat Blog

Living Green

Saving time and resources

Event: Laguna Fest 2012

Laguna Fest 2012 Saturday, July 14th – 11am to 11pm Presented by Laguna Farm and Sonoma County Herb Exchange Laguna Farm, 1764 Cooper Rd., Sebastopol, Directions from 116/Cotati or Santa Rosa Reskilling & Homesteading Classes, Demos & Workshops Fiber Arts, Clothing Swap, Upcycling, Dying with Nature, Felting, Knitting, Sewing Tracking & Aquatics, Mushroom Cultivation, Herbalism 101, Composting Fermented Food Making, Cheese Making. Cider Making, Biodynamics, Reclaiming Cannabis No-Permit Legal Outbuildings and Structures, Beekeeping & Bee Gardens, Composting, Beer Making, Pressure Cooking &… Read More »

Spring at OAEC – Plant Sale and Events

Spring Biodiversity Plant Sale and Tours Saturday, April 14 and Sunday, 9 am-5pm, Tours: Saturday – 2pm, Sunday – 10am and 2pm Hundreds of open-pollinated, heirloom and rare varieties – all California Certified Organic – many started from our own seed collection. All have been trialed, tasted, and savored for years in our demonstration gardens and kitchen. This sale features early Spring crops such as lettuces and greens, peas, brassicas, chards, onions… Read more Summer Biodiversity Plant Sale May 5 & 6… Read More »

Real Meals Delivered!

Need quality meals delivered to your door? My neighbor Louise is somewhat limited in her mobility and no longer likes to cook. For years she has tried numerous meal delivery services. Ruthy’s Real Meals is her favorite by a long shot. She says the food is delicious, well prepared and just the right amount for her needs. Based in Rohnert Park, Ruthy’s specializes in high quality handmade meals with local and organic ingredients. Ruth, a seasoned chef, and her staff… Read More »

My Favorite Recycling Center: The Legacy

Whenever I am in south Sebastopol, I take few minutes to see what’s happening at The Legacy. A volunteer based arts and crafts reuse center in the Southpoint Shopping Center near McDonald’s, they accept and resell fabric – by the pound!, as well as sewing notions, yarn, hobby supplies and books. Kid friendly, it is a great way to introduce children to low cost do-it-yourself (DIY) projects. My idea of heaven! It’s also a great spot for presents – for yourself… Read More »

Disposable Reading Pleasures, Part I

Paper makes up 17.3% of California’s and 16.3% of Sonoma County’s discard stream. Much of it is single use reading materials – newspapers, magazines and books. We all take this mountain of short-term gratification for granted – but it doesn’t have to be so… mountainous. With a little effort we all can substantially reduce the impact of our reading pleasure – without reading less! Obviously the more readers per copy benefits the environment – but not the publishing industry. If… Read More »

Eyeglass Reuse – Santa Rosa

First, ask your eye care provider if they take part in an eyeglass reuse and recycling program. If the answer is no, ask why. There is no reason why undamaged eyeglasses should end up in the trash! If need be, you can mail them to Lions In Sight, 1404 Lemon St, Vallejo, CA 94590. The list below was snipped from our fabulous Sonoma County Recycling Guide which is located in the AT&T Yellow Pages under “R” and at www.recyclenow.org: Santa Rosa G&G Supermarkets,… Read More »

Event: Occidental Arts and Ecology Center Biodiversity Plant Sale

April 30 and May 1 from 9am to 5pm We will be selling hundreds of open-pollinated, heirloom and rare varieties – all California Certified Organic – many started from our own seed collection. Free Tours at 11am & 1pm both days! Light Refreshments available for purchase. For more information click HERE. Please bring your own trays or boxes, if possible. No pets please!

Examining The Maui County Plastic Bag Ban

By Jennifer Swacina, Maui Time,  April 13, 2011 On January 11, I forgot my reusable shopping bags. I’d seen the ominous “1-11-11″ signs and the “B.Y.O. Bag” posters announcing the impending arrival of the countywide plastic bag ban, so I was nervous I’d be scolded or at least given a dirty look. Instead, the K-mart cashier loaded my items into a large brown paper bag without a word. I was initially relieved, but that quickly faded to disappointment. Was this going to be… Read More »

Event Greening 101 Workshop, April 26, SR

Minimizing an event’s environmental impact is an opportunity to make it more efficient and more fun. Why? Because time and resource management is key in both greening and event organizing. And, adding a green component allows you to look at the process from a different lens.  If planned in advance greening adds a breath of fresh air but if left to the last minute it adds unwanted stress and confusion. This workshop is an introduction to Event Greening with some… Read More »