So when the rains started falling this morning, I eagerly donned my gardening gloves and headed outside. After all this crazy heat, weeding in the rain was bliss! Messy, yes, but wonderful.  I weeded until I was soaked through and covered in mud, thoroughly enjoying the cooling splash of the light raindrops on my skin. When the storms really started picking up, I headed indoors.

The slight cooling means I can also finally catch up on a few things that are near impossible when it’s sweltering: making chicken broth, baking bread, and finally baking one of my favorite spring treats, rhubarb coffee cake, before my last bit of rhubarb goes bad. I simply have not been able to turn on the oven- it’s just too hot!

So I thought I’d include a recipe for my “Anything Goes Chicken Broth”. It’s quite simple- there are no strict rules or ingredients, and it always comes out delicious. I guess really it’s more of a chicken AND vegetable broth, and it works well in just about any recipe that calls for either of the two.

Here’s how we start: when we cook a whole chicken, I save the back (which doesn’t have a ton of meat) and all the bones after we’re finished eating, throwing them in a Ziplock bag and into the freezer until I’m ready to make broth. Because we raise our chickens, the best part is that I know my broth will be all-natural and free of nasty chemicals. And it’s great to use every part of the chicken for something!

Then when I get to the point where I have some veggies, like carrots, onions, and celery, that are getting old and need to be used up, it’s Broth Day. I throw the chicken carcass into a big pot of water, adding any veggies that I have on hand. Onions, garlic, carrots and celery are a must. Keep the skins on the onions and garlic, washing and halving them. Be sure to use the leafy part of the celery, it’s the best for adding flavor for broth. I’ll even blanch and then freeze that leafy part for later when I have  celery, if I’m not ready to make broth.

Other veggies that I often throw in, if I’ve got them, include some collard greens, Swiss chard, cabbage, and beet greens. Then I add some fresh herbs (or dried if that’s all I’ve got), like thyme, sage, parsley, oregano, basil, and rosemary.  Whatever you like, really, just throw it in! Finish with some whole peppercorns and salt, and you’re good to go.

I usually let the broth simmer for a few hours, and the longer the better. When it’s finished, strain all the chunks and pieces out (I use a collander), and then you can freeze the broth in small Tupperware- type containers. I tried using glass canning jars, only to discover that about half of them cracked in the freezer (they are not meant to withstand freezing), so plastic it must be. I try to freeze the broth in one- or two-cup serving sizes, since that is what I often need for my recipes.

And voila, you have homemade, healthy, yummalicious broth!

We awoke yesterday morning to discover one of our favorite hens, Little Lady, had passed away. Though we had expected this, as something had very clearly been wrong for quite a few days, it was quite sad nonetheless.

She was our tiniest hen, and quite friendly- even the larger, more aggressive hens tended not to pick on her like they did with the other girls. She just had this personality that spoke: “I’m just here minding my own business, don’t mind me.”

Lady has had a rough year. She lost ALL of her back and tail feathers (except for a scraggly two or three) due to our very large and aggressive rooster finding it necessary to copulate with all of the hens multiple times a day. Those poor girls are always running from him (unless there is some kind of danger, and then he is their best friend!). Speckles the rooster is more than twice as large as Lady, and when he jumps on her back, he tends to do some damage. Ever since we’ve had a rooster, I’ve always jokingly warned my friends: if you are bad in this life, you will come back as a hen! Poor girls!

So about a week ago, I noticed Lady just sitting inside the coop on the perch, staring at the wall. Very unusual. The hens usually race out of the coop in the morning when we open it up for them. Then the next day, she stayed inside the coop again, staring at the wall, this time on the floor. When we went to close up the coop late that night, she was just standing there outside the coop, unwilling to move. Something was definitely wrong.

My first guess was that Lady was eggbound. This can happen when a hen’s egg gets stuck inside her. It will cause the chicken to lose interest in anything, including food and water, and ultimately, to die if something is not done.  Unfortunately, the “something” involves such measures such as giving the chicken a warm bath, massaging her abdomen, and making her warm oatmeal with a vitamin supplement.

That night we skipped the warm bath, and focused on massaging her abdomen, trying to feel inside her for an egg that might be stuck. Unfortunately, she was so bony that it was hard to tell what we were feeling exactly. I made her some warm oatmeal with nutritional yeast, kelp meal, and raw milk, and after some hesitation, she ate it.

The next morning we found an egg right next to Lady, and hoped that had done the trick. She came out of the coop and even ate a little bit. She seemed to be on the up and up, but by the following day she was back to the same uninterested, sickly looking Lady.

This routine went on for nearly a week, and as I said, ultimately ended in tragedy. Honestly, she had become so scraggly without her feathers that we hadn’t expected her to make it through the winter, so we are not surprised that Lady is the first of our hens to die. She was secretly one of my favorites, and so today we are remembering Lady, the wee little hen.

]]> http://thegreatergreen.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=301 0 http://thegreatergreen.com/blog/?p=298 http://thegreatergreen.com/blog/?p=298#comments Thu, 13 May 2010 13:40:01 +0000 thegreatergreen http://thegreatergreen.com/blog/?p=298 Oh dear! It’s been ages since I last posted. Spring has a funny way of slipping by like that…. We wait impatiently all winter for a little warmth and sunshine, and at the first drop of sunny wonderfulness, our days suddenly become a blur. It’s wonderful to be busy again, but as usual, I find myself thinking that we’ll never get to all our grand plans once again. I think that’s the beauty of life- there is always next year, and the dreams we have that get put on hold keep us planning, preparing, and anticipating.

So here’s what we’ve been up to so far:

• We bought another eight fruit trees to start building our orchard. It’s not very many, but we figure we’ll add another eight or so each year until we have a sizeable collection. Last year we purchased our trees from Menard’s, and unfortunately, 3 out of the 5 never blossomed. By the time we realized that the trees were dead, Menard’s would no longer take them back. So we certainly won’t be making that mistake again! This year we found a great local organization to support, the Van County Conservation District, through their annual Tree Sale. The trees are all healthy and doing great, and at $17 a piece, they were a pretty good deal. No matter where you live, there should be a local conservation district that you can visit, and chances are they have some sort of plant or tree sales. If you live in or near Van Buren County, MI, you can check out our local Conservation District here: http://vanburencd.org/archives/category/shop-online
• I’ve planted the potatoes, snap peas, regular peas, radishes, carrots, onions, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, and cabbage. Unfortunately the chickens keep sneaking into our garden and nibbling on my lettuce. As spring progresses, they usually find other stuff that interests them and stay out of the garden, but this early on, they can’t seem to resist the tender green leaves of my heirloom lettuce. Arrrgggghhh!
• Our chickens have also been wandering over to our neighbor’s house, and the neighbors are not happy about it. Chickens can kick up and make a mess of your landscaping very quickly (which doesn’t bother us, but of course our neighbors are not pleased at all), and our rooster is becoming quite aggressive. So the chickens only get to free-range in the evening until Alex has the time to install a border fence between our property lines to keep them on our side. In hindsight, we should have placed the coop on the other side of our property, which backs up to the woods rather than a neighbor’s house.
• We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our four piggies for this summer. It seems our pig farmer is busy planting his hundreds of acres of corn (there is no rest for real farmers this time of year), so we will just continue to wait.
• It’s been four years since we added a big load of manure to our garden plots, so we will be doing that again this year. One of our neighbors raises organic, free-range cows, and has all the composted manure we could ever want. Be careful if you are planning to add manure to your garden- make sure it has been composting at least over winter, so that you do not “burn” your plants with the high levels of nitrogen. You also want to add your manure as early in spring as possible, a good 120 days or so before harvest (the more composted it is, the shorter that time period can be) to avoid any bacterial contamination.
• I am helping out this year with a Victory Garden project at the Bangor Alternative High School where I teach high school completion evening classes for adults. The high school students working on the garden project are so excited, and they are even making a documentary about their work. It’s so neat to see the movement toward fresh food and community gardens springing up in schools around the country!
• Finally, we have some wonderful news: we are expecting a little helper on the farm! I am currently 23 weeks pregnant with our first baby. Not too sure how this is going to affect my ability to garden this summer, but I’m ready to take it all in stride. We have cut back a bit on the amount we are growing, though I do still want to have a fresh supply of food for both me and my baby come fall. This also means that we will be expanding our store line of baby products, now that I will have a chance to really test and review them for myself. We’ll keep you updated on our adventures and discoveries!

Wherever you are, whatever you do, I hope that spring is bringing you many enjoyable days and a summer to look forward to!

The garlic tops in our garden have pushed through their straw mulch, almost overnight, it seems. We planted our garlic in the fall, covered them with a straw mulch, and waited impatiently all winter. Soon we will have delicious garlic scapes (the curly green tops that you can cut off and eat, which have a mild garlic taste that helps ease the anxious yearning for the garlic bulbs).

Wild garlic has sprouted, one of the earliest (and tastiest) signs of spring. We cut the green parts off, chop them up, and use them in our favorite dishes for extra garlic flavor. They can be used in place of chives. They prefer to grow in damper areas, so under trees and bushes is a great place to look. If you live in the Midwest, chances are you just might be able to find some out in your yard. But you’ve got to be quick and harvest them before grass mowing time begins! Here is a great blog post about wild garlic on Cincinnati Locavore.

Even Speckles is enjoying the unseasonably warm weather. There is finally fresh greenery on the ground, and bugs galore that seemed to have come out of nowhere! We will now start seeing our yolks get noticeably more orange with each passing week. Yay!

And it’s back to hanging laundry outside. Nothing beats the clean, sweet smell of sunshine radiating from your sun-warmed shirts!

Aquaponics. The wonderfully sustainable combination of aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics (growing plants in a soil-less water medium). What a brilliant idea! We are looking into this as our next sustainable agriculture adventure in the upcoming year.

Check out this cool video:

But why hydroponics? We haven’t had a lot of experience with this type of growing, but from what I have learned recently, there is a big future in hydroponics. For one, it uses 10% of the water that conventional (soil-based) agriculture does, so that right there is a huge savings, particularly as we progress into an era when water conservation is going to become a top priority. Also, conventional, and especially big corporate-based, agriculture is costing us to lose precious top soil at an alarming rate. A soil-less growing method that requires no top soil is going to be so important as many of the world’s growing regions become depleted and others become arid. Finally, hydroponically-raised plants grow faster, because you can so directly control the nutrients being fed to the plant, and because the plants have constant, direct access to those nutrients.

And aquaculture? Well, think about. Raising fish creates an inevitable byproduct: fish poop. That fish poop just happens to be an excellent, perfect, organic plant fertilizer. In a properly balance aquaponics system, the hydroponic plants would require NO other fertilizers other than the fish poop being siphoned from the fish tank to the plants. Amazing!

Some of the more common aquaponics systems use goldfish, which are incredibly hardy and can survive the extremes of temperature that are inherent in northern climates, even within a sheltered greenhouse. We are most interested in a system that would raise tilapia, which you could then eat!! We are talking a whole-survival system here, providing protein (fish) and all of your veggie needs. In fact, many developing countries are implementing these systems because of the incredible results and the small amount of input needed. The most expensive part would actually just be the start-up.

Aquaponics is catching on around the country. Though it certainly is not new, this national spotlight is. It’s the perfect melding of time and opportunity: people are interested in sustainability because it presents a chance at self-sufficiency and affordability in uncertain times. What is sustainable is often not only healthier, but also cheaper. And aquaponics, excluding the initial start-up costs, is a cost-effective way to grow your own healthy, organic food.

The NY Times just recently ran an article on aquaponics:

“The Spotless Garden”

Check out this cool website about how to build a basic backyard aquaponics system within a small greenhouse:

“Aquaponics, An Ecocircle in Action”

And here are some links to more articles and blogs to learn more about aquaponics:

The Aquaponics Gardening Blog

“Aquaponics: The Urban Food Revolution”

“Aquaponics Raises Fish & Vegetables Sustainably”

“NY City’s First Hydroonic Rootop Garden to Produce 30 Tons of Food Annually”

Finally, if you search “aquaponics” on YouTube.com, you will find all sorts of great how-to videos. Good luck!

“Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.

Take kindly to the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.”

-Max Ehrmann c.1920

]]> http://thegreatergreen.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=290 0 http://thegreatergreen.com/blog/?p=288 http://thegreatergreen.com/blog/?p=288#comments Sun, 17 Jan 2010 17:07:21 +0000 thegreatergreen http://thegreatergreen.com/blog/?p=288 Here on our small hobby farm in Michigan, we use strictly wood stove heat in winter to provide our warmth. It’s now been three years since we’ve needed to turn on our furnace (when we first moved out here, we were using a combination of wood stove and propane furnace). All of the wood we burn is harvested as fallen trees in our own forest, minimizing environmental impact. In fact, there are more fallen trees from our violent summer storms then we can manage!

We are currently trying to maximize the efficiency of our heating system. We purchased a new wood stove in 2006 that was extremely efficient and does a great job of heating our house, despite its relatively small size. Still, we burn a lot of wood, and want to try and minimized the environmental impact of that burning.

Wood stove efficiency has come a long way. Newer EPA-certified models are about one-third more efficient than the old pot-belly stove models, and they produce about 90% less particulate matter (smoke) than the older models. Fires also ignite more easily and burn more completely in these new stoves. We added a blower that sits on top of the stove for better air circulation, and a ceiling fan directly above the stove that circulates the heat throughout the room.

But still, we constantly seek to maximize efficiency with our stove by asking the question, “What else can we use our stove for besides heat?” An obvious answer is cooking food and boiling water. A teapot resting on top of a roaring wood stove brings the water to a boil in no time at all! I am still mastering the art of cooking on the stove, since you can’t just “turn down” the flame when needed.

One of the things we’ve had to address is the extremely dry air that the wood stove produces. Without some sort of humidifier in the room, it quickly becomes very unpleasant. I can remember one night before we realized this, when my dad was visiting. He actually ended up sleeping with a damp washcloth over his face, because he was so unaccustomed to such dry air! Now we place a large pot of water on top of the stove, and let it slowly evaporate throughout the day.

We also realized that hang-drying our laundry would have a two-fold benefit. First, we would save on our very expensive propane bill by not using our dryer (we always hang-dry our clothes in summer, but used to switch to the dryer in winter). Second, as the clothes dried, they would contribute badly needed moisture to the air. A perfect solution!

The only problem was creating the space to hang the clothes without having them be constantly in the way. Our wood stove is right in the middle of our living room, and so the clothes would have to hang in the living room, too. The solution? Alex designed a simple but functional hanging rack, suspended from the ceiling along the side wall, and it has worked perfectly, saving us money and keeping the air humidified! When not in use, he made it attractive enough to not be an eyesore. It’s working so well, I might even ask him to build another!

Have any other uses for your wood stove? We’d love to hear about them!

We noticed at the end of summer, when we finally let the chickens in the garden to clean everything up, how much they liked plants in the brassica family (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower). So as we were cleaning out the garden and pulling up the debris, we purposefully left all cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower plants in the ground. You can see them reaching out of the snow here, their leaves amazingly still not totally frozen:

About once a week, I pull up a plant, roots and all, and toss it into the chicken pen. By leaving the plant intact, it is easier for the chickens to pull off the leaves. This time of year, these greens are a delectable treat, and they devour the whole plant!

By the way, we no longer let our chickens free range, as we have had a number of nights when the chickens did not return the coop, for some odd reason. We suspect that a possum may have gone in their, trying to bed down in the hay, and spooked them. Regardless, searching for chickens after dark with a flashlight, in over a foot of snow and freezing cold weather, is not fun, neither for us nor them. So they are currently remaining inside the pen.

We also make sure the chickens get plenty of scratch. The cracked corn in it is a bit like junk food for chickens, without a lot of nutrients, but it does help them to produce more heat, apparently, so is good for those bitter cold wintry nights.

I still make my chickens their oatmeal, yogurt, kelp meal, nutritional yeast breakfast once in while, and they just love it. The kelp meal is chock full of micronutrients and a wonderful natural supplement for just about any animals. If you are not able to find the kelp, please email us. We have some available for sale here at The Greater Green as a special order item.

We also added a brighter light on a timer in the coop, in an effort to keep our chickens laying a bit longer. As the days shorten, the internal clocks of the hens signals that it is no longer a good laying season. By setting a light to go on early in the morning, and stay on for at least 14 hours, we “trick” the hens into laying throughout winter. It is not good, however, to leave the lights on all night. That is what they do in factory farms, and it causes the hens to overlay, shortening their life and stressing their bodies.

But now that we’re all grown up, and we are on a journey of sustainable living, we are trying to cut the “junk” out of our diet, and that means first and foremost high fructose corn syrup (recently suggested to be linked to liver damage and diabetes, among other things). I guess soda pop, for me, was a tough one to give up. I would say, “OK, that’s it, I’m going to give up pop for good now,” but then, inevitably, I would be somewhere and would find myself with a big fountain drink in my hand.

Part of the problem was that I find juice a little heavy and sweet to drink all day long, but sometimes I need something more than water. So I started experimenting with creating my own special tea-based iced beverage, and I think I am onto something fabulous…. (disclaimer: OK, I cheated…. I based my recipe on a Tazo drink I was had that was delicious, but contained high fructose corn syrup and was pricey).

This drink is based on jasmine green tea, which is full of cancer-fighting anti-oxidants, and is absolutely superb served chilled over a glass of ice. In fact, I find it much more enjoyable cold than hot. The jasmine adds a delicate floral touch that is just heavenly, and the ginger makes it warming enough to drink in winter. It is smooth, refreshing, clean, and crisp, and I now drink this organic, healthy, full-of-antioxidants drink all day long! And at about 20 cents per quart, you just can’t get more economical than this!

RECIPE

1 Numi Organic Jasmine Green Tea bag

1 quart water

honey to taste (I suggest about 1/8 – 1/4 cup, but use your own judgment)

small piece of chopped ginger (optional)

1 stick lemongrass or 1 tbsp shredded lemongrass (optional)

mint leaves (optional)

Directions:

Boil the water, then pour into a glass jar with the tea bag and the honey. Let steep for approximately 5 minutes, but go longer if you want your tea strong. If you are using the ginger and lemongrass, add them to the steeping tea. You can either just throw them in, and then strain the tea when it is finished steeping, or you can add them in a spice bag or tea infuser, so they are easy to remove.

Let cool, then refrigerate. Serve chilled over ice. Throw in a mint leaf for even more yumminess and enjoy!

Gone for us are the days of gadgets and gizmos, last minute frantic shopping to buy, something, anything, that could be given as a gift. We’ve started to focus on more handmade, more personalized gifts, and when that doesn’t work, we go green. Recycled, Fair Trade, organic, natural- gifts of these nature are so much more meaningful because they benefit our planet, too. We are baking, putting our organic sun-dried tomatoes into decorated jars of oil, making necklaces, making cutting boards, and making photo gifts. And when that doesn’t cut it, or when we just run out of time to go homemade, we are giving some awesome green gifts to our loved ones.

We’ve put together our 2009 Holiday Green Guide with some of our favorite green gifts this season. We’ve searched far and wide to carry a wide selection of gifts that will fit everyone on your list. Some of them are available on our main website, while others are only available on our eBay World of Good store. (But don’t worry, if you want items from both places, just shoot us an email and we can combine your orders with a shipping discount!).

So here goes. Happy Holidays to all, and here’s to keeping it simple, keeping it meaningful, and keeping it green!

The Give Green Holiday Gift Basket

A wonderful selection of our most popular eco-friendly items, in a reusable holiday gift bag, and wrapped in biodegradable cello, too! Includes an aluminum water bottle, Aubrey Organics Spray Cleaner, a Wrap-nMat reusable sandwich bag, Maggie’s Soap Nuts, and a BumbleBar Organic Energy bar.

Price: $39.99

Recycled Paper Cutting Board

We just love this awesome board! It is made from 100% recycled paper, pressed into a product that Preserve calls “Paperstone”. It is a gorgeous, durable, stone-like material that looks sleek and stylish in any kitchen. Perfect for that eco-someone who loves to cook!

Price: $24.99

Fair Trade Color Splash Bags

These gorgeous bags are handmade by a Fair Trade cooperative in India, using recycled cotton scraps from a fabric mill. Beautiful patterns make these bags a sure hit. Because of their handmade and recycled nature, each one is totally unique, so you will never see anyone with an exact copy of your bag!

Price: $38.99

Handmade Wooden Airplane

Back to basics with this simple, beautiful, wooden airplane. An airplane for two made from wood, with a propeller that spins and wheels that actually turn.Hand made by a Fair Trade artisan co-op in India, this toy will provide delight for years to come. The plane is 6 inches long with a 6.5 inch wingspan.

Price: $16.95

“Drink the Drops” Stainless Steel Water Bottle

OK, so have you ever wanted to put ice in your water bottle, but the cubes wouldn’t fit? Those days are over, with this awesome, wide-mouth water bottle. Don’t forget that stainless steel is THE safest, BPA-Free choice for water bottles these days. And who wouldn’t love the funky, artsy designs?

Price: $12.99

Tree of Life Aluminum Water Bottle

We love these beautiful bottles as a more affordable alternative to SIGG. Besides, we weren’t thrilled this year when SIGG admitted they knew their bottles contained trace amounts of BPA all along.

Price: $12.99

Wanna see more bottles? CLICK HERE to view all of our reusable water bottles.

Natural Shaving Kit for Men

This stylish little kit comes with the most wonderfully moisturizing sassafras, all-natural shaving soap, a natural boar’s hair bristle brush and a classy hardwood soap box. For that eco-man in your life! We’ve received rave reviews about this kit!

Price: $23.99

Fair Trade Handmade Shanzu Lamu Bag

Made by the young women at Shanzu Transitional Workshop in Mombasa, these brilliantly colored bags are very well made, practical, and are a great accent to any outfit. Lamu bags are approximately 16″ X 13″, have a wide strap and a zipper closure.

Price: $36.99

10-Stage Home Water Filtering System

Keep it meaningful, and give them a gift that will really benefit everyone who uses it. This filter removes along list of contaminants, including chlorine, pesticides, and heavy metals, making it easy to “take back the tap”. Say good-bye to bottles, and hello to clean, sparkling, delicious tap water.

Price: $109

Natural and Exotic Handmade Soap Sampler

Mmmmm…. our very favorite soaps, bundled together in this cute soap sampler. All-natural, handmade, and heavenly. These delicious soaps are a pure indulgence!  Price: $10.80, on sale

Mmmm….natural soaps make a heavenly gift. CLICK HERE to view all of our incredibly indulgent natural soaps!

Recycled Silver and Fair Trade Glass Necklace

Handmade by artist Josie Lamb Williams, this is a beautiful and elegant piece of green jewelry. Hand-crafted sterling silver, accented by Fair Trade, recycled glass, this unique gift will be cherished!

Price: $62.00

We have lots of eco-friendly jewelry ideas! CLICK HERE to view our line of eco-jewelry.

“Little Yogis” DVD Set: Yoga for Kids

Now this is cute! Instead of all the plastic toys and video games, how about a fun way for kids to learn how to stay healthy and fit. This DVD set teaches youngsters easy, simple stretches that make yoga fun.

Price: $21.95

Organic Merino Wool Socks

OK, I know what you’re thinking. Socks for Christmas??? Isn’t that what your mom gets you? But, wait, honey…. if you’ve never tried these socks, you just don’t know what comfort is. The warmest, most comfortable socks you will ever wear, and softer than you thought wool could be. And they breathe, too, so your feet just don’t sweat. Amazing! My husband won’t wear any other socks now.

Price: $17.99

Hybrid Solar Flashlight

We have finally found an affordable, solar flashlight! And it’s not just any flashlight, wither- it’s waterproof, it floats, it’s shatterproof, it can hold a charge for three years, it can charge in sunlight AND room light, and just in case, it has a back-up lithium battery. Besides that, it’s lightweight, and a convenient size. Once again, my husband the Gadget Guy, has thoroughly tested this flashlight, and he enthusiastically gives it a double thumbs-up! Perfect for camping, hiking, fishing, boating, biking, and as an emergency light in your car that is always guaranteed to work.

Price: $19.95

Organic Cotton “Bikefish” T-shirt

We love this fun shirt! Besides the fact that it is organic cotton, the message is awesome: a school of bicycles eating a hummer. Available in olive green with a yellow screen print (eco-friendly dyes, of course). Yes!

Price: $28.99

Fair Trade Cruelty-Free, Tree-Free Leather “World” Journal

Only from India, land where cows are revered for the beautiful animals they are, could we get a cruelty-free leather journal! The leather used to make this classy journal is from cows that died of natural causes. Additionally, the paper is tree-free, made from recycled cotton scraps from fabric mills.

Price: $25.95

Handmade, Fair Trade Wood Top

It’s back to basics with this simple, beautiful, hand-carved wood top. There is something about old-fashioned toys that is making wooden creations so popular once again. And with all the problems in plastics and with lead paint on toys, wood is seeming to be such a simple, green solution. Who doesn’t remember playing with a top when they were little?

Price: $8.99

Make Your Own All-Natural Chewing Gum Kit

This is an educational, fun gift for children of all ages. Not only will they learn the art of making chocolate, kids will also learn the fascinating history and economy of chocolate, as well as learning about raw materials an dhow they are sourced from around the globe.

Price: $9.95, on sale.

Handmade, Sustainably-Harvested Cutting Board

A beautiful, elegant cutting board makes the perfect addition to an eco-kitchen! Additionally, this is truly a gift that will last many years, and when necessary, can be re-finished for many more years of use, making it a truly sustainable product. The maple and walnut have been sustainably harvested right from our own forest, and then crafted by my husband Alex into beautiful and sturdy boards. Custom boards are available, too!

Price: $31.99

“Think Green!” Children’s Book

This awesome green book is geared toward teaching youngsters about green issues, from recycling to taking care of our planet. beautiful illustrations make this an enjoyable read, and printed environmentally friendly, too!

Price; $14.95

PLA Corn Plastic Water Bottle with Filter

A reusable water bottle with it own filter, free of petroleum plastics! ALthough there are still many possibilities for improvements on these new corn-based bio-plastics, we believe it’s a great start for getting away from petroleum forever!

Price: $7.99, on sale.

Fair Trade Handmade Cotton Batik Swirl Scarf

We love the delicate intricacies of batik. This cotton scarf is funky, stylish, and eco-friendly, supporting a Fair Trade artisan co-op in India.

Price: $23.99