Be Kind to Turtles
Looking for inspiration on World Kindness Day? No al consumo de huevos! Poaching turtle eggs and selling them to bars and restaurants is a major threat to endangered sea turtles. But newly established Cotorco, a group dedicated to the conservation of marine turtles surrounding Corcovado National Park on Costa Rica’s remote Osa peninsula, is working to educate against poaching and overfishing. Their cause gently reminds us that the things we buy to eat or wear have implications... Read More
Farm Bill 101: Don’t be Chicken
Before you run away, let me be the first to admit the Farm Bill, and relevant issues we may vote on in November, seems a tad overwhelming and maybe just a wee bit boring. But I’ll also admit that I believe anyone who eats should know something about what they’re putting in their mouths and why. So I was glad to see the big concepts wrangled into this accessible, and even interesting, Farm Bill Interactive Infographic that addresses how we determine which foods are... Read More
Peak at Conservationist Haven
Peak Season at Len Foote Hike Inn At Georgia’s Len Foote Hike Inn, “getting away from it all,” requires a five-mile hike through mountain laurel thickets, rhododendron, oak and hickory trees to a ridge at 3,100 feet within Georgia’s Amicalola Falls State Park. Once there, the 20-room, LEED Gold-certified Inn offers a sustainable stay without TVs, cell phones, or other distractions of everyday life. Guests get less-is-more welcome: a bag of linens... Read More
Bravo Cabo!
I admit, when invited to Cabo San Lucas, visions of cruise ships and tourists nearly kept me inland. But that’s only because no one mentioned the intimate lunch we might have in the sustainable community of Sol del Mayo in Santiago, or the area’s best kept secret, Casiano’s spontaneous cuisine in nearby San Jose. Good thing I am a sucker for a beautiful beach. Casiano's San Jose While it’s easy to find delicious meals most anywhere, locals know Chef... Read More
Water, Water Everywhere
I’m visiting the beach this week surrounded everyday by clear, cool emerald water. It looks pure and perfect. But today, Civil Eats‘ Anna Lappe responds to Dow Chemical’s greenwashing water claims (below) and reminds us all that it’s time to think differently about our water. She says, “The future we should be creating is one in which everyone has access to clean water. No one should worry whether their water is tainted with endocrine... Read More
Digging Deep through Gardening
During the past week, I’ve spent a few lucky hours in the afternoon sun helping dig out a new community garden. The hot and monotonous task among neighbors is a surprisingly peaceful, and dare I say grounding, opportunity to connect with a potential food source and so much more. Yesterday, after a Sunday picnic, we planted row after row of heirloom tomatoes, squash, melons, peppers, etc., and today I woke up to this article about the Insight Garden Program (IGP) at San... Read More
Go Green for St. Pat’s and Save the Earth
What does drinking green beer have to do with a saint? Hmm, not sure… Here’s another thing to contemplate: What does eating green have to do with protecting the environment? Ask the guy on the barstool next to you. Maybe he’ll know that animal agriculture (producing meat for our food supply) is responsible for more greenhouse gasses than all the world’s automobiles and other transportation combined. At least, that was the case five years ago when... Read More
Eat S*** and Die
Like any polite Southern girl, I was taught to refrain from talking about sex, politics and religion, but what about meat? Over dinners of ham, pimento cheese or BBQ, Mama didn’t mention that food choices could be emotionally charged and very personal. So these days, when people ask, “Why don’t you eat meat,” I’m torn between summing up (a lengthy list of powerful reasons), or shutting up (because really, no one wants to know). Unfortunately, I was never one to mind... Read More
