Tomorrow afternoon I will head out and pick up the second batch of our organic food share!

In May of this year Kendall and I subscribed to a share of Erehwon Farm. Every week, for 21 weeks, I drive to one of the local drop-off points and pick up our bag of assorted fruits, vegetables, and herbs. The contents vary with the season, thrive as nature allows, and when the earth is ready to give forth a crop, into our bag it goes.

This year the weather has been good to the farm. We have been receiving a lot of rain; allowing for a strong harvest. However, despite the good weather, there are always some crops that don’t make it for a number of reasons. I know very little about agriculture, or even plain old backyard gardening for that matter, but already I am learning about the land and the movement of nature. I have heard a lot of people who eat locally grown organic food talk about how it “brings alive your connection to your place, to the people who grew it, to the seasons, and to the cycles of life. You realize just how interconnected we really are.” [1] I have always loved the way this sounded. It was not until I integrated myself into the organic farming system that I understood that this was not just a cozy idea. My natural inner rhythm, dormant since birth, finally awoke. I realize that not everyone who eats locally grown organic food has this experience. This is also not the reason to eat locally grown organic food, merely an added bonus.

I found out about Erehwon Farm through a passionate friend who has been really involved in its growth. It is a new, small organic farm run by Tim and Beth in Elburn, IL.

We started our farm in 2001 in a very small space to grow flowers, herbs, fruit, vegetables, and perennials for the local markets around St. Charles, Illinois. We named the farm Erehwon after a mythical place where most everything was backwards: we were surrounded with large farms growing crops for distant markets using large doses of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. We, on the other hand wanted to be small, to grow in an environmentally friendly way for local markets. Hence the name Erehwon. In 2001 we experimented by growing vegetables, herbs, and perennials at our home near St. Charles and attended one plant sale where we earned a total of sixty-five dollars! The next year we expanded our production of vegetables and herbs and Tim created a CSA pilot project for two families. Beth expanded her production of perennials, added flowers and designed a booth for farmer’s markets in St. Charles, and Batavia.

In 2003 we expanded our CSA to 15 vegetable shares which we delivered to Geneva, Lombard, Glen Ellyn, and Wheaton. We also added a third farmers’ market in Elgin and attended more local plant sales. This was a year of intense learning as we struggled to learn better techniques for growing, harvesting, processing, and preserving our products until we could get them into the hands of our customers.

In addition to Tim and Beth there is a very small staff and a few semi-regular volunteers. There is constantly a lot of work to be done. Right now weeds are a huge problem. Last Wednesday I went out to the farm and spent a couple of hours weeding where the perennials were growing. Spending time on the farm will continue to be an important part of the experience for me. I really want to urge those of you who can, to volunteer at least once. These smaller organic farms almost always need the help.

[1] Local Appeal, Dayna Macy, Yoga Journal May 2006

I have a strong appreciation for unique and beautiful textiles. The combination of form and function is wonderful and I continue to be intrigued by the new creative spaces some people are able to explore using these age-old traditions. Denyse Schmidt is one of these people. Growing up with two parents that were highly skilled in their ability to create great pieces (her mom with fabric and her dad with wood) and a background in graphic design, Denyse eventually brought the two together when she started her own business 10 years ago, Denyse Schmidt Quilts (DSQ).

I recently got in touch with Denyse, via email, to find out more about her, her company, and her work. DSQ is a very small, 3 person, company. The studio they work out of is in an old Bridgeport, CT factory building. They all live in the community, something which is important to Denyse. DSQ tries to avoid throwing anything out, recycling when possible or donating scraps of batting, the cardboard tubes the fabric comes on and other items to school art departments. They also work on conserving their use of electricity and water. However, as is the case with most small businesses, it is difficult to dispose of everything responsibly because of limited time and resources.

Right now the supplies for their quilts are manufactured commercially and sadly, the textile industry is not without its environmental issues. Denyse wishes there were more options for sustainably produced raw goods, but what is out there now is much more expensive than what DSQ currently uses and unfortunately, because their prices are already difficult for some folks, it is not financially possible to make the switch.

The good news, from what Denyse says, is that the industry is definitely moving in the direction of sustainability. The even better news is that Denyse is looking into producing a line of organic solids with her fabric manufacturer and Sarita Handa Exports (SHE Home), the company in India that DSQ works with, is also researching organic materials. Denyse realizes that it is a slow process, but the important thing is that they are trying to move closer to better practices and as they do it is up to the market to financially support their positive changes.

In addition to everything else DSQ is doing, in honor of their decade celebration, they are donating 10% of the profits from each quilt purchased in 2006. The money will be divided between the National Marfan Foundation and The Alzheimer’s Association. Both of these organizations are very close to Denyse’s heart since her mother has Alzheimer’s and her sister and niece have Marfan’s. You can click on the links above to learn more information on Alzheimer’s Disease and Marfan Syndrome. In addition to this, DSQ also donate quilts throughout the year to various organizations to use in fundraising auctions.

Denyse’s quilts are singular pieces that beautifully impliment the use of color, pattern, and design. I own her book, Denyse Schmidt Quilts, 30 Colorful Quilt and Patchwork Projects, which I love and hope to soon own one of her quilts! Also, check out her line of funky fabrics.

Amnesty International’s ad campaign, which began May 29th, has been circulating the web and receiving a lot of attention. The ads, which are appearing on transparent bus stop shells, are pictures depicting just some of the horrific injustices that are taking place in many countries. Above the pictures, in various languages, is the ad’s tagline, “It’s not happening here but it’s happening now.” These chilling ads make it difficult not to acknowledge the severity to which violence, injustice, and oppression is occuring around the world. It is important that we are affected by this.

*For more pictures visit Commercial-Archive.

I am a runner that needed new shoes. I put off searching for a new pair of shoes for as long as possible because (1) I didn’t want to do the research to find sweatshop free shoes and (2) I wanted to buy quality running shoes and not some crappy pair of sweatshop free shoes. However, it got to the point where my feet were killing me with each step I took and I decided that it was finally time to begin looking. I did a little research and found that some of New Balance’s shoes are sweatshop free (the ones made in the U.S.A.). I called my local New Balance store and talked to the owner, who was super helpful, and he directed me to New Balance Chicago Online. I clicked on the link for Women’s and then Made in USA. I found the shoes I wanted, W766NC (Runner’s World Magazine Editor’s Choice award), ordered them, and voila….a good pair of sweatshop free running shoes.

I am a list person. I enjoy all sorts of lists. Here is a great list for you courtesy of Amy.

Some conservation-minded things we already do:

• recycle glass, plastic and paper
• drive conservatively and carpool whenever possible (gym, grocery, etc.)
• reduce paper usage in office by doing more things online
• use ceiling fans to circulate air rather than blasting the AC
• keep AC filters clean so they’re more efficient
• turn off lights, fans, TVs etc. when we’re not in the room
• not use excessive packing materials at the grocery store (we don’t put every single thing in a plastic bag)
• buy organic milk, fruit and vegetables when possible
• pour leftover glasses of water on our plants rather than down the sink
• low-flow toilets installed throughout
• turn off water while brushing teeth, etc.
• run dishwasher only when full
• water lawn much less; considering replacing all grass in the back with non-watering materials
• donate things like old computers, clothes, etc. to Salvation Army rather than putting them curbside to go in a landfill

Some things we’d like to do are:

• additional insulation in the walls and attic to reduce energy loss in the house
• build a patio covering that will block the southern sun against our living room wall to reduce heat in the house
• buy a Hybrid as our next vehicle
• start using canvas shopping bags

My husband and I are living with my mother-in-law, Jane/Mom, for the summer. She has a nice, big backyard and it is wonderful to sit back there and read, eat dinner, or garden. I thought that the only thing that would make Mom’s backyard more enjoyable would be the addition of a compost bin. I made the suggestion and she was all for it. Woohoo. So, I headed out to the hardware store, bought the needed fencing material, pulled up the Outdoor Compost Bin post for any additional directions and got started on construction. I put it together by myself and it only took an hour. The hardest (more like, most annoying) part was that the fencing material comes rolled up and continued to roll up on me as I was trying to construct.

Other than that minor detail it was easy and now we have a beautiful compost bin. It is now getting full of grass clippings and all sorts of wonderful fruits and veggie pieces. I can’t tell you how satisfying it feels to walk across the garden with my bucket of onion skin, orange rind, tea bags, and coffee grinds and make great dirt out of what would have been trash. I love this earth!