When Faith Inspires Green

How does your faith inspire you?  Remember when those "What Would Jesus Do?" bracelets were so popular?  

Congregations of faith are asking questions like "What does Jesus have to do with Creation?" and they're figuring out ways to live out their faith in greener ways.  Not because green is trendy, but because their faith calls them to do so.  

This week at FlourSackMama.com, visit one of those congregations where "going to church" doesn't always look like you might expect, and where the mission field is -- getting greener!

Defending the Family Strawberry Patch

Anything better than strawberry picking in May and June?  I don't think so.  Our family's getting anxious for the homegrown berries that have been ripening in our garden.

Trouble is, the pillbugs keep getting the first bite just as the strawberries start to ripen!  It's been a damp week, and that hasn't helped matters.  In a more arid climate, I don't think this would be a problem.  I also wonder if the same conditions that have created an otherwise healthy looking strawberry crop, such as nutrient-rich, compost-filled planting beds, are the same conditions attracting these bugs.

I tried diatomaceous earth (an all-natural flour made of crushed shells) around the plants, which has deterred pests from other plants in the garden.  Unfortunately, a hard rain came shortly after I applied it, making the dust useless.  I'd run out and buy more, but at some point this will become cost prohibitive.

So, we're working on keeping the area where the ripe strawberries set dryer and less appealing to pests (without resorting to toxic, persistent pesticides).

Appalachian Feet offers all sorts of great information about pillbugs in the garden, so check out what they have to say.

More later...time to go work in the garden...

How Do You Spell The Name of That Blog?

"What's the name of your blog?"

"How do you spell it?"

"Flower?"

"Huh?"

Grandma never knew about the internet.  Wonder what she'd think if she knew she inspired a blog because she was so resourceful that she could create useful quilts and beautiful dresses from flour sack fabric?  Is this blog about sewing and quilting?  Sometimes.  Is it all about old-fashioned things from Grandma's generation?  Not necessarily.

Still confused?  Thousands of you keep coming back to see what's happening here, so we must be doing something right.  Here's a smattering of what other people have to say about FlourSackMama.com:

Examining Human Costs of Mountaintop Removal Mining in Appalachia

We flip on the switch, read a book or run our computer all evening and don't give it a second thought.  We don't even ask what it took to make that happen. Bumper stickers remind me "Coal, It Keeps the Lights On," and I can't argue with the truth in that. Businesses and individuals feel intrinsically they need to "support coal" and its jobs, and they proudly display signs saying so in the tiny town of Appalachia, Virginia. It may take an up-close look at exactly what it means to extract coal these days from the ancient mountains of Appalachia to see that we're literally destroying the earth for short-term gain.   

It was difficult to hear accounts of young lives lost and at risk in poor communities near mountaintop removal mining.  The industry disputes any health connection. 

Residents in several Appalachian states have been calling for better air, water and forest protections for the mountain region for years.

Coalfields are becoming a new sort of mission field for Christian college students who are gathering health data about residents near MTR activities.

Discovering your connection to MTR is easy.  What you do about it, is up to you.

Gardening and Waking Up With Stonyfield

Heirloom Red Bell Pepper Plants

I run five miles, water the garden, prepare a gourmet breakfast, then head out the door, on time, with perfectly mannered children and my own perfectly coiffed hair.  Sounds like a parenting fantasy to me!

Truth is, if I can get one or two of those things right in the morning, I'm happy.  Sure, I try to be a responsible parent.  And yes, I'm committed to pampering the garden, especially since we're growing more varieties of our own organic food than ever.  I fail most often in the fitness category, simply not making enough time for myself.  As for the hair...wasn't it a busy mom who invented the pony tail?

If I manage breakfast well enough to cook something scrumptious, Stonyfield recipes are there to help me make everything from quiche to pancakes to breakfast burritos.  If I'm short on time, Stonyfield can still help ensure our family has a nutritious start to the day.  Sometimes we make smoothies that include fresh kale from the garden, frozen berries and Stonyfield's organic yogurt.  Really running late?  YoKids comes in all sorts of great textures and flavors that my kids can gobble on the go.  I often put frozen YoKids Squeezers into the kids' lunches, happy to send them off with a treat that adds all-natural goodness.  

Late-Blooming Heirloom Tomato Plants next to the Strawberry Patch

Heirloom Seed Potato Pieces Curing Before Planting

Mornings can be a challenge, and they're also a beautiful time for counting blessings: fresh air and sunshine, healthy kids, and hopefully our own fresh strawberries to pick from the garden soon.  While my tomato seedlings were a bit neglected this year, the sweet pepper seedlings look hardy and I've had a surplus to share with friends.  Our family is excited about trying new crops like organic potatoes, carrots and watermelon.

Organic gardening and cooking is something I'm relearning after a childhood on  a family farm.  While I grew up around gardening, I'm learning alongside my own kids about growing food without toxic, persistent pesticides.  I appreciate that Stonyfield supports family farms and uses only organic ingredients, just like we're growing in the family garden.  

Wake Up With Stonyfield helps me get better informed about the origins of our food, as well as conveniently getting mornings off to a healthy start.  You can Wake Up With Stonyfield too by signing up here for a daily bit of inspiration and coupons from Stonyfield Farm - a great clean couponing resource.  Here's to filling even the most hectic mornings with sunshine and goodness!

Disclosure:  as a Yo-Getter fan of Stonyfield yogurt, from time to time I've received free yogurt samples and other modest promotional items and compensation from Stonyfield.  Currently, this blog post is an entry in the #WakeUpWithStonyfield blogger contest in which I would love to win the chance for more paid blogging with the company.  However, as anyone who knows me can attest, my opinions are always my own! #ad

Organic Corn and Sorghum get Boost from Cover Crops

This post is for all of you who've laughed when I inquired at farmers' markets for organic corn.  It's for all of you who told me "nobody" grows corn organically, at least not in East Tennessee.  Take a look at this cornfield.

Rye Grass and Hairy Vetch as Cover Crops for Cornfield

You say it doesn't look like corn.  You're right.  You see, it's not time yet for planting the corn and sorghum that will grow in this field.

Flowering Lupine in Field Where Corn will Eventually Grow

For now, the field is bursting green with rye grass and hairy vetch.  These two cover crops are inviting to insects (those "pests" held in disdain by conventional farmers), and they choke out most of the other plants that might be considered weeds.  The pretty white flowers you see are lupine, another potential cover crop.

Field of Rye Grass and Hairy Vetch

This cornfield in progress is being watched and studied carefully by researchers at the University of Tennessee's Organic Crops Unit so they can help farmers grow corn organically.  Researcher David Butler, PhD noted that the grass and legume are a good combination to prep the field for what comes next.  A large drum-like machine will roll-kill these cover crops.  The UT Assistant Professor described, “The rye biomass will break down more slowly so it can help suppress weeds even after it’s died, whereas the vetch because it’s got a lot of nitrogen, will break down pretty quickly, but it will provide the nutrients  for the following crop. They’re complementing each other in this mixture as a cover crop.”

White Lupine Flower

Butler said the corn and sorghum will be directly planted after the cover crops are crimped and laid onto the ground.  He said,  "So it’s an organic no-till system. When you think of no-till systems, typically they’re using herbicides to prevent weeds.  Here we’re roll-killing the cover crop and using that to prevent weeds."  A farmer adopting this system would avoid the large herbicide expense of conventional corn farming.

When buying organic foods, what's in it for consumers?  Aside from concerns about protecting the natural environment, consumers can look to organic farming for foods without pesticide residues.  Added Butler, “For you as a consumer, most studies have shown fewer pesticide residues  in organic systems, which is what you’d expect since we’re not using those synthetic pesticides. So I think that’s a big draw for most consumers in the marketplace.”

University Researchers Growing Organic Wheat in Southeast

Crop Researcher David Butler, PhD in Organic Wheat Trial Fields
University of Tennessee - Organic Crops Unit

On an overcast April day, blades of wheat were already filling in enough of the field to crowd out the few weeds trying to grow there.  When I noticed a dandelion and some clover, I asked if someone would be pulling the weeds.  "No," responded the professor, as he explained that in just the right proportion, the wheat plants would thrive, choking out enough weeds to eliminate the need for manual labor or herbicides.  Soon, the fields would be waist high.  

As consumers want to know more about the origins of their food, farmers are faced with new challenges. How do you grow an in-demand crop like wheat with a mindful eye to clean air, water and end product? Assistant professor David Butler, PhD is studying three different varieties of organic wheat in a field test at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.  He graciously took me on a farm tour, making this Ozarks farm girl feel right at home.

Lady Beetle or so-called Ladybug on Clover Amid Field of Organic Wheat
University of Tennessee Organic Farm

Butler explained that this current field test at the Organic Crops Unit of the East Tennessee Ag Research and Education Center would help determine which characteristics and varieties are best for growing organic wheat under Southeastern agricultural conditions.  Knoxville sits in a valley area known for moderately high humidity and mostly mild temperatures.  Butler said the research would also help determine the ideal seeding rates for organic wheat.  He said the ideal rate would optimize the current year's crop by outpacing weeds while also minimizing future weed seeding.  "So we’re trying to look at this at a long-term scale," explained Butler, "and see how that affects the long–term system if you’re trying to produce organic wheat in this region."

The University of Tennessee is one of few land grant universities doing organic and sustainable crop research.  Butler says much more work needs to be done to understand the best ways to grow organic crops, especially in the Southeast region of the country.  “I don’t know that we’re there yet in knowing the optimal management practices for a lot of organic crops in this region.”  The field trials on wheat, which could take years for growing, producing enough data and analyzing that data, are a step toward giving modern farmers the information they need to make organics competitive and profitable.  The three varieties currently being tested are:  Agripro W1377, FFR 2239, and Excel BW442.

Trial Field of Organic Wheat
East Tennessee

Consumers often wax nostalgic about organics these days, thinking of them as a throwback to our grandparents' time. This would have been before the ubiquitous use of inputs like fossil-fuel-based fertilizers and toxic, persistent pesticides in conventional agribusiness. This was also before the erosion and depletion of much of the nation's prime farmland and the pollution of waterways.  Butler cautioned that growing conditions today are not the same as in our grandparents' day.  He elaborated, "There are a lot of things that we think about in organic systems, now that the science has evolved, that we really didn't think 50, 100 years ago before we were using a lot of synthetic pesticides: the best way to design a crop rotation,   what off-site impacts are of certain practices. And we just don't have the research now on organic systems to say, 'this is the best way to produce this crop organically.' We just don't have that research and I think that's important to consider."

Next time:  what's in it for you when you pick organic food? Plus, how crops you'll never eat can help organic food grow strong!

Kids Get Creative with Gifts from Uncommon Goods

Parents, we've all been there, haven't we? The mere anticipation of the coolest new toy that sings, dances and entertains your child (only requiring 100 batteries), far outweighs the grandeur of it all after the five layers of packaging have finally been opened at the birthday party and it's been played with a mere ten minutes before your child loses interest!

What if the simplicity of a toy or craft cost you less and engaged your child longer?  That sort of thoughtful choice is what the buyers at Uncommon Goods seem to be offering via their unique online store.  My kids were so excited about the gifts they chose that they surprised me by cleaning their rooms early on a Saturday so they'd be allowed the open the box.  They each chose two modest items that involved crafting and creativity.  It's hard to believe they've already outgrown their baby stage, because I would have loved to get them some of the adorable organic cotton toys available for the toddler set.

My oldest daughter chose the Notebook with 100 "Elements" and couldn't wait to show her friends what she'd done with it.  The 100 "Elements" are letters, numbers and symbols for expressing your personality.  Inside, the thick sketchbook paper plus lined pages are blank canvas for more creativity.  She's just begun learning how to use the Hypotrochoid Art Set with its templates, gears and colorful pens.  It's a challenge that mixes art with math, stored in its own compact container.

The Fairy Tales Finger Painting Art Set was a hit with my younger daughter.  She instantly saw how to replicate its sweet and simple characters with her fingerprints plus stamps and colored pencils.  The eco-conscious brown packing paper that came in the larger box was plenty of canvas for her.  

The item that engaged my kids the longest was the Balloon Modeling Kit.  They quickly learned to use the red hand pump and turn modeling balloons into cute critters.  When they involved my husband, he critiqued the kit and declared the instructions too unclear to create a proper pink poodle as his daughters requested.  The girls were unphased; they were soon making their own versions of swans, butterflies, whales and more.  The little stick-on eyes helped them avoid having to use a magic marker.

While he failed at balloon making, my husband is a great dad and is usually good at working  with his hands.  With Father's Day rolling around, it's hard to say which thoughtful item he'd appreciate more:  the Working Man's Hygiene Kit or a writing pen carved from a wooden baseball park seat.  While browsing, I found a wide range of gift choices for dads with every interest and for dads who have everything.

Although I fell in love with the Glass Memory Locket for myself (hint, hint to my loving family), and saw plenty of thoughtful gifts under $50 to check out at http://www.uncommongoods.com/gifts/by-price/gifts-under-50, I'm glad the kids enjoyed their arts and craft projects.  The best part of their picks was that the goodies and gadgets kept them occupied, making them a good value in my book.

While my kids thought their new things were fun, I appreciated the thoughtfulness involved.  For instance, the funky notebook was made with a recycled rubber cover. Some of the plastic packaging was neat envelope styles that could be saved to use again, and all of the Uncommon Goods packaging seemed recyclable and minimal.  I appreciate Uncommon Goods' stated commitment to sustainability, fair wages, and supporting independent artisans.  The company is a founding Certified B Corporation.

Disclosure:  Our family received $50 worth of free merchandise from Uncommon Goods that we reviewed in this post.  My opinions are my own.

Conscious Box Giveaway Winner Announced

I envy Sara F. over these next three months.  Each month she'll be surprised by a delivery to her door that contains innovative, fun new products to try.  Congrats to Sara for being the winner of our Conscious Box 3-month subscription giveaway at FlourSackMama.com!

Thanks again for our family's free box of goodies we received in April for our review.  I only wish every shopping trip were as easy at Conscious Box doing the guesswork for me!

Reading Sandra Steingraber's Message to Fellow Mothers

Why do Americans, in this day and age, have to beg and plead for others to simply use common sense?  Why, when something as fundamental as clean air or water is at stake, doesn't everyone want to work together for a solution?  If there was any question in my mind that parents must be more mindful than ever about our children's future, it was answered when I read world renowned scientist and author Sandra Steingraber's recent letter to other moms, written from the Chemung County Jail.

When I heard that Steingraber was jailed along with other peaceful protesters to draw attention to concerns about protecting the waters of Seneca Lake, I wondered why the powers that be didn't just listen to her in the first place.  This cancer survivor, biologist and author of Raising Elijah and Living Downstream, has a doctorate degree and has testified as an expert in all sorts of venues.  If she thinks New Yorkers should be concerned about the health and safety risks posed by storing natural gas products near a lake many people depend on for drinking water, she's probably done her homework.  Reasonable leaders in government and even business would listen to her and look for safer solutions, wouldn't they?

Many of us busy moms can thank Steingraber for opening our eyes to profound parenting concerns through her book Raising Elijah.  I admit I'm not prepared to participate in civil disobedience the way she bravely did.  However, I respect that these are serious, somber issues of protecting our children from toxins now and trying to preserve a healthy world for them to have when we're gone.  I'm thinking Elijah and his sister were pretty proud of their mom.