Comments oldtimey has made

  • Well stated, Mr. Herrera.  I look forward to hearing the rationale behind these decisions as well.  It is a sad state of affairs when we have decided that "not dictating" to people means that we create a program that insults their intelligence by pointing out that Fudgsicles are better for you than fudge or that Froot Loops are better than doughnuts. 

    The FDA should oppose this listing.  They have frequently opposed additional information on labels because it is "confusing" to consumers.  The identification of a "better" choice when the comparitively "healthy" and "unhealthy" options are not identified is decidedly unclear.  This is especially important in light of the very real possibility that consumers will assume that these "better" options have been vetted by the FDA.

    On An open letter to the dean who promoted Froot Loops as a "smart choice" posted 2 months, 2 weeks ago 2 Responses

  • I agree with the comment above about the lack of regional root beers.  While not necessarily marketed as "natural", we all know that a local product will have at least some environmental benefits just by keeping distribution distances down.  Personally, my favorite root beer is made by Sprecher's, a Milwaukee-based beer & pop brewer.  It is very sweet, so it's best as a dessert drink, but it is wicked good. 

    And while we're on the topic of pop, Vernor's is the best ginger ale, hands down.

    On A tasting of nine "natural" root beers yields surprising results posted 4 months, 2 weeks ago 12 Responses

  • Try some old-timey methods

    I couldn't help but add that there are some fantastic resources available for those who need to preserve an abundance of produce.  I recommend the books "Preserving the Harvest" by Carol Costenbader and "Joy of Pickling" by Linda Ziedrich as two thorough, yet approachable resources.  I use both extensively to preserve the veggies grown in my garden and have been able to eat my own pickles, preserves, soups, and sauces through the winter--yum!  On Umbra on storing produce posted 1 year, 4 months ago 15 Responses

  • Gypsy moths v. Eastern tent caterpillars

    To reiterate the point made by wildjersey, gypsy moths do not create tents and in fact, the caterpillars and adult moths look quite different.  The Eastern tent caterpillar has a white stripe down its back and small blue dots on the sides.  The adult moth is brownish with two white stripes on the wing.  The gypsy moth caterpillar is extremely hairy with red and blue dots and no stripe on its back.  The adult female moth is white with brown stripes and is quite conspicuous.
     It is not difficult to compare these two species and the treatment methods differ.  Please take the time to identify these insects before taking action.  As Umbra stated, the tent caterpillars are native and our trees are more resilient to their outbreaks than to those of gypsy moths. On Umbra on tent caterpillars posted 1 year, 6 months ago 14 Responses

  • caution on bulk buying

    I don't want to rain on the bulk parade since I also strive to minimize packaging waste, but I do want to point out that one of the components of your carbon footprint is the size of your house (or extra storage space).  If you end up increasing your storage area, you may be inadvertently increasing your carbon footprint.  If you can stow it in an underutilized space, you may not have a problem, but you may want to factor in your carbon costs if you are creating additional finished areas with racks and lights and things.  As we all know, it's about balance.On Umbra on buying eco-products in bulk posted 1 year, 6 months ago 17 Responses