Comments TeleChica has made

Love the Idea

I'm always looking for supporters of the cheap green movement, so I love this column proposal.
The green movement is one I admire, but it often seems to entail even more consumerism and a further waste of resources.
Dan, I agree with you regarding the 'vow of poverty' and how impossible it seems to achieve change.  Teach your kids cause and effect.  Spend time talking to them.  I have a four and six year old who are extremely aware of their actions because of our discussions and are very vocal about encouraging others around us to live more conscious of their shopping habits, food choices, driving habits--the list goes on.  My kids seem to make the biggest difference in the lives of others.  People are amazed and listen.

A community of supporters would make things a whole lot easier, but that rarely exists.  I've spent a lot of my efforts trying to bring all of my closest friends and family in on the bandwagon with babysteps.  The little things that I go out of my way to show them aren't always accepted, but they have effected some change and earned me new supporters in the quest for change.

For food ideas: try your local ethnic markets.  We have an Asian supermarket nearby and the produce is local and extremely cheap.  (We're veggie due to environmental/social/health reasons, so cheap veggies are a plus.)  But also check out Steve Solomon's newest book Gardening When It Counts:  Growing Food in Hard Times. He's my gardening guru!

Willa, grow lights are pretty much a necessity for indoor gardening.  Except for sprouts.  They really aren't so hard as it seems though.  Once you get started it becomes pretty routine and you won't even think twice.  I also make sure to plant a good crop of overwintering carrots in August.  Otherwise, we just rely on what was preserved from summer.

That being said, I have been wondering about growing watercress (nasturtiam relative). It is really easy to root, but I can't make it thrive and was hoping it might be possible without a complete running water system, any ideas Kate?On Being green on a budget posted 2 years, 10 months ago 4 Responses