Begin forwarded message:
From: "Vivianne T. Nachmias" <[email protected]>
Date: January 26, 2011 7:25:48 AM EST
To: pfsni <[email protected]>
Subject: [PFSNI] Fwd: Gray Is Green Bulletin: New Fact-Sheet,
Microgreens for the Winter, and More!
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Gray Is Green
The National Senior Conservation Corps
IN THIS ISSUE
New Fact Sheet: Plastic Bags
Growing Your Winter Greens
2011 - A New Start
Did You Know?
Banks and other service providers don't want to fill your mailbox
with letters and statements. If you can receive this email, you can
almost certainly get paperless statements from your bank. If you're
not sure how, call them and ask for help getting started.
New Plastic Bags Fact Sheet:
The latest in our series of free, downloadable fact-sheets.
The plastic shopping bag is the most heavily used consumer product
in the world, with annual production that may exceed 1 trillion
bags this year. Despite its convenience, it is also one of the
least necessary products we use.
The enormous number of plastic bags being used has significant
implications to the environment, certainly, but also to our health
and financial well-being. Download our newest fact sheet to learn
more about the impacts of plastic bags.
Growing Your Winter Greens:
Sometimes, gardens don't need space or summer weather. If you're
concerned about where your food comes from, try growing
"microgreens" in your own home. Learn more from Gray Is Green's
sustainable food columnist, Ashley Bode.
The winter months leave sparse pickings at most farmer's markets,
limiting the selection of local produce to root vegetables and a
few winter fruits. Yet there is still somewhere reliable and
sustainable from which to acquire your leafy green; your windowsill.
Growing herbs and lettuces to about an inch in height is one of the
easiest ways to keep your diet green and your carbon footprint down
in the winter. These greens, known as microgreens, are popular
among apartment dwellers and those with limited garden space
because of the diversity of plant options, their adaptability to
limited space and light, and their ability to grow with quick
results. Simply put, planning your own microgreen garden is simple,
sustainable, and practical.
While there is no need to limit your choises, pre-packaged seed
mixes are available at most gardening centers and provide an
excellent start. Plants like kale, arugula, spinach and basil can
be grown as microgreens. However, some plants can be more stubborn
than others. The best plant to try first is broccoli, as it tends
to be the most reliable in germination and the strongest sprout in
those first crucial days.
Choose a container of whatever dimensions are appropriate for your
space that is at least two inches deep. Fill it with organic
potting soil and gently spread the seeds over the top, leaving at
least 1/8th of an inch between them. Cover the seeds with a 1/8th
inch layer of soil. The most important part of growing microgreens
is to keep the soil moist at all times. Do not over-water, but it
is more important to not let your soil dry out. Leave your
container on the south or east-facing window sill that gets the
most sunlight. Germination typically occurs in the first 48 hours
and your greens should be ready to harvest within two weeks to
thirty days, once the first true leaves have grown. When they are
ready, trim the plants to soil level. Leave the roots in the
container (they add to the soil's organic matter) and plant a new
set of seeds. If you like the results, try planting several
containers a week or so apart for more frequent harvests.
So, why grow microgreens? Some say that they are an overlooked
"superfood" because the plants are harvested at their nutritional
(and most flavorful) peak, much earlier than most commercial
growers pick. Also, they yeild less waste, since the entire plant
(except the roots) is used, instead of just the fruit, vegetable,
or specific leaf for which the older plants are grown. The best
reason, however, is that you will know exactly where your food came
from and what went into producing it. No transportation, no
pesticides, and no fertilizers needed!
Ashley recommends Microgreens: A Guide to Growing Nutrient-Packed
Greens, by Eric Franks and Jasmine Richardson, for more information.
Time For A New Start?
We at Gray Is Green are big proponents of a standardized,
systematic approach to sustainability. While we may provide you
with a variety of tools and tips for leading a more environmentally-
responsible lifestyle, the lesson we most strongly endorse is that
real change will require sustained and measured efforts.
The new year is a perfect time to begin recording the impacts your
greening programs are having. Start with simple measurements, such
as the number of residents participating in recycling programs or a
carpool. Seeing how those numbers grow is a great way to
demonstrate to others that you are making a difference.
Take a look at the sustainability goals your community has set and
figure out what information you will need to have to gauge success.
If you have set energy or water efficiency goals, be sure that
someone is keeping track of the utility records; you may not be
ready to analyze them for a while, but they will be absolutely
essential soon enough.
If you have not set goals, now is the perfect time. Work with your
neighbors and management to determine what resources need to be
addressed, and what capacities you have to realistically make
changes. It would be great to put hybrid buses in every community,
but almost certainly easier to be sure that the current
transportation options are being used efficiently.
Logan Robert Peerless
And lastly, because I'm on the topic of new starts (and because I
can't help myself), a subtle reminder of one of the many excellent
reasons to lead a more sustainable life, which is often defined as
a lifestyle now that will also provide for the indefinite future:
the newest Peerless, Logan Robert, born on December 29, 2010.
Have a wonderful, healthy, and green 2011!
Sincerely,
Dan Peerless, Executive Director
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how we can better serve you and your needs.
Sincerely,
Dan Peerless,
Executive Director
Gray Is Green
