#mindfullysustainable

GROW YOUR OWN

Yes, even those windowsill herbs are an act of resilience. Learning where your food comes from and how to sustain yourself is a powerful act of persistence. We’ve learned so much from our farmer features, namely, that you don’t have to have a special background to grow your own food. Anyone can learn how to commune with nature, we’re not separate from it.

As summer rolls into an autumnal quiet, I’m starting a few indoor growing projects. I’m hopeful and understand this is the best way to learn, even if it doesn’t go perfectly.

I come back to this quote from our friends at @smarterbynature often. “To me that component is so important because the process of growing food and the value of food is undermined in our society. People are used to getting things fast. When you purchase something at the supermarket you have no idea how long it took to make it or how it got there. When people start learning about growing food, they start appreciating the time and work that it takes, so that creates a higher value in their minds, and then they begin to treat themselves with that same value when they eat that food, and they take pride in it.”

When we value the things we eat, we better understand the value of ourselves. Let’s take time in these colder months to explore how these systems work. We’ve got a lot to learn!

DIY Orange Peel Cleaner

Are y’all making citrus infused vinegar yet? This mixture is low effort and low waste for a sparklin’ home. I love cleaning with vinegar as it’s less harsh than most industrial cleaners and does a thorough job on those grimy areas (looking at you toilet bowl.) You can save your excess citrus peel – that orange is scent is divine – and make a batch every few weeks or so. A much better smell than straight vinegar, trust me. If you’ve got more than a few peels on hand try dehydrating them to use later on. The dried peels keep well until you’re ready to infuse.

To make your own infused vinegar all you have to do is: - tear or cut citrus peels into small pieces and place in glass jar - cover with white vinegar (make sure your pieces are fully submerged or fermentation will occur) - let sit in a cool, dark place for 3 - 4 weeks (a cupboard works well) - strain peels when you’re ready to get cleaning! (compost the excess please) Simple as that. You get to extend the life of your produce and make the cleaning process a little more enjoyable :D PSA - just remember to avoid cleaning granite with vinegar! it’ll work most everywhere else though.

How-to make a low waste shopping kit

One of my favorite #lowwaste shopping tricks is super simple–just stuff things into other things and keep it on your person. A small glass jar usually fits several other bags that prepare me for a mindful trip to the grocery store. Shout out to this well worn tote I’ve had for 10 years, a sturdy mesh produce bag, and a plastic produce bag I’ve reused more times than I care to share. If an unexpected trip to get groceries pops up you can always be prepared! The glass jar comes in handy if you’re out getting coffee and forget your travel mug or have leftovers from a quick bite to eat. I usually keep some variation of this mini travel kit in my bag or backpack and it comes in handy almost everyday.

Our latest piece from Moji Igun on forming intentional habits really resonates. If collectively we want to make change, to reduce the amount of to-go containers, flimsy plastic bags, and single use items in the landfill we have to be mindful about how that change takes place. We have to intentionally implement small habit shifts that add up over time. Moji sums it up so well, “We simply want to adopt habits at a pace that won’t be overwhelming to the point of inaction. When we are able to consistently see ourselves have small wins, it transforms the new habit into a behavior we no longer have to actively think about.” YES. Adopting an entirely zero waste lifestyle change cold tofurkey is not sustainable for most people. 

So, small steps. Packing a mini travel kit in your bag everyday is an impactful habit shift that will influence other actions. This is an achievable intention that will help you navigate the overwhelm of trying to live a completely zero waste life. Low impact intentions, y’all. We know this is an imperfect practice and giving yourself the kindness to make mistakes and correct is how things stick. If you haven’t read Moji’s latest piece about intention setting get on over to closedloopcooking.com already!

SMARTER BY NATURE

If you haven’t read Maia’s latest interview with the innovative folx @smarterbynature y’all have some homework! I’m so in awe of this small scale farm in Tallahassee, FL. From the tools they use to the educational aspect of their work, Smarter by Nature is setting a standard for sustainable agriculture.

“We started growing on a countertop—basically just bringing our seeds out to the balcony during the day to let them get some light. If you don’t have outdoor space of your own we also recommend joining a community garden where you can start to get familiar with planting different seeds and experimenting.” Y’all, this expansive operation started on a COUNTERTOP! Resourcefulness and just finding the next right step put this farm into action. While we might not all have access farm land, we’re all capable of finding room on the counter to bring something to life. I’m so appreciative of their mission and giving visibility to black farmers. 

DIY Low Impact Produce Wash

Apple peels, sweet potato skins, carrot tops, curly leaf kale, all dirty dudes, all nutritious, and worth a good wash. Taking on this ethos of using every part of your produce requires a little bit more preparation.

I try to buy organic / local when possible to avoid any extra chemical residue. (In situations when this isn’t possible, removing a waxy or damaged skin from your produce is probably the better bet.) A sustainable cleaning process ensures your fruits and veggies are ready to eat and last longer. Getting in the habit of washing your produce as soon as you get home from the store or market makes it super easy to use it later throughout the week.

Baking soda is an awesome low cost, low impact alternative for clean eats! It’s way better to wash this down the drain than most other commercial dish detergents that are usually dyed, scented, and in a plastic bottle. I buy baking soda in a cute lil cardboard box and it lasts for a few months.

How-to:

Gather all fruits and veggies (it’s helpful to do everything at once to make it easier to pull out of the fridge for later use) and a large bowl.

Fill bowl with cool water about halfway.

Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda to bowl and mix to combine.

Add in produce, make sure all pieces are fully submerged, and let sit for 12 – 15 minutes.

Using a dedicated produce scrub or clean dish towel, scrub and rinse off produce and repeat steps 4 and 5 as needed. (I use the same solution for all of my produce at one time to do a batch wash.)

It’s that easy!

Earth care, people care, and fair share with Pandora Thomas

“I turn to the concept of Sankofa, meaning going back and fetching our stories in order to move forward.”

I am enamored with the work of Pandora Thomas. She is an emblem of intuitive activism, a steward of mindful care taking for the people in her life and the planet. Last week and over the weekend here in Portland felt like I aged ten years. As we’re still engulfed in this blanket of smoke, waiting for rain, I find a comforting solace in Pandora’s grace and wisdom. This is the work we all need to invest in and bring about change. At this critical turning point we have the choice to do things differently. We must.

On permaculture and social justice.

“Then I discovered permaculture. And because permaculture is a design system rooted in the idea that we are from and part of the earth, I got really excited about it.

I learned early on that farming is a destructive practice—we are forcing the earth to create bounty however we determine. Permaculture talks about a permanent agriculture where we can right that relationship by understanding the type of environment that nourishes crops to grow, and not taking more than we need. The three central ethics of permaculture are ‘earth care, people care, and fair share.’

Permaculture, as a design system, helped me relearn what I knew about farming. And I wanted to apply its principles to social issues. What does it look like if those ethics are applied to how we care for people? Because that’s really where so much of this dysfunction is happening—how we are treating the people who are caring for the land and taking from the land.”

Maia’s full interview is a must read. It’s live over on closedloopcooking.com. Trust me, this is going to stick with you.

SLOW GROWTH Happily surprised to see baby shoots coming up through this celery. In a matter of just a few days this odd end is serving up life again. A small, magic moment you can create in your own kitchen. You just need a shallow dish, enough water to cover the very bottom of the root, some sunshine, and patience. I placed this start on the window ledge and replace the water every other day or so to keep it fresh. I’ve never considered myself someone with a green thumb. All surviving plants in my house are here out of sheer will. But seeing slow growth from something that would normally make its way into the bin or compost is a little, meaningful win.

I’ve been regrowing green onions since elementary school, always amazed at how quickly they come back. Trying out new produce starts, like celery, is an exciting way to dip your toe into what I call “gardening light.” I’m treating this process as a low waste experiment and learning what else will take to at home growth.