Happy Friday! With bridal season starting back up, and us working on a few events for this year, sustainable event planning has been on the forefront of our mind lately. Event hosting (especially weddings) can be a big source of waste if we’re not mindful. In many cases, things are purchased, used once, and discarded. Its never sat well with us, and that’s part of the idea behind the kind of events that RavenWerks wants to host. Today we want to share ways to help you plan a more sustainable wedding.

The Green Bride Guide states that the average wedding produces 400 lbs of garbage and 63 tons of CO2. With an estimated 2.5 million weddings per year, that is about 1 billion lbs of trash and as many emissions as approximately 4 people would produce in a year, in just one single day (link).

Consider Reusable Décor

This can mean a lot of things. You could go the route of renting, which means it doesn’t end up in a landfill, and you don’t have to store it afterwards. There are a lot of different services out there that provide linens and specialty dishware as well as other things.

If you have a very niche theme, this can seem more intimidating, but don’t let that deter you. You can do a lot if you’re creative enough. If you’re a Washington local you can also reach out to us, that’s kind of what we do. We love to help create custom events for alternative décor styles and take the stress off of you. You can learn more about that process (here).

Create Legacy Pieces

Another idea in this area is to choose décor that you can reuse in your home later. As an example, I planned on reusing all the frames we made for my wedding to display our wedding photos in our home. It worked out really well, and I now have a really unique collage full of memorabilia. We turned the silk flowers we used for part of our decor into a chandelier in our dining room. My gnomes are now in my garden, and my D&D dice are, well, my D&D dice. A more sustainable wedding doesn’t have to mean that you skip out on creating an intentional experience.

Donating Decor

You can also donate your wedding décor if it’s something that isn’t name specific. Thrift stores are always an option. But a lot of wedding planning companies also take donations to help them build their inventory of what they can offer to others. You just need to find a planner/ rental company that matches your style of décor. If you have décor that matches their style you can support a small business and keep things out of landfills. If you’d like to donate, you can reach out to us at info@ravenwerksguild.com.

Hire Sustainable vendors

Your vendors and the people helping you on wedding day are a huge factor in how much waste is produced. Talk to your vendors as you book about what their practices are like (I know, it’s one more thing to consider, but it’s worth it). Some states and areas even have vendor groups of companies that are vetted. Zola and the Knot have a filter you can use if you are using a service. If you’re a Washingtonian, check out Emerald Hour Wedding Society, they offer amazing information.

In some ways, the easiest thing you can do to plan a more sustainable wedding is hire vendors that have practices in place, as that is where the bulk of wedding waste is.

Let your Bridesmaids/ Groomsmen Thrift their Attire

This can be harder to do for groomsmen depending on your style. However, where possible I highly recommend it. Another back up is to rent it, especially if you’re going more formal. This is one of the simplest things you can do on this list.

The days of mandatory matching dresses are over. Many modern weddings opt to have bridesmaids all wear different dresses in the same color or color palette. With the way the fast fashion industry contributes to ladfills and carbon emissions, I strongly urge brides to let their bridesmaid’s thrift or buy consignment for their gowns. Being a bridesmaid can be expensive and that can be hard for friends; even if your best friend wants to help on your big day. Allowing your friends to thrift their clothing can also make things less stressful for them. It can also make for a fun wedding activity to do together.

This helps merge a more sustainable wedding with a touch of individuality. AND it ensures that each of your bridesmaids will get to wear something that they feel comfortable and good about themselves in. Very few things are worse than being forced into clothing that makes you feel exposed or bad about yourself for hours on end in front of lots of people. Especially when you KNOW pictures are going to be taken that will probably be on someones wall for all time.

Shop Consignment for Your Wedding Gown.

Don’t freak. I know that for some people and cultural groups there are superstitions around this (mine included because I had to have this conversation with my mom). But consider for a moment the environmental fallout from how many wedding dresses are thrown away every year. It’s momunmental the number of dresses that are purchased to be worn once and never put on again. There are also the millions of dresses that never get purchased, and get discarded.

Consignment is not what many people think it is. Many consignment boutiques do carry local consignment (dresses that have been worn by brides and then consigned). These dresses are vetted thoroughly for condition, style, and quality. Additionally, most consignment boutiques mostly carry over stock and discontinued sample dresses. Meaning they are typically only a year old and have never been in an actual wedding, just a show room floor.

This is not only a way for you to help keep something out of a landfill, and support a small business, but also save money planning your wedding. Most consignment bridal shops are selling 20-40% off original retail. You can always tweak your dress in alterations and then you still get the option of keeping your dress after, or consigning it back if you want to recoupe some money.

In Washington, we love Astraea Bridal in Mt Vernon (we’re biased, that’s where I bought my dress and sometimes help out at). Laura, Leslie, and Megan really know what their doing and create an amazing personalized experiences that really make you feel comfortable and safe. We’ve also heard great things about Brides for a Cause in Seattle, if you’re more in that area.

Consider your paper waste

Is all the paper necessary? Do you need a program, and place holders, and a pamphlet about the bridal party? Pare down what isn’t applicable to you. It’s always been weird to us that in a world where we understand that we use far too much paper, we still hold on to certain wasteful practices in the name of tradition. Companies like Zola and the Knot also allow you to have people RSVP online. This not only saves you from having to manually count and keep track of your answers, it also eliminates RSVP cards.

What stationery you do need, go for natural fibers and recyclable material. Or consider compostable materials and seed papers. They are still high quality, and heavier weight papers, but without as negative of an impact to the environment. Planning a sustainable wedding doesn’t have to mean that you use NO paper, just be smart about what you choose.

Transportation and Venue

A seemingly smaller thing to consider is cutting down your guest list if possible. This reduces your costs, but also the per capita waste on every single thing in your wedding. Less food, less party favors, less paper products etc.

Another thing is to have your ceremony and reception in the same place if you’re not getting married in a church or religious building. This cuts down on carbon emissions from having to shuffle everyone around (and saves you from having to organize transportation as an added bonus).

Tackle Your Registry with Intentionality

While some very established couples choose to forgo a registry altogether, being environmentally conscious and choosing to plan a more sustainable wedding, doesn’t mean you have to. There a number of things you can do to make this more eco-forward.

Look into a company like Everlastly. This company offers more traditional wedding registry items for couples that still need the more traditional things. However, they are sustainably made, transparently rated, and vetted through a process designed to promote honesty from vendors. We love them.

You should also consider what you need and what you don’t, and talk to your guests. We know that talking to people about asking for gifts is an uncomfortable topic for a lot of people, we totally get it. But it doesn’t have to be if done with authenticity.

A lot of people will just buy something from the traditional wedding gift list if they aren’t sure what to do. When putting your registry together consider things in your life that you really want or need. Many online registries will allow you to open group gifts so people can contribute to something bigger that you may need instead of a butter dish that you only pull out once when they’re over.

Consider what your goals are as a couple.

If you both decide you don’t really need anything, be transparent with your guests about that. “We don’t really need more stuff, your presence is all we need. However if you really want to contribute to the start of our next step ________blank is really important to us and we’re saving for __________.” Maybe you’re both working to pay off student loans, or purchase a home. Maybe you haven’t taken a trip in forever and you’d really love to take a special trip. Letting guests that want to give you something for your wedding, contribute to something bigger that is important to the two of you is a perfectly acceptable thing to do.

Consider your Flowers

There are two different approaches to this. One is to go the Wooden flowers route then you have a unique way to keep and preserve your flowers. If you’re like me and still just want the simplicity of natural flowers, the other option is to make sure that you are picking local, in season florals. This is better for the natural grow cycle, supports local business, and cuts down on CO2 emissions as the travel for transport of imported flowers is eliminated. This in part comes back to your vendors. Have a conversation with your florist about where they get their product from and who their suppliers are.

If you go the second route, then they are either compostable, organic material, which goes right back to mother earth or you can have them dried or preserved if you’re more of a memorabilia person.

Dinner Ware

Depending on your style, this might have a bit of overlap with “vendors”, however, it bears mentioning.

If you are having a more formal get together, consider renting dishes or see if your venue will provide them. We’ve seen a few people do the thrifted unique dishes as well which is really quirky depending on your theme, and what your plan for them afterwards is.

If you’re having an outside wedding, or something a bit more laid back (but still nice and put together), opt for compostable dishes over regular disposable paper or plastic. Many paper plates aren’t compostable or recyclable because of the coating on them. Plastic ware finds itself in the same boat. Compostables have come a long way and there are a number of different styles and types available that range from uber casual to natural or more polished looking. You can even buy them on amazon if you aren’t sure where to start.

Consider your Wedding Favors

Many couples are choosing to forgo this part of a wedding altogether, and we’re totally here for simplifying and minimizing the consumer behemoth that has become commercialized weddings.

However, my inner Hobbit’s need for elevated hospitality completely understands the decision to cut a different part of the wedding in favor thanking my guests. At the same time, it’s silly to waste your money on something that honestly nobody needs, will cost you money, and end up in a landfill (we’re talking to you overpriced bride and groom wineglass. We don’t really need dinnerware with someone else’s name on it).

There are some really unique and environmentally friendly ways to express gratitude to your guests for coming. Put your heads together for something inexpensive that is reflective of you, and the authenticity will make it mean more to your guests as well. If it’s handmade or edible- even better.

A Few Favorites We’ve Seen

• Miniature loose leaf local teas with honey sticks
• Reuseable aromatherapy heat packs
• Little wooden Ornaments
• Custom Cookies
• Hand rolled candles.
• A print of the bride and grooms favorite picture with each of the guests (these we’re printed at Walgreens with a little note. We’ve also seen a variation of this done as a cool thank you note- the bride and groom’s favorite picture from their wedding with each guest for their thank you cards).
• Chocolate truffles
• Homemade preserves
• Tiny soaps
• Little succulents
• Sample jars of honey
• Sample bags of coffee
• Homemade bird seed ornaments
• Little air plants
• Pet rocks (this sounds bizarre but it was weirdly adorable and people were tickled)
• Evergreen seedlings

Rethink Your Send Off

If you’re doing a formal send off or goodbye, there are a couple versions we wish people would skip for various reasons. Please don’t use rice. Despite being biodegradable, birds eat it and it’s really terrible for them, it can even kill them. Skip the glitter and plastic confetti. Quite frankly, glitter is an abomination and people shouldn’t use it for anything. A quick google search will reveal the tip of the iceberg where the hazards of microplastics are concerned, but the far reaching consequences of them goes even deeper.

Try opting instead for dried flowers like lavender, or jasmine. Paper confetti is also an option if you get a compostable or non-acidic type. We’ve seen bird seed used and we also knew a couple that had a wedding in the fall and hole punched dried leaves for confetti, which was really unique.

In Our Opinion

Weddings should be intentional, personal, and unique. While yes, you are hosting an event you are also celebrating a major life-decision, step, and life long commitment. You are celebrating your relationship with your best friend and partner. There are so many possibilities and ways to make things unique even on a budget. As passionate about that as we are, we truly don’t believe that doing that requires us to sacrifice on our ethics, or the environment.

These are our favorite ways to incorporate sustainability into planning a beautiful wedding (that will hopefully take some of the strain off your pocketbook as well). This list is by no means comprehensive, and we’d love to hear your ideas as well. You never know who else you could help (and of course the planet). We’re constantly striving to improve our services and the way we do business. Collaboration and education is a big part of that.  Let us know if there is something else people can do to lessen the environmental impact that hosting a wedding can have.

All the best, Always,

Mikaela

As we hit the middle of February, some of us green thumbs (and aspiring green pinkies!) start looking forward to warmer greener months and what we might like to grow. Maybe we are looking for a visual feast and are picking out our flower varieties. Some of us are looking for a more traditional feast of some home-grown veg. I personally like growing a combination of the two… which is part of what we will be talking about today.

I know I have mentioned companion planting in the past (most recently in our last sustainability article that you can find HERE) and I am pretty sure that Mikaela has brought it up a couple of times as well. Obviously, it is on our minds a LOT and for good reason. There are a lot of other innovative and fantastic methods for growing amazing gardens and crops that I want to talk about soon. Just like I love mixing and matching what we grow, I love mixing and matching and even hybridizing different techniques to match the situation and need. For now, though… let’s focus on just one thing.

Strap in because this may become one of my longest articles (I love planning gardens, food forests etc!). So, let’s look at what it is, some of the pros and cons (both scientific and ethical), some mistakes to avoid, and some good and bad companions.

A Quick-ish Definition

Companion Planting: Noun: The close planting of different plants that enhance each other’s growth or protect each other from pests.

– Oxford Dictionary

So, I could just leave you with the Oxford definition but the reason this is a “Quick-ish” definition is that I wish to add a bit more before we move on. I won’t go into what it can do since that will be covered in our pros, but I do want to clarify this definition more. Companion plant is a form of polyculture (versus monoculture crops where there are fields of just one crop). I also want to point out that companion planting should be for a MUTUAL benefit of both plants or COMMENSAL (beneficial for one and neutral to the other) … otherwise you are just looking at a parasite and a host which doesn’t even sound nice in this context.

Pros: Why We LOVE Companion Planting

I am going to TRY (key word- try) to keep my bullet points brief because this could easily become a novel (actually there ARE books on it). I will try to do this in the other sections as well. Also, I am really going to try sticking with more commonly held beliefs and facts that I can back with science. I will get more into my preferences and my own planning in a future post.

Increased Yields

I am putting this first as it is the biggest recurring benefit in every book, blog, and article I have seen thus far on the subject. The HOW of this varies by the combinations and honestly this is a product of a combination of most of the other points on this list.

Maximizing Space

One of the more obvious ways this maximizes space is that planting different species in the same area means you have to spread out less. Another thing to consider though is that we live in a world that is not flat. I am not going to get into the whole flat world debate right now. What I mean by this is that there is a Y axis peeps! Or for the less mathematically inclined…. There is an up and down, multiple layers, you can build up, OR further under the ground etc. Trellises aren’t a new concept, but you can really expand on this concept in other ways.

Soil Health

Plants have evolved their root systems in different ways; shapes, secretions, and uses vary widely and affect the soil differently. The concept of crop rotation (also a technique I endorse) is partially built around this knowledge. Companion plant allows you to take advantage of this on a micro scale. For example, planting legumes like beans, peas, or clover will help nitrogen to the soil and are an attractive option to plant with Nitrogen greedy plants. Root veggies like carrots or radishes displace soil as they grow and will help prevent it from getting compacted.

Repelling/Attracting Pests

I realize that putting repelling AND attracting pests seems counter intuitive so please hear me out. Certain plants release chemicals and oils that are unattractive to pests. It doesn’t poison them or block them… it just makes the habitat less attractive. An example would be Marigolds (especially French marigold, Tagetes patula– Bonus points that this is an edible variety) releasing Alpha-terthienyl from their roots that helps inhibit the development of some nematode eggs such as the root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp.). Additionally, a lot of aromatic herbs contain compounds such as estragole, linalool, eugenol, etc. which is unappealing to taste/smell for many (not all) pests. Just remember that some of those plants need to be around for at least a year to see the results (like the Marigolds). On the flip side, knowing how to use your pest attractants is also useful! For example, I sometimes see Nasturtiums (pretty and edible) listed for managing pests is companion planting. They help but not how some beginners think and can be a negative if used incorrectly. Aphids LOOOOVE them. They are what we call a trap crop/plant and are used as a more attractive host plant, so the Aphids are less likely to bother your more valuable crops.

Attract Beneficial Predators

Not all insects are bad. Ladybugs, Lacewings, Preying Mantids, Hover Flies, Predatory Beetles, Syrphid Flies. The list of good ones is looooong and if you are gardening you are going to have to come to grips with the fact that THERE WILL BE BUGS. So why not try to make a good home for the ones you want? Some plants to attract the good guys are Dill, Anise Hyssop, Blooming Cilantro, Mint, Chamomile, and Bee Balm are known for other reasons (edible, pollinator attractant, etc.) but they are also catnip to a lot of insect predators because of leaf cover, fragrant blossoms, and sometimes even the nectar in a few omnivorous cases. The point is though that many of these predators will help control your pest population. Aphids, Mites, Thrips, Squash Bugs, Cucumber Beetles, Tomato Horn Worms, and Cut Worms better watch their… back? Thorax? Segment?

Attract Pollinators

The last bullet point transitions nicely into POLLINATORS! This is a really hot topic for a lot of people with the whole save the bee movement. Planting attractive plants for a variety of pollinators as companions will help maximize your yield. We do want to attract bees to help propagate our plants but let me throw this thought at you…. We aren’t necessarily primarily looking for that classic black and yellow bee the newbs are thinking of.  Expand your consideration to more native bee species, aculeate wasps, some fly species, ants, butterflies, moths, beetles, bats, and even some birds (hummingbirds duh). Depending on where you live, this list may vary a bit and definitely depending on the plant, some of these pollinators are more relevant.

Repelling Weeds

I will be transparent on this one that I know less science on this point. I do see it is a pro for companion planting if accurate and if this is proven incorrect, I am not losing anything by planting more plants. What I have read is that some plants release chemicals from their roots that can be toxic to weeds. I was having trouble finding the real science to back many of these claims. The most substantiated claim I found was that of Sunflowers since they can release Heliotropin, sesquiterpene lactones, and phenolic acids… the problem is that they can also be harmful to some plants you want as well (the exception being the three sister’s combo we will talk about later). A more useful application, in my opinion, if used correctly is that of ground cover companions in between crops, that block out and outcompete their weed companions.

Provide Shade

Companion planting with taller, more sun hardy plants can offer needed shade in areas where it is lacking. I am from Arizona and often ran into issues with TOO MUCH SUN! It can be just as damaging as not enough.

Living Trellis’

I mentioned before when talking about maximized space, that this style of planting allows you to also maximize your vertical space. This is a bit more specific though. Some plants grow strong upright and others need something to use as a trellis. You can just buy one at the Home Depot or the Tractor Depot… OR you can companion plant. For example, Corn and pole beans work as a fantastic team with the pole beans growing up the stalk of the corn.

Aesthetic

A pro of this type of planting can honestly also just be aesthetic since it often means staggered flowers and fruits for an extended period, so I feel you get a longer period of enjoyment out of your garden.

Saving Time

Don’t you think having less pests and weeds to deal with would save you time?

Polyculture:

This is something we have spoken about in a couple different articles and contexts. We are big on polyculture instead of monoculture farming on an industry level. So why wouldn’t we count this as a pro and support it on a smaller, more local level. You can even take this a step further and turn it all into a food forest (I swear I will be talking about all these other techniques and garden layout styles SOON).

Increased Biodiversity

Companion planting allows you to have more plant biodiversity which will, by extension, attract and support more wildlife biodiversity.

Cons: Things to Consider

I struggled a bit on listing true negatives to companion planting. I can’t find anything particularly damaging or harmful about it (if done correctly) over any other garden planning style. Instead, my list was more like things to consider before jumping in with both feet. Cautionary words maybe?

You may also notice the list is a lot smaller. I have been openly biased more heavily on the PRO side of companion planting, so I decided to play devils advocate and try digging into this a bit more actively. It was still a struggle still struggled. I few other blogs touched on things briefly and will mostly likely have a similar list. There wasn’t much in the way of conclusive studies though (which I will get to) no matter what university or professional journal I turned to. That said, let’s look at what I was able to come up with.

Takes Time to Plan

I actually enjoy this and can sit around for hours planning for hypothetical gardens I may never see. For some though, this may be a drawback. It takes research, planning, knowing your environment/soil/climate, and a clear idea of what your final goal is.

Not All of It Is Supported Scientifically

As I mentioned above… there are not many studies to back a lot of companion planting info out there up. I tried to (and will continue to) use examples that have some more backing. I have a science background, so it makes sense to vet info and if you are telling me to do something, I want to know the how and why. A lack of scientific study doesn’t mean it is all hogwash though. Many of the claims of why certain plants go together have been passed down through the years for a reason. But also because of that you have to consider how the info may have been warped through the years or how it may have varied results in different gardens or climates… which leads into my next point.

Environmental Variables

Temperature, soil moisture, soil pH, sunlight, and nutrient availability all affect plant growth, are variable for each plant, and are constantly changing. Some species are not adapted to live in the same places which might limit things depending on where you are. Also, those variables may hinder some plants, effectiveness.

Not A Cure All

Remember when I mentioned French Marigolds ability to help control root-knot nematodes? Notice I said, “help to control” not “cause root-knot nematode genocide”? That is because companion planting is not going to cause you to have no weeds, no pests and auto-unlock the ability to grow squash the size of your cocker spaniel with no blemishes. It is a tool to help in the garden, not the magic eraser of gardening world chaos.

Not All Plants Are Compatible (ie sunflowers)

This is on here because something to consider is that while companion planting can be a positive, if the incorrect plants are together, you may notice one or more of them suffering.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

PROS. Check. CONS. Check? If you are still reading, I am going to assume you are still interested in companion planting. Further down, I will go over some good and bad companions but first, let’s look at some common mistakes and how to avoid them.

Using Trap Plants Incorrectly

Trap plants attract pests to hopefully keep them off other, more prized crops but they can be more detrimental than helpful if not used correctly. I am going to use Nasturtiums as an example since I mentioned them earlier. They attract aphids. But aphids can take over easily and quickly if left unchecked and the population will outgrow your plant and easily spread to others in the area, negating the good intent of companion planting or even making it worse than it would have been. You still need to kill the aphids. You plant your trap plant and when the pests are drawn to it, you treat the concentrated group of pests however you prefer.

Allelopathic Plant Combos

Some plants are what we call allelopathic, meaning they inhibit the growth of another plant or organism due to a chemical release into its surrounding environment. It usually hinders growth or germination. Some of these only affect certain plants or affect most plants and have just a few exceptions.

• Highly allelopathic plants include perennials like black walnut, rhododendron, sumac, and elderberry.
• More mild ones can be found in garden vegetables like mustards, fennel, sunflowers, and buckwheat.

Clumping Crop Families

Try to avoid large clumps of similar plants in the same family. They tend to attract the same pests and it will just compound the issue. The onion family tends to be an exception since they mostly repel pests but some families to think about breaking up are:

• Brassicas: kale, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, mustards, radish
• Solanaceae: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes
• Cucurbitaceae: cucumbers, melons, zucchini, summer squash, winter squash
• Amaranthaceae/ Chenopodiaceae: chard, beets, spinach, quinoa

Planting Too Close

Think about not only how big your plant starts but how big it will become. If you plant too close, more aggressive growers or larger plants can choke out crops.

Conflicting Maintenance Needs

So, it seems obvious that conflicting needs lead to… conflicts. Duh. But consider the following.

• Water Needs: Some plants need more or less water or drainage. Take this into consideration when picking neighbors. Additionally, remember that plants with deep root systems will “steal” water from veggies and plants with shallower roots like carrots or tomatoes. This can be mitigated to some extent by keeping soil consistently moist, using mulches, and utilizing soaker hoses and/or drip irrigation.
• Soil Needs: This is where it is good to know what type of soil you have and what your plants prefer. Without completely replacing soil, it is difficult to make huge changes to it and even harder to have a huge difference between multiple chunks in close proximity. Plants will be unhappy in the wrong soil textures or pH so do some research before hand to help you decide what to grow.
• Nutrient Competition: some plants need a LOT of nutrients in the soil for growth and then to fruit. Avoid neighbors that are less aggressive like herbs or spinach. You can consider ones that need little nutrients and/or put some back into the soil, like legumes. Additionally, don’t be afraid to add nutrients to the soil if you have poor soil. Composting or slow-release fertilizers are always an option.
• Planting Style: One article I read on “Epic Gardening” had a fantastic example of what to avoid. “[…] Potatoes need to be hilled to keep their tubers underground. If they were planted next to broccoli, cucumbers, or strawberries, those crops could end up buried or suffering from stem rots due to excess soil mounded up at their base. It would also be logistically difficult to get your shovel or hoe into the space to mound up the soil around the potato plants.”

Overshading Companions

While some plant combos benefit from the taller one giving the shorter one partial shade (i.e. Tomatoes and Lettuce), you need to be cognizant of the fact that there is such a thing as too much cover. Plants need to photosynthesize which means that they need light. If you let your smaller plants, be completely overshadowed, they will suffer. You can help avoid this by trellising anything that vines and paying attention to when and where the sun hits your garden to better plan where to put your more (or less) sun greedy residents.

Incorrect Timing

Think about how fast things grow. For example, if you want a plant to be on a live trellis like corn, the corn needs to be established a couple of weeks before you maybe transplant instead of location seed your cucumbers. And some plants aren’t useful at attracting pollinators until they are flowering which takes time.

Wasted Space

This is me talking about trellises again. But honestly! One of the biggest benefits of companion planting is maximizing space so why wouldn’t you trellis if you can? On a slightly different note, this is also about timing because you can think about the fact that while some plants are smaller (before they grow up), there is a lot of unused space in between that you can grow quick crop in and harvest it before it is an issue. For example, while tomatoes are young, you can grow radishes or lettuce and harvest them before the tomatoes start blocking the sun.

Aggressive Growers

Some plants grow VERY fast and will take over. Mint, Clover, Rosemary, Bambee, Thyme, Bee Balm, Blackberries, and Morning Glories, Asparagus and Rhubarb will quickly take over other plants. Stick to having them in their own separate beds, pots, or contained margins.

Forgetting Ground Cover

Don’t forget your ground cover! They help block weeds, keep soil insulated, keep ground fruits off soil, add cover for beneficial predators, sometimes act as a barrier against certain pests, and help conserve water among other things. Side note… a lot of plants great for this role are edible and also useful as a substitute for grass lawns. Creeping thyme, sweet alyssum, and dichondra are favorites of mine for this reason. Mint would be as well but not with veggies, and it will choke them out.

Mixing Annuals and Perennials

Keep annual and perennial beds separate (though they can be near for benefits) otherwise you will have beds with plants that stay year after year and become woody and established that you have to disturb yearly for your annuals. You are just asking for a mess. If you have a perennial plant and are struggling to find a good companion, think Lavender, Sage, Mint, Rosemary, Rudbeckia and other coneflowers, Yarrow, and Daffodils.  

Weird Shaped or Shapeless Gardens

This is totally up to you but there is a reason that farmers grow crops in rows. It makes it easier to weed, see what is going on with crops and gauge spacing needs.

Good and Bad Combos

By this point, I have thrown a lot info at you, but I have not given you a clear-cut list of what plants you should and should not put together. This is because, as mentioned before, this is not always an exact science. What I would recommend is to start with lists like those found in the farmers almanac, free charts you can find online, your local nursery, or the lists down below, but DO NOT TREAT THESE LIKE GOSPEL. Do some research. Know your climate and soil. Experiment. I have a list of sources at the end of the article but my two favorite I personally love to reference when planning are from Cornell University and the Farmer’s Almanac. Also the lists I have next are by no means exhaustive… there are so many more options and combinations and you might find that some work for you and others do not or that you discover something completely different you need to share.

Good Combos:

• The Three Sisters: Pole Beans, Corn, & Winter Squash. It is so popular that it has a name. The winter squash provides ground cover and the corn acts as a trellis for the beans.
• Cabbages and Aromatic Herbs: cabbages are catnip for pests (trust me). Planting aromatic herbs (like basil or rosemary) in the vicinity will help repel some species.
• Cucumbers, Radishes, and…… Sunflowers: The sunflowers will provide some much-needed shade for the other two and can be used as a trellis for the cucumbers if you pick them before they get too big or if you stake your sunflowers up (not a bad idea regardless). I know sunflowers are allelopathic, but they affect some plants (like pole beans and potatoes) much more heavily. This combo should be one of the least affected.
• Tomatoes, Marigolds, & Basil: I read in some places that basil can help improve growth and flavor of your tomatoes. I couldn’t find scientific documentation of this (just a lot of blogs claiming that there is proof). You will have to try for yourself. What I can tell you is that it is said to repel some insects including mosquitos and be a light antifungal. Marigolds we have established can repel some predacious nematodes. You lose nothing by trying this combo and if it is true then you get more, bigger tomatoes.
• Cucumbers and Nightshade plants: To be more specific, if you plant seedlings rather than seeds of nightshade plants such as tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers near cucumbers, they will benefit from less weeds in their area. Cucumbers are actually allelopathic so they will release cinnamic acid into the soil which will stunt germination but if your neighboring nightshades are already germinated, you get around this pesky issue.
• Crimson Clover and Fruit Bushes (like Blueberry): Clover can take over, but fruit bushes are big enough and hardy enough that this is not an issue. The clover is Nitrogen fixing and will also attract pollinators and then sustain them when your fruit bushes are no longer in bloom.
• Lettuce with Sweet Alyssum and Yarrow: Yarrow is a mellow companion and ideal for most combos but can grow a lot/take over like Dill. In combination with Alyssum though they will attract braconid parasitic wasps that will kill aphids and caterpillars that ravage your Lettuce. The Alyssum can go in and around the Lettuce with Yarrow as an edging crop nearby.
• Marigolds and Alliums: Remember me talking about French Marigolds and how they disrupt nematode life cycles (only really noticeable benefits after a year of having the marigolds there)? They also help with Onion Maggot Flies. Both pests are a hazard to your onion, leek, and chive crops.

Bad Combos:

• Tomatoes and Cabbages: I am specifically putting this here because I have read that tomatoes will repel cabbage moths; they are both heavy feeders so they will compete for nutrients. They are also susceptible to some of the same disease and can pass them back and forth.    
• Plants within a singular plant family. For example:
  • Brassicas: kale, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, mustards, and radish
  • Solanaceae: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and potatoes
  • Cucurbitaceae: cucumbers, melons, zucchini, summer squash, and winter squash
  • Amaranthaceae/ Chenopodiaceae: chard, beets, spinach, and quinoa
• Strawberries and members of the Brassicas (Cabbage) family: Strawberries will hinder the growth of your broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, etc. Strawberry plants can be attractants for snails and slugs which the cabbages are particularly weak to AND they tend to like more acidic soil than cabbages.
• Strawberries and members the Solanaceae family: Potatoes, Tomatoes, Peppers, and Eggplant are susceptible to the disease Verticillium and can pass it to your strawberries.
• Onions and Beans: They need different growing conditions, and the onions are more forgiving so in the incorrect setting, they will easily outgrow and hinder the growth of your beans.
• Cucumbers and Aromatic Herbs: Sage and other aromatic herbs release oils (not contested by anyone) that are said to either hinder growth or change flavor of cucumbers when grown in close proximity. This is one I would like to test because I question its validity, only because different sites say different things.
• Potatoes and Asparagus: Potatoes and asparagus rhizomes occupy the same space so when digging up the potatoes you would damage the perennial asparagus rhizomes.
• Corn and Tomatoes: They are both nutrient greedy and sun loving. They will constantly compete for both and suffer accordingly.
• Carrots and Dill: These are in the same family and so will attract the same pests; carrot flies, spider mites, and aphids. Additionally, the Dill bolts, while they are a great companion for some plants, they will overshade your carrots and compete for root space.
• Sunflowers and Potatoes: I keep saying it… Sunflowers are allelopathic. Potatoes seem to be one of the plants that affect most.
• Blueberries and Veggies: Blueberries like really acidic soil which is usually out of the veggie comfort range.
• Rhubarb and anything low growing: Rhubarb gets HUGE and will block out sun for your shorties.
• Pole Beans and Beets: Bush Beans and Beets are fantastic together due to compatible size and beans adding extra nutrients like Nitrogen to the soil. If they vine though, they can block out much needed sun so the roots stay small and the leaves turn pale.  

If I missed something (I know I missed lots) that you feel is relevant or want to impart some wisdom on the rest of us, please leave a message below! This is meant to be a community and that means sharing information and learning from each other.

Until next time!

Taylor

Some The Sources I Used & Reference

Benefits of Companion Planting (Julian Selemin, reviewed by Jabeen Begum, MD)
https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/benefits-of-companion-planting#1-2

Epic Gardening (Logan Hailey ) 15 Companion Planting Mistakes to Avoid This Season https://www.epicgardening.com/companion-planting-mistakes/

Epic Gardening (Logan Hailey ) Companion Planting Gone Wrong: 21 Planting Combinations to Avoid https://www.epicgardening.com/plant-combinations-to-avoid/

Companion Planting (Cornell University Cooperative Extension, Chung County)
https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/lincolnmcpherson/Cornell%20Guide%20to%20Companion%20Planting.pdf  

Is Companion Planting Scientific (Jeff Schalau, Associate Agent, Agriculture & Natural Resources University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County)
https://www.cales.arizona.edu/yavapai/anr/hort/byg/archive/companionplanting.html

The Myth of Companion Plantings (Linda Chalker-Scott, Washington State Extension)
puyallup.wsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/companion-plantings.pdf

Companion Planting (Robert Beyfuss and Marvin Pritts, Cornell Cooperative Extension)
www.gardening.cornell.edu/factsheets/ecogardening/complant.html

Companion Planting: Basic Concept and Resource (George Kuepper & Mardi Dodson, The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service)
www.attra.org/attra-pub/complant.html

Better Together: The New Science of “Companion Planting” [Cynthia Nations, Maggie Mah, The University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR)] https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=53468

What is Companion Planting? (Amber Kanuckel, The Farmers Almanac)
https://www.farmersalmanac.com/companion-planting-guide

The Ultimate Companion Planting Guide + Chart (Daniel Sjöberg, founder and CEO of Walden Labs, a certified permaculture designer) https://waldenlabs.com/the-ultimate-companion-planting-guide-chart/#casestudy

A bigger lie was never told to the American population than how they should and shouldn’t eat. Yes, I know- this is coming from someone who claims to love food science. And I do. It is precisely that reason that the American Food Chain System frustrates me so much. Today I want to talk about having a healthier food lifestyle.

There is so much misinformation out there about what ingredients are good, which are bad, what will help you shed weight quickly, what will balance your gut bacteria, etc. that its easy to get lost in the ‘data’ if you’re not paying attention and you’re not an informed consumer.

This misinformation changes so constantly that it shouldn’t be surprising how many people have little to no idea what they’re putting in their bodies. It is politisized, capitalized, and propaganda’ed to death. Which leads to swaths of people with eating disorders, malnutrition problems, and a great many other issues. Today we’re going to cut through all the red tape. This is a political, propaganda free space. Below is a list of 7 things that I use as pillars in my dietary choices to have a healthier food lifestyle.

Disclaimer

This is one of those topics that I can end up on a soap box about and by the end of the soap box people are reminding me to breathe when I talk. You’ve heard me talk a bit about this in our post on Kitchen Sustainability and Nutritional Paradigms and I’m excited to dive deeper. I get passionate about a number of food topics and this one is right up there with people cutting any form of filled doughnut in half. I could spend hours, days and even weeks talking about all the different levels and complexities of the American food system. In fact, I plan too. That’s kind of the whole point. But today, at least, I wanted to give you a brief overview of my overall stance on food, so that as we build on topics, you know where I’m coming from.

You don’t have to agree with me, in fact, I’m hoping some of you won’t because I love discussions. Much of what I currently believe has come from discussions with other people in conjunction with my own experiences and learning- my views are much different than they were when I was younger. All I ask, is that you come in with an open mind. Afterall, these are my opinions and experiences, and I’m sure my experiences will differ somewhat from yours.

I’m Not a Doctor- What I am sharing is My Opinion Based on My Experience and Education

The easiest thing to do is tell you what I believe, and why. From there we can build on and discuss different areas in depth in the coming months. As I have said previously, I am not a doctor– and for any topic specific, truly in-depth medical advice, I would urge you to talk to a doctor and nutritionist/ dietician (I did). But I believe we are smarter as a community when there is collaboration and I see no harm in sharing baselines and guidelines.

At my core, my food beliefs are simple and few, and I will try to pass it on that way as I think most things in life are easiest to adopt when kept simple. I think most people would have a better overall quality of life if they had a healthier food lifestyle. And we’re all about quality of life here.

A Healthier Food Lifestyle Means Everything in moderation

This applies to all my other opinions/ beliefs on this list as well. Heck, it’s solid life advice. Even when you make a less than perfect choice, its not a huge deal if you do not overindulge. It removes much of the pressure, and I never want someone to feel pressure or stress when eating. Also, you can have too much of even the ‘healthy’ things, which makes them not so healthy. In everything- moderation is key. So many times its not a matter of good food vs bad food but too much or too little. A healthier food lifestyle is about balance!

There Are No Bad Foods In A Healthier Food Lifestyle

This is a more complex concept and people tend to balk at this. There are things that are less healthy, there are things you should reach for first. There are things I try to minimize in my life or avoid 99% of the time. A healthier food lifestyle cannot exist in an environment where we are vilifying foods and food parts.

Food is fuel. Carbs are not bad. Fat is not bad. Chocolate is not bad. Gluten is not bad. Sugar is not bad. Things in EXCESS are bad. Is there a right way to eat carbs/gluten/sugar/fat etc.? You betcha. Are there specific individuals who due to allergies/medical conditions/ etc. need to avoid certain things? Yes, myself included. But that does not rule those categories out for everyone. Blanket bans on foods are a red flag for me. When we get into marketing, food psychology, and fad diets- you’ll see what I mean.

Erase the Word Diet From Your Vocabulary

Diets suck. I do not believe in diets. The phrase ‘I’m on a diet’ or ‘I’m watching my diet’ implies temporary. It implies restriction. It usually comes with a groan, an eyeroll, or a wave of sadness over pastries left un-eaten. “Diet” is a noun, not a verb. The second you tell yourself you ‘can’t have’ something- you want it three times more.

People quit diets; and the second you stop your ‘diet’ things go back to the way they were- weight, sleep, energy levels, brain function, sex drive, etc. I don’t do diets. I believe in lifestyles, intentionality, and eating things I love. Having a healthier food lifestyle starts with consistency. And consistency requires it to be something sustainable.

There are No Shortcuts to A Healthier Food Lifestyle

This is a hill I will die on. No matter how many times I get my hopes up, time has taught me- if you want it sustainable, healthy, balanced, and attainable- there are no shortcuts. There is no magic food to make you drop pounds quickly. Quick fixes don’t exist. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, and you should run for the hills. It took time to make you the way you are today and it will take time to make you into anything else, whatever that may be.

No Two People’s Diets Are the Same, Nor Should They Be

No two people are the same, so why do we have a one size fits all approach to food historically? This is where I say- talk to an expert. Learn what’s right for YOU. And WHY those choices are right for you. When you know WHY you’re doing what you’re doing- it’s a lot easier to do. I personally also believe this would eliminate 60% of fad diet crazes.

Ever heard “My cousin _______ has been doing keto and she lost like 50 pounds, maybe you should try that.” Or my personal favorite “you really should go gluten free, it would help with ______” 2000 years of mankind eating bread as a staple of our diet and all of a sudden EVERYBODY thinks gluten is satan’s favorite food. The gluten isn’t the problem, but we’ll get to that. Are some people gluten intolerant? Absolutely, but not everybody is. See where I’m going with this? A Healthier food lifestyle requires acknowledging your body as a unique individual, learning what those uniques individual needs are, and listening to them.

Whole Foods

Taking into consideration “everything in moderation” and “There are no bad foods”, I still reach for whole foods as often as I can because those are the best options for me. This is the difference between Food and Edible Food Products. Bell pepper= food. Oreos= Edible Food Product. I still pick up Oreo’s from time to time, but I try to go 90/10 in favor of foods that are exactly the way nature made them. Whole grain vs white bread, macaroni from scratch vs the kraft box.

My rule of thumb is: If I can’t say it- don’t eat it. If I don’t know what it is- don’t eat it. It’s not as hard as it sounds. I would rather you take pleasure from time to time in a homemade cheesecake or the extra queso you made from scratch to go with your burrito bowl than eat the box of hamburger helper or the prepackaged ‘dietary’ TV dinner (yes, I mean even the ‘healthy’ ones.).

So many people think they already have a healthier food lifestyle because they’re picking up the SmartOne instead of the Kraft Mac n Cheese. But the truth is- if you read the ingredients tab, they’re still loaded with things that aren’t meant to be in your body; they’re just low calorie or carb balanced (we’ll get to food marketing later because that’s a whole different animal).

Remember to Not Food Shame

Edible food products aren’t evil and can be enjoyed, I’m a terrible sucker for Girl Scout Cookies, They are in season and I have a couple boxes of Thin Mints in the freezer and several boxes of Samoa’s, Do-si-Do’s and Tagalongs hidden in the closet where my husband can’t get to them and eat them first. The point is everything in Moderation!

Meat is Not Bad

Yes, I know that this kiiiiind of fits in with “no food is bad”. And Yes, I know I just lost some of you. BUT it’s a big enough food schism that I think it warrants its own bullet point. I’d also like to remind you that I asked for open mindedness and that these are MY beliefs. They don’t have to be yours. If you are vegetarian or vegan- I do hope you keep reading. Not only because there are still other things in this section of our blog that are of value and will still be relevant to you but also because I think these kinds of discussions are important to working on that visceral schism.

I do not have a problem inherently with vegetarianism or veganism- though again, I believe there is a right and a wrong way to do both. However, I’m never going to be offended or bothered if someone chooses to not eat meat. If eating animals or animal bi-products bothers you emotionally or morally, I can accept and respect that so long as you afford me the same courtesy.

So here’s my stance on meat vs no meat in a healthier lifestyle:

Scientifically, we as humankind are omnivores. That means you are biologically designed to eat meat AND plants. It’s why you have front sharp teeth for the tearing of meat and flat back molars for grinding and chewing plant matter. Kind of like bears or wolves. That’s why you have one stomach and the intestinal structure you do instead of a crop like a bird or 4 stomachs like a ruminate. Plant protein is physically different than animal protein, and you are genetically designed to need BOTH. I personally do not believe in arguing with the natural order of things, mother nature knows best. I also happen to like how most meat tastes.

However, I’m picky about the meat I eat. Having a healthier food lifestyle means being a responsible consumer. I’m picky about where it comes from, how the animal is raised, its quality of life while alive. I’m picky about giving thanks, and making sure to call a spade a spade. If you’re going to eat pork, acknowledge it was a pig.

Additionally, I believe in moderating meat consumption- If China alone ate the amount of meat that the U.S. does- we would need 2.5 planets just to grow the amount of corn needed to feed the cows (see also, I don’t think cows should be fed corn products in feed lots, I only buy grass fed) that’s insane. We do not need nearly as much meat as modern society has trained you to consume. The rest of the world does not consume meat at nearly the same rate that we do.

In Conclusion for My Love of Food and a Healthier Food Lifestyle

Obviously, I’m very opinionated when it comes to food. I tried to pare down my biggest beliefs in their most generic and simple ways, knowing that we have all the time in the world to peel back layers and explore specific topics. I’m very excited to get to share nutritional tidbits, debunk theories, share recipes, discuss, dive deep, and learn more with you.

If you have a passion for food like I do- I would offer one parting piece of advice. Check out the Master Class by Michael Pollan. He presents a very straight forward and impartial view of several food topics and really stretched my critical thinking muscles and challenged some of my thoughts in a fresh and respectful way. He also articulates much better than I can and said something in that class that basically covers it all in the simplest of terms better than I ever could. I’ve been keeping it in my pocket as my easy to remember sentence for talking to people but also to help me make decisions about my food throughout the day: Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly Plants.

All the best, Always.

Mikaela

Sustainability is one of those topics that seems to perpetually be at the forefront of the news. And it should be. Given the trajectory of the world and our modern disposable habits; we have some very real, very alarming problems on our hands. It is easy to get discouraged. There is so much information out in the world, and it seems to be changing every day regarding what is good and what is bad. In a lot of ways, it seems like sustainability is out of reach, or that many of the things that could make a huge impact in the world are beyond ‘the little guy’; the people like you and I want to help but are just one person.  

So today, we are going to dial it in, and bring it a bit closer to home. There are massive, large-scale legislative, societal, and corporate changes that need to be made, BUT there are a number of physically actionable things that any one person can do every single day around the house to make an impact. Some of them might surprise you if you were raised like we were. Technology has changed since we were kids, and with new information comes new decisions.  

We could give you a list of hundreds of things you could do around the house to be more sustainable; some more achievable than others. Instead, we will boil it down to 5 main categories:

1. Use fewer finite resources.
2. Think reusable instead of disposable.
3. Purchase with a conscience.
4. Work with your surroundings.
5. Use your community.

Most of what you commonly see in lists of how to be sustainable can be associated with these categories, so in our household, we try to remember them and constantly ask ourselves if our actions fit within them.

Use Fewer Finite Resources.

When we talk about using fewer finite resources, we are talking about water, electricity, gas, petroleum, (tree) paper products, etc. This is a fantastic place to start because, not only is it low cost…  you will save money. Usually because these resources can run out, you have to pay more and more to use them. And any adult can tell you that utilities are EXPENSIVE now-a-days. A couple ideas to consider are:

• Carpool or walk when you can to save using gas.
• Consider keeping your thermostat range at an ambient temperature closer to the real temperature.
• In older buildings, check weather stripping and window/door seals. It will make it easier to maintain your internal temp for cheaper, save electricity, AND there are even fixes available on the market for rentals.
• Swap to LED lights and turn lights off when you leave a room. Electricity adds up and some lights actually put off heat.
• Wash clothing in the cold setting and then line dry them when possible.
• RUN THAT DISHWASHER! Remember that not all convenient appliances are unsustainable. As technology has continued to progress and sustainability movements have increased, many kitchen appliances can be more sustainable than people! Newer models of dishwashers, for example, use less water than the average hand washer.

Think Reusable Instead of Disposable.

So, this can mean a couple of things. It can be switching out consumables to reusable items that do not need to be replaced and repurchased as often such as:

• Switching disposable, synthetic sponges that accumulate germs to reuseable dish cloths that can be washed. Alternatively, you can use all natural sponges or loofah’s grown from squash that can be composted.
• Use reuseable bags at the store instead of plastic bags.  It cuts down on waste, looks cuter, and they are less likely to rip.
• Reduce kitchen plastics and single use packaging by using glass storage instead of plastic Tupperware’s, reusable snack bags instead of Ziplocs, and waxed fabric covers instead of saran wrap.

To some extent, everything will get worn out eventually so sometimes avoiding the disposable can also mean just investing in a higher quality item that will have more longevity. A good place to invest for this would be in your electrical products.

• You should try to keep your keep electrical products for at least 7 years (Read more here) and starting off with a better quality item will reduce how often it needs to be replaced.
• Another item to try extending the life on is your vehicle. Considering going electric is great to decrease gas use, but what many don’t consider is that constantly getting new vehicles creates additional, hard to dispose of waste.

You can also include recycling or upcycling in this category. Try to avoid throwing something in the trash as much as possible.

• Learn to recycle CORRECTLY. By this I mean, actually look at what recycling is available in your area. Some towns have different capabilities such as different items they are equipped to recycle or different sorting needs. Additionally, you need to make sure that ONLY recyclables go in that bin… not your leftovers that were still in the recyclable to-go container.
• Consider donating, selling, or altering old clothing instead of trashing it. And as an extension, shop vintage and thrift when possible. You will find the coolest fits for very reasonable costs.
• Switch to all natural cleaning products as this means less harmful waste in the dumps.
• Shop zero waste toiletries (like toothpaste tabs) to cut down on even more trash.
• Stop using plastic toothbrushes when there are completely biodegradable alternatives.  

Purchase With a Conscience.

There is a bit of overlap between this category and the last. Yes, this can mean in the broadest sense, thinking about buying something (like a vehicle) and thinking about the longevity of it or the long-term consequences of its construction. What we really mean though is think about the who, what, where, and how of your product. Is your food from a sustainable, local farmer or was it grown mono-crop style and then X amount of gas used to transport it across the country to you? If it is sea food, how is it harvested? Is the farm known for using anything particularly harmful or, and I hate to bring politics into this, do they support some movement or practice you really think shouldn’t be allowed? Every purchase is a vote; for who you wish to succeed, what legislations has backing, what becomes mainstream, etc. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Buy your produce from permaculture farms and farmers markets, whenever possible. It will be fresher, local produce so your food will taste better, less gas will be used in transport, and you are supporting your local economy instead of some far away big wig.
• Switch to seasonal produce. Out of season produce needs additional resources in an artificial setting to produce… produce. *Ba-Dum-Tss*  It is more expensive because they need to waste additional resources to create it. Save money and resources by avoiding off season avocados.
• Pay attention to where your beef comes from. This is accurate of any meat or produce but let’s use beef as an example. Avoid huge feed lots. They are very harmful to the flora, fauna, waterways, etc, produce huge amounts of methane gas, and often contaminate the surrounding areas.

Work With Your Surroundings.

What we mean by working with your surroundings is to try to give back to it. Up until now, our categories have been about how to minimize how we damage the ecosystem… take less, pollute less, waste less, etc. Now I want you to think about how you can contribute positives. Things like:

• Composting! We have talked about this a bit in the past, but composting can even be done in apartment settings. It decreases what is going in your trash, effectively contributes much needed nutrients back into the soil and depending on your process can actually save you money on things like fertilizers or chicken feed if you choose to feed them scraps.  
• Using a rain barrel for your gardening will help you not use processed water in your yard and cuts down on your water bill. A lot of rainwater is wasted and ends up in drains when it can’t get through roads, sidewalks, buildings etc. Instead, saving it and using it to water plants or your yard means it will end up back in your local aquifer as well.
• Skipping the pesticides and instead looking for more natural alternatives, like companion planting, will allow beneficial local insects like bees, etc. to flourish.
• Planting a native sanctuary garden or zero-scaping allows you to support local wildlife, cut down on supplemental watering, prevents the spread of invasive/ nonnative species, and can still look fantastic/be aesthetically pleasing.

Use Your Community.

Find your community and use them. We do not mean pull a “Mean Girls” and manipulate them. What we do mean is that you should find a community and utilize the tools that they offer. People who maximize their sustainability do it because they care about making a positive difference. They WANT to share that passion and help others do the same. Finding sustainable options and making good decisions can sometimes be tough. The good news is that there are communities of people passionate about sustainability who are trying to make it a more accessible option. They aren’t trying to milk it for money. Instead, they just want to educate and change the world. Think about:

• Looking into food waste boxes like Misfits Market and Imperfect Foods… they sell boxes of discounted produce that isn’t pretty enough to sell in the grocery stores. It is totally perfect and would otherwise be wasted because it doesn’t meet a visual standard. This also helps you try new seasonal produce as well.
• Joining a co-op or collaborative like Grove… this is a great way to find products that align with your morals. Grove for example is a subscription for affordable, natural, sustainable home and self-care products. In many cases, their alternatives as cheaper than what we can find at the grocery store and they have a huge variety of products from natural sponges to bamboo paper products (good quality toilet paper and paper towels), to individual toothpaste tablets.

That is a very simplified version of things but hopefully it will help jumpstart your brain and give you some points to think about when trying to live more sustainably. And remember that this doesn’t need to be a large overhaul of your life all at once. Just remember the 5 areas we discussed when you make your next decision. When you are choosing between products or actions, just make one choice different at first and you will find that the rest just gradually follows.

Catch you later!

RavenWerks Guild

An overview of ‘dirty’ and ‘clean’ crops 

Good morning, friends!  

As promised, today we’ll be taking a brief foray into the Dirty Dozen and the clean fifteen. You may have seen our previous post regarding kitchen sustainability where we discussed being aware as a consumer and changing the framework of your diet. This takes a bit of a deeper dive into one particular aspect of that. 

This is one of those controversial topics that I love. GMO vs non-GMO, organic vs nonorganic, food deserts and food accessibility. Through sheer population, food demand, and economic structure the United States has resorted to and evolved some pretty intense farming techniques and farming alternatives to try and keep up.  

Now I’m not here to bash the system as a whole. We did what we thought we had to at certain hard times in history to make things work and we thought that what we were doing would make food in general more accessible to all. Over time, however we have found that some of those developments may have had unexpected long term consequences. 

Whilst I hate info-dumping and lengthy definitions, some things bear defining. so let’s go over a brief glossary of some of those terms: 

GMO: Genetically modified organism. In food, this refers to the use of recombinant DNA technology or biotechnology to alter foods. This may be to increase yields, or fruit bearing years. It can also make certain crops more resistant to pests or specific chemicals. In animals it can make them resistant to certain illnesses, or be hormonal to help with milk production or egg production. 

Organic: specifically in regards to food, the US requires that all ‘certified organic foods’ are grown without artificial chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, or GMO’s. Now, this can be a bit misleading because not all organics are created equal; and we’ll get to that in later posts if you haven’t yet taken Michael Polan’s Masterclass. But at it’s root means that the food or crop was grown or raised the way it organically would on its own. 

Food desert: a geographic area where fresh food is harder to come by due to drought, geology, or the requirement for import- thereby driving local food costs higher due to demand.  

As science has developed and we now have the data to show the long term effects of some of these modifications, there is a growing demand for Organic or ‘clean’ food. This doesn’t mean washing your strawberries (though you should be doing that still). It refers to the production method of your food from start to finish. This is for a number of reasons: 

1. Several studies are beginning to suggest that organic food has more nutritional value. This is not concrete yet as there are a variety of factors that affect nutritional content at the time of testing, but a lot of the evidence points in that direction.  

2. Organically grown crops do have more antioxidants and vitamins in them. This is visibly documentable. Specifically  vitamin C, zinc, and iron. In fact, antioxidant levels can be up to 69% higher in these foods. Organic plants do not rely on chemical pesticide sprays to protect themselves. Instead, they produce more of their own protective compounds, namely antioxidants. This may partly explain the higher levels of antioxidants in these plants.  (https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-organic-food#more-nutrients). 

3. Organic crops reduce your exposure to artificial chemicals and pesticides. GMO’s and pesticides have been linked to an increase in childhood allergies, autoimmune issues, cancers, and birth defects.  

In a perfect world, crops would just be able to grow the way they were meant to and everybody would be able to access fresh clean food. But the world isn’t perfect, and not everybody (myself included) can always afford to buy everything organic. It’s pricey. This leads us to the dirty dozen. The dirty dozen is a list put out by the EWG or Environmental Working Group every year to name the top 12 crops with the highest residual pesticide content. 

If you want to start towards a “cleaner” diet, and being more cognizant of what you’re ingesting; but you can’t afford to buy everything organic, I get it. The dirty dozen is a good place to start. If you’re only going to buy a few things organic because that’s what’s in your budget- start there. It’s important to note that this list changes every year because how companies grow crops changes, so make sure you make an annual check in. 

The current dirty dozen is: 

Now, for everything, there is an opposite. The EWG also has what they consider the “Clean 15” this is the annual list of produce crops that are considered to be the lowest risk with the lowest alteration/pesticide rate and therefore safer to buy conventionally. 

If you ever want to check back or look into the EWG farther you can find the link to their organization here.

Keep your eyes open as we move further into food sustainability. I hope this was beneficial and informative. As always, chime in with questions, thoughts, or additions.  

All the best, 

Mikaela  

Last time we spoke I had been talking about basic steps for kitchen sustainability. Now it wasn’t nearly a comprehensive list, but it was a good building block to point you in the right direction if you’re starting out.  

In that post I said I would include a basic how- to for making your own stock. And then I didn’t.  

So today is the day. The stars have aligned. This is a pretty simple process, and I’ve included notes on varying it if you need/want to or for dietary reasons. It’s not really a precise recipe as much as it is a concept and process. 

All you need:  

• 1 tub for veggie scraps 
• 1 tub for animal scraps (if using) 
• Salt and pepper (optional) 
• Stock pot 
• Water (quantity varies on size of batch) 

As I mentioned previously, I keep a tub in the fridge for veggie scraps and any time I cook, my veggie scraps go in that bucket. The classic veggies used for Mirepoix are carrots, celery, and onions; but you can use almost any vegetable. ESPECIALLY if you are making a veggie stock and not a meat stock because it will deepen the flavor. Green onions, squash, broccoli, bell pepper scraps, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, asparagus. Anything that is not molding or decaying (let’s not confuse making stock with compositing here).  

I tend to keep my animal scraps in the freezer. This is both because they keep longer, but also because it saves room in the fridge. You can use any animal scraps, but I try to stick to bone and meat. It is up to you if you are just making generic stock, or if you want to specify an animal and keep them separate. Some people just make ‘stock’ if you eat enough meat and are using things regularly enough or have a particular left over you want to use that is fine too. Save all the casings from your seafood as you prep it and make “seafood broth” any time we have a bird of any kind I boil the carcass. “Duck,” “Turkey,” “Goose,” Even rotisserie chicken. The fattier the animal, the more flavor.  

So there’s the concept. Let’s get down to ratio and process. Below is the basic ratio. You can scale it up or down if need be. You can also technically increase the amount of “boiler” to water if you want to for fuller flavor, but it’s really not necessary. 

1 Gallon water 

4 Cups Boiler 

Put your water and filler into a large pot. Bring to a boil. Let boil until meat is broken down and veg is soft. For a small batch this can be roughly an hour. For a higher gallonage this can take up to 7 hours. IF you choose to season your stock, do so at the end as the seasoning will change as it cooks. I tend to not add salt and pepper as I prefer to do so when I cook, and you don’t want to end up with a final product that is too salty. Strain and store in an airtight container. 

*** A note on the ‘boiler’ section: This is at your discretion. If you are completely an herbivore, then this can be 100% plant matter. If you are using an animal element you can play with the ratios as you like. I tend to prefer that 75% of my boiler portion be animal because I want the fattiness as a base for a lot of dishes, but you can do 50% or even less if that’s what you have available and you will still get a functional and flavorful stock.  

**** stock can also be cooked down into a fattier and more concentrated form before straining (if you are making an animal stock it will kind of gelatinize as it cools). This can make it easier to store and then you will just dilute it with water before using.  

Have Fun and get cooking!  

All the best, 

Mikaela 

Hey BUD-dies!

As Mikaela and I start to dig deeper into the topics of sustainability, food, and gardening something to consider is that while growing your own plants (edible or otherwise) is very fulfilling for your soul (and stomach) … it can be draining on the wallet. That is unless you know how to do so in a more (drumroll please) sustainable way.

One way to keep more green in your wallet but still grow the number of plants in your inventory is to explore different ways of propagation. To the casual and new to plant parenthood, this can seem like an intimidating word being flung around. I am here to tell you that it is easy-peasy.

In the case of plants, propagation literally just means reproduction by natural processes. Plants already want to reproduce so you are just helping things along and the biggest hurdle is knowing how your particular plant likes to get jiggy with it. So let’s go over a couple ways to propagate AND some basic categories of plants that are easily propagated by the different methods.

So let’s start with the biggest, most obvious way to propagate…

SEEDS

When a boy plant part (stigma) likes a girl plant part (pollen from an anther) and gets some help from a buddy (an insect, bat, bird, puff of wind, etc) they can make a seed. This is not a biology class so I am not going to dig further into this BUT I do want to bring up how this information may save you some money and what to beware of. So, to start I want to say there are multiple places you can get seeds and some pros and cons to each.

• Garden stores are a great place to get seeds and they are relatively cheap. You know they are fresher seeds and have a great chance of germinating (sprouting). The packaging is great because it will give you instructions and care as well. The negative is that you are still spending money AND usually they only have basic flowers and crops because they are catering to a majority.
• Online is a mixed bag… you have an insane variety, but you are going to spend more and it is tough in some cases to verify what you are getting (new seeds, old seeds, is it even the correct plant?). I have had some really great successes doing this though.
• Farmers markets have a couple options. Some vendors will actually sell seeds, but you can also just look for interesting fruits to eat and save/plant the seeds. Things to consider though are that you once again can’t really verify what a seed is or if it is any good until you are planting AND this applies to even ones coming out of a fruit. This is because members of the same species can cross pollinate. For example, pumpkin and winter squash are technically the same species so they can cross pollinate. They would still taste fine but their little seed babies would/could grow something weird. Let me tell you- I have STORIES about peppers because I was growing like 40 varieties at one point and they DEFINITLY cross pollinated.
• Save seeds from your food at home. This is staple and one of my favorite methods because you are not spending extra money and you can do so infinitely to continue your garden. The con here is that you are only going to get seeds from what you already have on hand so you are limited to what you are already growing or what you find at the grocery store (an let’s be honest the everyday gardener may not have the resources to grow some of those fancy, exotic, tropical fruits).

As for who and what can be propagated this way…. Anything with seeds! Fruits, bushes, flowers, veggies. Some are harder to actually harvest seeds from and you are better off just buying them unless you are really serious. I do not bother when it comes to herbs or flowers (though a lot will reseed themselves). Fruits (drupes, peppers, tomatoes, etc), melons, and guards are great ones to start with.

So, before I leave this to talk about our next method, I just want to say that even in cases where you are spending money for seeds, it is still cheaper than buying a mature plant. From personal experience, always plant lots of seeds as well because even the most quality ones you get, only a certain percentage will germinate. I also want to point out that even weird crosses are fun.

CLONING

Mwahahahaha…. This is where you get to be the most holistic evil scientist ever…

Cloning sounds complicated and cool when talking to friends and family. In reality though, you are selectively picking parts of plants (sometimes from public settings) like a 5-year-old, ignoring your moms voice in the back of your mind saying, “don’t pick the flowers”, and then hording them in little containers everywhere around the house until they become new plants. Or that might just be me.

We have lots of options for how to clone! Taking cuttings, layering stems, dividing rhizomes or offsets, bud cuttings, and root cuttings to name a few. The hardest part is knowing what method words for your plant. If you know the type of plant you are propagating, it is easy enough to google propagation methods. If you took a piece of a plant out of your neighbor’s front yard under cover of darkness (who me?), you might not have an exact name for the plant but there are some indicators, and you will quickly get a feel for it.

I want to point out that the best time to try any of these methods are going to be during the growing season just like with planting seeds. You will get the best result this way BUT especially with indoor plants, you will still get varied success the rest of the year.

Like I said, there are a lot of options, and it would be a lot to cover all of them in any depth (plus there are different options and ways to tweak each general method) but let me give you an idea of what some of these options are.

Cuttings

This is one of my favorite methods and the first type of cloning I ever attempted. The root of the process is you are taking a cutting or trimming of a plant and roots will grow from it to form its own plant. I find that this is usually my go to with herbaceous, tropical plants. Vining plants in particular; I will find a node (bump where roots would come out, cut right before it, remove the lower leaves, dip the end in a rooting hormone (tons of garden places sell liquid or powdered hormone for this reason so they are encouraging my habits), and plant your new baby into a sterile seed sowing mix. You want to keep these guys in bright indirect light and a moist/humid environment (a cover works great) since they do not have roots to suck up water or nutrients easily yet. Some of my plants root so easily that I just stick them in a vase with water (no hormone or dirt or anything) and wait for roots to appear before I plant them. Pothos, fuschia, and impatiens are great examples of these.

Similar to that, some tropical plants that have long stems on their leaves can be propagated in the same way. Great example of this are African violets and Monstera’s (I do this with mines suckers or tiny offshoot leaves I do not want to take his energy).

If you know your plant species, I recommend a quick google search to see how difficult they are to do cuttings, how deep to plant, where to cut etc until you have a feel for it because there are some differences.

Layering

Once again, not complicated, but layering can be done 2 different ways. Compound layering can be done with anything flexible that you would do a cutting on (like a Pothos vine). You basically can plant (or layer soil over) portions of the vine where there are nodes and encourage root growth from those places and once roots have started, they can be cut apart and planted. You can also do Air layering where you purposefully damage parts of the outer layer of stems and then wrap damp moss/soil around that place, enclosing it with Aluminum foil until roots appear and the plant can be separated. Once again, this method may have slightly different requirements or processes depending on the type of plants, but this is the gist of it.

This is a little involved than taking cuttings BUT it isn’t hard by any means and has less chance of a cutting withering away since it is still getting nutrients from the parent plant. I have had good success using this process with roses in particular with the aid of some rooting hormones. My great uncle raised and bred new crosses of roses and did shows. I loved them and wanted a couple varieties, so this was one method we used to get clones with the most success. Just make sure that once you have roots and you cut your new baby off, you seal the new wood on your old parent plant (Elmers glue works great!) so you do not get pests or diseases in there!

Division

Division is exactly what it sounds like… dividing what is already there. We are only going to talk about 2 types of division.

The first is rhizomes. Some plants (like strawberries) can spread by branches along the ground growing roots into the soil. This can be on the surface but in the case of many plants it can also happen under the soil, and you will see -SURPRISE! – a new plant come up in the parents’ vicinity. You can easily dig up the rhizomes, divide the sections using your fingers (keep the pieces with roots AND leaves_ and replant the babies elsewhere.

Secondly, I will bring up offsets. Some plants like Aloe will have fully re-plantable pups grow around the base of a mother plant. These can be separated and repotted elsewhere. Other plants will need to be cut with a sharp knife to remove them but wait until they have already grown roots or else you may need to go through additional steps to help the babies root.

So you may have noticed I still had more types of propagation listed that I have not touched on. I am not going to get into them today but instead wanted to focus on those that are the easiest to start with and work with a wide variety of plants.

I hope this article knocked your stalks off!

Taylor

Hey homesteaders, hobby DIY’ers and backyard environmentalists! I am super excited for this post, as upcycling is something I am very passionate about.  I am going to try to reign myself in BUT knowing me, this is still going to be a bit lengthy. Mikaela talked about why upcycling is so important from a sustainability standpoint in UPCYCLING… THERE ARE NO DOWNSIDES but I can honestly say that a big reason that I upcycle is just because I find it fun and like the aesthetic. Because of this, I have been flexing my upcycling imagination for a while. Today I am not going to teach you how to make anything but instead, give you some ideas and inspiration. I want to touch on 10 things in your home that can be upcycled (some more obvious than others) and give you a couple ideas of what you can do with them to get your creative juices flowing. Before I start my list though, here are a few things to consider when looking for items to keep and repurpose.

• Do not focus on what things are currently. Look at color, shape, texture, and material. Think about what is inside it.
• Is it SAFE? If tampering with it can be harmful to you or the environment… stear clear.
• What is the current state of the object? Are you going to need to clean or disinfect it before working with it? Is it ready to work with now?
• Do you really want to repurpose it or is it better being sold or donated?
• Are you willing to put the required time into the project if it going to be more involved?

The reason that I bring these things up is because the point on upcycling, DIY, and repurposing is to breath new life into things (and for me a plop of dopamine)… Not to become a hoarder. Sometimes it really is better to dispose of an item correctly or let it move onto a new home.

Now that I have that out of the way… Here are 10 things I love to give new lives.

(1) Jars and Bottles

So with jars and bottles the posabilities are literally endless and this goes for glass AND plastic so lets list a few of my favorites. This is probably one of the most obvious and well covered categories online so it is also the one I really wont get into much. I still want to include it though because you are CONSTANTLY getting more; from your jams, sodas, wines, pickles… The list goes on. So here are just a few ideas and like I said before- there are HUNDREDS more all over the internet.

• Just use them as they are to store something new- duh
• Mason jars are easily turned into rustic candles or classed up by using wine bottles
• Glass bottles and jars can be painted or etched
• Turn them into light fixtures
• Wine bottles are easily cut into vases or used as is
• Turn them into greenhouses and terreriums
• Shatter glass for stained glass and tiling projects or smooth down the edges for safety in patterns to be used in…. whatever you want. Jewelery maybe?
• If you have access to a kiln, glass bottles can be flattened down into platters
• plastic soda bottles can be “shredded” into a twine or heated and used for anything you could also use shrinky dinks or shrinking plastic

(2) Anything Fabric

So this also seems like an obvious one BUT this is such broad category and I just want to put a couple things in your head for you to consider. 1. Fabric is a much more than just clothes and 2. it can be used for a lot more than just sewing projects.

Think about keeping all or part of the fabric from these items:

• Clothes- duh
• Linens
• Window Curtains
• Shower Curtains
• Rugs/Carpets
• Bags
• Pillows & Furniture
• Food sacks (think flour sacks)

Here are a couple things I ask myself when looking at anything fabric:

• What is the fabric? I prefer to keep cottons, linens, and even gauzy, lace, and tulle materials that will not unravel too much when I cut them. Conversly, I avoid loose knitts and crochet materials that will not be repurposed easily or unravel quickly when cut from their original home.
• Is it a natural material? This is because sometimes I consider dying items a different color and that sticks better to raw natural materials.
• Do I like the pattern or maybe just want to save a logo or patch to be sewn on something else? Seems obvious when I ask that.
• Do I need to wash this before I reuse it or store it for later? Again… think flour sacks. I probably want to wash the four off really good before using it for anything.
• How threadbare is something? Is the material so worn it is see through? Maybe it is time to go. Is there a hole in the elbow of your cardigan? Maybe it just needs elbow patches or you want to use the cardigan material as a couple of quilt squares.
• Do I want to keep it for the texture?
• Do I love the buttons? Save those too!

Just like it can come from a wide range of places in your home, it can also be used in almost anything:

• Reused in literally any sewing project you can think of; quilting, patches, combining things into different clothing, doll making…
• Modpodged onto items for decor (make sure to use the correct type of mod podge for your project)
• Turned into Jewelery; cut into shapes, turned into beads, etc.
• I like to put my tiny scrap fabric that isn’t enough for sewing projects aside, chop it smaller, and use as stuffing in other projects
• Turned into wax clothe for food storage
• Boho hair ornaments
• Use it for texure in a multi media art project; textured paintings, textures on your clay sculpture, embelishments in your papercrafts
• Use long thin strips instead of chunky yard in a knitting project

(3) Dishes

Can anyone say whimsy? This miiiight be a bit too close to jars and bottles but typically you are looking at porcelain, ceramic, bone china, and stoneware. It’s a little different. You can paint them or decorate them (mod podge fabric on there?) but I usually find that they already have great colors and designs.

I usually look at 3 things with dishes:

1. What is the SHAPE
2. What is the MATERIAL
3. What is the PATTERN/COLOR

I consider them in that order as well. The shape and material are my biggest factors in what I might turn something into. I only really consider the color or pattern afterwards in these cases as I can always change that with a variety of marterials (paint, resin, cement, moss…).

• Treat anything bowl shaped as just a bowl shape. Bowls, pots, pans, cups, mugs, teacups, serving dishes, teapots… They are now planters, water features, turned upside down as light fixtures, hooked together as a rain chain.
• An extension of shape is the size. Those stockpots could be great planters or mounted sideways on a wall to use as a cuby but might be a bit big to turn into a candle (no judgement though- I kind of want a giant candle now)
• Flater dishes like plates and trays can be used as wall decor as is, turned into tiered trays or deconstructed and turned into something like a clock (anything can be a clock).

(4) Food & Plant Scraps

This is going in a VERY different direction from the other categories. I was reading this to Mikaela and she asked “what the hell kind of art are you going to do with leftover pie?” This isn’t what I mean. I mean your fruits, veggies, tubers, and plant cuttings. Think about these options before you throw away your blueberries that are a little past the point of yummy. Food and plant waste can really be split into a couple different categories.

1. Waste- There is less of this than you think
2. Compostables- What you mix back into your garden to be more sustainable
3. Scrap to feed your animals- If you have any
4. Art- Mwahahaha

The first three in that list are a whole different rabbit hole and I will be doing a different post on this in the next couple weeks. Lets focus on the art aspect.

• Many fruits, vegetables, and leaves can be used for natural dying of paper, yarn, fabric, and even hard boiled eggs
• Use leaves for solar printing to get lovely, natural patterns on fabrics
• Boil unused, aromatic scraps like citrus peels or rosemary and thyme on the stove to spread the scent around your house before you compost it
• Dried leaves, flowers, and herbs are lovely in candles, resin art, or sewn into sachets for scent

Maybe don’t try the above with your blueberry pie.

(5) Candles

Candles are fun because I sometimes turn them into other candles and sometimes just have fun making artistic messes. When a candle is dead you are usually left with 3 things.

1. The little nub of a wick and/or possibly a little metal base of a wick. You can scrap this.
2. The waste wax
3. The vessel the candle was in- maybe. There are plenty of candles that are free standing.

So you have some options here. Here is the process I usually go through. Let me know if you have other thoughts though.

1. First I like to boil the vessel the candle was in to:
   • Melt the last of the wax so I can pour it into or onto whatever I choose AND
   • Remove any labels etc
2. If the wax is unscented I can totally reuse this in another candle
3. If the wax had any scent I dislike making them into another candles BECAUSE often you have to combine scraps from several candles and mixing scents can get overwhelming.

If I am not reusing the vessel for a candle I use them like any other jar. A have them around the house being used to store small art and office supplies and one with pocket change. They also make great planters if you know how to drill drainage in glass without shattering it or for plants you aren’t afraid of overwatering. My favorite part to play with though is the wax. Here are just a couple things I have done with it in the past.

• While it is warm but not completely melted it can be manipulated into sculptures. I have a lot of tolerance for the heat of warm wax in my hands but you can burn yourself doing this so BE CAREFUL. I will also note that the first time I did this I was 10 years old and using an insanely hot desk lamp to melt the wax instead of finishing my homework at a decent hour. I ruined the lamp and got in trouble but the little wax penguin was worth it.
• I have used it on canvas. Have you seen where people melt old crayons on canvas? Same concept… but scented!
• I have used it as an accent for DIY Halloween decor. Sometimes I leave it exposed OR you can do something like drip it down a doll face and then paint over the whole thing to make it look like the doll is melting.
• Are you into sending letters? Use it as a wax seal and the scent is a nice added touch. Make sure it isn’t too oily though and you have a good quality envelope or you will end up with a stained envelope/letter from the oil used to scent your candle.

(6) Books

This is a painful one for me to talk about. I am a huge bookworm. I think I made a kid cry when I was in college because they set one of my books face down/open and cracked the spine of it. I KNOW I made a roommate avoid me for fear of retribution because I found them dog earing and writing in one of my books. Damaging a book actually makes my heart clench up like I am about to have a panick attack. That being said… sometimes it is better to lay them to rest. You ever have that book that even though you were careful, it has just been read so many times that it’s starting to disolve in your hands? I have had a few like that. I am not saying that if you have a leather bound, first edition, signed [insert amazing book here] and that it is falling apart you should treat it like an art project. Those you get restored by a professional or learn how to store and preserve as best you can. Your families’ journal, or bible, or book of shadows (different strokes for different blokes and all that) that the pages are falling out of and some pages have water damage…. also not recomending this as your next DIY project. But maybe that very loved copy of Harry Potter that you can always replace or read on Kindle and the back cover has fallen off? That is your next target. THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH AN OLD BOOK!!!

• Open it and soak it in a borax/water bath for a time so it grows crystals and use it as a fantasy prop
• Turn it into a clock
• Hollow it out into a secret bookshelf box
• The pages can be cut into shapes, used as scrapbook paper or used as a base to paint for a dark academia aesthetic. The more aged and yellow the pages are the better.
• If the book is a hard cover, the covers can be cut, the edges covered with ribon and hung on the wall as decor or used as a canvas for a painting.
• solidify them with a resin or something similar, stack them, and create furniture.
• Use illustrations are paper ephemera in junk scrapbooks or in other projects

(7) Old Childrens Toys

This is a fun one to play with. Completly throw the idea of what something is out the door and only think about shapes. Kids are kind of yucky. They get sticky substances on toys, leave them in weird places like behind the toilet, and break things. I can almost guarantee that the toy is going to look NOTHING like it did when I am done upcycling it.

What I like to look for in old kids toys are the following:

• Figurines of any size or shape. Smaller ones can be painted over and turned into jewelery, wall hooks, cabinet handles or jar toppers. Larger ones can be repainted to look like chic decor. Some of my Christmas and bathroom decor are large figurines that were honestly ugly and I painted over them to look like a “stuffed” Christmas penguin and a metalic gold octopus for my bathroom (like the ones you see go for like $40 online).
• Nerf and Squirt guns. I like to add a little adult charm to these and turn them into weapons for costumes. Added bonus is when I am cosplaying for Haloween or cons, my gun can actuall shoot my friends.
• Stuffed Animals. It feels a bit like murder but the outside fuzzy bits get incorporated into sewing projects and the inside gets repurposed into pillows and projects like the giant stuffed dragon I am currently making.
• Dolls can get repainted as creepy Halloween Decor. That Barbie that got decapitated by a 4 year old who thought she was playing hair dresser? That is now a creepy shrunken head in a jar.

(8) Pet Supplies

This one you have to be a bit more forgiving with. It is easy to say that you are going to reuse your clothes or kids kids toys but when I talk about upcycling an animals food dish, some people start to inch away. I have been a little adventurous though and just want to share a couple ideas. If you are adventurous, you can try the following:

• Food Dishes can become planters
• Large balls for horses or dogs can be covered in cement and other materials for garden decor
• The top “jug” from the automatically filling water disheds can be turned into terreriums or small aquatic tanks
• Dog toys can become props for costumes. This is a favorite of mine as I have turned things like a Bass made as a dog troy was painted and turned into a magicarp.

The point is, just because they were used for or meant to be used for an animal, do not write them off imediately.

(9) Jewelery

You ever buy a shirt that comes with a necklace that you will never use or have jewelery that sits around for several years until you donate or trash it? I am talking about all your costume jewelery. I know I have a certain aesthetic and That I only wear earings consistantly so why keep a bunch of jewelery I wont wear? Instead I tend to deconstruct pieces and turn them into earings so they will get use OR use them in art projects.

I tend to look at them in pieces and take them apart into:

• Beads
• Larger pieces like pendants
• Chains

From there I incorporate them into:

• Other jewelery
• Pendulums
• Suncatchers
• Embelishments on DIY clothing
• Additions to resin art
• Whatever you are using your beads and bits for…

(10) Furniture

Upcycling furniture is another really popular place to start and has a lot of posibilities. What I want you to think about though is what you can do with old furniture when you imagine past reupholstering.

• Cushions and pillows can be dismanteled into fabric and stuffing for other projects
• Entertainment units can be turned into play kitchenettes for your kid
• Cabinet and dresser drawers can be planters or raised gardens
• Headboards can be a trellis
• Anything made out of wood can be sanded and stained or painted and turned into a different piece of furniture

Again… the point is to thing of everything as PARTS. It isn’t a wooden chair. It is wood pieces cut into the size of 2 arms, 4 legs, a seat and a back. The back piece might have a cool carving and you want to use it as wall art. The legs and seat can be sanded, restained and turned into stool. The arms might be turned into candle sticks.

---

Some of the projects mentions will are things I have done, seen, or will be showing on our site. They are all doable at home and usually on a budget. I am not an engineer, a uni trained artist or anything else fancy. All you need is imagination and patience. Hopefully this post inspires you to make something new from what could have been trash around your home.

Happy Upcycling,

Taylor

Creating and Caring For Sourdough Bread Starters

Okay, now that we’ve gone over bread basics 101 you will notice in the upcoming weeks that I have a particular love of sourdoughs (If you missed that episode, you can find it here). I love sourdough for a number of reasons. To quote Shakespeare and a cult classic at the same time…

How do I love thee, let me count the ways.  
 

Shakespeare- Duh

1. They taste delicious- I will never sacrifice flavor if I can avoid it. It is richer, deeper, and smoother than any other bread. 
2. Sourdough starter is a legacy opportunity, and we know I’m all about food traditions. You can inherit it from a family member or start a new tradition. The older the starter, the better the flavor and it will continue to get better with time. My favorite sourdough starter was a birthday gift from my sister, and she got it from a woman whose family has had the same one for 90 years. One of my chef instructors had had his for 45 years since HE was in culinary school. 
3. It has a lower glycemic index than most breads- the fermentation depletes much of the starch which means less of a blood sugar spike.  
4. It is easier on gluten sensitive people. Due to the long fermentation time, much of the gluten protein is broken down into amino acids before you eating.  
5. more good bacteria and acid. Lactobacillus is the bacteria found in sourdough bread in large amounts, this leads to higher amounts of lactic acid, which reduces the amount of phytic acid in your gut.  
6. fewer preservatives- this applies to all sourdoughs, but even more so if you are making it at home. Sourdough bread contains acetic acid, which naturally prevents the growth of mold. It naturally preserves itself, meaning that toxic preservatives are not required to make it last. So, it won’t go bad nearly as quickly.  
7. It’s more nutrient dense than other breads. Sourdough bread has a mix of iron, manganese, calcium, B1-B6, B12, folate, zinc, potassium, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, selenium, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamin E. Compared to other breads, sourdough retains many of the original nutrients that are processed out of other kinds of bread. 
8. Sourdough can be used to make just about any type of bread PLUS some. Yes, there is the traditional “San Francisco style sourdough” but anything can be made with sourdough starter. whole wheat, multigrain, brioche, Pulla, PANCAKES, WAFFLES, crackers, bagels. Fermenting dough is the oldest style of leavening bread in the world. It is so versatile.  
9. It is one of the most cost effective ways to make bread. You don’t even need yeast to do it. You CAN jump start starter with dry yeast if you’re in a hurry, but its technically not necessary. It super easy to care for and even easier to start. 
10. There are so many variations on sourdough. You can start with the old school flour and water method, but I know people that feed them with apple cider, and one lady that feeds hers with a tiny bit of molasses in addition to her flour and water to further increase the flavor. and further than that- I find the process fascinating. The ONLY place in the world that you can get true San Francisco sourdough- is in San Francisco. Why? because yeast is a living organism- its regional. Even if you buy a San Francisco originating sourdough, it will slowly over time grow into something else, changing the flavor in nuanced ways. If you start yours from scratch with no added yeast, it will cultivate from the air with the local variant of yeast. That means that in one way or another your bread will be a little bit different than everybody else’s in the world.  

So, now that I have you hooked on the idea of sourdough, lets go over how to start one, and the basics for caring for them. Its probably the easiest thing I’ll ever teach you.  

All you need is an airtight crock or container, flour, and water. But I’ll put notes in here if you’re in a hurry and want to speed up your colony. Most crocks/ containers can be bought anywhere you just want to make sure it has a good seal. I believe my sister bought mine from WIlliams-Sonoma. The one I gave to my father I found at target. It also another thing that is easy to thrift from goodwill. I prefer stone wear myself, but ceramic will also work just fine. How big it will depend entirely on how much you want. I like to keep 4-5 cups on hand, but you can even do smaller batches like my dad who keeps 2-3. Just bear in mind you either have to store it in your fridge or in a cool dry place, so just make sure you have room for whatever container you choose.  

let’s dive in to the two easiest methods: 

Air cultivation:

This takes the longest, but this is the world’s original method for making bread. Mix equal parts flour and water, pour into your chosen container. Seal. Let’s sit at room temperature for two days. Feed equal parts flour and water every two days for 10 days. Once you reach the 10 day mark you can shift your starter to the fridge if you choose. If you store it in the fridge, you can feed it once a week. If you are storing it at room temperature you will need to feed it roughly every three days.  

Jump start:

The exact same thing as above but add 2 tsps. of active dry yeast to the warm water and let bloom for 5 minutes before you add your flour. This starter can be ready to use within 12 hours, and then fed like normal.  

General sourdough tips: 

• Remember that if you are baking with sourdough and you store yours in the fridge you will need to let it come up to room temperature before you use it. cold yeast is slow yeast. 
• If you are going to make sourdough but need to feed your starter as well, feed your starter the day BEFORE and not right before or you will heavily dilute the sour flavor. best practice is actually to feed after you use it to replenish what you have used.  
• If you ever need to alter the texture of your starter (got too thick, got too runny for your preference) you can easily adjust the texture by going a little heavier on the flour or water at feeding time. If you prefer a spongier starter as opposed to a liquidy one, that’s totally fine- both make great bread. Over time you will find what works for you. 
• Sourdough breads take longer to rise than “active yeasts” all good things take time. go by size, not by time. let your doughs double at their own pace instead of assuming since your timer went off its good to go. again, I stress bread is a relationship. you don’t set a time limit on good sex, so don’t time how long it takes your dough to rise.  
• Name your sourdough starter- this is technically a superstition thing, but it is tradition. And whilst some traditions are stupid and archaic, this one is near and dear to my heart. This is the most basic form of magic: Intention setting. doing something with purpose and care and then allowing that intention to manifest. You are fostering a relationship with a living thing. You care for it, and it gives you sustenance. you want a good, happy, healthy, THRIVING starter. Naming things is one of the oldest human instincts. It gives things purpose, power, personality, and on a psychological level you are more likely to take care of something if you have taken the care to give it a name. Name your starter. Mine is Gus. Gus is cute, Gus is tasty, Gus is growing because I care for Gus. You see where I am going with this?  

I hope this helps you start a new adventure. Once you learn the basics you can start additional starters and begin playing with feeder flavors. Please, share your journey! Feel free to shoot us a message if you have questions or want to share. I will be using sourdough starter in many of our bread recipe’s going forward; but don’t feel like that will exclude you from trying things if you aren’t ready to commit to a sourdough baby. Remember you can always start your sourdough colony per batch the night before and still have the recipe come together even if some of the flavor depth is missing. 

All the best, 

Mikaela 

Upcycling, recycling, thrifting, repurposing.

For some people, that implies cheapness or lower class; For my family it was a fun and time-honored tradition. Taylor and I come from an altogether upper middle-class family. We weren’t rolling in money Scrooge McDuck style, but we had things that other children didn’t, and our parents were big on providing us whatever opportunities they could.

However, they were also big on teaching of the value of things. Not just the monetary value, but the real value of any given thing. My dad is from a small community in Wyoming, and he did not grow up with nearly as many opportunities as Taylor and I did. My mom was raised by parents that were a product of the great depression. Both believed firmly in using the most of something that you possibly could. Waste not, want not.

Dad is big on quality over quantity. Buy less but buy nice and if you take care of it- it will last you forever. Mom was big on finding a way to give something new life and see it in a whole new way. They both stressed how important it was for our environment and for the planet to not be so big on ‘disposable’, and to not throw something away just because it got scuffed or slightly worn. Part of the reason we go thrifting or upcycling still to this day is that it is so much more environmentally friendly to buy something second hand (especially clothes) than to get a newly manufactured one. The apparel industry alone accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions.

One of my favorite things as a kid to do was go hunting with my mom and her best friend Sherry on weekends. We would hit antique markets, garage sales, and thrift stores and it was always an adventure. The hunt was half the fun, and I got to spend time with my mom. We never knew what we were going to find, I frequently got to save something from a landfill or scrap pile, and my wardrobe was always unique to me. I like to think it taught my sister and I to look at things in ways other people didn’t. Sherry and mom were big crafters and could fix and repurpose anything. They taught us what to look for and became our earliest DIY instructors. We would come home with our pile of jee-jaws and scraps and second-hand furniture for pennies and nickels and the occasional $5 in allowance spent that turned into hours and hours of crafting and fun, a hobby that I like to think has served us fairly well so far in life.

I also think it taught us the importance of giving back. We rarely ever threw things away. There was always going to be somebody who could re-imagine it, or someone that needed it more than I did. You could always help a neighbor in need if you were paying attention and willing to give.

You also always learn something when it comes to upcycling and rebuilding. Some of my proudest learning moments have come from repurposing.

A few of my favorite crafts, antiques, and saves include:

• Multicolored rope baskets: my parents had these plastic crisscrossed laundry baskets when Taylor and I were little. I think everybody had them. They were small and round, and I think the dollar tree probably still sells something similar to this day. They had started to see better days, and dad finally went to get rid of them, so I swiped them. I now have a set of nice, fabric lined rope baskets and all it cost me was some hot glue, a couple yards of scrap fabric, and some jute rope. I’ve used them for blankets, decorative containers for plants, and sometimes still a laundry hamper.
• Grandma’s corning wear: this is an older generation thing that is so underrated, and you can fight me on, but will never change my mind. I happened to steal mine from grandma before they donated it, but I find it all the time at goodwill as well. People are throwing them away as they clean out estates or updating for sleeker looking options. Corning ware will never wear out on you. It’s cute and vintage. And it heats SO evenly. You can cook almost anything in it.
• My dining room table: this one is probably my absolute proudest project moment. It was a long labor of love. I will be honest, there was a lot of swearing involved in this one. it was a big project, and I had to teach myself a handful of skills. But it came out almost exactly as I envisioned it, and I love it to bits. Taylor and I bought this mismatched table and chairs at goodwill for $10. it was scratched, but it was a beautifully cut, old fashioned solid wooden table underneath that. It still had the original hardware, and these amazingly shaped legs and it just screamed “TAKE ME HOME!”. The chairs were hideous, and did not match in the slightest, like doctor’s office waiting room chairs. So, we sanded down the whole table. Dad had to teach me how to use a belt sander for the top of it and remember those awesome legs I was talking about? that’s where the swearing started. It took weeks. After the sanding, we stenciled this giant mandala pattern into the center of it and then wood burnt the pattern in (insert more swearing and severely cramping hands). When all the stenciling and woodburning and staining and sealing was done though, I had this moment of complete satisfaction of a project well finished. I learned a lot. And I also have this gorgeous table that is unique to my home. The best part is that altogether it probably only cost my $35 by the time I was done buying sandpaper and wood stain.

There is so much you can do and find with upcycling and thrifting. I have met the most interesting people, learned a number of useful skills, and thoroughly love the positive impact on my community and my environment. We’re really excited to be able to share some of our up-and-coming projects with you, and we hope they will inspire you to try a few of your own.

Not sure where to start? Keep your eyes out for our next updates! Taylor will be sharing some of the things we have learned over the years in the hopes that it will seem a little less intimidating. See Taylor’s post, How to Maximize Your Thrifting.

Happy Hunting!

Mikaela