Are You For Reel?

I haven't posted since April? Really! Why didn't anyone tell me!

Just kidding. I knew. As it turns out, I'm not a very good blogger. I'll make a bunch of posts all in one week then run out of stuff to talk about, or time to write, for a couple months. I just need a nudge now and then... so don't be afraid to nudge me.

I took my last break from blogging as a result of heart ache. I attempted to buy a house and the loan fell through (as I feared it would) the day I was supposed to close. So, I took a two month break to get over my heartache and save up enough cushion in my account to try again. Now, I'm so happy that first house fell through. I closed on my current house in July and have spent every free evening and weekend making it my own. I haven't had the opportunity to do any major eco changes, but they are all in the works. First I had to update the safety side of the house (home security system, install a fence, install smoke detectors and CO2 detectors, fix the security light, install hand railings on all the stairs, install privacy blinds in all the windows), then some of the cosmetic fixes (weatherproof the deck, decorate the inside of the house) and financial fixes (find a roommate, await the arrival of my Tax Credit). I have however done some small eco preparations like replacing the weather stripping around my doors and I purchased a Push Reel Lawn Mower.

Pros & Cons of a Push Reel Mower:

Pros

1. They are better for the environment because they do not require the use of electricity or gasoline to power the mower blade, just honest to goodness (wo)man power.
2. There is no threat of damaging the blade on a rock or stick, thus no expensive fixes or tune ups required.
3. They cost less than a gas powered or electric mower from the start (about $90) and have minimal to no maintenance costs throughout the life of the mower (all you need is a blade sharpener kit, but even that purchase can wait a couple years).
4. Small size and light weight allows for easy storage and transportation.
5. There's no threat of running out of gas in the middle of the job (which ALWAYS seemed to happen to me).
6. No noise. The sound from this mower is comparable to a heavy fan. My new neighbor kids argued with me that this was not a lawn mower because it didn't make any sound, to which I replied "well, it's cutting the grass isn't it?"
7. Conversation piece. I've had so many neighbors come over to talk to me about my mower either because they a) "haven't seen one of this in years" or b) "have never seen one of these in their life". Safe to say, my new neighborhood is very demographically diverse.

Cons & Solutions

1. The blade will get caught on just about anything, including pine cones and small sticks. Your solutions? Pick up sticks and cones before you mow, or just toss them out of the way as you approach them. It's not like a regular mower where you have to turn it off, move the item, then start it again. With a push reel you literally just start pushing again to get the blades going.
   
2. Up hills can suck. That is, if you don't like the work out. The mower is not self propelling, like many gas powered mowers, so you use more strength pushing the mower up hill. On the bright side, it's that much easier pushing the mower downhill. Your solutions? Try mowing side to side along the hill rather than up and down the hill. When I want a good work out, I'll walk down the hills with the mower and run up them. Keep in mind however that the hill in my backyard is not very steep, so running up it isn't that bad.
   
3. The mower does not cut along the edges. If the mower itself from outside of wheel to outside of wheel is 16 inches, the length of the blade is actually more like 12 inches. If you try to mow along the side of the house, there will be about 2 inches of grass that does not get cut. Your solution? Place 2 inches worth of wood chips along the sides of your house, fence lines, etc. this way the mower wheel will roll over the wood chips and the edge of the grass will begin about where the blade begins. Plus your landscaping will look nice and trim that way.
4. Can't let the grass get too long. This is true with most mowers, but especially true with push reel mowers. If you let the grass grow without a trim for more than a week, the blades of the mower will simply push the grass over flat, rather than cutting it. At that point, the only solution is to bring in a different mower. Your solutions? Get off your butt and cut the grass once a week!
   
5. Takes too long to mow the yard. My yard has 3/4 acres to mow, and it takes me about 2 hours to mow (including water breaks and snack breaks and playing with the dog). However, the faster you push the mower, the faster the blade spins and the faster you get done. Because the mower is so light weight, you can literally jog around the yard with the mower (the only downside is when it gets stuck... so be sure to walk around and pick up sticks and pine cones before attempting this jog). Here is another possible solution:

I don't know who this person is. I snagged this picture from The Fun Times Guide site while searching for additional pros/cons that I may not have yet encountered on my own.

That's all for now on the topic of Push Reel Mowers. Something else I wanted to mention is Engage Green starting up again. We took a break to revise the mission of Engage Green and this time around it will be much more interactive. Our first new topic is Winterizing Your Home and will be hosted at 5th & Main Condos on Tuesday, September 1st from 6-8pm. We'll discuss ways to prepare your home for the winter, including calking windows and doors, weather stripping, and insulation.

Anxious

This week is the busiest week for Team Green, and any organization supporting an environmental cause... it's Earth Day week. In fact, all of April is Earth Month and for the past six weeks Nashville has been bombarded by green gadgets and gimmicks. It is a shame that the community really only comes together once a year to celebrate the Earth. All woes aside, Nashville Earth Day Festival is this Saturday and, amongst others, Team Green has been running around trying to make this the best Earth Day event Nashville has ever seen.

Meanwhile, I've been running around trying to close on my new house. I guess I should call it my new house, since I'm honestly afraid the loan won't go through. Because of the housing market fall, terrorism, bail outs, and dirty money all across the United States, honest people like me are being scrutinized and turned down on honest investments. Wish me luck. I'll post again when a final say on my status as homeowner is determined for me. Lame.

The Beautiful Truth

I watched a very interesting documentary with my roommates the other night, call The Beautiful Truth. It covers the research done by a teenage boy who looks deeper into the disappointments of cancer cures and a simple, beautiful truth that so many of us ignore. The food we eat impacts our immune system, so by subscribing to an all natural, organic diet, we empower ourselves to cure our own cancers. The documentary also discusses the presence of mercury in amalgam dental fillings and the real impact of fluoride on our health. Not everyone will agree with everything in the documentary, but it will with out a doubt get you thinking.

The primary focus of the documentary is the Gerson Therapy:

A natural treatment developed by Dr. Max Gerson in the 1920’s that uses organic foods, juicing, coffee enemas, detoxification and natural supplements to activate the body’s ability to heal itself. Over the past 60 years, thousands of people have used the Gerson Therapy to recover from so-called “incurable” diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and arthritis.

A word of warning however: the narrator's voice is on the side of story teller creepy. You'll know what I mean. Eventually you get used to it, so don't let his voice discourage you from welcoming the content.

In Your System

It's such a shame that so many people missed out on last night's Engage Green. We still had a decent crowd, with about 15 in attendance, but nothing to compare to last month's 40 count. All three presenters did a great job covering their topic and providing wonderful research tips about CSAs in general. I want to give a huge thank you to Jennifer & Tim, Tana, and Sizwe.

Our first presenter was Sizwe with Earth Matters. He discussed permaculture and the importance of engaging in a culture that can be sustainable by living off the land and giving back to the land. His Community Garden collects leaves from all around Nashville and creates art piles to compost. To enrich the compost with nitrogen, they also collect old coffee grounds from Starbucks and other food scraps to mix in with the decaying leaves. This compost can be picked up for FREE to add to your soil at home. The only thing they ask is that the compost be used to grow food, not flowers and shrubs.

Our second presenter was Tana with Eaton's Creek Organics. She is the farmer for a certified organic farm here in Davidson county (near Joelton). She focused on the history of CSA programs in the United States and abroud. Did you know that the food we eat travels an average of 1500 miles before it arrives at our dinner table? That's just an average. Some of our food travels more than 3000 miles. Think of the reduction in your carbon footprint when you choose to purchase your food from only 15 miles away.

Our third presenter was Tim with Avalon-Acres. Below is an outline of the presentation he gave:

What is a CSA?

• Community, corporate, or congregation Supported Agriculture
• Subscription based farming in which members share in the harvest, for good or bad
• Regular deliveries for 26 weeks
• Members receive assistance in preparing food (recipes, ideas, new foods to try)
• The members build a connectedness with the local land, weather, and other members

Why buy local?

• Livestock: Animals are outside on pastures, with no hormones or antibiotics because they are treated humanely. Did you know that commercially raised animals require antibiotics because the stress of living in confined space makes them susceptible to diseases? Did you know that those antibiotics get into our systems and the systems of the other animals and creates a resistance to those antibiotics, which makes it more difficult to cure ailments?
• Produce: Bio dynamic and diverse, sustainable growing methods are encouraged while the use of unnatural fertilizers and pesticides are discouraged. Many CSAs also work in conjunction with other local farms to build the variety of produce and meats offered.
• Food is picked ripe: When you purchase a tomato from the grocery store and throw it on the ground, it will likely bounce. Tomatoes should not bounce, they should splatter! Commercially farmed produce is picked premature and is artificially ripened after traveling across the nation to your town.
• Local Supporting Local: More money from a CSA goes directly to the farmer ($0.55 compared to $0.09 at grocery stores), and in turn the farmer uses that money to support other local businesses as they buy supplies and other living expenses.
• Knowledge: You have the ability to speak directly with the farmer about who grows the food, how the food and meat is grown and packaged, and where the food comes from. You also become aware of how you are intricately connected to this planet... you notice the development of rain clouds in time of drought, and how the seasonal changes affect the types of food that can be produced.
  
• Health: You eat much healthier food with a greater variety of food choices in season.
• Preservation: Heirloom and Heritage varieties of plants and animals are preserved. By purchasing a Heritage variety turkey from a CSA, you help encourage the reproduction and spreading of a dying species.
• Connection to the Community: Tim started to tear up he as spoke of one of his members. They told him, "My favorite day is Wednesday (drop off day) because I get to sit on the patio with my daughter and shuck peas before dinner. Because of you my family is closer than it ever was before."

At the end of the presentation, everyone who attended was given a FREE dozen organic eggs, courtesy of Avalon-Acres. Growing season has started and many CSAs around Tennessee begin deliveries by the end of April, early May. Don't miss out on your chance to enroll in a CSA. In the Local Table Magazine you can find a very extensive list of local CSAs along with a chart of what food is naturally in season when.

CSA is the Way

I brainstormed some ideas to water seal my worm composting bin. Beeswax seems like the best option, but is probably pretty expensive. Olive oil is also a good option that may turn out to be expensive. I think I may go with canola oil or vegetable oil. Unfortunately, it keeps raining so I haven't had a chance to test it out on the bin yet.

Tonight is Engage Green: Community Supported Agriculture. I'm pretty excited about this one. I've been wanting to enroll in a CSA program for the past year, but I learned about it too late in the game and enrollment had already filled up. From what I understand, each week you get a box of fresh produce from the farm (and eggs or meat if you selected those packages). However, each box is filled based on what produce was most recently picked, so each week you get a different selection. Sometimes you'll end up with a bunch of corn, and the next week a bunch of peppers, and the next week a bunch of egg plant, so you need to become creative in how you cook your meals. Otherwise, you'll get sick of corn... or peppers... or egg plants! I embrace the challenge. My crockpot might become my new best friend this year. Another thing is that a bushel, or even a half bushel, of produce is actually a very large amount for one person. You may need to pitch in with your roommate, friends, or co-workers to split up the produce, and the cost.

Tonight we have Eaton's Creek Organics, Avelon Acres, and Earth Matters presenting on different CSA program types. Eaton Creek Organics will focus on the benefits of organic practices, Avelon Acres will present on the benefits of supporting local farms, and Earth Matters will present on community gardens and how to really engage in the cultivation of the food you eat. To find out more about tonight's Engage Green, visit TeamGreenOnline.com!

Coffee Stains

After all my hours of hard labor last year building a worm bin for my worm composting, the roomies and I decided it just wasn't up to par. It sat low to the ground, was made out of chemical soaked plywood and, well, I'm not a carpenter. So, Jim and I built a new bin that is raised, with storage space below, hinged doors to keep the compose shaded for the worms, and screened windows (or skylights as Shane puts it) to allow some rain water and fresh air in. I really wanted to stain it, but the guys were against the idea. "That compost is going into the garden, too feed the plants you'll eat from," they said. Most stains have strong chemicals and preservatives in them, which can be absorbed by plants and grown into the food you eat.

Then my brilliant sister came up with a plan, "Coffee stains everything else, maybe it'll stain wood." Sure enough, we filled a bowl with pre-ground dark coffee roast (that none of us liked), ran some water through the coffee maker to heat it up (PS. it's a great way to heat water quickly for tea and hot cocoa), poured the hot water in the bowl, stirred it and allowed the grounds to seep. Then I took an old wash cloth, soaked it in the bowl, and squeezed the fresh brewed coffee on the wood. I also made some swirls in the wet coffee puddles on top of the wood for effect. After a few hours of letting it soak, the wood bin now has a nice honey mocha stain to it... and smells like coffee. Not to mention, I saved about $15 by not buying stain. If I want to weather proof it, I can probably rub some beeswax or coconut oil over it. I'll need to look into those options some more...

I broke my camera on the last caving trip with Team Green, so I can't show a picture now. But if I ever do take a picture of the new bin, I'll be sure to post it.

Always Moving & No Time to Move

Things are going well so far with the inspections on my future home. Unfortunately the "working fireplace" actually does not work and requires $3000 of repairs (which the sellers will not pay for) , and the "newer roof and HVAC" are not newer (in fact they are about 10 years old).

Words of advice: Take any home description with a grain (or big bag) of salt. They'll say anything to sell the house. GET A HOME INSPECTION!!!

Fortunately the sellers are willing to do shingle repairs on the roof, fix the flashing around the chimney, fix the leak in the kitchen and bathroom sinks, add some necessary components to the water heater, and possibly flush the plumbing to help speed up the drainage. With the $8000 tax credit, I plan to reinvest $3000 into the fireplace (I really really REALLY want a working fireplace!), put some in the bank to cover any deductibles on (...cross my fingers) future home insurance claims, and anything left over will go towards updating my kitchen and bathroom.

Remember to have a financial plan and some back up cash to cover any and all deductibles you may need to pay (car, medical, home, etc). I never really thought about that stuff until I talked to a life insurance counselor. She recommended getting a high interest money market account just for your deductibles. I just might take her up on it.

I really don't have any green tips today, just a bunch of random things on my mind. Pretty much all of my blogs will be home related until after I move in. Team Green has me so busy with upcoming events... even after I close on the house in a few weeks, I still won't have time to move in for another month! It's not so bad. It just means I can save up on my electric and water bill by not getting them activated until the week before I move. If you want to join me on some trips, I'll be at Earth Day festival (April 18), Chattooga White Water Weekend (April 24-26), Percy Priest Lake Cleanup (May 2), Intro to Sailing (May 9), Ocoee White Water Weekend (May 16-17), and THEN I'll have a weekend off to move!

PS. I'm looking for a roommate for my new house. If you or anyone you know may be interested, check out Craigslist Housing and search "Eco Friendly." You'll probably stumble upon my roommate posting.