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Green Food & Drink
Organic Tomato Gardening Tips
Organic tomato gardening is perfect for almost every backyard, however small. All you need is a sunny corner. And nothing beats the taste of freshly picked sun ripened tomatoes from your own garden! Follow our tips for the perfect home grown organic tomatoes. 1. Location Tomatoes need support and like a sunny, sheltered site. They usually prefer slightly acidic soil. A south or west facing fence or trellis is ideal. Some varieties grow up to 6 feet tall, others are smaller. 2. Variety There are many different kinds of tomato. If you want a truly organic garden, you will want to start out with organic tomato seeds. Otherwise you can use regular seeds and simply avoid using chemicals on your plants. The best way to choose a tomato variety is to ask around among your neighbors. They will have the same climate and soil type, so what works for them will probably work for you. Maybe they will even share seeds with you. 3. Feeding Successful organic tomato gardening requires some attention. Feed plants at least twice in the season with a good organic fertilizer. Slow release fertilizers in the soil are more effective than liquids. Spraying with kelp and fish emulsion from time to time will ...- Bookmark :
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Hidden Facts about Cheese You Never Knew
Many people really enjoy cheese. There are many types of cheese, from feta, to gouda, to mozzarella, cheddar, swiss, and more. Although they may not be the best for staying slim, you may not realize that they may not be the best choice for the environment either. Surely you would think that cheese is more eco friendly and humane than going with something like a big steak. There are even many vegetarians that still think this way. Many eat cheese on a regular basis. Cheese has a lot of protein in it, it is full of great calcium, and a variety of other great nutrients that are important, especially if you are not eating some meat. You will also find that cheese tastes great too. You may think that eating cheese is a great choice. More than likely you think you are going with a green lifestyle and great choices that are great for your health, the environment, and the animals. However, this may not be the case. In fact, there is a good chance that the cheese you are eating is as bad as the meats out there today. Why is this a problem. Well, one reason that cheese is not a ...- Bookmark :
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Counting Food Miles
For people who have decided to adopt the green lifestyle, food miles is an important, interesting and enlightening concept. Keep in mind that food production itself involves the use of environmental resources and - as a green individual - you want to keep the ecological and economic costs to minimal levels. Definition of Food Miles Simply put, the concept of food miles is defined as the distance between where the food was grown and where said food will be purchased by the end consumer. Think of it as measuring the distance traveled by food from the farm and to the market and then on to your dining table. Lest you think that requires rocket science, think again. Just get your map out and plot the two points between the farm and the house, of which the resulting distance is the food miles. For example, if you live in New England and the fruit was grown in California, then the food miles for that single piece of fruit is calculated at 3,000 miles. It may not make an impact now until you begin to add up the financial and environmental costs necessary to transport the fruit. You have to count in gasoline and diesel fuel ...- Bookmark :
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Coffee and the Earth
Today, we have three basic choices in green coffee - organic, shade grown and fair trade. All of these coffee varieties are being sold in many supermarkets and online sites under different brands, with different flavors and with different strengths. But what is more important than brand, flavor and strength is how each one measures up according to the eco-friendly scale. Organic Coffee Your organic coffee most likely comes from Peru, the world's largest producer and exporter of the commodity, with other major producers being Mexico and Ethiopia. The organic certification on coffee will only be provided under the strictest of conditions outlined as follows: -It must have been grown on land free from pesticides and other banned substances for at least 3 years. -The land itself must have an adequate buffer between the closest traditional crop and the organic coffee being grown. -Principles of sustainable crop rotation must be applied, said principles of which aim to prevent erosion and the depletion of nutrients in the soil as well as control pests the natural way. Aside from the environmental benefits of organic coffee, your health also benefits in the sense that your body is spared the synthetic chemicals, pesticides and fertilizers that come with growing coffee ...- Bookmark :
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Going Green by Reducing Food Waste
Food waste on residential and commercial levels spell energy and resource losses. For one thing, energy is wasted from the field to the fork that, by some estimates, reaches as much as 50 percent. For another thing, food is food and it is a resource more than half the world will appreciate going to their stomachs instead of the disposal system. Plus, agriculture means water and we all know how much of a valuable resource water is. Thus, it is very important to conserve energy and resources, not to mention your money, by reducing food waste. Let these practical tips be your start to going green. Organize, Check and Clean Your Fridge and Pantry You will be surprised to know that your fridge and pantry host many food items that could have been used, instead of wasted, had you taken the time to check and clean them regularly. For example, food leftovers and opened food boxes are often pushed to the back, which are then forgotten and, hence, wasted. To reduce waste, you must organize your fridge and pantry, to wit: essentials at the front, indulgences at the middle and extras at the back. Or you can also organize it according to expiry ...- Bookmark :
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