http://www.pledgebank.com/darsbirthday2007 Comments on 'plant a tree or make an effort to eat food that is grown locally in honor of Dar Williams' 40th birthday.' en-gb team@pledgebank.com 1901-01-01T00:00+00:00 2 hourly http://www.pledgebank.com/darsbirthday2007#comment_1016674 SUBJ: Everything Green (Christine Kane) First of all, Dar... Happy 40th Birthday! - I can tell you exactly what I was doing the day of my own special milestone. I was 5 months pregnant with my second child, sitting on the couch watching live televised coverage of the inaugural women's marathon in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Tears were streaming down my face due to the history of the occasion... and hormonally... and because I was resigned to the fact I would never accomplish a marathon. Well... I never did complete 26 miles - I did, however, run plenty of 10K (6.2 mile) races in the succeeding years... as well as deal with a plethora of emotional challenges that have kept me questioning and learning and growing. I truly believe the decade from 40 to 50 was exceptional, and the next one (with a few more ups than downs) has been pretty good so far - I'll be 53 in August (impossible to believe... :-) In addition to signing the pledge for planting a tree (easy here in South Florida!), I've vowed to continue my earth-friendly habits: recycle newspaper/plastic/aluminum/glass through our city-wide program, reuse copier paper and carry my canvas tote bags to the grocery store (no thanks to the "paper or plastic?" choice). I've decided to start a compost heap in the backyard, replace our regular lightbulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs and wash our clothes in cold water - I'd also like to explore more locally-grown food options. Dar, I wish you boundless creativity, fulfillment and peace in the coming year - much love on this most recent life passage (you wear it well... <3) http://www.pledgebank.com/darsbirthday2007#comment_1016010 We shop weekly for produce at our local farmers' markets and try to buy organic wherever possible. This summer, we will be creating our own organic garden in our backyard. Happy Birthday, Dar! http://www.pledgebank.com/darsbirthday2007#comment_1015896 There is an organization in Holland called ‘Trees For Cows’ that plants trees with the special purpose of creating shade for cows. Farmers used to have several patches of land spread across wide areas. Years and years ago a program of land swapping has given these farmers the opportunity to have all the land they own joined together. Most of the natural vegetation that used to border the pastures have been removed for that purpose, and never been replaced. Nowadays most dairy farmers keep their cows in cowsheds, under controlled conditions. But the farmers that do put their cows in pastures, don’t make enough money to plant vegetation for shade. By helping them, this organization provides natural welfare conditions for the cows, enhances the landscape and raises the public’s awareness on the issue of natural farming. I pledge to plant 2 trees and will have Dar’s name put on 1 of the certificates they give out. It goes without saying that we keep on trying to keep our global footprint as small as possible. http://www.pledgebank.com/darsbirthday2007#comment_1014602 In honor of Dar's 40th birthday, I pledge to purchase and eat vegetables, herbs, and eggs from "Seeds of Hope," a community agriculture program in my small town of Tiffin in rural Ohio. This program is part of the Franciscan Earth Literacy Center, an educational center devoted to helping the community learn about the earth and its resources. All of the food from Seeds of Hope is grown organically and the eggs are free-range. More information about Seeds of Hope can be found at http://www.earthliteracy.org/SOHFarm.htm http://www.pledgebank.com/darsbirthday2007#comment_1014547 Here is a picture of our garden, planted with locally grown tomatoes, broccoli, and marigolds (natural bug keepers-away): http://sagreen.tripod.com/dar/birthday/garden.JPG http://www.pledgebank.com/darsbirthday2007#comment_1007653 With one of my roommates and a neighbor, I signed up this season for the Kensington Community Supported Agriculture Program. From June to November, I will receive a harvest of fruit and vegetables every other week from the Garden of Eve Organic Farm located in Riverhead, NY, just 80 miles from New York City. In turn, I will be supporting this local farm with part of the costs of operation. It's a neat way for me to experiment with new vegetables and fruits that are more flavorful than those that travel thousands of miles while supporting local agriculture. Happy Birthday Dar! http://www.pledgebank.com/darsbirthday2007#comment_999401 I'm late signing up. We actually planted a tree, a lovely Japanese maple, last weekend. This weekend will see me planting tomatoes, peppers, runner beans and carrots in our garden. Also, there will be the trip to the local organic farm and its farm shop, where we buy the bulk of our fruit, veg and meat. One benefit of living in rural England is that we have such a place nearby. Happy birthday, Dar! :) http://www.pledgebank.com/darsbirthday2007#comment_998013 Laura and I signed up for Washington's Green Grocer, a fantastic locally owned and run service that delivers a box of 12 different fruits and vegetables to our home every two weeks. Much of the produce is organic and most is locally grown. It's true what they say, locally grown food tastes better. And this summer we're planting a garden - it can't get much more local than our back yard. Happy Birthday Dar! http://www.pledgebank.com/darsbirthday2007#comment_997359 I may not be able to stop global warming all by myself, but there are many little things I can do to make a difference. Planting a tree is just one of them. I can conserve energy by using high efficiency light bulbs and turning them off when not needed. I can recycle more, by taking things like cardboard that isn't picked up curbside to the local facility. And I can take part in more local waterway and park clean-up efforts. I participate in many outdoor activities, so the least I can do is help make these environs cleaner. http://www.pledgebank.com/darsbirthday2007#comment_993091 I now live in one of the most environmentally conscience countries (Sweden)in the world. Since doing good things for the environment and eating fresh locally grown food is way of life here, I am going to bring one of my own CDs to the radio station and ask them to play it in honor of her birthday.