Celebrating National Farmers Market Week

Happy National Farmers Market Week, everyone! Celebrated annually during the second week of August, the week highlights the important role farmers markets play in the nation’s food system. This year marks the 18^th year the Farmers Market Coalition and USDA put the spotlight on farmers markets and their impact to our communities.

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Green Business Spotlight | Sapovela

One of my favorite things about social media is the ability to discover small and/or local eco-friendly and natural businesses. It's how I discovered Sapovela last year, and after following them for a bit, I picked up a bar of their Raspberry Mango scented soap at the farmer's market earlier a few months back.

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My Favorite Moments and Experiences of 2015

Alright, so I couldn't help the 2015 retrospective. Blame the #2015bestnine taking over Instagram this week. This year was full of ups and downs, but it is one I will always remember fondly!

1. Acadiana Lifestyle 

2015 started off with the bar REALLY high thanks to Acadiana Lifestyle including me in their Most Interesting People roundup!

2. Project Front Yard cleans up Krewe of Rio parade

Reducing the amount of trash generated by Mardi Gras is one of my ultimate environmental goals. When Project Front Yard announced plans to follow the first parade of the Lafayette Mardi Gras season, of course I was there. While it was more about cleaning up the parade route than reducing litter, it was a very visible example to thousands of parade-goers that there's just SO MUCH TRASH. And of course, we all had a great time and a great workout!

Photo: Kora Bruce Creative

3. Scoring something sparkly at the Farmer's Market

March 14, 2015 was an awesome day! My boyfriend pulled off the perfect proposal in one of my favorite spots in town, and we can't wait for our big day in 2016!

4. Eco Cajun on 106.3

To celebrate Earth Month this year, I launched a new blog design and had a weekly interview space with Matt on my favorite radio station, 106.3 Radio Lafayette. I loved sharing eco-friendly tips with listeners and getting to hang out with my old friend. He was even so nice as to let me pick my "intro" songs!

5. A Newwwwwww Car!

After almost 13 years, I said Bye Felicia to my Corolla and drove off in a Prius! And let's be honest, I don't even miss my old car. 

6. #ThisIs30

I at least tried to turn 30 gracefully. My fiance and I spent the weekend in New Orleans, and we visited the aquarium and went bowling. I'm pretty sure I'm the one who almost fell asleep at the bar, not my fiance or my friend. This is 30, alright.

7. Yoga 

I really got into my yoga practice this year, and pushed myself to new limits. Aerial is one of my favorite classes, and I'm glad to have found my little niche.

8. Flyin' to San Francisco

Loved getting to visit one of my favorite cities again.

9. HAAAAAANSON!!

If I'm not known for being a crazy recycling treehugger, I'm known for being a Hanson fan. At at the very last minute, I added two more Hanson concerts to my roster. It was so nice to visit an old friend, Laura (my essential oils mentor and wedding photographer), visit New Orleans briefly, and oh, meet Isaac Hanson again.

And now, I'm really excited to see what my memorable moments of 2016 will be...besides my wedding, of course!

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Celebrate National Farmers Market Week!

Did you make it to your local farmers market this past weekend? Well then, you kicked off National Farmers Market Week the right way!

Celebrated every year during the first full week of August, National Farmers Market Week recognizes the benefits of shopping locally and eating fresh, local foods. 

The Farmers Market Coalition aptly explains the myriad benefits of supporting farmers markets:

• Preserve America’s rural livelihoods and farmland. Farmers markets provide one of the only low-barrier entry points for beginning farmers, allowing them to start small, test the market, and grow their businesses.
• Stimulate local economies. Growers selling locally create 13 full time farm operator jobs per $1 million in revenue earned. Those that do not sell locally create 3.
• Increase access to fresh, nutritious food. Several studies have found lower prices for conventional and organic produce at farmers markets than at supermarkets. Due to this and other factors, 52% more SNAP households shop at farmers markets and from direct marketing farmers today than in 2011.
• Support healthy communities. Farmers market vendors educate their shoppers. Four out of five farmers selling at markets discuss farming practices with their customers, and three in five discuss nutrition and how to prepare food.
• Promote sustainability. Three out of every four farmers selling at farmers markets say they use practices consistent with organic standards.

 

Image: Farmers Market Coalition 

One key to farmers market shopping is following produce seasons. Instead of everything being available year-round, like in grocery stores, you get different kinds of produce throughout the year. A great way to follow your local farmers markets and the weekly vendors is through social media. That way, you can plan your trips and your meals in advance!

Find your nearest Acadiana farmers market:

Lafayette Parish

Farmers and Artisans Market at the Horse Farm (heads up: their Mid-week Market is moving downtown for the fall, starting this Wednesday!)
Hub City Farmers Market
Le Petit Magasin de Scott
Carencro Cultural District Farmers Market

Vermilion Parish

Abbeville Farmers Market
Kaplan Farmers Market

Iberia Parish

Teche Area Farmers Market

St. Landry Parish

Opelousas Farmers Market
Eunice Farmers Market
Washington Farmers Market

St. Martin Parish

Creole Farmers Market

• Outside of Acadiana? Check out the Lousiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry's 2015 Market Directory.
• Search for farmers markets all over the country with the USDA's local food directory.
• Earlier this summer, I set out to visit a local farmers market and cook a meal with my finds.
• Check out my Eco Cajun Guide to Farmers Markets and learn how to explore and shop the sustainable way.

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A Farmer's Market Dinner Experiment

In the spirit of brainstorming new content for the blog, and probably more than influenced by the current season of Food Network Star (geaux Jay!), I decided to challenge myself. The task?

Create a meal based primarily on farmer's market finds.

So... how did I do?

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live. love. local.

The push for supporting more local businesses has grown rapidly over the years. Eat Lafayette, Shop Lafayette, Small Business Saturday, etc. What's all the fuss about?

Supporting local businesses, both small and large, benefits the local economy and has a bigger impact on it than chain stores do. More of your money will stay local, especially if you support businesses that buy their goods and services from OTHER local companies.

 

Image: Jeremy Said

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A Spring Saturday Trip to the Farmer's Market

Things I was expecting to get at the Farmer's Market this past Saturday:

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Lettuce
• Kale chips

Thing I was not expecting to get at the Farmer's Market this past Saturday:

• A diamond ring

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local midweek farmer's market

Farmer's markets are a great way to get fresh produce and support local farms, but if you are like me, you find there's just one problem: 8:00 on a Saturday morning is too early!

Getting up and out the door for a 9:00 gym class is usually about the earliest I can manage, if I'm not just sleeping in. And of course most of the good stuff is gone by 10:00. So what am I, and the other lazy people, to do?

Ohhh snap! Wednesday afternoons - the farmer's market for us non-morning people! Every Wednesday in October and November, head on out to the Horse Farm and check out the offerings from local vendors.

It's a festivus for the rest of -- oh, wait, that doesn't quite work.

So, grab your cloth bags and stop by the Horse Farm on Wednesday afternoons in November and December, and pick you up some great local produce! And on Saturday mornings, I won't tell anyone how late you sleep.

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sustainable thanksgiving gatherings

Am I the only one who feels like Thanksgiving should be tomorrow!? It's completely throwing me off, man! Not to mention that it jips us of some of the Christmas season, and I cannot have a short Christmas season! Sorry not sorry I'll be decorating the house before Thanksgiving. I have too many great Pinterest crafts that need to be properly displayed. And I've been blaring Christmas music and watching Christmas movies for a week now, so there's that.

Oh right, back to what we're here for. How to make your Thanksgiving more eco-friendly!

Image: Sweet Greens

Since food is the main part of most Thanksgiving celebrations, let's get your bases covered. Shop locally for your meats and vegetables. Local products don't have to travel as far, saving on energy and gas costs. And shopping local keeps more money in your city. Visit your farmer's market before the big day and stock up on as much produce for your dishes as you can. If you're in a city with a large farmer's market, you may even be able to buy your meat there!

Funny side story about "local" meats. A few years ago, I was spending a week with my best friend in Massachusetts. We were driving around this quaint, picturesque small town killing time before a Hanson concert when my friend suddenly slammed on her brakes and cracked up laughing. When I looked up I saw three turkeys crossing the road right in front of us. Had she not reacted so quickly, we would've had a large Thanksgiving dinner in her car…in July. Which I would guess is about as local as you can get. I do please request that you not kill your Thanksgiving dinner with your car.

And if you can't get what you need from a local company, look for organic products that were kinder to the environment during production. When you go shopping, don't forget your reusable bags in your trunk!

If you're having a small dinner, skip disposable dinnerware and cutlery altogether, and just use what you have. If you're having a larger gathering and don't have enough place settings for everyone, look into getting sustainable dinner party supplies, such as the ones from Susty Party. Be sure to cover everything from plates and bowls, to cutlery and cups, to napkins. If you're pressed for time and need disposable dinnerware, look for items made of bamboo or recycled plastic. If you buy regular plastic dishes, make sure they are recyclable, and ask guests not to throw them away, but to put them by the sink so they can be rinsed for recycling. Just don't use anything styrofoam!

Now, to set the table. Look for organic or sustainable-material tablecloths and placemats, such as ones from Rawganique or BambEco. Some great sustainable materials are bamboo, hemp or burlap. Or get creative and use items from around your house. You could use a nice bed sheet that's not already serving a purpose. Or if you're extra Cajun, just throw some newspaper down on the table. To us, a plastic folding table set up outside with newspaper on top certainly means great food is about to be eaten. 

Put out soy or vegetable wax candles instead of traditional paraffin ones. Choose flowers or plants from a local nursery – or your own yard! (but not your neighbor's!) – instead of ones from the grocery store. You could also decorate with other items found around your house and yard and keep the decor very earthy.

And as you always should, be sure to recycle everything that's recyclable. Put out one or two clearly marked recycling bins where people will see and use them. If you've got a compost pile or bin, throw in what food scraps you can.

If you're a guest at someone else's house, bring a local or organic bottle of wine for the hosts. Fetzer is one of my favorite wines, and it's partly due to their efforts in being a sustainable vineyard. You can also look for the Eco Glass label on many different bottles of wine. Eco Glass uses 25% less glass than traditional wine bottles, saving materials and shipping weight, which saves in fuel consumption for delivery trucks. 

If you're traveling, then take steps to make your travel greener, from making sure your vehicle's tires are properly inflated to taking an empty (per TSA's guidelines; you can fill them up after the security checkpoint) reusable water bottle on your plane trip. 

And if anyone is making green bean casserole, save me a heaping portion and a seat at your table. THANKS!

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Great Harvest Bread Company | Local Business Spotlight

Recently, I got to visit with Michelle, one of the owners of Great Harvest Bread Company in Lafayette. The Great Harvest location is the only restaurant in Lafayette to be certified green by the Green Restaurant Association, and is only one of 4 Louisiana restaurants to be certified. The other three are located in New Orleans. They are also the only Great Harvest location to be certified.

I enjoyed speaking with Michelle and learning about the requirements to be certified green and to maintain that certification. Michelle explained how she felt it was important to undergo the process for her business because of her personal conviction about being a good steward to the environment, and because of her and her husband's desire to spread that commitment to their business.

The Green Restaurant Association was created in 1990. Since then, the Association has worked to provide tools to help the restaurant industry reduce its harmful impact on the environment. In order to be certified green, restaurants must earn a minimum of 100 points across the categories of Energy, Food, Water, Waste, Disposables, Chemical and Pollution Reduction, and Furnishings and Building Materials. Each year, the restaurant must elevate their eco-friendliness by 10 points in order to maintain certification. Great Harvest opened in 2005, got certified in 2010 and currently has almost 140 points; well above their required points.

One of the first requirements of being certified is to be styrofoam free! Beyond that, Great Harvest fulfills the certification categories in many ways.

• Energy: All appliances are Energy Star rated. 60% of the lighting is LED, and the rest is CFL.
• Food: The coffee sold is brewed locally. The wheat for the bread is from family owned farms. Some of the other products are from local vendors.
• Water: Sinks are equipped with low-flow faucets and aerators. While sometimes annoying, the faucets create less water waste. 
• Waste: Great Harvest has a full recycling system. For every one trashcan filled, four reycling bins are filled. There are also recycling bins throughout the store. The restaurant has a reusable bag program as part of its loyalty program. They will also fill coffee in your reusable mug. They sell both reusable bags and glassware. Food waste is donated to the Salvation Army and St. Joseph's Diner, a local shelter and kitchen for the homeless.
• Disposables: There are no plastic bags! Employees don't give a bag to customers unless the customer asks, encouraging the practice of going bag-free. The default bags are paper. There are branded cloth bags available for regular use and for gift bag arrangement use. The coffee cups are made of recycled paper. There are no single packets of sugar and creamer for coffee, only larger shakers. All of the paper used in the office is 100% recycled. To-go containers for deli items are made of recyclable plastic.

Great Harvest offers a gift basket service and encourage the use of cloth bags and fair trade tea towels and baskets by Serrv.

One of the other big components in being a certified green restaurant is educating others on eco-friendly practices. Great Harvest has the Green Restaurant Association seal on their menus and on table cards throughout the restaurant. They also feature signage about using local food, family owned farms and natural food. Customers also learn about the green practices from the lack of plastic bags, single-use coffee materials and in-store glassware. On the other end, they educate owners of Great Harvest Bread Company restaurants across the country in green practices.

Great Harvest gives away their wheat paper bags to residents who are building gardens, and donates pickle buckets to those with container gardens. They also give their coffee grinds to composters for free. And they make regular appearances at the Lafayette Horse Farm Farmer's Market.

One of the next steps Michelle would like to see happen at Great Harvest are eco-friendly, low-flow toilets. She laughed that it's not the most glamorous item, but it's an important part of water conservation.

Michelle discussed how going green can mean spending more money short-term (such as on LED lights over incandescent), but she believes that you see the savings long-term. She stated that doing the right thing does not always means doing the easiest or cheapest thing. She and her husband see the value in doing what's best for the planet.

If you want to see which restaurants nearest you are certified green by the Green Restaurant Association, go here and enter your state!

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a guide to farmer's markets

With it being the middle of summer, farmer's markets are in full swing across the country, and their popularity is on the rise. If you're interested in making a trip to your nearest farmer's market, but haven't checked one out yet, this guide will help you navigate your way around!

 

Finding a farmer's market can be pretty easy - from doing some online searching to asking around town. LocalHarvest.org is a great database of farmer's markets around the country, and allows you to search by zip code to find the ones nearest you. You can also look on local event calendars for your city. Or simply ask around! Chances are, someone's got scoop on your local markets.

Typically, farmer's markets are held on Saturday mornings, but not always! There's one market in Lafayette, Freetown Farmer's Market, that's open on Wednesday afternoons and late Saturday mornings (for those of us who just can't get up and out the door for 8am on Saturdays!) The other two markets in Lafayette are the Market at the Horse Farm (pictured above) and the Hub City Farmer's Market.

You have a bike? Ride it! Make your eco morning (or afternoon) come full circle and use earth-friendly transportation instead of a car.

Photo: Love and Whimsy

The selection at your farmer's market will vary from week to week, depending on what the farmer harvested during the week, what's in season and, simply, who shows up to sell their goods. Sometimes you might find all fruits and vegetables, sometimes you can get herbs, sometimes there might be meat or fish available, and sometimes you might find eggs or bread. Some farmer's markets expand to nonfood items as well, such as the Market at the Horse Farm. They have vendors who sell homemade soaps and jewelry, so you can find a broad range of items in one small area. If your farmer's market has a website or Facebook page, you may be able to get scoop on the types of food being sold on the upcoming weekend, or just see which farm vendors typically attend. (For you Lafayette-ians, visit the Facebooks for the Horse Farm and Hub City markets.

Be sure to bring cash! Some of the larger farm vendors are able to take credit cards, but some of the smaller vendors may not. Cash will be your friend. And don't forget your cloth bag! You can load up one bag and save on a lot of wasteful plastic, and then you'll get to walk around all stylish like this:

Photo: College Lifestyles

Now that you've got great local groceries, you should probably figure out what to do with them. Try out a recipe you've had on hand, or find one online that uses your ingredients. Chances are, it will taste awesome, because let's face it, local food is just much better. Homegrown tomatoes happen to be one of my favorite things in the world. So much juicier and more flavorful than grocery store tomatoes. Nom nom.

You can eliminate the amount of waste from your farmer's market goods by properly disposing of it. The best thing is to use everything you've bought before it goes bad, leaving no waste. But if you have food scraps, consider composting them. If you have any recyclable waste, you know what to do with it! As a last resort, throw your waste in the trash.

Now get out there and do some shopping!

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