From The Workbench - Alternative + Renewable Energy Blog Valuable information for do-it-yourselfers interested in the latest in alternative + renewable energy

Welcome back to the work week!  Where I am working it’s currently very cold, very snowy and the worst is on the way.  That said, what do you do if you are like me and you crave a good farmer’s market?  You prefer fresh vegetables to packaged ones, organic produce to store-bought?  Simple, you look for a winter market.

That’s right, a winter market, if available in your area, can be the perfect solution for filling your grocery bags with good, healthy, organic produce and food without having to head into your nearest Safeway or Albertons.  According to the article I read, there are many great ways to utilize a Winter Farmer’s Market, here is what they had to say:

Many farmers’ markets go dormant during winter, but there are exceptions, such as the winter market in Portland, Maine. Use LocalHarvest or the USDA’s National Agricultural Library to find a local market or CSA in your region. Expect to find cold-tolerant vegetables like potatoes, carrots, beets, rutabagas, winter squash, and onions. In some regions, greens such as kale will be available. Applesmeat, eggs, and dairy are year-round foods. If you live near the coast, opt for sustainable seafood. store well and are often sold at winter markets. If you can’t find fresh produce, remember that local

So, do some research, find a winter market near you and start doing some green, organic shopping in your home town!

Stay Warm. Stay Full, and shop local!

(image via modernforager.com)

Well I guess you can’t fault them for trying, right?  Rumor just hit my block that McDonald’s is going to do the right thing and keep their line of Organic Coffee they have been experimenting with.  That’s the good news.  The bad news is, all you Organic Fans will only be able to get the aforementioned coffee in about 600 stores.  While that sounds like a whole heck of a lot of stores, considering the fact that McDonald’s has an estimated 45,000 stores or more in the United States alone, it’s not like they’re taking a giant risk here.

I personally found it pretty cool that they were branching out and experimenting with more Organic products.  According to reports:

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR) has extended its agreement with McDonald’s USA, LLC to source, roast and package Newman’s Own® Organics Blend coffee for more than 600 McDonald’s restaurants in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Albany, New York.

Right on Mickey D’s for sticking with them.  I just with they’d fully branch out and start introducing and spreading the Organic message all over America.  It’s not a big secret that the Golden Arches actually have a gigantic amount of sway and influence to their loyal customers, and we all know that even more healthy choices on the menu would hurt exactly no one.

As soon as we hear more about them actually branching out, trust me, you’ll be the first to know.  For now, maybe pick a local coffee shop that knows a thing or two about true organic farming.  Just a thought.

Image via Wikipedia

Hello and Happy Monday once again my green loving friends.  A bit unconventional of a start to the week this frosty December Monday, as I’m kicking things off with a rather disgusting, but entirely exciting article.  The title says it all, almost, and I couldn’t be happier about it.  Here’s the short end of a long story:  Farmers in Michigan have figured out a way, and are actually implementing it, to turn all of the manure their livestock produces into useable energy.  Yeah, poop to power, believe it.

According to the article, almost NOTHING goes to waste, and yes, that includes the waste itself.  Basically, they have a giant building where all of the manure from 3,500 cows and 9,400 pigs is stored, transformed into electricity, and then further recycled.  The article mentions:

“…stinky manure from 3,500 cows and 9,400 pigs is being fermented and turned into electricity. What’s left afterward is a rich, dark pile of soft biofiber that looks like mulch and smells only faintly of its origins. It goes back into the barns as bedding for the cows. Liquid that is leftover is sprayed as fertilizer onto nearby corn, soy, alfalfa and wheat crops.”

Literally, nothing goes to waste.  Even the leftover waste and liquid is reused to better the whole farm.  The best part, the actual manure, almost 60,000 gallons of it a day, is enough to power an 800-kilowatt generator all through the entire day.  Impressive, imagine how many farms around the United States and the rest of the world could actually power their entire operation using nothing more than the waste their livestock automatically produce.  I love this.

What is equally exciting, is that if you’re a farmer looking to get into something like this, government grants are helping pay for and fund a great deal of these digester plants.  If you’ve got the stock, you might get some help as the benefit to the environment is too large to argue.  Check out the article, it’s worth it.

Image by law_keven via Flickr

Hello and Happy Friday!  You did it, yet again, made it through a work-week and now get to celebrate and enjoy the fruits of the first weekend in December!  To cap off a great week, I thought it’d be wise to open our eyes to something on a global scale.

I just stumbled across this video from the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries that does amazing things to show not only the food crisis Japan might be facing, but the way it could be for almost any nation, anywhere.  This video very quickly and even a bit entertainingly shows things that can be done to have healthy food for the future, not just tomorrow, but in the years to come.  A dangerous combination of decreasing farmland, farmers aging, unhealthy eating habits and a great deal more food imports is creating a situation that could be dangerous in the years to come.

The question is, what happens if we Can Not produce enough food to live?  What if the population exceeds the supply?  These are all questions that need answers, and this video is a great, small indication of that.  Check it out, and enjoy your weekend!

Let’s face it, eating organic, while better in nearly every way, is not always cheaper in nearly every way.  Very often, it is more expensive to buy an organic brand than your everyday, generic branded version.  It’s not always cheaper, and it’s not always easier.  It IS always better.  That said, how do you strike a balance between saving some money, and helping save the Earth?  Simple, you eat organic, but on a budget.

Given the current state of today’s economy, many of you are probably thinking much harder about your 401k than your bags of carrots and pasta.  According to new reports, when it comes to saving money on the organic front, the simplest way to do so is to just make sure you’re actually Eating everything you buy.  It’s believed that if you go shopping once a week for a week’s worth of food, you’ll end up throwing away almost 20% of it.  Yikes.  To organic shop on a budget, change that and instead buy an entire case of something, much cheaper than a single item price, and then split not only the price, but the goods amongst a few friends.  That way you’re only keeping what you can really eat, and you’re all saving money!

Another great way to do it, is to cut corners on Which items you buy organic.  If money is an issue and you simply can’t afford to buy everything organic, try just buying all produce organic, and skimp in other areas.  Quite often, the difference between organic and non-organic produce is the most drastic of all.  The shift is here, and we can all feel it, start buying in bulk and preparing your Own foods instead of buying pre-prepared.  Help the Earth, help your wallet.  Win-win.

Image via Wikipedia

Hello and here’s hoping that you’re belly is ready to be stuffed, your pillow is ready to support your head, and your friends and family are ready to laze around, probably watch football, basketball or some early Christmas special on television.  That’s right, it’s the time of year once again to give thanks, and so from all of us at Northern Tool, we’re thankful for all of YOU!

That’s right, Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at Northern Tool!  It’s been great writing for you, speaking to you, and hearing what you all have to say about this crazy and exciting world of alternative energy products, solutions, ideas, tips, hints and suggestions!  We love doing it, we love hearing from you and we’re thankful for all of your time!

So, Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Northern Tool!  Have a great Holiday, and try to avoid those shopping lines tomorrow!

Tomorrow, as you well know, is Thanksgiving!  The day for eating, laughing, sleeping, watching sports or early Christmas shows, eating more, and then sleeping again.  We all know the holiday, we love it and we love the food that always accompanies it.  I for one, look forward to the holiday MONTHS in advance.  Now, I want to find a way to “Green” our Thanksgiving a bit, and I found a perfect way to do so.

That’s right, I found a perfect way, and it’s a bit unconventional and actually only will work if you live in an area that is somewhat conducive to the idea.  Nevertheless, the idea is cool and it actually is pretty simple:  Forage for your Feast!  That’s right, there are a great deal of wild, organic fruits and vegetables out there that are completely forageable.  The article I just read mentioned that the following foods can be found, snatched up and later feasted upon:

• Birds
• Berries
• Nuts
• Mushrooms
• Flowers
• Fruit

Not in an area that really would allow you to forage like the olden days?  How about doing the very same foraging at a Farmer’s Market or Organic Market?  The same quality foods can be gobbled up from there without the dirt, plane ticket and bug spray to actually trek into the wild.  Nevertheless, it brings up a perfect point:  Thanksgiving this year can be so much more organic, healthy and environmentally friendly if we just all take some steps to “Green” it up a little.  This is a DIY project I can fully get behind!

Image by Hendricks_NY via Flickr

Hello and Happy Friday!  The weekend is upon is and as such, we’re closer to Thanksgiving and the feast that awaits than ever before.  Knowing this, many of you out there might want to choose this Holiday season as a great time to get you and your entire family involved with Organic foods.  It’s a perfect time to jump right in, and the time is right to start enjoying the benefits of organic grown products!

The questions many of you might be asking is, what is the difference?  Why should I choose organic when there are so many conventional brands and types of food?  Why should I often times spend a bit More money to get something that might be pretty close to the same.

The good news is, for your viewing pleasure, I found a great little video that helps walk you through the differences between organic and all the other foods available.  Enjoy the video, enjoy your weekend, and start shopping organic for this Thanksgiving!!

Image via Wikipedia

Yesterday we talked about just how great of a weekend project mulching can be.  It will help your lawn, your vegetable garden, your flower beds and yes, the environment as a whole.  What on Earth would stop you from getting involved?!

For some of you, there’s a pretty good chance that seeing things is a lot easier than simply reading about them, and so I went out and found a great how-to video that covers the basics of mulching.  Not only does it show you the why’s and the where’s, but it also shows you the How’s.  Mulching can be something that once you learn, you’ll always remember, and always participate in.  Each year mulching can help insure that your lawn is at its healthiest, so without further ado, check out the video, and we’ll see you bright and early Monday morning!

It’s Thursday friends, almost Friday!  That means it is almost the weekend, so what better than to present you with an extremely easy, extremely productive way of spending your aforementioned weekend!  How about a do-it-yourself project that helps you, your yard, your planet and your conscious all at the same time?  Without further ado, here is a cool DIY project on how to turn your common everyday autumn leaves into some very productive, yard-greening mulch with minimal effort and maximum results.

According to the good folks over at Planet Green, this is a project anyone can do, at any time, with seriously minimal effort.  Head over and check it out, but for now, here is just how to get it done!

“What You’ll Need

* Rake
* An Electric Leaf Shredder
* Shovel
* Mulch Bin

Step One:
Rake the leaves into a pile.

Step Two:

Get out your trusty electric leaf shredder. Don’t have one? Well, you don’t need one. The leaves just need to be thoroughly broken up. You can go over them with a push lawn mower or you can chop them apart with a shovel, but a rechargeable, battery-powered leaf shredder is the fastest way. Scoop up the leaves with the shovel and put them in the shredder.

Step Three:

Get your mulching bin or bins. These bins should be sizable enough to house all your leaf fragments. Shovel the leaf fragments into your mulch bin. Make sure that your mulching bin has a secure seal, so you can keep the leaves dry. Mulch is not compost. With mulch, you want to stop the leaves from decomposing. Mulch’s function is to insulate the soil and to prevent the evaporation of water. It also stops weeds from growing where they shouldn’t. When the layer of mulch finally does rots, it becomes compost and nourishes the plants. But initially, you need your mulch dry.

Step Four:

Once winter is over and spring has sprung, open your mulch bin. Shovel the dried leaf fragments onto the ground. Using a rake, spread a thin layer of mulch around your garden. Viola! You’ve reused your leaves.”

Remember, mulch is NOT compost.  It serves an entirely different function and should be treated that way.  Do these steps, keep up with it and come Spring, I personally guarantee your lawn will be healthier, greener and brighter than ever before!

(Image via Wikipedia)