Planet-Friendly Summer Plans
A gorgeous Lion’s Mane mushroom in our forest mushroom farm
Have a Sustainable Summer
Summer is finally here, and it's time to bask in the sun, enjoy the outdoors, and embrace all that nature has to offer. However, it's also essential to remember our responsibility to protect the environment and promote sustainability even in our leisure time. With that in mind, here are some tips for having a sustainable summer:
1. Opt for Eco-Friendly Travel:
If you're planning a vacation or a weekend getaway, consider choosing eco-friendly modes of transportation such as trains, buses, or carpooling. Learn more about travel carbon footprint.
Choose destinations closer to home to minimize your carbon footprint. Visit loved ones or locations that are within driving distance. Or better yet! Try a staycation! Think of all the things you have been wanting to enjoy, for which you simply haven't had the time. Why not take a week off as a family to reconnect and simply enjoy time together, in the home you work so hard for, with the people you care about most?
Staycation ideas: Go camping, visit a museum or botanical garden, take in a matinee, visit an animal sanctuary, check out a national park, play board games, take that epic hike you’ve been planning.
2. Support Local Farmers Markets:
Take advantage of the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables available during the summer months by shopping at your local farmers market. Not only will you be supporting local farmers, but you'll also reduce the carbon footprint associated with transporting food long distances. The closer to home you get your food, the lower the footprint. And the more nutritious! Fruits and veggies start losing nutrients as soon as they are picked. Which brings us to our favorite summery way to be more sustainable…
3. Growing Your Own Food!
What's closer to home than home?! Talk about eating local! It's not too late to plant your own greens, veggies, and herbs for summer! One of the most impactful (and satisfying) ways to live more sustainably is right in your backyard—or even on your balcony: growing your own food.
When you grow your own fruits, vegetables, or herbs, you're cutting out a major part of the environmental cost tied to the food system. Think about the resources it takes to get a tomato from a commercial farm to your plate: fossil fuels for transportation, plastic packaging, and energy-intensive refrigeration, not to mention the underpaid or even forced labor often associated with massive farms. Or the pesticides and fertilizers that go into that food, the soil, and our groundwater. By growing at home, you eliminate ALL of those ugly factors!
But that’s just the beginning. Home gardens support pollinators, improve local biodiversity, and reduce the demand for monoculture farming that often depletes soil and relies heavily on chemical pesticides. Plus, there’s a bonus: gardening reconnects us with the rhythms of nature. It fosters mindfulness, reduces stress, and provides ultra-fresh, nutrient-rich food.
Whether it’s a windowsill herb garden or a full backyard plot, every tomato, pepper, or basil leaf you grow is a small act of climate kindness. Growing your own veggies is so simple, and a wonderful way to engage your kids in sustainable practices, eat more veggies, and have fun! Check out last year’s April Gardening Newsletter to find out how simple it can be to grow food no matter where you live!
Need inspiration for what to do with your bountiful summer harvest! Check out our website for ideas!
Want to learn how to grow and preserve your food??
We have events coming up that can teach you just that! Click the image to learn more!
SUSTAINABLE HOME SPOTLIGHT: Pink Oyster Mushroom “Ready-To-Fruit” Mushroom Grow Kit
Discover the art of mycology with our Pink Oyster Mushroom fruiting block. Each fully colonized block, weighing around 5lbs, is primed for cultivation, presenting both novices and experienced growers with an enriching hands-on mushroom growing experience.
