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Collage that says don't waste food: grow microgreens, plant in can, freeze leftover food

12 Months to a New Sustainable You: January

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Collage that says don't waste food: grow microgreens, plant in can, freeze leftover foodNew Year’s is a great time to look at the upcoming year as a clean slate for self-improvement.  If living more sustainably is a goal for you, remember that small changes in your lifestyle can make a big difference!  And it might be easier for you to take baby steps forward, by focusing on just one change per month.

Here’s an idea to get you started for the month of January: food!  While many people use the post-holiday month to avoid food in an effort to lose weight, it’s actually a good time to start thinking more about food, specifically food waste and food purchasing, if you want to live more sustainably.

Virginia is not alone with its food waste problem, with nearly 2.1 million tons of food waste generated in 2022, according to the nonprofit ReFED.  Over 63% of this waste comes from residential households. Efforts to reduce food waste include being conscientious about purchasing and using the right quantity, and saving leftovers for future meals. Here are more ideas:

  • The FDA has several useful tips to reduce food waste at home
  • It’s a win-win to divert food scraps to animal feed (see Pigs Love Pumpkins)
  • Read this for insights into “Best if Used By” and other manufacturer’s stamps
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While buying food from local sources is a sound sustainable practice, consider growing your own fresh food!  January is a great time to look through seed catalogues or online information to consider all the possibilities of colorful and tasty vegetables, herbs, berries, and fruits! You can explore Virginia’s Southern Exposure for information and inspiration on organic gardening, sustainable agriculture, seed-saving, and more.  Their farm is not open to the public on a regular basis, but you can pick up a paper catalogue or purchase their seeds at many locations across the Commonwealth.

Even if you don’t have room for a large garden bed, you can grow lettuce, radish, and tomatoes and more in large planters or repurposed containers. Check with local nurseries for 5-gallon pots they might otherwise throw away, or check with restaurants or food kitchens to pick up their opened commercial-size cans; or search for used feed bags from farms or hops bags from breweries; just fill any of these with soil, add plants, and water.

If you’re extremely limited in space, you can grow microgreens indoors for a fast way to add vitamins and crunch to your salads. Microgreens are young “baby” vegetable greens that grow about 1–3 inches tall.  They have an aromatic flavor and concentrated nutrient content and come in a variety of colors and textures.  The Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia have a great article to help you get started.

So, spend January making a few small changes to live more sustainably, and watch your efforts add up the rest of the year.  We’d love to see what you’re doing to avoid food waste — tag us!  #keepvirginiabeautiful

Shamrocks

How Green Are You?

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ShamrocksThere are many traditions surrounding St. Patrick’s Day that include wearing green and eating corned beef and cabbage.  But another way to celebrate being green is to be more sensitive to the environment.  Here are some ideas to change up the green holiday this year.

You can WEAR green, but not just the color.  Most textile waste (a.k.a. clothes, shoes, curtains) has the ability to be recycled or repurposed, yet only a small amount are disposed of properly.  Shopping for clothes and accessories at Goodwill and other second hand stores is easy on your wallet, and fun to try different styles with a low-cost risk.  And if you haven’t done it already, you can rid your closet of sizes and types of clothes you may not be wearing any more.  If they’re recent fashion and in like-new condition, there are places that will give you a store credit or even a little cash for them.  There’s ReThreads in Frederick County, and New To Me Consignment Boutique in Roanoke.  If you live near Stitchback in Richmond, they actually come to your house to retrieve your donated clothes!

You can EAT green!  Spring is the time to start planting!  If you’re in a cooler climate on the western side of the state, start your seeds indoors until after the last frost.  Or sow some seeds for cooler weather crops, like collards or peas, near the end of March.  If you live in a milder area of the state, you can set out many different green plants, such as spinach, lettuce and broccoli.  Here’s a guide to the planting times and types of crops for wherever you live in Virginia.

You can BE green!  As we say around here, “Grab a bag, take a walk, pick up litter!”  Unfortunately, you don’t have to look far to find errant bags, papers, and PPE strewn in the landscape.  Better still, register for Shiver in Virginia and reap the benefits of picking up litter – like receiving a one-day free parking pass to any Virginia State Park, and be entered to win very cool prizes, and feel good about yourself because you can do something meaningful for your community.  You can also do many beautiful things to earn extra entries for prizes, check out the list on the Shiver in Virginia page!

So get your green on!