If you’ve been following BPA stories (for example: this one and this one), you have probably stopped…
Boston’s last working farm, Allandale Farm, has been in operation in the same location (near Faulkner Hospital) for over 250 years. Allandale farm uses organic methods even though, like many small farms, it does not have USDA Organic Certification to grow produce that it sells at its market, at grocery stores around the region and to its CSA shareholders. Allandale also offers a summer camp program for children ages 4-10.
No they don’t sell hay or baby chicks. Yes they do sell local produce, sustainably raised meat, and fair trade coffee. City Feed and Supply is a Jamaica Plain “people feed” grocery store and cafe with a passion for local food and a strong commitment to sustainable business practices. If I lived in JP (which I don’t) I might have to move into this store I love it so much. For a small store, they carry an impressive selection of green & healthy food, their breakfast and lunch menu is delicious and the vibe is just outstanding. If you live, work or play in JP and haven’t been to City Feed & Supply you must pay them a visit.
If you’re in the market for a new (or used car), you may want to visit the online website Fuel Economy. A joint project of the EPA and US Dept of Energy, Fuel Economy helps consumers make environmentally-informed decisions about their car purchases. One of the most helpful features of the site is a tool that scores vehicles according to environmental performance criteria (not only MPH but also annual gasoline consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and pollution ratings). The site even allows you to do side-by-side comparisons.
Much of the furniture on the market today is loaded with potential harmful chemicals, including formaledhyde, flame retardants, volatile organic compounds, and stain protectors. Fortunately healthier alternatives are becoming more and more available. Since the mid-1990s, Furnature in Watertown has been a leader in the furniture industry, selling only those products that meet their high sustainability standards.
If you’d like to eat home-grown veggies but don’t know how or have time to plant your own garden, Green City Growers can build and plant a bed for you. They can also maintain it or teach you how to maintain it yourself. Gardens start at $450, which seems steep, although Green City Growers claims that it would cost less than buying organic at the supermarket or buying at farmer’s markets. Green City Growers also installs gardens for schools and community groups and provides educational programming to teach children and adults about the benefits of sustainable agriculture.
Greener Choices is a Consumer Reports website that provides information about and ratings of green consumer products. One of my favorite features of this website is the eco-label center where you can “find out what the labels on your favorite products really mean.”
Greenward, located in Cambridge’s Porter Square, is an independently-owned eco-friendly boutique carrying a wide array of goods for your body, home, garden and more. Greenward screens all the products they sell to ensure that they meet their green criteria. In addition, Greenward accepts techno-trash for recycling (free of charge). For folks who don’t live in Boston, you can also shop online.
There is a new online resource available for consumers who want to know what is in the products they buy. Healthy Stuff has tested over 5000 consumer products for the presence of chemicals associated with a range of health and environmental hazards. Before you panic: Healthy Stuff tests only for the presence of chemicals not exposure. Exposure depends on a variety of factors such as the tendency of a chemical to volatilize, how the product is used, etc. However, given that the government does not require safety testing of chemicals before they go to market, and that neither the government nor manufacturers make information about chemical content available to consumers, Healthy Stuff plays a key role in informing and empowering consumers to make safe, eco-friendly choices.
Are you a budding localvore? Then you will definitely want to check out Local Harvest an online directory of local & sustainable food sources including farmers markets, farm stands, CSAs, co-ops and restaurants. You can search by location, finding sources closest to where you are, as well as by product.
For many observant Jews, the personal meaning and value of kashrut (dietary laws or customs) is connected to the ethical treatment of animals. Now that the veil of secrecy surrounding industrial farming has been lifted, many observers of kashrut are finding it hard to reconcile their personal commitment to kashrut with their knowledge of the inhumane and unsustainable practices of factory farms and slaughter houses that supply kosher meat. And some are choosing sustainably sourced meat over kosher meat.
Fortunately, Boston-area Jews no longer need to forgo observance in order to uphold their commitment to the humane treatment of animals. There is LoKo, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing Boston-area Jews with local, kosher, free-range, humanely raised chicken and meat. LoKo is still just getting off the ground and will be offering chickens beginning at the end of June.