Green

[dancerjodi]

Our Smart Strip came in the mail yesterday. I'm excited to see if it has any kind of impact.

As a Waltham resident, we can buy one of these for $30 http://www.earthmachine.com/how_to_compost.html (though, we have to go to Lexington to get it). It sounds fairly simple and not too invasive. I know it would take a bit of time to get some compost out of it, but perhaps we could get some going for fall? I'd feel better at least to not be throwing things down in the disposal.

I bought us a rain barrel through a similar city arrangement last year, and we used it for most of our watering (plants and washing the car). I do need a larger watering can to make this easier, because I kept using the only one I had - one meant to be more decorative and not too large (I kept using the hose for the front because multiple trips with the tiny can weren't so easy). There's not enough pressure in it to use with a hose/pressure nozzle unfortunately.

Plans for this year's gardening include:
Removing mulch from the front and trying to get some wildflowers to grow there
In the front of our side yard, planting edible things that need sun (we have two large trees in our small yard, so we don't get a lot of full sun)
Tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets in the back of the patio area
Herbs (as usual) in the side of the garage

The clothes drying rack arrived - its quite light (aluminum)! The next time we're home on a weekend and will get some sun for an extended period I'll put it out and hang on it and see how that goes.

We've been on a waiting list for the CSA at http://www.chestnutfarms.org/ and should be able to join in May - yay! The farmer's market in our city http://www.waltham-community.org/2008FarmersMarket.html starts up on 6/14, and it will be neat to try and walk down there each weekend for locally grown goodies.

Comments

[roaming.livejournal.com]

I put myself down on the wait list for Chestnut Farms (the meat csa, right?). Haven't heard back yet. :-< Though I did want to talk to them about how they're slaughtered, which I care about as much as how they're raised. (They say at a USDA-certified plant, but I don't trust the USDA inspectors one little tiny bit; can't convince me they don't accept bribes to look the other way now and then).

[dancer.livejournal.com]

I received an e-mail from them that said our share would be up in May (we've been on the list since January I think). It did mention something about how the chickens were processed.

If you poke around on their website and/or web boards perhaps you could find info on the processing?

[fidgetmonster.livejournal.com]

That's a significant energy savings with the smart strip (according to the terrapass guy)! Thanks for posting the link...I'd heard of them, but didn't know a specific name/place to buy. Can I ask what you guys are using it for, because I don't know too many people who still have the direct computer+peripherals set up. For instance, we've got laptops, and wireless, and the printer is done wirelessly too. I'll keep thinking, but I don't know if a smart strip would work except for the TV system. I'd love to have a way to keep some things plugged in, but not have power going to them. I feel I should know the answer to this, maybe you do: If something is not on and has no led/moving parts (a toaster, for instance), does it draw power if it's plugged in?

Smartstrip

[dancer.livejournal.com]

We're going to use it for our entertainment center (to keep the cable box on, but shut everything else off). Most other things in our house other than major appliances are unplugged unless we're using them (we're only using laptops now for computers).