Sustainably Grown Foods
Did you know that most foods travel an average of 1,300 miles?
Imagine how many resources it takes to keep it from spoiling
and transport to your plate. That's why buying local is so important. Local
foods are fresher, raised with fewer chemicals and depend on
less fossil fuels for their delivery than out-of-state or imported
foods. Plus, your "neighbors" grew them, and wouldn't
you rather pay your neighbor than an out-of-state or foreign
grower? Of course, we recommend buying organic or sustainably
raised food whenever possible, but if it comes down to local
vs. "imported," choosing local will keep your money
circulating in your region's economy longer.
Sustainable Furniture
Who says you have to give up style when you make sustainable choices?
It just isn't so, and Mike Patrick's New West furniture designs
prove it.
Although New West consistently wins Western Design Conference awards
for their furniture designs, we love them because they satisfy
more than our desire for beautiful furnishings. They add value
to locally produced wood products, and they provide 20 family wage
jobs to the Cody community.
We encourage everyone to support furniture makers like New West
that show us how to have our sustainable choices and high style,
too.
www.newwest.com
Native Landscapes
It happens every spring. The supermarkets and department stores
set up their summer gardening tents, and everybody goes nuts
over annuals and exotics. Petunias, impatiens, and snapdragons
flow into borders and window boxes in every town, from coast
to coast.
There's nothing wrong with showy annuals and exotics, but consider
the birds and the bees. They were here several million years before
you were, and they depend on the flower, shrub and tree species
they evolved with. If your garden is relatively silent in the spring,
try planting a few natives. You can get them in person or by catalogue
at the businesses listed below. Next spring you'll have a whole
new crowd of winged friends who will be glad you did and you can
feel happy knowing that you're the newest hero for biodiversity
in your neighborhood.
We especially recommend Blake's Nursery, just north of Big Timber,
Montana. Sandi Blake fell in love with "lowly" natives
years before conservationists rediscovered them, and she offers
an excellent selection of drought-tolerant and winter hardy grasses,
flowers, shrubs and trees. Her catalogue also features the charming
artwork of Juliann Jones, a Livingston, Montana, artist. Need help
designing a native landscape? Sandi does that, too.
www.blakenursery.com
