Herbs are typically hardy and resilient. In these times of unpredictable weather, herbs provide beauty, flavor, medicine and food for people and pets. One additional benefit of herbs is serving as good companions for your flower and veggie gardens. When certain herbs are planted near or among other plants, they help those plants be resilient, too. Companion planting with herbs attracts beneficial insects or draw unwanted pests away from more vulnerable plants. Here are a few examples of our favorite companion herbs. Calendula This cheery, sunny, fragrant flower (also known as pot marigold) pairs well with eggplant and tomatoes. It attracts a wide variety of pollinators, including striped bees and…
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From Godzilla to Earthworm:
Re-envisioning the Ecological Footprint The “ecological footprint” has come to be a widely used term in the sustainability community. Mathis Wackernagel developed the concept as a measure of the demands made by human societies on the ecosystem—a larger footprint represents greater demands and therefore more strain on the Earth’s capacity to sustain the living systems upon which we all depend (and by “all” it is meant not just all humans but all our companions in the wondrous process of life). As such, the term in common usage carries something of a negative connotation. People think of their ecological footprint as a source of guilt, a sort of environmental original sin…
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Resilience Today
Resilience is a frequent topic of conversation these days, especially after a major catastrophe or when planning for some future disaster. The Cascadia subduction zone earthquake comes to mind for the latter. We talk about the need for resilience in our personal lives, in our organizations, in our businesses, and in our city, state, and federal governments. We talk a lot about resilience, which is a good thing, since history has proven the value of human resilience. However, there may be another side to resilience that is not discussed An op-ed piece by Parul Sehgal in the December 1, 2015 issue of the New York Times Magazine, opens with the…
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Looking for a Side Gig?
Exciting opportunity to promote Green Businesses and offering Flex work schedule in the Portland/Vancouver area. The ideal person enjoys empowering business owners to reach their target market. This is a part-time opportunity, ideal for the individual that appreciates a flexible work schedule and a supplemental income. This position is based in the Portland/Vancouver area and can be a work from home situation. We are looking for someone excited about sustainable and green businesses, and who likes to work as a commission based, independent contractor. Join our team and help us build a better future. The ideal candidate would have sales experience, computer skills, great people skills, ability to meet deadlines,…
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A Healthy Home
Home is the sailor, home from sea, And the hunter home from the hill. — Robert Louis Stevenson Traditionally, “Home” referred to the roof over your head, be it a shack or a mansion. Regardless of what your home is, the belief that “A man’s home is his castle” is deeply rooted in our American way of life. Across the millennia, our homes have provided refuge from the outside world, a place of safety, warmth, and security. What is becoming more apparent as the years of the 21st century slide into history, is the reality that “home” can no longer provide refuge from the outside world. Centuries of progress, consumerism, population growth,…
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Why We Should Worship the Ground We Walk On
It’s one of nature’s most perfect contradictions: a substance that is ubiquitous but unseen; humble but essential; surprisingly strong but profoundly fragile. It nurtures life and death; undergirds cities, forests, and oceans; and feeds all terrestrial life on Earth. It is a substance few people understand and most take for granted. Yet, it is arguably one of Earth’s most critical natural resources – and humans, quite literally, owe to it their very existence. From the food we eat to the clothes we wear to the air we breathe, humanity depends upon the dirt beneath our feet. Gardeners understand this intuitively; to them, the saying “cherish the soil” is gospel. But…
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The Urban Homestead
Your Guide to Self-Sufficient Living in the Heart of the City BY KELLY COYNE & ERIK KNUTZEN This celebrated, essential handbook shows how to grow and preserve your own food, clean your house without toxins, raise chickens, gain energy independence, and more. Step-by-step projects, tips, and anecdotes will help get you started homesteading immediately. The Urban Homestead is also a guidebook to the larger movement and will point you to the best books and Internet resources on self-sufficiency topics. Written by city dwellers for city dwellers, this copiously illustrated, two-color instruction book proposes a paradigm shift that will improve our lives, our community, and our planet. By growing our own food…
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How I Upgraded My Electric Mower
My introduction to cordless mowing was a Black and Decker “ factory reconditioned” CMM 1000, which I babied well past its expected lifetime. I had promised myself that if I could get it through until the end of its last summer, the long winter would give me plenty of time to research a replacement. A very helpful article in Green Living Journal (*) came just in time to greatly aid me in my search. I know that lawns and mowing are not appropriate in many places. Here, where we live in a pine forest, we keep a circle of mowed lawn around our modest home as a fire-break. We also…
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Solar Oregon Presents Passive House 101
Solar Oregon and Passive House Northwest present: Passive House 101 July 9, 2019 – 6 – 8 pm Shine Distillery – 4232 N Williams Ave Portland Join Solar Oregon for an evening discussion on how Passive House– the world’s most energy efficient building certification– and solar PV can be the easiest path to healthy, comfortable, and durable Zero Energy buildings. Joshua Salinger, CEO of Birdsmouth Design/Build and board member of Passive House Northwest will discuss what Passive House is, it’s history, it’s methods, and why it matters. 40% of the energy used in the U.S. goes towards our buildings – this is more than the energy used in transportation and industry combined! Learn…
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Portland VegFest
October 5 & 6, 2019 Oregon Convention Center Exhibit Hall A Join 8,000+ people of all ages and 180+ vendors at Oregon’s premier plant-based food and lifestyle event. The largest vegan food festival in the Pacific Northwest, Portland VegFest celebrates its 15th year with 180+ food vendors, favorite veg restaurants all in one place, cooking demos from top vegan chefs, talks from leaders in the vegan movement including doctors, lawyers, activists, business owners and environmentalists, a fitness stage, activities specific to kids and teens, and more. For more info and to apply: portlandvegfest.org
