Renowned Chef Kevin Gillespie, a Top Chef finalist from Season 6, recently visited Misty Meadows Farms in Washington.  What an awesome look into co-ops, local farms, and the ways they strengthen our communities!

Want to know why you should visit your own local co-op? Take a look at our tip on living sustainably: shop locally.

Want to be more sustainable in your home, but feel as though you do not have the money, time, or resources to do so? Making sustainable decisions does not require a lot of added stress: often times it just means breaking the habit of the old way of doing things. Check out these things you can start doing easily right now that save you money and help the environment!

1. Rock The Veggies	2. Shop Locally	3. Buy Organic
4. Aim Lower	5. Wrap Creatively	6. Rethink the Bottle
7. Second-Hand Isn’t Always Second Best	8. Invest In Your Own Mug	9. Matches > Lighters
10. Plastic Bags Suck	11. Change Your Bulbs	12. Turn Off The Lights
13. Check Your Temp	14. Play With Fire	15. Stop The Machine
16. Recharge	17. Hang Dry	18. Avoid The Heat
19. Don’t Rinse	20. Don’t Pre-Heat	21. Diaper With a Conscience
22. Ban Bath Time	23. Brush Without Running	24. Shorter Showers
25. Pause The Shower	26. Check The Q-Tips	27. Sprinklers In The AM
28. Kill Weeds With Balsamic	29. Skip The Rake	30. Plant A Tree (Duh)
31. Break The Ice	32. E-Bills	33. Stop The Statements
34. Reject Phonebooks	35. Cut Down On Junk Mail	36. Log Off And Turn Off
37. Use Both Sides	38. Telecommute	39. Download Your Software
40. Take The Bus	41. Call Shotgun	42. Take Two Wheels
43. Use Your Cruise Control	44. Regular Check Ups	45. Go To A Car Wash
46. Fly With An E-Ticket	47. Use One Less Napkin	48. Cluster Errands
49. Picnic With A Sharpie	50. Skip The Stirrer	Bonus! 51. Share

Back to the tips.

On average, produce has to travel 1,500 miles before it can even get to the shelves. In his book, Deep Economy, author Bill McKibben takes a look at the Food Miles of produce consumed in Iowa. Carrots, from California, travel 1,690 miles. Potatoes, from Idaho, travel 1,292 miles. Chuck roast, from Colorado, travels over 600 miles. And these three examples are purely domestic shipping. Take a look at the Food Miles of these different fruits and vegetables below.

How can you avoid this? Check out your local farmer’s market, co-op, or community-shared agriculture (CSA). Not only will you decrease the environmental impact of your food, but you will also be able to support your local community. (If you are ever in Rockland, Maine, we suggest the Good Tern.  Their cookies may be a guilty pleasure, but at least you can feel good about buying locally.) Want to find a farmer’s market, co-op, or CSA near you? Head on over to Local Harvest. They can point you in the right direction.

Doubt any of these claims? Check out the FACT CHECK section of our blog!

Back to the tips.