CSA Update No. 1, Box #7.

Looking I think this week’s fruit & vegetable box from CSA could be one of the best ever. For $26.00, I received the following produce. It is all organic veggies and fruits, all fresh from the farm, and never frozen or treated for longer shelf life!

This Week’s Box:

• Carrots – 1 bunch, with stems and leaves.
• Red Beets – 1 bunch, with stems and leaves.
• Cabbage – 1 head.
• Fennel – 2 pieces.
• Walla Walla Onions – 1 bunch, with scallion tops.
• Zucchini Green – 1 lb.
• Lettuce – 1 head.
• Lettuce Mix – 1/2 lb.
• Dill – 1 bunch.
• Blueberries – 2 pints.

I have already made braised leeks and japanese white turnip (from last week’s box), cooked with garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil, veggie broth, and white cooking wine for 15 to 20 minutes. It was VERY tasty and really hit the spot. Will have to take a shot at homemade coleslaw, let’s just hope mine will come close to those served up readily at tables across Poland… cabbage, dill, carrots…

Lehman’s – Products for Simple, Self-sufficient Living

Lehman’s – Products for Simple, Self-sufficient Living – reminds us of our local Amish supply, and I have fallen completely for it. Might not be high-tech, new-fangle, eco-living, but there is something romantic and quaint about it. Heartland stoves, old fashioned oil lamps and hurricane lamps, reel lawn mowers, pine tar soap, wash boards, and hand ringers are just some of the items sold. A one stop household appliance shop! Well, one can only hope!

Among my favourites, the steel puzzles — like the unlucky horseshoe. Although classed as simple, my husband, boyfriend at the time, was impressed by my mastery of this toy.

Enviro Entrepreneur Summer School

Ecoaesthete has just returned from the Enviro Entrepreneur Summer School run by QED Consulting (with help from various kind sponsors) at the University of Keele.

One can’t say much because of confidentially but all 30 or so attendees were passionate environmentalists with fascinating concepts or existing businesses.

We were treated to some delightfully inspirational talks from more established entrepreneurs:

• Kelly Atkins from Carpet-Burns spoke about the last few years founding her business selling Heat-Treated Carpet, a wonderful material she accidentally discovered — as perhaps so many have — while thoughtlessly ironing some clothes on the carpet. In a patented process, after heat-treatment polypropylene carpet into a tough, water-proof, rigid material that retains the original carpet patternation. Cheaper than vinyl, it provides a funky, environmentally friendly alternative to other external and internal floor coverings.

• Mark Shayler, a serial entrepreneur with seemingly endless energy, spoke about his motivation and experiences in business. His environmental product design consultancy Eco3 are making interesting strides into changing industry’s design culture (in light of new EU rules).

Retro Inspired Greenlight

Greenlight makes light fixtures from old traffic light glass, diverting them from landfills! What a need concept and a very groovy design. Too bad each is over $100.00! Jeepers!

While a fan of their reuse of these pieces of waste, I still hold that the best place to get a great trendy lamp is from your local thrift shop. My sister and I have found many a great working vintage lamp from Goodwill.  If you are a Boston native, check out the Goodwill in Davis Square (near Tufts University), I have never had trouble finding something suitable, alterable, or in absolute perfect condition!

Carpet-Burns

Carpet-Burns is a company based from Derby (UK) that takes recycled (polypropylene) carpet and burns it — like an iron — to form these excellent plastic tiles with the carpet pattern intact. While they started making tea trays, magazine racks, and clutches (left), the company’s strength lies in material design, so they now focus on 1×1ft. tiles and large 4×2.5ft. panels that can form great waterproof floors both interally/externally. They also take one-off commissions (a groovy sink being done recently) and merchandising items like coasters and folders.

We cannot wait until Kelly Atkins and her Carpet-Burns begin to list stockist on their site!!!

FabPrefab

fabprefab, a web resource dedicated to tracking developments in the market for ‘modernist prefab dwellings’.

• In fablist they have 13 different architects offering pre-fab solutions in North America and 15 outside, inc. PLACE houses that we mentioned previously on ecoaesthete.
• In fabzone they list explorations of prefab as a design and construction ideology, from unbuilt work to built work that is not actively being marketed as a product.
• For budding designers, in fabschool they track Architecture School projects that are examining various aspects of off-site residential fabrication.
• They also have a special area containerbay dedicated to shipping containers. Hopefully fresh projects like Bog will feature soon.

“Be the Change”

BTC Elements is your eco-conscious clothing superstore with stylish choices and basics. With $5 flat rate shipping and a free tote with each order (it's nice, you could easily use it as a handbag!), a gal can get hooked. I recently purchased the Long Sleeve Lengthen Tee and the California Cap Sleeve for work, and I have been happy with both purchases. The Lengthen Tee is pefect for a tall gal as you can either leave it long or cut to your own size! The Cali Cap Sleeve is cut for curves and the neck-line really frames the face well — the torso is long enough to go over the top of your low waist jeans. Being well received from my other half, I might be ordering more! Although, these tops have but one test left, the super-old, eat-em-alive washer!

Eat Local, Eat Seasonal, Eco-Sheek

Local Harvest is a website dedicated to finding food grown close to home, the next step for any true eco-asethete is to climb aboard the local movement. It is becoming not only the environmentally and ethically responsible thing to do, but also popular and stylish. On this site you can find by searching your zip code local Farmers Markets, Family Farms, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) schemes, and Organic Food. I found my local CSA here, and have been loving it ever since. Eating seasonally is not only natural, but slimming and vitamin-diverse (you get them all each season)!!!

Each Tuesday I get a box of goodies to enjoy from the Golden Earthworm Farm located in Jamesport, Long Island (the north fork). I am absolutedly thrilled being part of this CSA. Never such a lover of lettuce, I now can't wait each week. It is fresh and has flavour! The butterhead/boston lettuces are so texured and soft. Last week, the strawberries were the best I've eaten in my life. Not overly sweet or watery, they had full body flavour. I can't wait to see what each week brings.

For the NY City area, Just Food is a good place to look as well.

Vivavi! Expensivo!

Vivavi! sells sustainable furniture for the future, and many items are very well designed. While I can admire the simple elegant designs, I can’t say I’ll be rushing right out at these prices…

The reader will know by now that we at ecoaesthete think that sustainability should also mean affordability.

 One of their designers I’m rather a fan of is Carlos Salgado and Bart Betttencourt who create eco-friendly furniture from discarded wood scraps. Check out their collection on Vivavi!, including their uncommon dinning room table above at left.

Asian Solar Lamp

Damian O'Sullivan has created a lamp after my own heart, or at least my obsession with all things Asian and all things Green. This Asian inspired hanging lamp, made from small solar panels and LEDs, is hung outside during the day so that it can emit light at night — inside or out. MoCo Loco has profiled it here. I just wish I new where these were going on sale!