Not Easy Being Green

It really isn't. It's definitely EASIER to buy all your products from one huge multinational grocery store that ships all its produce from California and its solid goods that are imported from China, than to grow or make your own things, or buy from a small local farmer or merchant. It's easier to use the plastic plates and flatware when you have people over, and just throw it away. It's easier to contribute to landfill than compost. It's easier to just take those plastic bags they have reams and reams of, than bring your own. It's easier to throw things away than find new homes for them. It's easier to spray chemicals on bugs or weeds than find other ways to deal with them. And most of that is just what we've always done, without a second thought.

I've noticed that the more I start thinking about what I can do to reduce the footprint I'm leaving on this earth, the resources I'm consuming, the trash I'm leaving behind, and my contribution to the decay of the atmosphere... there's a lot to learn and a lot of changes to make, and they're not always cheap, and almost never easy. My long-term goal is a sustainable, off-grid homestead that is largely self-reliant, besides giving something back to the world and local economy. But you don't get there overnight. It's about little changes. What can you do, today?

So this blog is a chronicle of the small changes I and my family will make over the next several years. I hope to shed light on some things I'm learning about that you may not have thought about (I know I didn't!) and maybe give you some ideas about making your life a little greener too. And provide some links and connections to ways you can make a difference and products that can help. If you're on a similar journey, follow along.