Boston Shelter...Helping Those In Need...Organically.

While browsing videos on YouTube, I came across this little film with only 25 views but the title caught my eye, "Serving Ourselves Farm, Boston's Only Organic Farm". SOS Farm, is run by the organization, Friends of Boston's Homeless. The farm is certified by the Northeast Organic Farming Association and provides food and hands on training in the field of food and horticulture to the area's homeless giving opportunities to change lives for the better. Take a moment to Read More. Organic Hug would love to help the Friends of Boston's Homeless gain some exposure and maybe drum up some donations or volunteers. Please share on your Twitter feed or Facebook page! Thanks!!

Renewable Energy - Wind Power!

Earth Day is April 22nd!

Since the Nuclear disaster in Japan, renewable energy sources are on everyone's mind more than ever. The most popular being WIND. Wind power seems like a no brainer, right? Is it possible that there are CONS to the natural resource of WIND? Yes, and what we need to figure out is if the good outweighs the bad. 

THE GOOD

1. In a new society, where finding a job is like finding a needle in a haystack, Wind Farms would generate many "green" employment opportunities.
2. Wind is non-polluting...keeping our air and water clean.
3. Wind is a free resource...excluding the initial cost to build, install, and maintain. Energy would be cheaper for the consumer.
4. Wind is a domestic source...making us less dependent, more secure and more stable.

THE BAD

1. Wind power can only be generated when the wind is blowing. So, a backup energy source would be needed.
2. The lives of our feathered friends could be at risk. Plans to build would/should take into consideration the path that birds use to migrate.
3. Anti wind groups have estimated that wind turbines COULD use 300 times more land than conventional power plants.
4. Wind turbines are easy targets for lightening damage.
5. Noise...wind turbines are most noisy when the wind speed is low.

So, do the PROS outweigh the CONS?? Would you invest in wind power??

Just a thought with some humor behind it...maybe Willow Smith is onto something...we could just have our kids generate wind power. Could there be any CONS to that?? They seem to enjoy whipping their hair back and forth! 

When It's Not Needed....

TURN OFF THE LIGHT : )



EARTH DAY 2011 is April 22nd!

Organic Hug Embraces Safeway!

If you are lucky enough to be able to shop at Safeway Market, next time you're there doing your grocery shopping, congratulate them on being named the #1 Sustainable Seafood Grocer by Greenpeace! Greenpeace rates grocers on their safe seafood practices, product labeling and information, whether or not they are making it easy for the consumer to know where the seafood they're purchasing came from, and a market's sustainable initiatives.
You may be asking yourself, what is "sustainable seafood"? When you're buying seafood, there should be a label telling you whether the product is "wild caught" OR "farm raised"...where the product comes from and this is where it gets tricky...the product may have been packaged in the USA but in the fine print on the package, you may find that it originally came from, for example, Thailand. Sustainable Seafood is a product that comes from the following:

Wild Caught: A fishery is considered sustainable if...

1. There is no over-fishing of a species.
2. Methods of catching the fish do not endanger dolphins, whales, sea turtles, etc.
3. There is no damage to the habitat.

Farm Raised: Aqua farming is considered sustainable if...

1. The amount of wild fish used in the feeds are minimal.
2. The environment is not being polluted.
3. Wild animals are not affected by disease, competition or inter-breeding.

Read more about Safeway's Sustainable Accomplishments

Other markets at the top of the Greenpeace list were...
Target, Wholefoods, Aldi, Sweetbay Supermarket, Costco, and Walmart!!

Grocery Chains at the bottom of Greenpeace's list include...
Winn Dixie and Publix.

Earth Day April 22nd

In a little over a week...we'll all be celebrating Earth Day. Everyday leading up to Earth Day, Organic Hug will highlight issues, stories, and ways we can make a difference in our daily lives...ways to make our world a more sustainable and healthy place to live...a better, cleaner future for our children.

Make your way over to the Earth Day website to make YOUR pledge in the "Billion Acts Of Green" Campaign! Not DOLLARS...a commitment to ACT. Every little step you take toward a greener lifestyle will help! PLEDGE HERE  

The Weeping Willow Tree

Here in the northeast, we're waiting patiently for Spring to finally arrive. After a long, cold, snowy, winter, it just hasn't come quick enough. When you think of Spring, what is the first thing that come to mind?? For me, it's the buds on the trees. I anxiously wait for the buds to turn into green leaves...natures shade from the hot sun. My favorite tree has always been the Weeping Willow....HUGE...Her branches wide and comforting...Majestic yet elegant. Growing up in Massachusetts, I spent many a day playing underneath the Weeping Willow that stood behind the church down the street from my house. It's funny, I don't see many Weeping Willows anymore...I'm not sure why? Maybe the reason is that they can be a nuisance when it comes to drainage, pipes, and sewerage because of their aggressive roots. I've learned that Weeping Willows are best planted by the water because they can be problematic. That aside, let me list a few FANTASTICAL things about the Weeping Willow tree...

Willows contain Salicin...Salicin resembles aspirin and was used in ancient times to relieve fever and pain.

Willows are used to manufacture such items as furniture, wicker baskets, dolls, brooms, and tool handles amongst many other things.

The charcoal used in artists sketches, are made from willows.

The normal height of a Weeping Willow is 40 ft. but can grow to be 70ft high!!

Now the real cool stuff...

Weeping Willows, because of their large, strong root system...in the wild, act as a natural water filtering system. Their roots capture polluted water and filter out the toxins...leaving fresh, clean water.

Lastly, Willows are being used as Biomass...a renewable, environmentally friendly energy source!!!Read more about SUNY-ESF's  Willow Biomass Project located in Syracuse, NY.

So, what's YOUR favorite tree???

Gwyneth, The NEW Queen of All Things??

Gwyneth Paltrow...not only is she married to a rock star and a mother to two children, she's a frequent guest on one of the most popular shows on television, "GLEE"...she recently starred in the film, "Country Strong" where she sang and had to learn guitar, she has one of the most grueling exercise rituals that I've ever seen, writes her own very popular blog, "GOOP", and now she's written a book of recipes named, "My Father's Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness". THAT is a full plate! No pun intended! Set to hit the shelves on April 13th in the US, "My Father's Daughter" is an homage to Gwyneth's father, Bruce Paltrow, who passed away in 2002. The buzz is, that the book mixes easy to make, healthy, organic meals with quirky and at times humorous essays of time spent with family and friends. What's next?? Rumor has it, her own magazine similar to Oprah's "O" but for foodies. Those of us who appreciate Gwyneth's passion for the environment, a healthy world for her children and her support for local farms, are waiting for the word. Organic Hug is highlighting Gwyneth Paltrow this week, as one of our favorite "Green" Celebrities.

“It wasn’t until later that I understood the harm that can come from pesticides and other chemicals in food. As soon as I did, I tried to eat foods that were organic, grown locally, and not processed or full of preservatives. That was reinforced when I became a parent. When I’d read about what pesticides do to small animals, I thought, Why would I expose my child to that?" ~Gwyneth Paltrow