Why My Kids Love Fresh Picked Green Beans

My great uncle had a farm in Kenosha, Wisconsin and my family would help him on weekends. He sold the farm when I was very little but I will never forget the many sensations of picking green beans and eating them fresh and warm (and a little dirty) right in the field.

That memory never left me and it’s why, even though I grew up a city girl and my parents didn't grow food, I always wanted to. So when we bought our house the first thing I planted the next year was green beans. 

I didn't realize how well I had described my personal experience of eating fresh picked green beans until my children picked ours. All three of them snapped the bean in half, smelled it, and took a bite...they all smiled, made little yummy noises, and declared how wonderful it was.

It was like I was watching myself out in that field years ago when I saw my children do exactly the same thing. But I realized what I had done. My memory was so strong and I was so passionate about it I must have described what I did and how I felt several times that summer while I tended to the green beans. My kids almost had no choice but to act the same way (a little scarey how well I had brain-washed them).

3 Berry Juice, our strawberries & raspberries, neighbors mulberries

Now we have cherry tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, and yellow squash (little gourds too, but not for eating). My kids get excited about anything I bring in from the garden. But I'm even more excited because I know I'm sharing something special with them, my love of gardening and growing my own food.

I greatly increased the chances that they will grow their own food and flowers by sharing with them, especially when they were only toddlers and preschoolers. They understand that food grows from the soil; that water, sun and insects are a part of growing food; and they can do it.

Anything you want your kids to value or do, introduce it at an early age and let them see you doing it. Young children learn most from modeling. They copy their parents. My kids bird watch, drink water, and poke around the yard because that's what I do (I won't mention my bad habits they've copied).

I was lucky to have that farm, if only for a brief time. That was all it took. But you don't need a farm to instill the love of gardening. You just need a window, a pot, a seed and a model!

Composting: Just Do It!

So I'm a bit of a perfectionist. We've lived in the same house for 5 1/2 years, and for the first four I kept walking around the yard thinking, "What is the best compost set up for me?" I kept walking around and thinking about it, mulling it over, and walking around some more. I mean really - I needed to compost - as it was becoming apparent that a good portion of my garbage was food. So I kept thinking about it.

Compost Caddy

Finally my girlfriend walked up with a compost bin one day and said "just do it already!" (She had already given me a Compost Caddy to put my scraps inside indoors before transferring them outdoors....she's a really good friend!).

Yeah. So I started putting all of my yard scraps in this compost bin outside. And being paranoid, living in Chicago and a half block from the river I thought if I put food scraps in there I'd get rats - even though my girlfriend (who works at Green Home Experts) assured me I wouldn't. Still, I couldn't believe it. So in went the yard waste, but what to do with all the food waste?

It would be simple to get a worm bin. So that's not what I did of course. I started putting my food into the Compost Caddy (last August) and guess what? It filled up. Now what to do? Of course I figured it out. Take the outdoor garbage can, poke holes in the bottom to drain the compost tea, and set it up by the flowers so they can benefit while I make soil in the can!

My 'real' compost bin

The first night the raccoons got in there so I put some bricks in. That solved that problem. Being the excellent researcher I am, I researched nothing. So it was getting a nice sloppy goo. The nearby chrysanthemums seemed to love it. Winter came and I still kept filling it up. Amazingly the goo also shrunk down, and continued to do so. I realized at one point I should be putting some "browns" in there to balance out the nitrogen/carbon levels.

Finally, I was at a green social event and met Amber, one of the original Urban Worm Girls - yes, I really met her in person and she's very nice, even with all her celebrity. She said I might want to cap that garbage can and get back to the real compost bin. Definitely put in more paper and see if you can get soil to develop...and by the way, get a worm bin. This I can quote, "that's the fastest way to make soil."

My 'garbage can' composter

So what did I do? I capped that garbage can (after putting in more paper-like material of course). Yes, I'm determined it will yield me some soil, hopefully by next spring. But my food scraps were piling up again, and my real compost bin was hiding in the midst of a perennial jungle and looking like the leaning tower and I just couldn't get near it without a machete and a guide...so I bought another 32 gallon garbage can and started my experiment all over again. Opposite corner of the garden by my prized purple cone flowers. This time I'll add paper-ish or browns from the beginning! Yes, I'm doing it right - for me at least.


I'll get a worm bin soon...maybe next year.

YES Green Living - New Green Home Store

YES Green Living is your source for all things Conservation. It's a store, museum, and learning facility where you can go to answer "How do I do that?" and "Where can I buy that?"



Owner and Founder Mitchell Furlett A. said it all started because of a drought in Georgia. When he and his family stopped at a hotel in Georgia in 2008 he noticed the water tanks in the toilets were filling up all the way wasting precious water. Funny thing to notice - unless your family business is plumbing. After talking with the hotel manager he realized most people didn't know about toilet retrofits and other products that Conserve water (and save money).

When Mitch returned home he stepped down from the family plumping business to start YES Water Conservation, a company that sells and installs water saving devices. In doing this he realized the need for Conservation education and the need to bring consumers, distributors and manufacturers together to learn, shop and live green.

Museum
When you walk into YGL you see a little house. It's the YGL Museum. The roof has solar panels, inside you'll find a toilet with a sink on top, upcycled light fixtures, renewable flooring, a compost container, upcycled kids furniture, and outside is a rain barrel. You can see how these items work in your home, touch them, try them out, purchase them, and YGL has a short list of local installers if you need them.

Store
As you walk through YGL you will find many Conservation products for your home including:

• Conservation Kits (gas, electric or water) that are a perfect house warming gift
• Recycled, Bamboo, and Cork flooring
• Water Conservation products
• Wind Turbines
• Solar Panels

YGL also highlights several local artists and manufacturers with unique green products that are upcycled, recycled, or focused on conservation that include:

• Accessories, bags, and other neat nick nacks from It's Our Earth based in Wheaton
• "Ferniture" Upcycled Kids in Evanston
• Funky upcycled light fixtures by Lighting Lease from Evanston
• Rain barrels beautifully painted by local artists

Learning Facility
What really ties all this together is the classes YGL offers so you don't have to figure out how to be green all by yourself. The most popular class is Conservation Investing which teaches you how to save money through conservation and greening your life. The class also highlights the additional benefits of health and safety when you invest in Conservation. YGL also has an education program for kids, "YES Eco-Heroes" and story time for preschoolers. Most classes are free and you can find out more by calling or visiting online.

YES Green Living is located in Evanston, IL at 2814 Central St., 60201, 847.834.YES3 (9373) YESGreenLiving.com. The store is open Monday through Saturday, 9-4 M, 9-5 T-F, and 10-3 S.

 

Alexandra Gnoske is an Environmental Expert, the Founder and President of RECYCLE ME, and the author of "Loui Saves the Earth."

 

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN FOR MINDFUL BUSINESS MATTERS, FEBRUARY 2011

Fall in Chicago

It's been a great Autumn in Chicago. Lots of birdwatching, gardening and biking.

Today I raked the leaves with the kids and made a huge pile, that they jumped in and then decided to make into a nest. Needless to say, I didn't get all the leaves raked up. But I did manage to crush up a bunch of leaves and throw them in the garden. Never again will I put them in a bag and leave them in the alley. I even have my husband saving the leaves so we can compost them or cover the garden for the winter.

The last few years I've thrown our pumpkins in the front garden after Halloween and they've really helped fertilize the soil. This particular patch was not very fertile as it had old, unkempt bushes there for decades. Now every spring it blooms with tulips and I'm thrilled to receive many compliments. Nothing brings such beauty and pleasure as nature. Still trying to make this garden flourish beyond spring. Once the leaves come there's a lot of shade and that's challenged me. Plus the front side garden is on a slant and the soil is always getting runoff.

I'm fortunate to live by the north branch of the Chicago River so it's easy to get in some bird watching at a moments notice. The spillway by the North Park track is a great spot. The black crowned night herons have left for the winter, but other ducks are on their way.

I hope you enjoy your Halloween and have a safe and fun time! Remember to compost those pumpkins!

Alexandra Gnoske is a local author and illustrator of childrens books, including "Loui Saves the Earth." She is an environmental expert and writes the Mindful Business Matters Blog for Mindful Metropolis. You can get monthly eco tips for your family and find out about local eco events and sales by joining CLUB LOUl. Email alix@louisavestheearth.com.

Sustainable Publisher

I think I've found something you will all love! A green publisher who not only publishes with sustainable practices, but publishes titles about sustainability.

Chelsea Green Publishing Company is definitely a leader in this field. They have been in business for 26 years and were one of the first publishers to sign the Green Printing Initiative, which focuses on recycled content and chlorine free paper.

For the young at heart, there's Compost By Gosh, by Michelle Eva Portman. And for the more serious, there's a huge selection of wonderful titles like "The Raw Milk Revolution," "Mind, Life, and Universe," "Wind Power," "Slow Money," and so much more!

Looking for your next book, I'd make a stop at Chelsea Green. Check out their list of Bookstores or shop online.