Search Results: sustainable (32)

Green Living close up of straw with straw bale in the background
Straw Bale Homes And Passive Solar Design

Is it possible to stay warm during winter without a fossil fuel powered central heating system? Straw bales are one of the most common left over products from farms in the United States. In many places, excess straw bales are burned leading to huge amounts of contamination. Straw bales, however, are some of the most […]

Gardening & Farming small pond storing water on a property in the fall
Storing Water In Landscapes: A Swales And Ponds Primer

Rain is often seen to be one of the leading causes of soil erosion. The problem isn’t with rain itself, but rather with bad land management practices and farming practices that aren’t designed to take advantage of the rain. The best place to store water is in the landscape itself, and through the process of […]

Lifestyle Hand holding a small green house with a young green plant growing on the roof
8 Best Ways to Naturalize Your Home

Who doesn’t want their home to be more environmentally sustainable? Greener homes are healthier to live in, help you to live like a responsible global citizen, and are a smart way to take care of the world’s limited natural resources.

Though an entire eco-friendly home renovation is probably out of your budget, there are lots […]

Gardening & Farming woman planting plants using mulch for no-till agriculture
No-till Farming for Healthier Soil and Lifestyles

Masanobu Fukuoka, the late Japanese farmer, developed a unique farming system he called “Natural Farming”. Trying to replicate what he saw in Nature, Fukuoka’s no till system allowed the soil to continually grow in fertility. Through the use of mulch and cover crops, this system effectively allows for continuous harvests of crop rotations, eliminates weeds […]

Gardening & Farming tilled earth on farmland exposing rich topsoil
Topsoil: A Catalyst for Better Health and Nutrition

Where do we stand without soil? Everything begins and ends with the soil.

‘Topsoil’ is the upper couple inches of soil that covers large areas of the arable parts of the surface of our Earth. It is formed by the slow but steady decomposition of organic material by a host of microscopic organisms.

Unfortunately, close […]

Gardening & Farming Lush urban garden on rooftop with highrises in background
The Best Tips for Starting a Small Urban Garden

Taking steps to live a more sustainable life has never been easier. People everywhere are no longer satisfied with planet-killing produce and are starting a movement to regain control of the food system. They are demanding to know where their food is grown and how it is produced. And in many cases, they are sticking […]

Green Living A home construction project using cob technique
Earthen Housing as an Alternative to a Chemical-laden Home

Somehow or another, the modern-day industrial world in which we live in convinced us that dirt is unclean, impure, and well… dirty. We worry when we see our children headed for a mud puddle, we agonize when a mud footprint makes its way onto our kitchen floor, and we’ll gladly walk an extra couple strides […]

Gardening & Farming Shiitake mushrooms on a wooden table.
The Foolproof Guide for Growing Mushrooms at Home

If you are serious about reducing your global carbon footprint and gaining more control over where your food comes from, then cultivating your own mushrooms should become a priority. Rich in flavor and easy to utilize in a wide variety of recipes, homegrown mushrooms add a robust, earthy taste to any dish, and growing them […]