REDUCE THE CLUTTER and let someone else REUSE your unwanted “stuff”

May was annual “Stash or Slash” month at our house. I spent a lot of time in the closet packing up my boots and sweaters for their summer-long hibernation, replacing them with an array of sandals and tank tops. As I marched the boxes of winter paraphernalia to the garage, it occurred to me that I could no longer see the cars through the junk. I asked myself,... Read More

URBAN Backyard Farms

When Bryan White and his wife Mira moved to Phoenix from the Pacific Northwest, they were pleasantly surprised to find a growing community of urban agriculture enthusiasts at The Phoenix Permaculture Guild, an organization they immediately joined and continue to actively support. “In Seattle, there is a different culture that encourages organic food production. ... Read More

AZ Farmer’s Market

APACHE COUNTY Concho Flagstaff Flagstaff Community Market City Hall West Parking Lot (Rte. 66 & N. Sitgreaves St.) Sundays 8 a.m. – Noon May 30 – October 10 (928) 774-7781 www.flagstaffmarket.com Flagstaff Community Market – Eastside St. Pius Catholic Church Parking Lot 257 E. Cedar Ave (at 4th St.) Wednesdays 4... Read More

A Sustainable Harvest

A Sustainable Harvest: In contrast to the suburban landscape now known as Scottsdale, the “Valley of the Sun” was once a rural agricultural community with a variety of orchards and farms growing citrus, figs, potatoes, peanuts, almonds and cotton.  Today, farmland on the Salt River Reservation remains the only overt reminder of the area’s agricultural origins,... Read More

It Is Unhealthy To Open Windows In The Early Morning

It seems very cozy to open windows to refresh the indoor air in the early morning. However, it is not wise for people who live in the city to do it. Around the streets with heavy traffic flow, the lower air is more stable at night than by day and thus, it is against the spread of pollutants. Around 6: 00 in the morning, there are still a lot of pollutants in the... Read More

ECOCENTRIC: A Family Business Inspires a Healthier Clean

Too many laundry products front and center on store shelves today are rife with harmful chemicals, including big brands using petroleum-based ingredients that are spending significant dollars on partially-true advertising claims of “green,” “natural” and “organic.” Sure, petroleum comes from the earth and alcohol may start out as a grain or corn –... Read More

TALKING GREEN WITH THE QUEEN OF CLEAN®

“We don’t need all of these chemicals to make our homes clean. The most sustainable methods for cleaning happen to be the most effective.” After digging into the dirt of cleaning products, we found that cleaning supplies most of us perceive to be the most beneficial are, in fact, the most dangerous, laden with chemicals that pose health risks seldom publicized. “As... Read More

COMPOST: Primordial Soup to Recycle the Earth

We come from the earth, we live of the earth, and we return to the earth.  In nature, plants draw minerals and nutrients from the soil.  Throughout their life cycle, they drop leaves, which decay and enrich the soil with micro-biotics and humuric acids. Under the canopy of the mature plant, the enriched soil becomes fertile ground for new seedlings to take root. ... Read More