Eat With the Seasons!

Fall has arrived and so has the harvest. If you've ever considered trying to eat seasonally, the bounty of fall offers an excellent opportunity to begin. Eating with the seasons is an easy way to support local farmers, reduce food miles (miles traveled from field to plate - fewer miles equals fewer harmful emissions released into the atmosphere and fewer fossil fuels consumed), eat food at its peak nutrition and taste, and an excellent way to vary one's diet, among other things. Seasonal eating keeps us in touch with the natural transitions of the earth's movement through the galaxy. Like pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, seasonal eating can comfort us by knowing that each season brings back familiar foods that have come to symbolize that time of year. Just because we can get fresh spring and summer produce year round, doesn't mean it's an ethically responsible decision. Now is the time to change the way we think about food. Include some seasonal fair in your next meal!

Here is a list of fall's bounty. A good opportunity to taste something new and learn some new recipes. It is encouraged to buy local and organic when available.

Beets
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflowers
Celeriac
Celery
Chard
Fennel
Kale
Leeks
Onions
Peppers
Chilies
Potatoes
Pumpkins
Squashes
Spinach
Sweet Corn
Tomatoes
Turnips
Zucchini
Blackberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Apples
Pears
Plums

Do you grow any of these?

Do you try to eat with the seasons? Would you want to? Take the polls in the right-hand column and see how others are responding.

© 2007 SegoLily

Scenic Idaho #2

Blue Heart Springs

Snake River

Near Hagerman

What are you doing to reduce your ecological footprint? What has worked for you in encouraging others to make more eco-conscious choices? What can we do in our own hometowns – what services can we provide? And last, what more can we ask of ourselves? Click here to read the original article and join the discussion!

Non-Idahoans! Click here to see why this site is for everyone!

© 2007 SegoLily

Calendar

View the Calendar of Events every Monday. It can also be accessed by selecting Calendar from the right-hand column.

September 29th - October 7th

Saturday, September 29, 2007
*City of Rocks Trail Ride
Ranger guided trail ride will follow the scenic route from Box Top trail to the most beautiful vistas of the City of Rocks National Reserve. Catered Dutch Oven lunch. Bring your own horse and tack or rent from the Indian Grove Outfitters in Almo. Limited space. Reservations required. $20.00/rider. Additional Info: Juanita Jones: 208/824-5519 ex 106 or Juanita_Jones @partner.nps.gov

*Rafting
CSI Outdoor Program will host a whitewater rafting experience.
More Info

*Thousand Springs Festival
Free parking and bus ride to island
Juried Arts & Crafts Booths
Great Food and Live Music
Kids' Corner
Canoe & Wagon Rides
History and Information
DisplaysRaffles
Admission: $6 Adults, $4 Seniors, $3 Kids under 12, FREE for kids under 5, $20 max for family
Map More Info

Sunday, September 30, 2007
*Baker Lake Hike
CSI Outdoor Program will host a hike to Baker Lake.
More Info

*Dierke's Lake Cleanup
On September 30, Dive Magic will hold their 11th Annual Lake Cleanup at Dierke’s Lake for certified divers and land folk alike. Lots of things to do, prizes to be won, and food to be eaten.

*Thousand Springs Festival
Free parking and bus ride to island
Juried Arts & Crafts Booths
Great Food and Live Music
Kids' Corner
Canoe & Wagon Rides
History and Information Displays
Raffles
Admission: $6 adults, $4 Seniors, $3 Kids under 12, FREE for kids under 5, $20 max for family
Map More Info

Friday, October 5, 2007
*Octoberfest
More Info

Saturday, October 6, 2007
*Octoberfest
More Info

Scenic Idaho #1

Beautiful Baker Lake

Near Ketchum

Have You Been Here?

(This is the first photo in a series of scenes from Idaho's rich landscape.)

What are you doing to reduce your ecological footprint? What has worked for you in encouraging others to make more eco-conscious choices? What can we do in our own hometowns – what services can we provide? And last, what more can we ask of ourselves? Click here to read the original article and join the discussion!

Non-Idahoans! Click here to see why this site is for everyone!

© 2007 SegoLily

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repeat…

Green has joined the main stream. One can hardly escape from hearing about some way we can help save the planet from impending doom, whether it is heard at an event, on television, at school, in the paper…wherever. Mostly, we get a lot of “change your light bulbs to CFL’s,” “inflate your tires,” “recycle,” “drive less,” and the like. These are all wonderful suggestions and everyone should do them, but is there more we can do? Are we just dabbling at the surface of sustainable living? And is it asking too much to do more? (If we’re talking about impeding doom…I don’t think most things would be too much to ask.)

I know that it is very hard to change habits and mindsets that we may have carried with us from generation to generation (though not too far back in some cases). We’re used to eating strawberries in the winter if we wish it (regardless of the gas used and carbon emitted to travel from some warm country to our cold state). We use vast amounts of water to grow green squares of lawn even though we’re in the dessert (high though it may be), are in a drought, and are scarce on water – a most precious resource! (Yes I have a patch of grass as well – I told you the mind is hard to change!)

The point is, these little things like recycling and such are small, and yet, many people have a hard enough time just changing out their light bulbs; so how can we ask for even more? Or more precisely, how can we ignite the change in people to do the smaller things AND the bigger ones?

So, what are you doing to reduce your ecological footprint (I want the “small” and the big)? What has worked for you in encouraging others to make more eco-conscious choices? What can we do in our own hometowns – what services can we provide? And last, what more can we ask of ourselves? Join the discussion and spread the word!

© 2007 SegoLily

Join the Discussion!

Beautiful Southern Idaho

The South Hills

The idea for this blog came to me in a second of brilliance (well at least I saw the brilliance in it). Now I've decided to run with it. The vision isn't entirely clear, but I know it includes these main points:



Community

Sustainability

Green-Living

A Love of Idaho's Landscape

Outdoor Recreation in Idaho

Idaho's Current Events

Issues Facing Idaho

Supporting Local Businesses, Farmers, Dairymen, and Ranchers

Sustainable Eating

Events for Local Gatherings

Open Discussion About All of the Above



An integral part of all of this is YOU! Join me in discovering all that Southern Idaho has to offer and learn what we can offer in return to our towns and the land.



Please join the discussion by leaving comments at the end of each post. I'd be happy to listen to any suggestions you may have to offer - it's all about community.



By the way, this post is for non - Idahoans as well. Feel free to talk about the above listed subjects that make your town the wonderful place it is. What's your town doing towards sustainability, protecting the natural world, and eating locally? What outdoor activities does your state have to offer? What are you doing to leave a smaller ecological footprint? Join the discussion!

© 2007 SegoLily