Bar Codes on Veggies

...rket, consumers use camera equipped cell phones to scan the QR code on the label. The code links to a mobile website detailing origin, soil composition, organic fertilizer content percentage (as opposed to chemical), use of pesticides and herbicides and even the name of the farm it was grown on. Consumers can also access the same information over the Ibaraki Agricultural Produce Net website by inputting a numbered code on each label.” Though we’re...

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Book Review: The Urban Bestiary

...estiary is an exploration of the intimate intersection of humans and other urban animals, such as coyotes and raccoons and opossums and squirrels. In The Urban Bestiary, Haupt introduces us to our close neighbors, the animals which share our land, and sometimes even our homes. She gives us a naturalist’s overview of their behaviors, physiology and life cycles, interspersed with personal anecdotes and interviews with wildlife experts. The resulting...

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What laundry detergent should I use for greywater applications?

...l because they are essentially salt-based (look for the word sodium on the label). They play well with aquatic life, bless them, and they’re a fantastic alternative to more toxic detergents if your laundry water is going to the sewer, but they aren’t good for soil microorganisms. Surely you’ve heard that salting the land is a bad idea? You don’t want to salt your garden. It’s worth adding that the drier your climate, the saltier the soil, because...

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Salsa Dancing in a World Without Oil

...concept that is catching on like wildfire in the UK. What Can We Do about peak oil and global warming? The answers are in our neighborhoods and communities. Through the Transition concept, we take a positive, forward-thinking view of what the future will hold for our area in the time beyond oil. Sunday, Sept. 14, 6pm – Movie “The End of Suburbia” followed by community discussion Saturday, Sept. 20, 9am-5pm – “Designing the Transition” – a full da...

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Saturday Linkages: Water Shaming, Scotts and Robot Houses

...m/in-our-garden-four-surprising-fruits-that-are-now-in-full-swing/ … Sneak peak of a LIGHT-UP ROBOT-FACE Tree House http://relaxshacks.blogspot.com/2014/08/sneak-peak-of-light-up-robot-face-tree.html?spref=tw … Who’s more controversial – Michelle Rhee or Scotts Miracle-Gro? | Garden Rant http://gardenrant.com/2014/08/whos-more-controversial-michelle-rhee-or-scotts-miracle-gro.html … See what the CEO of Scotts is like: http://on.wsj.com/1aXJvHk Can...

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