Bailee Bee! – Page 5 – A Sustainable Family Blog

Planting Hope

When my husband and I bought our home, it came with a putting green built into the yard. We weren’t interested in using or keeping the putting green, so we took it out of the yard and hoped that the soil underneath it would eventually go back to nature and grow wild. Four years later, almost no plants had taken root in the area; it was clear the soil needed some help to get healthy. We got to work researching how to encourage soil development, and decided to take off the top inch or two of dirt, mix compost into the ground underneath, and then plant sunflowers, oats, and peas throughout the area to encourage soil health.

CSA Sample Meal Plan (Early Summer)

Buying a share of a CSA, or community-shared agriculture, is one way people may choose to boost their local economy and eat more seasonal and local fruits and vegetables. A CSA provides a package of locally grown produce once a week or every other week during the growing season. The produce is fresh and nourishing, but can also be unfamiliar. I encourage you to see the new vegetables as a fun challenge rather than a daunting prospect, but I also understand that having examples of how to use new vegetables may be beneficial. I will explain to you how I used everything that came in my most recent CSA share, to hopefully inspire some ideas of how to use produce you may find in a CSA box in the early summer.

Gifts from the Garden

People have all kinds of reasons for gardening, but a primary focus is often food production. Fresh food from the garden is delicious, nutritious, and typically inexpensive. Initially food production was a main focus for my family, but despite our best efforts it’s clear that the garden won’t produce much in the way of food. It has, however, given us many other gifts this year. I’d like to talk to you about experiences and opportunities that the garden has provided, regardless of the food produced.

Weeknight Dinner Meals

I’ve said in a past post to always plan your meals for the week with your schedule in mind. That being said, some days get away from us and we need dinner now if we’re going to avoid going out to eat. That’s okay, life happens. So here are my tips for making healthy meals at home even when things aren’t going according to plan.

Summer 2022 Book Recommendations

Educating ourselves on environmental topics is an important step in solidifying our reasoning and encouraging our actions. I’ve put together a list of 5 books I’ve read recently and enjoyed immensely; these books have a hopeful outlook, a variety of focuses, and many actionable components. This list is in no way complete and will be part of a series I make as I read and learn more about the climate crisis and our planet.

There’s No One Answer

I wish living sustainably was as simple as going vegan or choosing package free products. There is just more to it than that. Organic vs conventional. Local vs imported. Natural materials vs synthetics.

Using Dried Beans

I love beans. They’re so versatile, inexpensive, and satisfying. I cook up a large batch of dried beans several times per month and use those beans as the base of many meals. Even if I haven’t thought through a full meal plan, I know that I’ll be satisfied with something as simple as some black or pinto beans and cashew cheese on a tortilla or masa cake.

Making Space for Growth

I spent the morning thinning our apple tree. I was surprised at how contemplative the process made me. It felt so wrong to take off the majority of the tiny growing apples, but I’ve read that the growth of each apple will be minimal if the tree is left overwhelmed by the fruit on its branches. I know this to be true of our apple tree, and so thin I did. In doing this process, I was lost in thought at how imposed space is essential for all living things to truly flourish.

Reducing Food Waste (Community Activism)

In addition to the environmental damage occurring from food being wasted, there is also a humanitarian crisis happening around food. In the US alone, 38 million people struggle with food insecurity. 30-40% of food is thrown away while nearby community members go hungry.

We can do better.

Reducing Food Waste (After Purchasing)

When we waste less food, we need less of it per person to sustain us. In reducing the amount of food each person requires we can reduce the land area needed to grow food, and we can potentially let that space go wild once more. We can dedicate more space to its natural and historic purpose, resulting in less flooding, buffer zones that can help reduce the impact of natural disasters, and more green space for local and migratory animals. This causes land to be more resilient to changing weather, and more capable of capturing carbon, an essential element in reducing the effects of climate change.