By Courtney Bowler

I know in this big world it is easy to feel like anything I, one person among billions, can’t possible make any kind of difference. But it is important to remember that people inspire others to make changes, it is the ripple effect in making a change for the better. For instance, it seems easier to buy a plastic bottle of water when you’re thirsty rather than search for a water fountain or carry around a reusable water bottle to fill.

Just for perspective, to produce a 20-ounce bottle of water requires 18 gallons of water. It takes 18 gallons of water to create 20 ounces of drinkable bottled water. Ask yourself where that trade off might be? Likely you would say a buck or two. The reality is that people, likely living in a landscape where drought is common are having their drinking water being used up to produce that plastic bottle that contains refreshingly crisp tap water. That’s right. Tap water.

I don’t want to preach to the choir on the water topic. Water is similar to oil though. Oil will run out one day, water may have the same fate if we don’t begin to make the difficult decisions to use water wisely.

There are so many thing I could recommend to do that would not only save yourself a penny or two, but if every household made an effort that would create a larger effort on the whole. Turn off the lights when you leave the room, shut off the faucet when brushing your teeth, unplug appliances you’re not using, use a reusable container for food and drinks rather than plastic baggies and plastic throw away cups, avoid using drink straws, order ice cream on a cone rather a Styrofoam bowl, walk down the street to run a quick errand rather than driving the car for two minutes; the list goes on and on.

By Courtney Bowler

This can be a big debate discussion. But the bottom line is that local food regardless of organically certified is better for health, nutrition, and energy costs compared to foods imported from other regions and continents. Organic is great, don’t get me wrong. But local farmers may not be able to compete with commercial growing operations.

I’ve talked with Dick Mordhorst owner of the Lyman View Farm in NH, and he grows all-natural. He does use pesticides to protect his crops from pest insects, but his produce grows outside under the sun, fertilized with manure from his chickens and watered by the rain that falls on the New Hampshire landscape. He lets his plants grow on their own and only protects them when pest insects become an issue.

If you’ve ever heard of No Impact Man, Colin Beavan, and seen the documentary No Impact Man I recommend it. He visits a dairy farm where he gets his milk. The farm is not certified organic because this would mean if a cow became sick they would not be able to treat the animal, it would likely die. This farm, instead, focuses on providing a quality life for the cows. This ensures a quality food product.

Personally I feel that organic and all-natural have become buzz words. But it is important to support local farmers no matter if their products are organic or not. Local is always better than commercial super farm products. We have the opportunity to have a relationship with the people who bring the food we eat in our kitchen. It’s a wonderful opportunity to have when you can talk to the person who grew or raise the food you eat every day.