Archive for the ‘Community’ Category

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Back Porch View Magazine, Spring 2012 Issue

Friday, March 2nd, 2012

by Catherine Haug, March 2, 2012

The new quarterly issue of the local Back Porch View Magazine just came out, and is worth a look. And not just because I have a story published in it (The Great Cribbage Tournament of 1958, pages 6-7). There are several articles on sustainability topics, and it has a great local community feel. You can find free copies at various businesses in Bigfork, Somers, Lakeside Kalispell, Columbia Falls and Libby. Or you can subscribe (see their website).

Here are some articles in the Spring 2012 issue, pertinent to ESP’s mission: (more…)

Posted in Community, Energy, Home & Ranch, Recycle, Repurpose, Shop Local, Simplify, Survival; Primitive Living | Comments Closed

Input opportunity: Proposal for trail use in Island Unit (Blacktail)

Thursday, March 1st, 2012

from Don Wood, March 1, 2012

This information is provided so you can take an informed position on this controversial issue, then voice your opinion, should you so choose.

The US Forest Service is doing an environmental assessment (EA) on proposed trail work in the Island Unit (Blacktail), on the west side of the Flathead valley. The proposal includes not only walking and biking trails but also motorized trails in the existing non-motorized area.

Comments are due by April 1, 2012. You can view the EA proposal on the Forest Service website at Island Unit Trail System Additions Project, or for a paper copy, contact:

Andrew K. Johnson @ (406-837-7507) andrewjohnson@fs.fed.us

Posted in Community, Ecology | Comments Closed

Pledge for Honeybees

Tuesday, February 28th, 2012

Honeybee

by Catherine Haug, February 28, 2012

Perhaps one of the most important things we can do to honor Earth Day (which is coming up on April 22), is a small thing: sign the pledge for honeybees, to save them from Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), and then take the appropriate actions in your yard.

There has been a lot of research about CCD, and a lot of debate as to its cause, whether pesticides or pests (pathogens). But one thing is certain: pesticides play a very important role in CCD.

Sign the Pledge for Honeybees, and see below for more info and links to other articles on bees and CCD. (more…)

Posted in Agriculture, Community, Ecology, Gardening, Landscaping | Comments Closed

Enuf Stuff

Thursday, February 23rd, 2012

by Catherine Haug (originally published 5/20/2009; updated & republished 2/23/21012)

See also my earlier post: Living a Simpler Life (October 30, 2011)

A New Trend

Recent news reports in this down economy indicate Americans are changing their habits, from spending to saving. This trend means we are discovering we can live with the stuff we have, at least for now. And the longer we can last with no new stuff, the more this new habit will become part of who we are. How freeing! to know I don’t need more stuff to live day to day; I don’t need more stuff to fortify my self identity; I don’t need more stuff to prove I’m at least as good as my neighbor. (more…)

Posted in Home & Ranch, Shop Local, Simplify | 2 Comments »

Colorado’s Boulder County Outlaws GMO Crops – We can too

Thursday, February 9th, 2012

by Catherine Haug, February 7, 2912

Boulder County in Colorado recently approved a transition process that would eventually ban GMO crops from county open space. This action came after citizen outcry that led to a policy recommendation crafted by the county’s Food and Agriculture Policy Council, despite fears the county would lose farmers and revenue.

“Currently, about 16,000 acres of county-woned land are planted with genetically engineered corn [primarily Bt corn]; the new rule will mean these crops will be transitioned out in favor of traditional GMO-free farming practices.”

See Second committee votes to phase out Boulder County GMOs (1) and Colorado [county] bans GMO crops (2) for more on this story.

But corn isn’t the only GE/GMO crop grown in the US. Soy, canola and most recently sugar beets and alfalfa are the primary crops, but unless this madness is stopped, more will surely follow suit. GMO papaya and zucchini are also sold in the produce section of many grocery stores. GMO sweet corn is awaiting approval.

The problem is that you don’t know if a product is GMO because it is not required to be labeled. My response to this problem is to buy only Certified Organic version of the suspect crops. However, even products that are “Made with Organic” can contain GE/GMO ingredients because up to 30% of the total ingredients (by weight) can be non-Organic. See my earlier posts: Natural vs Organic Labeling and Reading Food Labels for more.

Posted in Agriculture, Community, GMO | Comments Closed

The Amish on PBS: An example of sustainable living in community, Airing Feb 28, 2012

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

by Catherine Haug, February 5, 2012

Setting aside their religious views, the Amish set an example to explore, for those of us who aspire to live sustainably and in community. A 2-hour episode of American Experience on Montana PBS, to be aired at 7 PM on Tuesday, February 28, explores this unique society that many of us didn’t know much about until the film Witness captured our attention in 1985.

The Amish movement began over 500 years ago in Switzerland as a branch of the Mennonite movement. Many emigrated to the US in the 1800s, settling primarily in Pennsylvania, then expanding into the midwestern states. Their lifestyle varies from community to community, but in general, they are known for  “simple living, plain dress, and reluctance to adopt many conveniences of modern technology.” (2)

For more about this program, or on the Amish lifestyle, read on. (more…)

Posted in Community, Ecology, Home & Ranch, Survival; Primitive Living | Comments Closed

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