Conservation and art take wing together this weekend at the 39th annual Waterfowl Festival in Easton, for a three-day extravaganza celebrating the Chesapeake Bay's wildlife and outdoors heritage.

Starting Friday, Nov. 13, there'll be antique and contemporary decoys to view (and buy), plus paintings, photos and other arts and crafts, fly-fishing and retriever dog demonstrations as well as goose- and duck-calling contests. Besides the arts and crafts, there'll be food and music, plus outdoor gear for shoppers.

The event has raised more than $5 million in donations for wildlife conservation projects. Besides the good cause, it's quite a scene. Festivities begin at 10 a.m., and admission is $10 for all three days, with kids under $12 free.

For tickets or information, go here or call 410-822-4567.

(2004 Associated Press photo)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Buy local, Chesapeake Bay, Events, Shopping, Tips
        

We B'More Green bloggers got this message below from reader Deanna. Anyone have ideas?

Now that my attention has turned to Thanksgiving and Christmas, I started taking inventory of my current stock of items. I have been storing away old Xmas cards for 10 years now. Online search consistently show St. Judes Ranch as a place to donate these cards. I would rather donate them to a local charity if at all possible. Do you know of any who can use them?

Fellow B'More Green blogger Christy Zuccarini offered this:

You might consider donating your cards to Art With a Heart -- they're a local nonprofit that provides interactive, hands-on activities to disadvantaged families and children, and to people with developmental and physical challenges. Many of the arts and crafts they make they end up selling for profit. You can email them at info@artwithaheart.net.

Anyone else know of a local charity?

Shutterfly launches 'support a cause' holiday cards/Associated Press

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Tips
        

In case you don't watch much TV, you might not have heard - a new Ken Burns epic debuts this weekend - "The National Parks, America's Best Idea."

If you love parks, the outdoors or history, you'll probably want to check it out. Burns, who's filmed histories of the Civil War, baseball, jazz, the West, the Second World War and more, spent six years compiling footage and stories from national parks in every corner of the land - Acadia, Alaska, the Everglades, the Grand Canyon and Yosemite, to name just some.

It airs on PBS over six nights, starting Sunday Sept. 27 at 8 p.m. If you can't wait, or want to know more, go here for a preview and here to get a snapshot of the parks' history.

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 9:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Tips
        

There's a newly green dry cleaner in town: the Glyndon Lord Baltimore Cleaners.  The shop uses GreenEarth Cleaning, a solicone-based solution, which is like sand, instead of perchloroethylene. Perc is used by most dry cleaners and is considered a health and environmental hazard by the Environmental Protection Agency.

A few options for greener cleaning have cropped up in recent years, and experts don't agree that they are all perfect alternatives.

Here's what the Union of Concerned Scientists says about the silicone method: "Silicone cleaning is a proprietary technology that employs a silicone-based solvent to clean clothes. The solvent itself is currently considered safe for the environment because it degrades to sand, water, and carbon dioxide, but it has caused cancer in lab animals in EPA studies. In addition, it is manufactured using chlorine, which can generate harmful dioxin emissions."

The group points to other methods, including wet cleaning, which uses water and special computer-controlled washers and dryers and mild detergent. The EPA considers this among the safest pro cleaning methods. There is also carbon dioxide cleaning that uses liquid CO2 captured as a by-product of industrial processes. It the same stuff used to carbonate soda.

You fashionistas could consider not dry cleaning at all. Some stuff can go in the gentle cycle or be hand washed. You could try that special stuff meant to be used in the dryer in a bag. Or you could try not buying stuff labelled "dry clean only."

For its part, Glyndon Lord Baltimore Cleaners says it continues to research the best methods. In the meantime, operators also recycle hangers and containers, use earth-friendly soaps to clean most wet-cleaned clothes, drive high-mileage diesel vans and supply reusable bags to customers.

Anyone use Glyndon? Other dry cleaners. Or have you found alternative methods that are eco-conscious and actually clean?

Photo courtesy of außerirdische sind gesund via flickr

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 2:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Air Pollution, Fashion, Going Green, Products, Tips
        

CDs, DVDs, and computer discs can contribute to household clutter. Sometimes you have to take a hard look and be honest: How often do you really watch "Almost Famous"? And if the songs are not on your MP3 player, will you really miss those CDs? You can always donate them to the library or thrift shops or try to sell them. But here are some other ways to help thin out those piles:

• Coasters: eHow, Scrapdash and design*sponge are just a few of the many tutorials out there.

• Relfectors: Many sites suggest using the CDs as reflectors on your bike or mailbox. They can also be used in the garden to scare away birds.

 • Art: Break up the CDs to create mosaics or this cool light catcher by Planet Green

• More: Interbent has 22 ways to reuse CDs, including an iPod doc and disco ball.

 Now it's your turn. Have done anything cools with old CDs? Leave a comment below. (AP photo)

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 6:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: DIY, Reuse Me, Tips
        

A bike commuter resource guide is now available from the Baltimore Metropolitan Council.

It talks about getting your bike ready and laws and offers maps and routes, as well. 

There's also information about combining your biking with other forms of public transportation. You may not know, but you are allowed to bring your bike on light rail and the subway in Baltimore, and the public buses now also have racks. 

There certainly has been a lot of talk about safety and security when it comes to biking in the city. But the council and area officials say they're are working on the issues.

They're adding more bike lanes and racks. More than 100 racks have been added in the region this year, and you can request a rack in your area here.

Further new bike routes are being planned for Bolton Hill, Reservoir Hill and Lake Avenue. They'll either connect existing routes or planned routes.

Hopefully, the number of accidents and thefts can be reduced.

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: News, Tips, Urban Issues
        

The Eco-Dentistry Association wants everyone to turn off the tap while they brush their teeth, and it's pressing the message with a Healthcare Environmental Awareness Week from Sept. 13-19.

The group, whose members are dental professionals who encourage eco-friendly practices, says the typical person wastes about 90 glasses of water every day by running the water while they brush.

That means Americans pour some 27 billion glasses of drinking water down the drain every day. That's a big deal, especially considering that the World Water Council estimates that one out of six people around the globe live without clean drinking water.

They've named the campaign “Save 90-A-Day.”

Not sure I need to pass on the specifics, but the group recommends: Wetting your toothbrush under the water, turning off the tap, applying toothpaste, brushing your teeth for 2 minutes, filling a small glass with water, rinsing and swishing with water from the glass and telling a friend or family member to do the same.

Image courtesy of the Eco-Dentisty Association

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 6:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Tips
        

B'More Green reader Lori passed on this nifty little list she found on a site called re-nest, which is design stuff for green homes. It's 10 things you didn't know you could recycle.

There are some good ones like CD cases (www.greendisk.com) , packing peanuts (www.loosefillpackaging.com) and potato chip bags (www.terracycle.net).

Maybe someone out there will test these out and let us know how it goes?

Associated Press file photo

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Tips
        

Want to enjoy some tasty seafood, prepared sustainably, and learn how to do it yourself? The National Aquarium has scheduled a dining series this fall and winter, featuring chefs from three local restaurants.

Dubbed "Fresh Thoughts," the series begins Sept. 22 with Chef Galen Sampson of the Dogwood offering a cooking demonstration as well as a three-course meal featuring oysters (from a sustainable source, of course). The Dogwood ought to know from sustainability - the Hampden eatery was named best sustainable restaurant by Baltimore Magazine in 2008.

The second dinner Nov. 3 features trout prepared by Chef John Shields of Gertrude's, and the last of the series will be in January, featuring a chef from Roy's. The events all include cooking demonstrations, plus an opportunity to stroll through the aquarium after dinner. Participants will be given recipes and information about where to buy sustainable local seafood.

Cost is $79 for aquarium members, $89 for non-members. Reservations are required. For more info, go here.

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 8:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Tips
        

Want to save water and energy? Want to reduce your impact on the environment around you? Don't know where to start? 

The Green Building Institute, a Jessup-based nonprofit that promotes sustainable building, is planning a 10-part series of classes for homeowners, beginning Sept. 15, on going green.

There will be all kinds of topics covered from saving on your utility bill and tax incentives to water management and landscaping. Officials at the institute hope to help cut through the red tape and confusion about steps people can take to save money and the planet at the same time.

The classes are offered around Maryland and Northern Virginia and run in the evenings from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. They are $55 for adults unless you're a member.

I'm going to try and go to one of the early classes, so I'll report back.

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 10:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: DIY, Going Green, Tips
        

I'm just back from a few days off to move to my new house in South Baltimore. We're talking about ways to clean green and we're talking about getting a rain barrel. But more immediately,  we're looking for tips on what to do with all the stuff we don't want.

We've gone to Goodwill with clothes and kitchen stuff, to the Book Escape with books (there's also the Book Thing that gives away books), Sound Garden with CDs and Second Chance for a little give and take. And we plan to take our old running shoes to Falls Road Running Store or Holabird Sports.

We're also recycling a lot of cardboard!

But what do we do with the foam peanuts used in packaging? What about compact disk cases? VHS tapes? Old wood and metal? Suggestions welcome.

AP photo of cardboard being recycled

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 1:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Tips
        

On a typical summer evening, I sit on my front porch with a cool drink and watch the world go by. It’s a blissful way to unwind after a long day at work. Unfortunately this quiet, daily ritual is almost always interrupted by mosquitoes, who cunningly light and sting me on the arm or ankle before I can stop them. And of course, while I’m tending to the first bite, I get bitten again.

In an effort to preserve my peace, I recently purchased some odorless OFF bug repellant which works well, but smells like chemicals and makes me sneeze. So, off with the OFF. Instead, I found a recipe for organic bug repellent at www.diylife.com. Though it isn’t waterproof and needs to be re-applied regularly, this all-natural repellent has a pleasant smell and is just as effective as OFF at deterring mosquitoes. Enjoy!

Materials and Tools:

•1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar
•1/3 cup witch hazel (or cheap vodka)
•5 drops of citronella or eucalyptus essential oil
•Spray bottle
•Funnel

Directions:
•Using the funnel, pour all the liquid ingredients into the spray bottle.
•Shake the bottle to mix the liquids.

Image courtesy of naturegirl78

Posted by Christy Zuccarini at 2:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: DIY, Tips
        

Looking for a "green" college to attend (or to send your pride & joy)? The Princeton Review, the college prep outfit, has named 15 schools to its "2010 Green Rating Honor Roll."

It doesn't garner as much media attention as the annual ranking of top party schools, but it's worth a look for those who want something besides a hangover with that oh-so-expensive diploma.

None of the greenest schools is in Maryland - the closest to Baltimore would be Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA. Harvard and Yale make the green grade, but so do Georgia Tech and a number of less posh institutions. One curious note - East Coast schools dominate the honor roll; I would have thought there'd be more out West.

The ranking, prepared in conjunction with ecoAmerica, a nonprofit environmental group, features eight private and seven public schools.

Here's the full list, in alphabetical order:

Arizona State University, Tempe AZ

Bates College, Lewiston ME

Binghamton University (State University of New York at Binghamton)

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor ME

Colorado College, Colorado Springs CO

Dickinson College, Carlisle PA

Evergreen State College, Olympia WA

Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta GA

Harvard College, Cambridge MA

Middlebury College, Middlebury VT

Northeastern University, Boston MA

University of California, Berkeley CA

University of New Hampshire, Durham NH

University of Washington, Seattle WA

Yale Univeristy, New Haven CT

Schools were rated on campus living, their curriculum and overall institutional commitment to sustainability. Scoring looked at a school's energy use, recycling, food, buildings and transportation, environmental studies degrees and course offerings and campus commitment to greenhouse gas reduction.

And here's a tip if you or your offspring want to have a good time while going green -- Arizona State, which boasts the first-in-the-nation School of Sustainability, also made the top party schools list, at No. 20.  For profiles of the green campuses, go here.

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Tips
        

With Baltimore's historic switch this week to once-a-week trash pickup, from twice a week, the biggest worry seems to be that there will be more piles of trash on the corners. And conversely, if the city starts enforcing the laws concerning trash, mostly law-abiding and tax-paying residents fear they will get the tickets.

Everyone may be tired of this trashy subject by now, but I had a change to talk to the head of code enforcement and he gave me the run down on what residents are most likely to get cited for doing. Thought I'd pass on the info.

Officially, Baltimore City law says you need to put your trash out no earlier than 6 p.m. the night before your scheduled pick up. Trash needs to be in a can with a lid. Households are allowed 96 gallons of trash, or about three cans. Those can need to be returned to your property, not left on the sidewalk, even if you have to drag it through your house to your backyard.

But, much of this isn't likely to get you cited, according to Eric Booker, assistant commissioner of code enforcement inspection at the Baltimore Housing Authority.

Continue reading "A can without a lid is not the biggest offense" »

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Tips
        

 I did a post a little while back about donating your shoes for a good cause, instead of throwing them away. From the response, I thought it was worth letting everyone know that there's a drive going on now.

Holabird Sports, Comfort One Shoes and Finish Line are all participating in a Souls4Souls event to collect gently used shoes and donations. The shoes will go to victims of natural disasters and those living in extreme poverty.

The group estimates that some 1.5 billion unused shoes are just sitting in people's closets.

So, dig them out and get to Holabird at 9220 Pulaski Highway, or at the area Comfort One Shoes or Finish Line shops. Here's a list of all area places to drop off shoes. 

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Tips
        

The new once-a-week trash and recycling schedules begin Tuesday, July 14, and Baltimore officials are trying to get the word out.

This is the biggest change to collections in decades, and Public Works Director David E. Scott said workers are going door-to-door, making calls and sending out postcards to every address in Baltimore City to remind people about One Plus One, the new program.

The city has provided a map for residents to look up their new recycling and trash days. You can type your address in the top right-hand corner.

And just as another reminder, trash must be in a can with a lid. The fine is $50 for putting your garbage out in just a bag. And recycling can be put out in a city tub or any clearly marked plastic bin, cardboard box or paper bag. No plastic bags.

Baltimore Sun file photo of Mayor Dixon taking up the trash/Amy Davis

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 5:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)
Categories: Tips
        

It's summer party time, and event planner Nadia Digilov of Celebrating in Style has some tips for making it fancy and eco-friendly:

--Skip regular charcoal and use Coconut Shell Briquette Charcoal made from, what else, coconut shells. It has no chemicals inside and makes no smoke. It's cleaner burning, hotter and longer burning. 

--Don't use throw-away plastic and paper plates. For a greener option, use recycled, toxin free, biodegradable products from Verterra.  The company says it's made from fallen leaves that are steamed and pressed. They will naturally compost in two months.

--Buy locally grown and organic foods for the table. They didn't waste fuel traveling far and they didn't require lots of chemicals and fertilizers.

--Use soy candles instead of electric lights or paraffin candles. They come from sustainable and renewable resources and burn longer and pollute less.

Got any other good tips?

Photo courtesy of Celebrate in Style

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Tips
        

I ran in a race this past weekend, and it had me thinking about all the trampling on the planet we runners are doing.

Take running shoes. Most of us go through at least two pairs a year. And what can we do with them? Running shops often will take them back and make sure they get reused if they still have life left in them or recycled.

A couple local shops that do are Falls Road Running Store and Charm City Run.  Ask your shop if they do. There are also groups, including the Perpetual Prosperity Pumps Foundation, with local contacts. There's also Goodwill, which will take them and sell them if they are in good shape.

Anyone know of others?

Another less easy problem to solve are all those water cups and water bottles handed out during and after races.

Certainly, putting on one of these big events is a logistical nightmare. Organizers have a limited amount of time they are allowed to close streets, run a race and clean up. It's quite a dance, if you've never watched it -- so I don't want to knock anyone.

Still, I've seen some organizers put out cardboard recycling boxes for the water bottles handed out after races, but not at this one. I'm not sure what the best answer is for handing out water along the race course. Anyone have an idea or seen a good method?

Baltimore Sun Photo of a recycling event in Columbia 2006/Algerina Perna 

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Tips
        

When my husband and I travel, we often go for a run or a bike ride so we can explore more of our destination without getting in a car or bus.

I found recently that a lot of people have this idea. Or they just can't leave the running shoes and exercise clothes at home.

At the beach, running, biking and swimming allow you to see the uncrowded areas, like the parks. Many local groups and shops are happy to provide maps. We like to sign up for races while we're at the beach, so we can meet like-minded people and, maybe get a little inspiration to go farther.

I wrote a story about merging beach-going with exercising. There's a link with some suggested workouts and races on the Maryland-Delaware shore and places to get more information. The landscape is beautiful and the ground is nice and flat.

Baltimore Sun photo/Kim Hairston

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 11:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Tips
        

The Sun plans some more coverage on this topic, but here's some ready info on the switch to digital TV -- which happens Friday -- and what to do with your old sets.

If you're like me, you don't have cable or satellite TV. (If you do, you don’t need to do anything. But if you get TV over the air and your set is a little older, you need a digital converter box. For information, call 1-888-DTV-2009 or click here.)

And if you're like me, you have a TV that just isn't going to cut it in the new world. But don't stick in the trash. There are all kinds of bad things in there. Recycle it. 

Baltimore City offer recycling for residents Monday through Saturday at its drop off sites. The city will take TVs, as well as computer monitors, computers, cell phones, printers and other electronic equipment.

Find Baltimore County sites here.

Find Anne Arundel sites here.

And Howard County sites here.

Baltimore Sun file photo/Lloyd Fox

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 7:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Tips
        

The city plans to switch to once-a-week trash and recyling pick-up July 14, so it seems like a good time to talk about what is okay and what is NOT okay to put in your recyling bin.

I spoke recently to Tonya Simmon, Baltimore City's recycling coordinator, and she says more city residents are recycling since Baltimore launched single stream, curbside pickup. She guesstimates that 30-40 percent of residents are now participating.

The city offers details on its Web site about what is acceptable. These items include: paper such as magazines, The Baltimore Sun and junk mail. Also okay are books, cardboard, metal food containers (please rinse), glass containers, aluminum foil and pie tins and clean milk cartons.

But she said there are still some items showing up in the tubs that shouldn't be there. No. 1 is plastic bags. While the city used to require residents put recycling in blue plastic bags, the city NO LONGER ACCEPTS THEM. They are mucking up the automated process that Waste Management Inc. uses. The machines use optical scanners to sort materials, and when trash is present, a person has to pluck it out.

Many grocery stores now take the bags back. Safeway and Giant do.  They also sell reusable bags, which are an even better alternative. Whole Foods annouced last year it would eliminate plastic bags altogether and said recently that reusable bag use has tripled since then.

For curbside pick-up, residents should use paper bags, cardboard boxes or a tub marked "recycling" -- you do NOT have to use the yellow ones sold by the city, but you can still get one if you want. 

Another big offending material is Styrofoam. The city does NOT accept any of this. The list of no-nos also includes wire hangers and soiled containers and aerosol can that are not empty. Empties are okay.

The city is now accepting plastics labelled 1-7 on the bottm, but not all of it. They take narrow and wide mouth containers, which includes cottage cheese and yogurt containers and prescription bottles. No need to remove tops. Those plastic containers that sandwiches and some lettuce comes in are NOT okay. Those plastic things that hold beer cans together are also NOT acceptable.

All of this stuff can also be taken to one of Baltimore's eight drop-off sites.

Hard plastic toys, lawn chairs, laundry baskets, buckets and milk crates can NOT go into the curbside bin, but can be dropped off at the first five drop-off sites on the list, which also take electronics, such as old TVs and computers.

Did I cover it all?

Photo courtesy of Balimore Public Works

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Tips
        

Looking for a little offbeat action at the beach this weekend? It's not too late to catch the annual spring orgy of horseshoe crabs. If you haven't witnessed it before, it's quite a sight, I can tell you.

Like clockwork, these helmet-shaped creatures with the spiky tails haul themselves out of the the water from mid-May to mid-June to couple. You can see them day or night during that time, but mating peaks during the full and new moon cycles, with the highest numbers flocking to the shore during the evening high tides.

It's GP-rated sex, for those worried about what the kids will see. The females trundle to the edge of the lapping waves, often with one or more smaller males hanging on for dear life, and proceed to burrow into the sand to lay their eggs. Males surround the females and fertilize the eggs.

This is a great opportunity to see nature in action and observe how interconnected the web of life is. Horseshoe crabs (scientific name Limulus polyphemus) are some of the world's oldest creatures, tracing their lineage back 300 million years - long before dinosaurs roamed the earth.

Here along the mid-Atlantic coast, the crabs' mating frenzy helps sustain flocks of shorebirds, such as sandpipers and red knots, which stop off to rest and feast on the crabs' eggs as they fly from South America to northern Canada and the Arctic.

The crabs' comings and goings have become a topic of intense interest among biologists and conservationists, because many think their fate is linked to that of the shorebirds that depend on them for food at a crucial stage in their annual migration.  Red knots, in particular, have been in decline, which has led to restrictions on commercial harvest of the horseshoe crabs. The crabs aren't a table treat for people, but they've long been collected by fishermen to be used as bait to catch eels and other fish.

You can see the crabs coming to shore on quiet beaches along Chesapeake Bay at Sandy Point State Park or Eastern Neck Wildlife Refuge.  The best places to see the most crabs, though, are along the Delaware Bay shore, at places like Bowers, Fowler and Slaughter beaches.   My wife and I visited Slaughter Beach last weekend on a moonless evening and saw clumps of crabs all along the water's edge, like the one I photographed above.

To learn more about the crabs, and where to see them, go here.

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Tips
        

Pesticides can damage human health, so minimizing the amount we eat is important, says the Environmental Working Group, which has put out a list of foods the experts there say we should buy organic.

Washing and peeling help but don't fully rid fruits and vegetables of the stuff. 

The EWG took a look at the residue left behind during tests by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration and the complete list is here, but here are the top bunch that they recommend buying organic:

Peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, bell peppers, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, imported grapes, carrots and pears.

Here's the list that has the lowest levels of pesticides, if you can't find organic or would like to mix in some non-organic -- and cheaper -- produce:

Onions, avocadoes, sweet corn, pineapples, mangoes, asparagus, sweet peas kiwi, cabbage, eggplant, papaya, watermelons, broccoli, tomatoes, sweet potatoes.

Got tips for buying or eating organic? Tell us about them.

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 7:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Tips
        

The farmers' markets are open and they have strawberries -- big, juicy strawberries.

This time of year, there also are asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, salad greens and spinach. But one of the big attraction in spring is always the berries.

When selecting sweet local strawberries, the state Department of Agriculture recommends that consumers look for "a full, red color, bright luster and firm, plump flesh." The fruit does not ripen after being picked, so consumers should look for the fully ripe berries with caps that are bright green, fresh looking and fully attached.

The agency reports that Maryland farms harvested about 440 acres of strawberries, valued at $2.3 million, in 2007. The season generally runs from the third week in May through mid-June.

Find the Maryland Farmers' Market Directory here, or go to marylandsbest.net for information on all kinds of products from local farmers. 

There also are new markets opening all the time that aren't on the list, such as one at the Museum of Industry. It starts 9 a.m. June 6. For a map, recipes and other market information see our markets page at Baltimoresun.com.

Baltimore Sun file photo of a strawberry pot sold at a farmers' market.

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 7:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Tips
        

Sun reporter Jill Rosen has a story today with tons of tips on how to reduce your "cookprint."

There are some pretty easy ways to make meals in an environmental way -- turning off the burners a little early, using less water, avoiding plastic bags and composting instead of throwing away table sraps.

Got any other idea to share?

Here are some from reader Dahlink:

I love to roast food, but I do it in my dual-fuel oven. I generally roast several things at once on the convection setting (planning ahead for future meals) and I turn off the oven well before the food is done, as my oven retains the heat for a long time.

My favorite appliance is my warming drawer. My husband works long hours, but I can keep food ready to eat as soon as he walks in the door without overcooking it.

I have also started using those microwavable bags of rice, lentils, etc. They generally microwave in 90 seconds, rather than needing 40 minutes on the stove (as is the case for brown rice made from scratch, for example).

ISTOCK photo

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Tips