How You Can Go Green!
5 Ways to Green Your Food
Buying Local
Local Farmers' Markets and Grocers
Reusable Bags
Get Involved With Go Green!
5 Ways to Green Your Food
1. The Big O - Organic
When you eat organic, picture the healthy ecosystems which produced that food, the workers who are safer from chemicals, the land, water, and air that is being protected, and the wildlife that is being allowed to thrive. Organic vegetables, fruits, grains, juice, dairy, eggs, and meat are grown and processed in ways that support healthy people and a healthy planet. For details on the meaning of organic, see the USDA Organics homepage at www.usda.gov
2. Fair fare
Fair trade certified food ensures a proper wage and working conditions for those who harvest and handle it. But fair trade is green for the environment as well. TransFair, the only fair trade certifier in the US, has strong environmental standards built into its certification process that protect watersheds and virgin forests, help prevent erosion, promote natural soil fertility and water conservation, and prohibit GMOs and many synthetic chemicals.
3. Go local
Buying seasonal, local food benefits the environment for a lot of reasons. Since most food travels an average of 1,500 miles to reach your table, locally sourced food cuts back on the climate-change impacts of transportation. Generally speaking, local food also uses less packaging, is fresher, and comes in more varieties. It also supports small local growers and lets them get more for their produce by not having to spend so much on packing, processing, refrigeration, marketing, and shipping.
4. Compost the leftovers
Greening your meals isn't just about the food that winds up on the plate, it's the entire process. Composting leftovers will ease the burden on the landfill, give you great soil, and keep your kitchen waste basket from smelling. Apartment dwellers and yard less wonders can do it too!
5. Ease up on the meat
Meat is the most resource-intensive food on the table and eating less of it can be the single most "green" move a person can make. Producing meat requires huge amounts of water, grain, land, and other inputs including hormones and antibiotics, and leads to pollution of soil, air, and water. A pound of beef requires around 12,000 gallons of water to produce, compared to 60 gallons for a pound of potatoes. Going vegetarian or vegan is a profoundly meaningful environmental choice so if you're a meat eater, try cutting out just one serving of meat each week.
Buying Local
Buying local foods is beneficial for many different reasons. Since there is less time between when your food was harvested and when it gets to your table it's fresher. It supports the local economy in your community while also requiring less packaging, travel distances, and waste.
Other benefits from local foods:
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT AND YOUR HEALTH: Farming with pesticides and fertilizers can cause water pollution, and leave unwanted pesticide residues on the food we feed our families. You can protect your health and improve the environment by choosing local, organic foods. Furthermore buying local cuts out the middle man and thus reduces transportation which helps prevent waste and pollution.
NUTRITION: Typically, food on the average Michigan plate has traveled 1,500 miles! Food loses vitamins and minerals as it ages. So, because buying local shortens the time it takes produce to get to a market, eating locally is also healthier, of higher quality and organic.
TRUST: Concerns about the health and safety of food are becoming more and more pronounced, buying locally adds to consumer confidence. Consumers get face-to-face contact with growers and producers which help them gain trust as well as a stronger sense of community.
Local Farmers' Markets and Grocers
In the past five years, the number of farmers markets in Michigan has grown from around 90 in 2001 to over 150 today. Visit the Michigan Farmers Market Association's website to find a comprehensive list of markets throughout the State of Michigan. Or go to http://www.localharvest.org/ and view an exhaustive directory of local markets throughout the Country.
• Allen Street Farmers Market
(Corner of Allen Street and Kalamazoo Ave) Opens in May. EBT and Project FRESH accepted. Contact: Kate Nault: (517) 485-7630.
• Dewitt Farmers Market
Every Saturday 9am-1pm from May 10th- October 11th. The Market is located in downtown DeWitt, MI just one half block north of the main intersection of Bridge and Main streets. (Brief list of vendors and what they will be selling)
• East Lansing Food Coop (ELFCO)
4960 Northwind Dr, East Lansing, 337-1266, info@elfco.coop. Wide range of organic groceries and some local products
• Fowlerville Farmers' Market
(213 S Grand Ave, at the Fowlerville village parking lot) – Wednesdays, May 7–October 29, 2:00 pm–7:00 pm; Project FRESH accepted. Fresh produce, nursery plants and fine hand craft items. Vendor spaces are available. Contact: Sandra Warner, 517-712-9134.
• Grand River Market
(117 Louis Glick Hwy, Jackson) Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, April-November, 7:00 am–4:00 pm. Currently selling flowers and rhubarb. Around late June they will have everything from fruits, vegetables, and "a delicious bread guy". Contact: Mary Kuhl, 517-782-2038.
• Horrocks Farm Market
7420 W Saginaw Hwy, Lansing, MI 48917. Open 7 days a week from 630am-10pm (517) 323-3782
• Lansing City Market
333 North Cedar Street, Lansing, MI U.S.A. 48912
Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 8am-6pm and Saturdays from 8am- 4pm. For a product list visit.
• Mason Farmers Market
(Corner of Maple and Jefferson) – Saturdays, July 12-September 27th, 8:00 – 12:00; Project FRESH accepted. Flag day Farm market preview June 14th. Contact: Elaine Ferris ejferris@toast.net lots of veggies in season, herbs, bread and cookies and occasional honey and "Son-in-Law" salsas
• Meridian Township Farmers' Market
5151 Marsh Rd, Okemos, MI 48864-1198; (517-853-4600)
(May-October) Saturdays 8am - 2pm May-October and Wednesdays 8am - 2pm July-October
• Old Town Commercial Association's Farmers Market
203 E Grand River Ave, at Turner St in Lansing's Old Town District, Lansing; 517-485-4293, Ralph D. VanLoton; May 6, Jun 3, Jul 1, Aug 5, Sep 9, 1p-5p; Project FRESH accepted; Held during "First Sunday Gallery Walk" for Old Town, Lansing, and East Lansing.
• Quality Dairy Store at Pine & Saginaw Streets
Michigan milk & dairy products & locally baked goods. Fresh MI produce provided weekly by Heritage Acres
• St. Johns Farmers Market
(100 Maple, west side of Clinton County Courthouse, downtown St. Johns) Saturdays, June 7th-November 19th, 8:00 am – noon; Project FRESH and Food Stamps accepted. Contact: Tyler Barlage, 989-227-1717.
• Student Organic Farm stand
(On the MSU campus on Farm Lane in front of the Auditorium). Thursdays, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm. Offers tours and workshops to help the public understand the process their food goes through.
• Williamston Farmers Market
(Corner of Putnam and High Streets) May 22 - October 16. Every Thursday 2pm - 7pm, 161 E. Grand River Next to City Hall. Contact: 517-655-1953.
Reusable Bags
Most local grocery stores sell reusable bags for less than $2.00. If you are interested in purchasing a more heavy duty bag visit www.Reusablebags.com. They have a large selection of all kinds of reusable bags to choose from.
About plastic bags:
• Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. That amounts to over one million per minute.
• According to the EPA, over 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps are consumed in the U.S. each year. Also there are around 1460 Plastic bags used in a year by an average family of four in the U.S.
• Plastic bags are made of polyethylene: a petroleum product. 12 million Barrels of oil are used to make the plastic bags that the U.S. consumes annually.
• Plastic bags don't biodegrade, they photo degrade-breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil and waterways and entering the food web when animals accidentally ingest. As polyethylene breaks down, toxic substances leach into the soil and enter the food chain
• Approximately 1 billion seabirds and mammals die per year by ingesting plastic bags. Account for over 10% of the debris that ends up on our coastline
• It is estimated that a plastic bag takes 1000 years to decompose.
• Less than 1% of all plastic bags get recycled in the U.S. When one ton of plastic bags is reused as something else other than plastic bags or recycled, the energy equivalent of 11 barrels of oil is saved. It costs $4000 dollars to recycle 1 ton of plastic bags, which can in turn be sold on the commodities market $32
Get Involved With Go Green!
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer opportunities are also available for individuals and/or groups interested. If you or your organization would like to assist with special projects and events, please contact Taylor Heins at 517-483-4597 or email us at gogreen@lansingmi.gov.
Internships
To apply for an internship, please submit a cover letter highlighting your areas of interest within Go Green! and a resume to Taylor Heins at gogreen@lansingmi.gov.
Go Green! Business Pledge
- Manage communications between local businesses and the Mayor's office
- Evaluate Go Green! Business Pledge applications
Go Green! Personal Pledge
- Organize a personal pledge campaign drive
- Develop monitoring/evaluation method to measure the progrss of the Go Green! Personal Pledge program
City of Lansing, Internal Greening Program
- Assist with assessment of waste diversion and energy conservation practices
- Assist with city-wide energy audit
- Develop a "greening" plan for City of Lansing departments and monitor participation levels
Go Green! Initiative Support
- Assist with event planning and marketing activities
- Manage constituent relations
- Represent the Go Green! Initiative at community meetings and events
- Website management
