Sunday, August 17, 2008

"green" ideas we are implementing at the bakery

By recycling we have reduced our garbage from 8 to 6 cans per week! Plus the City of Philadelphia is now taking cardboard with the rest of the recycling. Kudos to Mayor Nutter for making "green" initiatives a priority.
We have stopped using plastic bags. Yes, there is controversy about paper vs. plastic but plastic bags, biodegradable or not, choke marine life. Plastic is also a petroleum by-product and we are trying to get the oil monkey off our back.
We planted a garden this year with heirloom tomatoes, herbs and peppers. John has been using the bounty for pizza toppings this summer. The most beautiful of the lot are the Slow Food(slowfoodusa.org) Ark of Taste heirloom tomatoes. Some of these varieties are prized for their beauty and taste and were near extinction. We need to grow them and eat them to save them! Irony can be delicious.
Laurel Hill Gardens in Chestnut Hill will be building raised veggie beds for us for the next spring planting. In addition to veggies and herbs we will plant native plants and flowers to attract bees and bugs. Bugs are good food for baby birds in the spring.
And lastly we are saving coffee grounds for gardeners who want them for their alkaline loving flowers like Hydrangea. Just ask!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

These all terrific ideas and I appreciate you giving them to us for the business association newsletter. If Laurel Hill Gardens is doing raised beds should we have a tour offered during the Garden Festival?
Kate

Apuch said...

yes!! That could be cool. I will have to spruce the place up a bit!! Not much will be growing at that point tho......

Anonymous said...

These are great ideas! A few minor changes add up. If we all play a part we can make a big difference.

Clinton