Earth Day is April 22nd. Whether you attend an Earth Day festival or dust off your bike to run a few errands, I hope you find a way to enjoy the spring weather and renew your commitment to living green.
2009 Living Green Expo
At the award-winning Living Green Expo, May 2 and 3 at the State Fair Grandstand, you'll learn everything from how to compost and reduce toxicity in your home, to how to find the latest energy-saving technology, to how to cook with organic, locally grown food.
In addition to 270 exhibitors and 62 workshops, kids' activities, music, cooking demonstrations, alternative vehicles, and renewable energy demonstrations, the 2009 Living Green Expo will feature:
An Outdoor Living tent, filled with information about gardening, lawn care, composting, and patio options.
A green building exhibit sponsored by Minnesota AFL-CIO, including workshops, building experts, tours of a green building, and activities for kids.
Admission is free! Secure bike storage is available and Metro Transit is offering free rides using the Go Greener Pass. See you there!
Minnesota-grown food
As the ground thaws and buds start to pop, it is hard not to think about fresh food. The first Minnesota foods of the year include maple syrup, rhubarb, asparagus, and an assortment of salad greens.
April is a great time to make plans for fresh, delicious eating all summer long. Here are three options for locating local food.
Join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program to receive weekly boxes of food directly from a local farm.
Search the Land Stewardship Project's CSA Farm Directory for a farm that will deliver to your area.
Some farms will create a new delivery location if you coordinate several families. At our office, one person has arranged for the delivery of shares to the office every Thursday, making CSA membership easier than a trip to the grocery store.
Days of our green lives: Community events and resources
You can learn simple ways to grow your own food, at Do it Green! Minnesota's Organic Gardening workshop, April 4, 1-2 p.m., Do it Green! Resource Center (Minneapolis).
If you live up north, don't miss the Iron Range Earth Fest, featuring northern Minnesota food, music, organizations, and traditions, April 17 and 18, Mountain Iron Community Center.
The Elk River Energy Expo, featuring exhibitors, speakers, and activities for kids, is April 18, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Twin Lakes Elementary School (Elk River).
Celebrate Earth Day with art at Wishes for the Sky, a large-scale multidisciplinary public art event, April 19, 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Harriet Island (St. Paul).
Recycle that old TV at a local e-waste recycling event for Steele County area households, April 25, 8 a.m.-noon, The Retrofit Companies (Owatonna).
Minnesota-grown food
