From the States, Australia doesn’t just seem very far away, but, as my oldest daughter kept reminding me, it’s also upside down. Thanks to doing yoga, I’m quite comfortable hanging out upside down, but I thought it would be good to summarize the differences so far on this journey Down Under.
Inspiration
The Virus in Our Food Supply
by guest blogger Alberto Gonzalez. I have many reasons for being against GMOs. But topping the list right now are the disturbing practices of agricultural giant Monsanto, which, in its relentless pursuit of profits no matter what, has dedicated countless hours and dollars to persecuting and prosecuting U.S. farmers for “patent infringements.”
Bruce Springsteen in Australia. Twice.
It was a coincidence that my long awaited and dreamed of trip to Australia coincided with Bruce’s first tour there in 10 years. But when I saw the dates, it was the first thing I actually put money down on. It was his last night in Melbourne, and my second to last night in Australia, and I thought it would be a good way to celebrate the end of my trip. It was!
Not All Compost Is Created Equal
By guest blogger Coach Mark Smallwood. Just as the statement “milk is milk” is patently not true, so is the idea that all compost is created equal. Here at Rodale Institute we’ve been making compost for decades. But it wasn’t until recently that we started to look at our compost under the microscope and discovered that not even all of our compost was created equal.
DIY Seed Starting
By guest blogger Robyn Jasko. Instead of buying transplants this year, you can save a ton of money by growing your own tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, kale, lettuce, and herbs, and more from vegetable starts—for just the price of a packet of seeds and soil. Here are a few simple ways to grow your own seedlings without buying expensive seed-starting setups or kits.
Oh My, Blood!
Whenever I go to a spa, I want to try things that I’ve never tried before. So this time I signed up for a holistic iridology session, where they look at your eyes and tell you about your health. But as the naturopath and I were talking, she thought looking at my blood might be a little more helpful, so I agreed. When I say looking, I really mean LOOKING.
Green Cleaning Myths
by guest blogger Deirdre Imus. It can be difficult—almost impossible—for the average person to make sense of the various labels on green cleaning products, and to decipher what’s good, what’s bad, and what’s truly awful. After all, the terms “all-natural” and “organic” can easily refer to substances that are indeed both natural and organic—and also bad for your health.
Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat
Gwinganna isn’t like the rest of Australia. It is the best of Australia in many ways. Before I went up there, I was telling some of the people at my previous hotel where I was heading. One said it was the difference between “chalk and cheese.” The other said it had changed her life. I wondered how my life could be changed in just two days. Now I know.
Scratch
Raised on America’s first organic farm, Scratch author Maria Rodale learned how to make everyday favorites from, yes, scratch — the way you remember them; the way they turn out best.
Order NowOrganic Manifesto
Drawing on findings from leading health researchers as well as conversations with both chemical and organic farmers from coast to coast, Maria Rodale irrefutably outlines the unacceptably high cost of chemical farming on our health and our environment.
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