Green As You Can Be

Cooler weather has come to the mountains. Hopefully, short lived.  In the mean time, it’s cold. We are like most folks here and do not want to turn on the expensive heat. We have a wood burning stove that I love. It does a great job but it just didn’t seem to get the heat out beyond the 6 foot range. I had a great idea of adding a small fan behind it to push the heat out into the living space. It worked. We’ve been toasty warm the last few days. Using the fan saves more energy than turning on the big heating units.

During all the rain we had this past summer, a neighbor lost a tree (right across our drive) The tree had been dead a long time so we have chopped it up and now have a fair amount of free firewood.  We really need to spend a day getting all the dead wood off our land. We have 6 acres littered with fallen trees. Lots to do !!

Jax

Sometime being green is so easy you don’t realize that you are. I have been caught up in the Fall craft season here in Western North Carolina. All I have time to do is work on crafts and hope I have enough for the next show. I made these cute little pumpkins that have sold REALLY well this year. As I was sitting out in the warm Fall sun, painting yet another 50 pumpkins, my mind was searching for some green projects to write about. I looked at what I was doing and realized I was doing one. I had painted scrap lumber from other projects, I was using half of a soda blottle to keep my brush water in, I was using the cap of said bottle to put the paint in. The ribbon and raffia was from some craft materials someone had given me. The stems of the pumpkins were from branches that had fallen on our property. How much more green could I be. (yes, I recycled the bottle after I was done with it)

Jax

In our latest video Ford Hall owner of Heirloom Timber Framing, Inc. in Brasstown, NC demonstrates how to put together a timber frame home. Also Jackie gives us an update on the “greening” of her home. Click on “Watch Our Videos” in the sidebar.

We will be taping new shows at the end of the month. If anyone has any ideas or wants to be on a show, (and you live in the TN, NC,GA corner of the world) please let me know. Let the world know that you are being as “Green As You Can Be !!!!

Check out www.blindpigandtheacorn.com on August 10. She’s going to be making homemade pickles and we can make them along with her. I’m going to try. I have my crock and all the ingredients except the cucumbers. I’m off to the flea market this morning to buy them. I’ll keep you up to date on the pickles.

Someone gave me a bag of ugly apples. I’m going to make applesauce from them. If I get 2 quarts of applesauce, I’m going to make apple butter out of that. One of my favorite childhood memories was watching my Pa stir the big witches cauldron of apple butter. My grandma would add the “secret ingredient” (red hot candies). Granny would makes several loaves of bread and we would all sit around eating the fresh apple butter. Yummy.

Finally I’m putting up some food for the winter. (I could starve if we depended on this) My family used to raise and put away all our food for the year.  I would like to be able to do the same.

Jax

Hopefully you have all watched Sue White’s video about her little “farmstead”. I ran into her husband, Graham at an art show in Hayesville, NC several weeks ago and he actually had some of their eggs for sale.  There is nothing better than a fresh egg.

You can catch a video of Graham and his woodturning on www.carolinacrafting.com

Jax

We have a new video uploaded and ready for viewing:

Jackie tours Sue White’s home garden which sustains her family with a little left over for friends. Completely organic, Sue shows off her chickens and how they recycle old wood into beautiful art. (Also see Graham White’s show on Carolina Crafting.) Check out “watch our videos” in the sidebar.

Jackie tours Candy Mountain Farms with owner Frances Juhlin as she explains how their produce is organically grown. Also how they get such a big yield from small acreage by the use of greenhouses and year-round planting. Click on “Watch Our Videos” in the sidebar to watch.

I had such a great time at our Earth Day Celebration back in April.  Hope you enjoy the video.

Jax

I am always on the look-out for green markets in our area. I had heard about the Varda Market thru our local Chamber of Commerce.  I drove out last Sunday to check it out. This market is just starting out for this year and I know it will grow. Robert, the market manager, has great plans. His motto is “if you grow it or make it” you’re welcome. Set up is free. You can call him at: 828.389.6396 or email: vardamarket@gmail.com. I know I’m setting up this weekend. Lane’s End Homestead Organic Produce will be there this weekend as well as mu favorite herb lady, Susan.  The market is open noon to 4pm each Sunday. It’s located at 590 Tusquittee Rd.

Come on out and support our local artists and local growers.

Jax