This link will take you to the video of “UW-Oshkosh Topping the State for Solar Thermal Panels.”
Seeds are Turning
Photos taken by Zach Chisholm
This is our second year digging our hands through our soil outside our home. We have very little space to work with. Regardless, we are seeing positive results in the making!
We sowed our soil and planted our seeds (some that are organic) in the second to last week of May. We have received plentiful amounts of rainwater to naturally hydrate our seeds for much of the summer. The sun has done most of the work, leaving Zach and I with little care to give. Often we take some glimpses to watch our garden produce magic before our eyes. We then try to capture as many photos as we can during this amazing process.
We began with our herb garden, which included: oregano, basil, cilantro, lavender, and chamomile. Many of the herbs took off and are flowering beautifully! The picture above shows our oregano looking full and healthy. We are sure to trim the flowers on our basil to encourage growth.
Our garden has been producing quite a vast amount of organic eggplant. This is our first year growing eggplant and the vegetable has grown significantly over the past 2 months.
The jalapenos are close to its prime to be ready for picking. The tomatoes have been going through cycles of green to red. Our garden has been surprising us in many ways.
We had a few ear
wigs on our corn. They turned out to benefit our garden by being a natural “pest control.” The soil in our garden has been healthy without the use of chemical fertilizers.
Our bell peppers are beginning to transform from green to red and yellow. Our work in the soil is beginning to shine with results. This is an amazing process for our family to see. We can’t wait to bring our veggies and fruits into our kitchen!
Fox Valley Friends of Earth- Meetup
If you enjoy being Earth friendly, this may be a beneficial group~ Next group meetup is Thursday, August 11~Located in Appleton, WI.
Bristol Renaissance Faire – Illinois/Wisconsin Border
I have yet to attend a Renaissance Fair. The Bristol Renaissance Faire is going on now through September 5. Children 4 and under are free! This sounds like a great way to have fun, laugh, and enjoy the adventure.
Bristol Renaissance Faire – Illinois/Wisconsin Border.
Hartman Creek State Park, WI~Universe in the Park
Hartman Creek State Park will be offering Universe in the Park which is an outreach program from UW-Madison’s astronomy department. You can view the stars and night sky around 8:30pm Friday, August 5 at the park’s amphitheater.
Black Earth Meats
I have been questioning for sometime where the meat I give to my family and myself comes from? This includes: the farm, the butcher, and the store or market where I purchase the meat. To me this is important. I was happy to come across Black Earth Meats, located near Madison, WI. Black Earth Meats is a 100% organic meat market that butchers and packages the upper Midwest’s meat. The meat packaged here comes from organic farms in WI that have no hormones, no antibiotics, and that are humanely raised. I was impressed with their informative website. There are ways to follow the food chain back to the farm. This is an article that gives information on how to find where your meat comes from. http://host.madison.com/77squaresunday/article_d7f1367e-7a69-5bd6-9e9f-973d88e7506e.html
Artha Sustainable Living Center- Amherst, WI
Artha: solar water heating training and instruction, herbal and yoga workshops and retreats in Wisconsin and USA, Bed and Breakfast in Wisconsin.
I was very delighted to have come across the Artha Sustainable Living Center located in Amherst, WI. Artha offers green living retreats that include hands-on- workshops in solar water heating, yoga, and herbs. In addition, there is a bed and breakfast that may serve well for weddings and large gatherings.
Freedom Solar Roofing- located in Wisconsin
The Freedom Solar Roofing system is designed to serve a dual purpose of roofing and power generation. While most systems are designed to sit on top of your roof and need to be removed at great expense in order to re-roof your home, the Freedom Solar Roofing system becomes part of your roof and does not need to be removed or replaced during re-roofing.
Wisconsin Public Television
I’m big into the local food movement, and getting really connected to where we live via food.
via Wisconsin Public Television.
It’s amazing the variety of plants and herbs that can be found in our backyards. There is a helpful book named, “A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants.” The book contains numerous photos and detailed descriptions of the plant or herb you are researching. This can be beneficial to someone that is interested in wild plants and herbs that are grown in your community.
B-cycle hits the streets of Madison
Trek will launch its public bike-sharing program, B-cycle, Sunday with four bike kiosks. Thirty-two more kiosks, housing a total of 350 bikes, are planned by next month.
The initial locations are all downtown, close to the Capitol Square: Wisconsin Avenue and East Mifflin Street, South Hamilton and West Main streets, North Park and Spring streets, and West Wilson Street and Martin Luther King Boulevard, says Trek spokesman Eric Bjorling.
Three different passes — daily, weekly and annual — are available to rent the bikes with a credit or debit card at the kiosks. The rates are still being discussed.
via B-cycle hits the streets of Madison – Isthmus | The Daily Page.