April/May 2021 Sand & Pine by Sand & Pine

April/May 2021

SAND & PINE

Slow Farm

Regenerating the Land

Wish-cycling

Good Intentions Thrown Away

Taste of Spring

Embrace the Strawberry

Jessica Rowan

Broker

910.585.5438

Nikki Bowman

Broker/Owner

910.528.4902

760 B NW Broad Street • Southern Pines

realtyworldofmoore.com

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A Balanced Diet is a Cookie in Each Hand

K I T CH E N GOODS | BAK ING SUP P LIE S | H O S T E S S G I F T S L AGU IOLE CU T LE RY | S TAU B CA S T IR ON C OOK WAR E H OME DE C OR AND MOR E 2 | SAND& PINE MAGAZINE April/May 2021

1 0 0 M AG NO LI A R OA D, S U I T E 1 0 2, V ILL AG E O F P INEH U R S T W W W. P U R P LE T H IS T LE S H O P. C O M | 9 1 0 . 4 2 0 . 2 4 3 4

Photo: Kate Overton Photography

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contents 12

Slow Farm

SAND & PINE

Take it easy. What’s the rush? Regenerative farming on the Slow Farm is taking the long way around. And that’s just the way they like it.

Renewal

At the Table

What scenes or moments represent starting anew for you? We asked for images that define renewal and you provided.

The delicious, delectable, succulent, sweet taste of strawberries! Is there anything better to herald in the new season? We think not!

Pub People

Greg Girard, Amanda Jakl

SA N D & P IN E April/May 2021

Storysmith

Greg Girard greg@sandandpinemag.com

Creative Conjuror

Amanda Jakl amanda@sandandpinemag.com

On the Cover “I'll be clicking by your house about two forty-five, Sidewalk Sundae Strawberry Surprise.” – Tom Waits

Idea Inventor

Amanda Oden oden@sandandpinemag.com

Word Geek

Slow Farm

Lan Regenerating the

Wish-cycling

Rachel Dorrell

wn Away Good Intentions Thro

Ad Peddler

wberry Embrace the Stra

Taste of Spring

Debbie Jordan debbie@sandandpinemag.com

Contributing Scribblers

Darcy Connor, Christin Daubert, Brianna Johnson, Robert Nason, Amanda Oden, Patti Ranck, Mike Thomas, Claudia Watson

Our Girl Friday Iris Voelker

Visual Alchemist Steven Jordan

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P.O. Box 892 Southern Pines, NC 28388 Tel. 910.315.0467 info@sandandpinemag.com www.sandandpinemag.com facebook: SandandPineMag

Quicksand 6 Good Reads

Garden Variety

Beer Matters

Shop Local

Be Inspired 34 Pet Care 38 On the Fly 40

28 Wish-Cycling

We’ve all done it: Dropped some plastic in the recyling bin not really knowing if it is recylable but trusting they’ll figure it out at the plant. Well, stop!

36 Parenting in the Pines

It’s funny how the mundane can suddenly take on such signficance. Take garbage day. The ubiquitous truck arriving on the street each week is now a coveted event.

DIY

Dropping In

Puzzles

Last Word

editor note Since this is our annual sustainability issue, I thought I’d pepper you with some recycling facts. Did you know recycling one glass bottle saves enough energy to light a 100-watt light bulb for four hours and that one glass bottle takes 1 million years to break down in a landfill? We Americans throw away more than 11 million tons of glass each year. Or did you know that you can make 20 aluminum cans out of recycled material with the same amount of energy it takes to make one new can? And that recycling a single aluminum can saves enough energy to run a television for three hours? We Americans throw out more than 36 billion aluminum cans each year. Americans throw away enough plastic bottles each year to circle the Earth four times. Every hour, Americans toss 2.5 million plastic bottles, which totals 22 billion plastic bottles every year.

by Greg Girard

Did you know ... well, you get the idea. We Americans could be doing quite a bit more when it comes to recycling. I am not one to preach. Before I knew wish-cycling was an actual word, I could have been the poster child for that particular incorrect behavior. Empty, uncleaned peanut butter container? Toss it in. Caps? All bottle caps are plastic and therefore recyclable, right? Plastic bags? They take them at the grocery store, so why not in my big green bin? Part of the problem: American convenience. Several years ago, many cities, town and counties went to a “single-stream recycling” program, where we could suddenly dump all our recycling into one bin to be sorted out later at the processing plant. But that has caused a dramatic increase in contaminated recycling. On average today, 25 percent of the stuff we attempt to recycle is too contaminated and ends up in the landfill anyway. A decade prior, when we were sorting our recyclables and mumbling under our breath about how annoying it was, only 7 percent of recycling was contaminated. A case of convenience blunting progress. www.SandandPineMag.com | 5

QUICKSAND BY THE NUMBERS » EASTER BUNNY

The century when German immigrants brought the Easter Hare tradition to the U.S. The tradition was adopted quickly and Americanized, turning the Easter Hare into the Easter Bunny. The Germans also attempted to introduce the Easter Hare to Sweden, but it wasn’t translated correctly and essentially a long game of telephone ended with the Easter Wizard as Sweden’s holiday mascot.

The number of chocolate Easter bunnies, in millions, made in Germany each year; about 43 million of those are shipped across the globe. Although Germany isn’t a main source of cacao seeds, it is a focal point for Easter tradition, which is why they are one of the top producers of chocolate bunnies.

Numbers of publishers who rejected the story of Peter Rabbit—though The Tale of Peter Rabbit is one of the best-selling children’s books of all time. To this day the story is still widely known across the world with the most recent version being published in 35 languages.

1959

The year the Trix rabbit started his opening monologue, which ends with the recognizable slogan, “Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids!” As if the mascot and catchy slogan weren’t enough to make this one of the most memorable advertisements ever created, the creators partnered with Bugs Bunny in 1985 to further engrave the catchphrase into our memory.

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150

Number of cartoons starring the cultural icon, Bugs Bunny, between 1940 to 1964. Bugs Bunny was an icon partially because of the effort the original voice actor applied when voicing the character. Voice actor Mel Blanc even chewed carrots while recording to help immerse himself in the character. Later on in life, the Bugs Bunny character was credited with helping Mel Blanc communicate with doctors after a car accident left him severely injured. Instead of talking directly to Mel, doctors addressed him as Bugs Bunny, and to their surprise he replied in character. Bugs Bunny is the ninth most portrayed character in the world. He even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

9,359

The record, in pounds, of the world's largest chocolate bunny ever made. The behemoth was created in 2017 in Brazil. It broke the original record by weighing more than an Asian elephant—or close to onethird the weight of a cruise ship anchor.

LOOK, LISTEN & LEARN

OUTER SANDBOX ROAD TRIP!

Renegades Born in the USA Former President Barack Obama and legendary rocker Bruce Springsteen have teamed up to record a podcast in Springsteen’s converted farmhouse in New Jersey. Throughout their dialogues the two discuss growing up as outsiders, being role models and ways to heal a divided country. The talks don’t delve into politics, although their ideas and the topics may swing too liberal for some. If you’re fans of either, you’ll love it. Stuff You Should Know If you’ve ever found yourself wondering about El Nino, LSD, Satanism or grassoline, then this is the podcast for you. The hosts Josh Clark and Charles W. “Chuck” Bryant, both writers at HowStuffWorks, explain a wide range of topics that leave us feeling educated and entertained. iHuerting Starting a garden can be a daunting task, but with the help of this app you will be an urban farmer quicker than it took you to kill your last succulent. Get assistance turning your terrace, patio or small piece of land into a fruitful plot in no time with reminders to water and fertilize, as well as creative ways to prevent pests organically.

Road trip! Beyond the boundaries of our little sandbox, there is much to see. Here are a few events worth checking out. For events with a more local flavor, check out moorechoices.net. And check with locales before heading out! MAY 13–15 Outer Banks Bluegrass Festival Roanoke Island | outerbanks.org Music lovers from all over the world flock to the Outer Banks for this annual shindig celebrating the sweet sounds of the fiddle and the banjo. Listen to hundreds of bands and artists in a picturesque setting. We’re dusting off our dancing clogs for this hootenanny! MAY 15 Asian Festival & Dragon Boat Race Charlotte | charlottedragonboat.com The Annual Charlotte Dragon Boat Festival Race is an exciting team competition. An important part of the Chinese traditional calendar, dragon boat racing originated over 2,300 years ago on the life-sustaining rivers of southern China. The Charlotte race is an open competition to anyone 15 years of age or older, so grab a gondola and 21 of your closest friends ... and ROW! NOW THOUGH JULY 11 Golden Mummies of Egypt North Carolina Museum of Art | ncartmuseum.org Run, don’t walk, “like an Egyptian” to this exhibit on view through July 11, 2021. It features eight extraordinary gilded mummies and more than 100 related objects including papyri, jewelry and ceramics. Digital interactives let visitors see underneath the wrappings, which, depending on your point a view, could be really cool or really creepy.

QUOTES Often, when you think you're at the end of something, you're at the beginning of something else. – Fred Rodgers

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. – Margaret Mead www.SandandPineMag.com | 7

TO YOUR HEALTH

Health Tips Audio Audit Can you hear me now? We make regular appointments to the dentist and optometrist for healthy teeth and eyes but often overlook our ears. Besides doing the basics like wearing earplugs around loud noises, turning down the volume of our

headphones and not using cotton swabs in our ear canal, it’s recommended that you also make an annual appointment with an audiologist in order to catch any hearing loss issues before they become a serious problem. Lemon Livin’ When life gives you lemons, make lemon water! The sunny-hued citrus fruit not only makes your beverage taste better, it

also has numerous health benefits. Citric acid can help aid digestion, prevent kidney stones and reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. Plus it adds a touch of flavor to water that will help you avoid craving those sweeter drinks. Just squeeze half a lemon into 8 ounces of warm or cold water for the perfect healthy drink.

Tips on living a more sustainable life

Healthy Spice Spice up your life with turmeric.

Turmeric spice comes from the root of the turmeric plant and is commonly used in South Asian food. Part of the ginger plant family, turmeric contains the chemical curcumin, which is known to decrease inflammation. If you needed a good excuse to order takeout for dinner, your curry could help with headaches, arthritis and lower your cholesterol.

APRIL 16–23 Rock N' Run 5K Southern Pines 5k (Virtual & Live) runsignup.com

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Live Lightly

APRIL 17 Pinehurst Triathlon Pinehurst Olympic, Sprint runsignup.com

Dentists recommend replacing your toothbrush every 3 to 4 months. The inherent problem with that suggestion is that 1 billion toothbrushes are thrown away annually in the United States, which is 50 million pounds of waste added to landfills. One option is to ditch the standard plastic toothbrush altogether and opt for a more sustainable biodegradable bamboo version, which will degrade within 4 to 6 months. If you decide to stick with your plastic toothbrush, however, consider some other uses for it once it’s no longer brushing your pearly whites. Some options include using it to clean your computer keyboard, groom your eyebrows, wash underneath your fingernails or scrubbing grout grime off tiles.

JUNE 26 Spartan Trail Fayetteville 10k night run endurancecui.active.com

We K e e p t h e S a n d h i l l s o n I t s F e e t !

Dr. A. Anthony Haro, III

Diplomate American Board of Foot & Ankle Surgery Board Certified in Reconstructive Rearfoot / Ankle Surgery & Board Certified in Foot Surgery Fellow American College of Foot & Ankle Surgery Fellowship in Reconstructive Foot & Ankle Surgery

Dr. Amie L. Haracz

Diplomate American Board of Foot & Ankle Surgery Board Qualified in Reconstructive Rearfoot / Ankle Surgery & Board Certified in Foot Surgery Fellow American College of Foot & Ankle Surgery

Dr. Kevin W. Schmidtke

Diplomate American Board of Podiatric Medicine Board Qualified in Foot Surgery Associate American College of Foot & Ankle Surgery

Specializing in Ankle/Foot Care & Surgery: Ankle and foot disorders • Diabetic foot care • Arthritis Joint replacement • Bunions • Hammertoes Achilles & tendon injuries • Nerve pain Ingrown nails & nail problems • Ankle arthroscopy Sports injuries / fractures • Heel pain • Flat feet Corns & Calluses • Warts and wound care

Pinehurst Clinic

200 Westgate Drive, Suite A 910.295.7400

Raeford Clinic 313 Teal Drive 910.904.7430

Troy Clinic

522 Allen Street 910.571.5710

Sanford Clinic

1139 Carthage Street 910.295.7400

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Good Reads by Darcy Connor

Preschool/Toddler Please Please the Bees

Picture Book The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest Written & Illustrated by Lynne Cherry

Journey deep into the Brazilian rain forest with your little one to find a man attempting to chop down a Kapok tree. Exhausted from his efforts, he sits down, and soon the sounds of the forest lull him to sleep. While dozing, creatures from across the forest visit him and whisper softly in his ear, teaching him the importance of the trees and how each living thing is dependent on each other. But when he wakes up, will the lessons work or will he continue his chopping until the tree falls down?

Written & Illustrated by Gerald Kelley

As I get older, my fascination with the importance of bees grows stronger. Did you know that 75 percent of the world’s food crops depend on bee pollination? Without bees, food production would drop significantly for humans and animals. Bee populations continue to decline, so creating awareness for these essentials pollinators is paramount. In Please Please the Bees, Benedict the bear has a pretty sweet life. Every morning the bees leave a jar of honey on his doorstep, which he eats throughout the day. Oh, how he loves honey! But one day the bees decide to go on strike and Benedict must figure out what he can do to help his friends, the bees, so that they can once again make him that sweet, wonderful honey.

Elementary School Judy Moody Saves the World! Written by Megan McDonald Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

Megan McDonald has published more than 60 books for children over her career, including the award-winning Judy Moody series. “My hope is that readers see themselves in Judy Moody, with her strong sense of fun and fairness, as well as her flaws and failures,” McDonald said in an online interview in 2018. “In connecting with Judy and all of her moods, I hope readers discover their own authentic selves. And laugh along the way.” In Judy Moody Saves the World! Judy is determined to, well, save the world after studying the environment in her science class. She is shocked to learn of the destruction of the rain forest and can’t believe her own family’s “crummy recycling habits.” It’s time to roll up her sleeves and get something done! 10 | SAND& PINE MAGAZINE April/May 2021

Middle School The End of the Wild By Nicole Helget

Addressing the impact of fracking on the environment and communities, The End of the Wild follows the story of 11-year-old Fern where the woods near her home are a refuge for her difficult life. Her younger brothers can’t be controlled, her stepfather is out of work and it’s up to Fern to put food on the table each day. The woods are a place where she can lose herself to another world. But now a fracking company is threatening her sanctuary and she finds it’s up to her, and only her, to save it. A story of “life on the poverty line,” The End of the Wild explores the often difficult choice between environmental preservation and economic reality.

Adult Simply Living Well: A Guide to Creating a Natural, Low-Waste Home By Julia Watkins

This book, as author Julia Watkins describes it, pays homage to the generations that “solved all manner of problems” simply, slowly and sustainably. Replete with recipes, projects, good habits and easy tips, Simply Living Well offers practical guidance on living a more sustainable lifestyle in your home. Watkins also sprinkles in life philosophy to “simplifying, slowing down, working with your hands, making more, buying less, valuing quality over quantity, and living frugally, self-sufficiently, and harmoniously with the natural world.” The goal: we each do our part to help the planet and in the process we find a more fulfilling life.

5k FUN RUN FEATURING IN-PERSON & VIRTUAL RUN OPTIONS*

Starting April 2021 For more information and how to register please visit our Facebook event page or look for us on RunSignUp.com Sexual Assault: An Issue We Can't Run Away From *This event could change to fully virtual depending on current state safety guidelines.

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Farm

Regenerative agriculture is all about patience Story by Greg Girard Photography by Amanda Jakl

he start of the dirt driveway weaves its way through fields of pollinating wild flowers not yet ready to bloom. You then enter a quaint grove of trees as the drive curves gradually toward the first signs of a working farm. Then you see the goats and the edges of a barn the color of the clay that defines this region. The windows down, you hear the familiar welcoming bleats as the farm house comes into view. The pigs are next, but they don’t show you the

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time of day, at least as the car drives by. That’s when Potato and Molasses, well, mostly Potato, start barking. Potato acts tough, but a scratch behind the ear and he starts to warm to you without much fuss—just don’t mess with the animals lest you want to see his dark side. It’s not until Rachel Herrick comes out to greet you that the chickens, guinea fowl, ducks, cats, dogs, geese and pigs all begin to emerge, collaborating in a cacophony of farm life sounds. Slow Farm, a 47-acre private regenerative farm in

Cameron, is run by Rachel and her husband, Carl Dyke. They purchased the land six years ago with the aim of introducing a more restorative method of farming—hence the vision of Noah’s Ark in the Sandhills as we chat on the porch. We’ll get back to the animals in a moment. First, let’s talk regenerative agriculture, which aims to improve soil health by rebuilding organic matter through holistic farming and grazing techniques. Regenerative management

is about encouraging soil health and carbon storage through natural means, like crop rotation, composting, rotational grazing and low/no till farming methods. “We’re trying to be responsible about how much we give back and how much we take,” says Rachel. “What this farm lets us do is contribute in a specific kind of way to 47 acres and then, rippling out, we can help other farmers incorporate more regenerative, sustainable practices in their farms. And we can help people—everybody from

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folks with a backyard to somebody with an apartment balcony—contribute to ecological success in our own small ways. And although that doesn’t get you to the macro scale that’s really going to make the huge differences, it makes people care about where their food comes from.” That macro-scale of regenerative practices has become a hot topic in the agricultural world. Green America estimates that if 10,000 medium-sized U.S. farms converted to regenerative, organic farming, the emissions reduction would be equivalent to removing more than one million cars from the road. And the Rodale Institute, a nonprofit leader in organic agricultural research, has modeled that if regenerative agriculture was adopted globally, climate change would effectively be reversed. Lofty goals, indeed, but it does highlight the real need for farming beyond sustainable practices, or beyond the goal of simply “maintaining” current soil health. The United Nations estimates that one-third of the world’s topsoil is “acutely degraded” and within 60 years a “complete degradation” around the world will occur if restorative measures aren’t implemented. Meaning sustainable farming, while a step in the right direction, won’t fix the impending agricultural disaster. It’s why regenerative farming or “reversing” the degradation of soil through natural methods is so important to discuss. Rachel and Carl didn’t set out to become a voice or example of the 14 | SAND& PINE MAGAZINE April/May 2021

Carl Dyke and Rachel Herrick with Molasses and Potato at Slow Farm in Cameron

regenerative farming movement, but there were seeds within them that were waiting for the right time to germinate. Carl is a professor of history at Methodist University, and he grew up in a household outside Philadelphia that emphasized environmental ethics and the social and ecological responsibilities of land ownership. Rachel’s professional background is in fine art and conceptual sculpture. She grew up on a farm in Maine, so she understood the life even if her younger self wanted to escape it, and she found in adulthood that her art kept being influenced by her memories. So for both of them, the leap to regenerative farming as a lifestyle and business wasn’t too big, but that didn’t meant they came roaring out the gate. “When we bought the farm there was just a lot of crappy scrubbiness and small saplings and brush. The first crop we knew we could be successful at on the farm was fire ants. We thought

if we could somehow market that we would have been so rich,” Rachel says. “But really the first thing we did was we waited a minute. We looked at what the land was and what it had and what the critters wanted to eat. One thing that was important for us to do from the outset was to farm in a way that uses the land for what it is good for and not try to make this land something it just cannot be. So we got chickens first … they’re the gateway drug to farming for everyone. We got them for eggs and insect control.” From there, Slow Farm began recruiting “a team of lovable livestock to help with our land regeneration efforts.” Every species they’ve brought to the farm, from brush-eating goats and free range poultry to the New Zealand kunekune pigs and guinea hens, has a specific job to help restore the degraded topsoil after more than 150 years of tobacco farming. But don’t expect any overnight results. Regenerative farming,

KuneKune Pigs “coo-nee coo-nee”

particularly on soil so degraded, takes time—and patience. “Nothing is quick here, nothing,” says Rachel. “It’s a slow farm. It’s all a process. You start small and then you figure out where the sustainable level is. We improve a little bit, we expand a little bit, we improve a little bit more.” Everything has a place, everything is connected. The guinea hens are the “bug Roombas,” eating up the ants, ticks and grasshoppers. The goats and pigs graze on rotating acreage, naturally fertilizing the soil and stomping their manure into the ground. That natural fertilization attracts the dung beetles that “tuck some poop under the soil for ya,” which leads to the growth of mycelia, a nutrientabsorbing fungus. The mycelia means a return of the earthworms, which feed on the fungus and whose presence will further enrich the soil. Healthier topsoil creates better water retention, and so it goes. A day to celebrate: Planting small apple tree saplings five years into their regenerative adventure in pasture they naturally nursed back to health. “It’s an accumulation process,” says Rachel. “You start with what you have and then you improve it, so that it can support the next thing and then support the next thing. So for the apple trees, we felt the pasture was holding enough water and thought, let’s give it a shot. And that’s been true throughout the farm—all 47 acres are doing something.” For now, Slow Farm generates revenue from breeding the kunekune

pigs (see sidebar), but eventually Rachel sees revenue streams in planting native crops to apple cider and honey production. “One of the tricky things about regenerative farming is that what you’re doing doesn’t always mean immediate dollar signs. It’s a deferred dollar sign. So right now the big field over there, that was in part just straight up desert. It just can’t support anything. You need to bring it back to life before you can use it again.” And as we stand near the picturesque pond and the ducks and guinea hens quack and chirp and the dogs and pigs jockey for attention and ear scratches, there’s a sense of the ideal—the farmer whistling in bliss as she goes about her daily chores and talking freely with all her lovable animals. And indeed, Rachel and Slow Farm seem to fit the bill, albeit with a healthy dose of practicality. Regenerative farming, and the challenges it brings, is a lifestyle Rachel chose because of how much she and Carl believe in it. “I just think it’s important,” she says. “I come from the old school of farming. We didn’t do any of this hippy dippy nonsense. We sprayed everything with poison and everything was in a small pen. But, at the time, we honestly thought that we were doing it the right way. So I don’t feel the need to villainize anybody for doing anything they need to do, but it’s not what we do. “This ecosystem is about complex systems and understanding how every little part that we do connects with all

Kunekunes are a rare, small to medium sized pig from New Zealand that can grow on average 24-30 inches at the shoulder and up to 400 pounds. Kunes are extremely friendly, social, and gentle pigs and will form tight social bonds with their fellow kunes as well as other animals. The breed was developed by the indigenous Maori people as a lard pig and the name kunekune translates as “short and round” referring to its compact rounded physiques. Kunes are a grazing pig, and unlike most other monogastric animals, their efficient metabolisms can extract nutrition from grasses and other roughage. Kunes have short snouts that are just the right angle for grazing but poor for rooting. This feature is extremely important for farms interested in soil regeneration as it allows mycelia, a fungi food source for soil invertebrates, to be undisturbed. Kunes are diversely useful pigs and they are known for their rich, ruby red pork and creamy white lard.

the other parts. So our goal is to bring back the land naturally and share that with other people.” To that end, Rachel says, Slow Farm will continue working toward its four main objectives: Giving their herds and flocks a stress-free life; restoring the land’s fertility; working in harmony with native plant and wildlife species; and creating community engagement by sharing and teaching regenerative farming practices and techniques. Due to COVID-19, Slow Farm has stepped back from hosting workshops and tours, but Rachel is targeting later this year to open the farm back up to the public. Visit slowfarmnc.com for future events and more information.

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Opposite page: Brittany Raynor, Southern Pines Left: Abigail Niles, Pinehurst Above: Gary Flanagan, Southern Pines

Renewal “

A Photo Essay

As wave is driven by wave And each, pursued, pursues the wave ahead, So time flies on and follows, flies, and follows, Always, for ever and new. What was before Is left behind; what never was is now; And every passing moment is renewed. – Ovid, Metamorphoses

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Renewal

A Photo Essay

“

There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of the birds, the ebb and flow of the tides, the folded bud ready for the spring. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature—the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter. – Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder

”

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Opposite page, top: Wendy Smyth, Pinehurst Opposite page, bottom: Eric Earley, Pinehurst Top: Joseph Hill, Southern Pines Left: Carmella DiCarlo, Pinehurst Above: Marion Kelly, Aberdeen www.SandandPineMag.com | 19

Garden Coreopsis

BY C L AU D I A WAT S O N N.C. Cooperative Extension Service Master Gardener Volunteer

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oreopsis, a native of North and South America, is prized for its dependable nature, colorful, daisy-like flowers and long bloom period, making it a gardener’s must-have perennial. Tall varieties can reach 4 feet in height and are suitable for the back of the border and cutting gardens. Shorter, as well as mounding varieties, are more delicate and lovely for edging and containers. With colors ranging from golden yellow, rosy-pink, red and even a twotone apricot-pink that turns hot orange—coreopsis heats up summer. Very tolerant of soil types and conditions, coreopsis does best in full sun with moist, well-drained soil. Plant coreopsis in the spring and space them 12–18 inches apart. Loosen the soil to a

depth of 12–15 inches, and then mix in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost. Remove the plant from its container and place it in the hole, so the top of the root ball is level with the soil surface. Fill in around the plant and water thoroughly. Stake tall varieties to keep them upright. Propagate by division in the spring. Cut back hard if they become too sprawl. The plant is resistant to deer. Coreopsis can be an aggressive self-seeder and may form colonies, so plant it in areas where this would not be a problem. Deadhead the faded flowers to control self-seeding and encourage fresh blooms. When it needs to dividing, be sure to offer an occasional clump to a friend.

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Visit the Native Pollinator Garden at The Arboretum in Pinehurst this season to enjoy the colorful Lanceleaf coreopsis Coreopsis lancelota L. as it blooms midsummer.

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Mixed with other native perennials, coreopsis provides a valuable feast for bees, butterflies and other pollinators throughout the season.

/NCMGMooreCnty

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At the

Table

Strawberry dreaming

By ROBERT NASON

kin to the blooming trees and flowers outside our windows (and the swirling greenish yellow pollen), a fresh bowl of strawberries on the kitchen table is the tastiest harbinger of spring. Locally, strawberry season lands right within the dates of this issue (April and May), and what a great time to start visiting the farmers markets and getting our first deliveries from Sandhills Farm to Table. In the U.S., nearly 3 billion pounds of strawberries are grown each year. Strawberries are the fifth most consumed fruit in the country, behind bananas, apples, oranges and grapes. The fruit is loaded with antioxidants, potassium, vitamin C and fiber.

Strawberry Shortcake

sallysbakingaddiction.com Serves 10–12

Ingredients

Strawberries & Whipped Cream 6–7 cups quartered strawberries ¼ cup, plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 cup heavy cream Biscuits 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for hands and work surface ¼ cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons aluminum-free baking powder 1 teaspoon salt ¾ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed 1 cup cold buttermilk 2 tablespoons heavy cream or buttermilk Coarse sugar, for sprinkling 22 | SAND& PINE MAGAZINE April/May 2021

Directions

The strawberries we eat today originated in Europe in the 18th century and are a hybrid of a Virginian and a Chilean species. Before then, the native strawberries of Europe were small and lacked flavor and were often only used as ornamentals in gardens. In ancient Rome, it was believed strawberries would alleviate a variety of afflictions, including melancholy, gout, kidney stones, inflammations and fevers. French aristocrats during the Napoleonic era were known to bathe in strawberry juice. Madame Tallien used 22 pounds of strawberries for each bathing. We think it’s better to save them for a nice strawberry shortcake.

Start with the strawberries: Stir the strawberries and ¼ cup granulated sugar together in a large bowl. Cover and set in the refrigerator until ready to use. This time allows the strawberries to release their delicious juices. Make the biscuits: Preheat oven to 425 F. Mix the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl or in a large food processor. Whisk or pulse until combined. Add the cubed butter and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or by pulsing several times in the processor. Pulse until coarse crumbs form. If you used a food processor, pour the mixture into a large bowl. Pour buttermilk on top. Fold everything together with a large spoon or rubber spatula until it begins to come together. Do not overwork the dough. The dough will be shaggy and crumbly with some wet spots. Pour the dough and any dough crumbles onto a floured work surface and gently bring together with generously floured hands. Using floured hands or a floured rolling pin, flatten into a ½-inch thick rectangle as best you can. Cut into 2 ¾- or 3-inch circles with a biscuit cutter. Re-roll any scraps until you have 10–12 biscuits. Arrange in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or close together on baking sheet lined with either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Make sure the biscuits are touching. Brush the tops with 2 tablespoons heavy cream or buttermilk and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 15–18 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before assembling. Make the whipped cream: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until soft-medium peaks form, about 3 minutes. Slice the biscuits in half and layer with strawberries and whipped cream. Serve immediately.

www.SandandPineMag.com | 23

At the

Table

Small-Batch Strawberry Refrigerator Jam kyleecooks.com / Serves 24

Ingredients

1 pound fresh strawberries 1 ½ cups sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice ½ teaspoon lemon zest, optional

Directions

Wash and slice the strawberries, removing the hulls and green tops. Add them to a saucepan, and mix the sugar in well. Stir continually over medium heat, and bring the strawberries to boil. Once boiling, add the lemon juice and zest (if using). Boil for about 15 minutes, or until the jam reaches 220 F. Stir often, to make sure the jam doesn’t burn. Pour into a jar and allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate. Use within about 2 weeks (if it lasts that long).

Strawberry-Cucumber Ice Pops bonappetit.com / Serves 24–30, depending on molds

Ingredients

2 English hothouse cucumbers, peeled, chopped 4 10-ounce bags frozen strawberries 1 ½ teaspoons finely grated lime zest

½ cup fresh lime juice ½ cup sugar Pinch of kosher salt Equipment 2-ounce ice pop molds (ideal) Wooden sticks

Directions

Purée 1 cucumber and half of strawberries, lime zest, lime juice and sugar in a blender until very smooth; transfer to a large pitcher or measuring cup. Repeat with remaining cucumber, strawberries, lime zest, lime juice, and sugar. Season with salt and stir to combine. Pour strawberry-cucumber mixture into ice-pop molds. Cover and insert sticks. Freeze until solid, at least 4 hours. Dip molds briefly in hot water to release pops. Do ahead: Ice pops can be made 1 week ahead. Keep frozen.

Grilled Chicken & Strawberry Cobb Salad countryliving.com / Serves 4

Ingredients

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons lime zest 3 tablespoons lime juice 1 ½ teaspoons honey Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 head romaine Lettuce, torn

Directions

2 chicken breasts, grilled and sliced 2 cups sliced strawberries 4 ounces crumbled feta 1 cup cooked peas 1 avocado, sliced ½ cup sliced red onion

Grill chicken. Whisk together olive oil, lime zest, lime juice and honey. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside. Place romaine in a large bowl and top with chicken, strawberries, feta, peas, avocado and red onion. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with dressing. Toss and serve immediately.

24 | SAND& PINE MAGAZINE April/May 2021

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars wellplated.com Yields 16

Ingredients

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, gluten-free if needed ¾ cup white whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour (or 1:1 baking flour, to make gluten-free) 1/3 cup light brown sugar ¼ teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (or substitute melted coconut oil to make vegan/dairy-free) 2 cups small-diced strawberries about 10 ounces, divided 1 teaspoon cornstarch 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice from about ½ small lemon 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided Vanilla Glaze (optional) ½ cup powdered sugar, sifted ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 tablespoon milk (any kind you like)

Directions

Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 375 F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper so that the paper overhangs two sides like handles. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, ginger and salt. Pour in the melted butter and stir until it forms clumps and the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Set aside ½ cup of the crumble mixture, then press the rest into an even layer in the bottom of the prepared pan. Scatter half of the strawberries over the crust. Sprinkle the cornstarch evenly over the top, then sprinkle on the lemon juice and ½ tablespoon of the granulated sugar. Scatter on the remaining berries, then the remaining ½ tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle the reserved crumbs evenly over the top. You will have some fruit showing through. Bake the bars for 35 to 40 minutes, until the fruit is bubbly and the crumb topping smells toasty and looks golden. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely (you can speed this process along in the refrigerator). While the bars cool, prepare the glaze: In a medium bowl, briskly whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla and milk until smooth. Feel free to add more milk if a thinner consistency is desired. Using the parchment-paper handles, lift the bars from the pan. Drizzle with glaze, slice and serve. Notes: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To freeze, let the bars cool completely and do not glaze. Wrap tightly in plastic before placing in the freezer. Let thaw in the refrigerator and top with glaze before serving. (Bars can be frozen already glazed if needed.) If you want to use frozen strawberries, let them thaw completely and pat them dry before making the recipe.

www.SandandPineMag.com | 25

Beer Matters growlers). We are fortunate to have three great breweries in our area. But, if you’re looking for something in the local grocery store—aside from our local offerings—here are four breweries, all with ties to North Carolina, taking extra measures to make environmentally friendlier beer.

Saving the Earth, One Beer at a Time BY MIKE THOMAS

EVERY YEAR IT SEEMS MY FAMILY AND I become more environmentally conscious of how we do things at our home and the products that we consume. Craft beer, which is certainly a big part of my life, uses a lot of energy to boil water, cool beer and ship it around the country. It also takes a lot of water and energy to grow and maintain crops of barley and hops. I certainly would not advocate giving up craft beer, but we can go about making wise choices when we are choosing our beer. Obviously, drinking local is a good start in being environmentally conscious. Draft beer served at the local brewery reduces the impact of packaging and transportation (and many of them offer refillable 26 | SAND& PINE MAGAZINE April/May 2021

Appalachian Mountain Brewery AMB has donated nearly $86,000 to local nonprofits working to protect the rivers and mountains around Boone, North Carolina. It has also worked to reduce its carbon footprint by installing a solar-power system to offset reliance on the local grid (you can actually track the solar power generation at the brewery at enlighten.enphaseenergy.com. Currently, they have only been able to generate 1 percent of their energy needs from solar power but, as AMB’s report puts it, these efforts to increase energy transparency will “serve as benchmarks for future performance.” In addition, the company’s malt is sourced locally from small farms. The brewery produces several beers, including Boone Creek Blonde and Long Leaf IPA as well as a selection of hard ciders. Highland Brewing Company Founded in 1994 in Asheville, Highland is one of North Carolina’s older craft breweries, and has increasingly focused on environmental sustainability and stewardship. The brewery partners with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and RiverLink’s Adopt-a-Stream program, focused on environmental efforts in the Asheville area. A little over two years ago, Highland Brewery went solar, installing a massive array of more than 1,000 panels, which when installed, was the third largest solar power system used by a craft brewery in the nation. The system generates more power than the brewery can use. Highland has a long list of sustainability measures, from reusing dairy tanks in the brewing process to returning spent grain to dairy farms, along with a dozen different recycling and reusing programs. It also has more programs

planned, including methane-fromcompost and CO2 recapture programs. Highland has a large selection, including several IPA versions, a great Pilsner and an Oatmeal Porter. Mother Earth Brewing In 2013, Mother Earth Brewing, in Kinston, North Carolina, was the first brewery in the country to receive the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design’s Gold award (LEED’s second-highest level of environmentally friendly building certification). A six-kilowatt solar and battery system powers the Mother Earth brewery and taproom year-round. The Mother Earth brewery and taproom are the result of a renovation project that saved 95 percent of the initial building; the structure is insulated with recycled denim and fitted with usereducing feature on sinks and toilets. A 2,500-gallon cistern at the brewery

•

Great Beer, Food & Fun!

catches rainwater to water the garden and provide grey-water for toilets. And, when the brewing is done, Mother Earth sends their spent grain to local farms. Their year round beers include Vanishing Tides lager, Endless River Kolsch-style ale and Weeping Willow Wit Belgian-style wit ale. And their packaging and can designs are one-ofa-kind. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Sierra Nevada has LEED’s platinum certification—the highest level awarded—at its Mills River facility in North Carolina. The brewery pioneered many environmentally minded practices at their Northern California location and continues to upgrade their facility in the Tarheel State. At its Chico, California, brewery, Sierra Nevada generates about 20 percent of its electricity from a massive solar farm that covers nearly four

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football fields; its Mills River plant has only a fraction of the same number of panels, thought the facility is equipped with a variety of heat-recovery and motion and ambient light detectors to minimize electricity use. A major innovation at Sierra Nevada is its use of carbon dioxide recapture; at its Chico brewery, Sierra uses only a dozen CO2 tanks per year, as opposed to as many as four truckloads per week. The Mills River location is currently scheduled to have similar technology installed. The Mills River brewery is also the pinnacle of Sierra Nevada’s efforts to reduce the transportation impact of shipping beer; the brewery receives grain—and ships beer—by rail, partners with a local biodiesel firm and modifies its trucks for maximum fuelefficiency. Best known for their Pale Ale, Sierra Nevada has a wide range of seasonal and year-round options.

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www.SandandPineMag.com | 27

Wishful Thinking Turning good intentions into good recycling habits By Amanda Oden

o recycle something is to convert waste into a reusable material. Most of our households have a trash can and a receptacle for recycling, and once a week we wheel our garbage cans and recycling bins down the driveway and line them up on the curb, not giving a second thought to what happens to our refuse once the sanitation worker has whisked it away. It makes you wonder: just how much actual waste are we creating, exactly? According to the EPA, the average American person will produce about 5.91 pounds of trash daily, with approximately 1.51 pounds being recycled. Which means that 4.40 pounds of waste is the average amount of trash each person is sending to the landfill every day. Probably at some point or another, you have finished with a container (a drink cup from a fast-food restaurant or the packaging from an Amazon delivery). You’re through with it and it’s time to toss it. You think it’s recyclable. It’s plastic and plastics are recyclable, right? So, you flip it over to make sure. Yep, the telltale symbol, a triangle comprised of arrows with a number in the center. You toss it in the

28 | SAND& PINE MAGAZINE April/May 2021

80% of items in landfills could be recycled 25 trillion pieces of plastic debris are in the oceans and 18 billion pounds of plastic are added to oceans every year Americans throw away 42,000 plastic water bottles per minute There is no limit to the number of times you can recycle an aluminum can The U.S. throws out enough office paper each year to build a 12-foot wall from New York to L.A. The amount of plastic film and wrap produced each year could shrink-wrap Texas recycling bin and go about your day. Or after pizza night you’re about to put the cardboard box into the trash and think again. It’s cardboard and that’s recyclable, so it should definitely be in the recycling bin. Or should it? The truth is, many of us have no idea what we are doing when it comes to recycling, and that’s not our fault. We want to make the world a better place and leave future generations a healthy planet to inhabit, but most of us simply have not been educated enough about the specifics of which items are actually recyclable. We don’t want to throw away anything that could in fact be reused. Which leads us to the practice of wish-cycling. Wish-cycling is the act of tossing questionable items in the recycling bin, hoping they can be recycled. The logical thought is you would rather err on the side of caution than waste, so you toss the item into the recycling and assume, if that isn’t where it goes, the recycling facility can figure it out. But what happens when an item is put into recycling that should actually go into the garbage instead? Most recycling plants rely on complex machinery to sort and www.SandandPineMag.com | 29

process our recyclables. These machines are designed to recognize and divert a specific set of items accepted by your local recycling program. When things like plastic wrap, bottle caps or shredded paper goods get tossed in with accepted recycling items, it can jam up the machinery. It’s not uncommon for workers to spend a few hours a day fixing the issue, which grinds the whole operation to a halt and temporarily prevents any other items from being recycled. On average, about 25 percent of all the items recycled are contaminated to the point that the entire mass gets sent to the landfill. A good way to parcel out just how much your household is contributing to that percentage is to open your recycling bin and take a good, hard look at what you’ve tossed inside. Likely at least 1 out of 4 items you have included are contaminants or are, in fact, not recyclable at all. Meaning that due to time and budget constraints most municipalities and towns are facing, and in order to protect sensitive equipment at the recycling center, your entire can of recycling will actually end up in a landfill. Now imagine the same scenario for every house on your street, every single week. After a while, our recycling bin begins to resemble just another trash bin. So what are we wish-cyclers supposed to do? How do we reform are wayward recycling ways? How do we convert our good intentions to actual good recycling? First, familiarize yourself with the specifics for recycling in your exact location. A search of acceptable recyclable materials in Moore County alone produced extremely different results for Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen and Cameron. Next, print the guidelines out and keep them taped to your fridge or beside your recycling bin for easy reference. Just because some plastics are accepted doesn’t mean all plastics are accepted; just because you can recycle glass bottles doesn’t mean you can also include their metal or plastic bottle caps. Keep in mind: Contamination is one of the main reasons that recyclables aren’t recycled, so taking the extra time to give your bottles and containers a good (soap optional) rinse to remove excess debris will lead to better recycling overall. Greasy, oily, or foodcontaminated paper and plastic can’t be recycled, so either remove the soiled portion or throw it all out. Oh, and psst, this is the part where you have to acknowledge that your greasy pizza box needs to go into the trash can and isn’t recyclable after all. You also need to make sure that all paper and cardboard items stay completely dry. This is important because when paper gets wet, the fibers break down,

making it impossible to recycle. Soggy, wet paper or damp cardboard should be thrown in the trash. It should go without saying, but your local sanitation worker would probably like us to mention that soiled diapers are not recyclable, and should absolutely never be included in your recycling bin. One common misconception is that because something is compostable, it is also recyclable. Compostable products are made from natural materials like starch and decompose completely into “compost” without producing toxic residue as they break down. Compostable and biodegradable plastics are not currently recyclable and can contaminate the recycling process if they are placed into your recycling bin. There’s a big difference between “recyclable” and actual “recycling.” As much as we’d like to recycle everything into useful finished products, the reality is that many materials just shouldn’t go into that recycle bin. Turning your old milk carton into a detergent bottle, toothbrush or children's toy is actually a lengthy and often complicated process. Putting items in the recycling bin with the hope that they’ll be recycled runs the risk of contaminating recyclable material, which ultimately undermines the projected outcome of recycling at all. Education and awareness will be useful tools in curbing your instinct to wish-cycle, but the absolute best way to avoid wish-cycling is to dramatically reduce the amount of waste you generate in the first place. The biggest culprit in our waste crisis is typically source production, which means that reducing your reliance on single-use convenience products and rethinking your purchasing habits will have the greatest of impacts in converting you from a wish-cycler to a bonafide recycler in no time!

Local Recycling Guides Pinehurst vopnc.org/our-government/departments/solid-waste/ recyclable-materials-and-guidelines Southern Pines southernpines.net/DocumentCenter/View/118/ Acceptable-Recycling-Items?bidId= Aberdeen townofaberdeen.net/pview.aspx?id=2109&catid=29 Moore County moorecountync.gov/solid-waste/recycling

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2 1

Shop SP Local Spring Edition Nothing says love like a local gift. Show your mom how much she means to you by shopping local. And show how much you love your community by shopping local.

For new moms 6

1. ASYMMETRICAL DIP DYED SLEEVELESS DRESS A unique asymmetric hem with a dip dye design makes this dress pop. Easy to wear, this piece could not be easier to love! Get it at Clothes Horse Southern Pines.

2. AHDORNED HANDBAG

The perfect bag for a capsule wardrobe with endless options. Wear it shoulder or crossbody and switch out straps when the mood strikes! Pick it up at Cooper & Bailey's.

32 | SAND& PINE MAGAZINE April/May 2021

3. BAMBOO VASE

Put a spin on traditional vases by placing blooms in a line side-by-side. The result is unexpected and eye-catching. Find it at ETC.

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4. CABANA SANDALS

We are so ready for beach season. But in the meantime, get wardrobe ready with these sandals from Cooper & Bailey's.

5. KAI BATH

A light blend of exotic perfumes and natural essences, makes this the perfect scent for mom. Stop by ETC to stock up!

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LIGHT AND BREEZY

Our favorite poncho is this must have Bamboo topper! This poncho is perfect for every occasion. It's lightweight and has the perfect drape. Dress it up or dress it down for any occasion. Mom will love it.

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Embrace beachy vibes with this black and white lightweight tunic! Its airy composition makes it the perfect choice for warmer days: throw it over a solid tank and head out the door in style. Available at Clothes Horse of Southern Pines.

Clothes Horse of Southern Pines 163 Beverly Lane, Southern Pines facebook.com/ClothesHorseofSPines

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A burst of beautiful color in a comfy cotton knit top you’ll wear with anything from jeans to linens. Exclusive print! Available at Clothes Horse of Southern Pines.

6. BABY'S FIRST YEAR

Find this adorable baby book at Piggy + Co. It will help you capture memories from the ultrasound to the first day of school.

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Keep well-meaning people at arms length with this handy stroller tag. Made in Moore County! Find it at Piggy + Co.

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8. EARTH MAMA TEA

Chamomile and herbs help promote a sense of calm, relieve occasional anxiousness, ease tension and promote sleep. Every new mama needs a cup of this tea! Stock up at Piggy + Co.

Cooper and Bailey's 21 Chunquapin Road, Pinehurst cooperandbaileys.com

www.SandandPineMag.com | 33

( Be Inspired )

Sustainable Art BY CHRISTIN DAUBERT

34 | SAND& PINE MAGAZINE April/May 2021

I'M OFTEN ASKED HOW I BELIEVE “art” is defined, and I always respond with the same answer: Art makes you feel something. Nowhere is this truer than in sustainable art. You may think of art made of recycled plastic bottles or a sculpture from salvaged items when you think of “sustainable art,” but there is so much more to this movement. Just as impressionism follows the principles of spontaneity and creating art outside versus in a studio, sustainable art follows principles like ecology and social justice, as well as providing artists and designers the opportunity to rethink their creative approach to art. Some artists identify as Eco Artists because their materials and studio practices reflect a green footprint or they primarily use recycled materials. Others define their artwork as sustainable because it deals with or critiques environmental issues. Either way, choosing sustainability is another challenge artists decide to add to their process so that their pieces might evoke more from the audience. Some of the best sustainable art works blur the lines between science and design, which benefits both the environment and audience. It is through sustainable art that artists hope not only to change how their work is made but to inspire social and cultural change. Like so many issues we see or problems we want to fix, we may easily find ourself in a catatonic state asking, “How can I make a difference?” Even if you don’t consider yourself an artist or a particularly creative person, I want to share how sustainable art has influenced me to make small but

measurable changes in my everyday life. Sustainability, after all, impacts us all. I was first introduced to furoshiki about a decade ago when I received a birthday gift wrapped in a beautiful square of red and yellow floral fabric. I’m embarrassed to say that I didn’t think anything more than, “Aww, how cute and creative.” I had not heard of furoshiki and my friend didn’t mention the Japanese technique of wrapping gifts in cloth. Luckily my librarian brain bested me and I started researching.

Japan has lead the way in sustainability for centuries. The practice of furoshiki involves folding fabric around objects to protect valuables in transit. The term, which translates to “bath (furo) spread (shiki)” was first used in the Nara period (710–794). Fast-forward to 2006, the Japanese Minister of the Environment promoted furoshiki cloth in an effort to increase environmental awareness and reduce the use of plastic. So what does this have to do with sustainability today? I’m so glad you asked! Using fabric to wrap gifts for birthdays and holidays is a brilliant way to save the millions of yards of paper (and plastic) from being turned into waste every year. I highly recommend watching a video on how to tie furoshiki (thank

you, YouTube!). For the essentials, the cloth needs to be square (how large of a square depends on the item you’re wrapping). The most common sizes are 17 x 17 inches or 28 x 28 inches. Also, use a reversible pattern and a cloth that is thick enough to hold the weight of the gift. Wrapping in the furoshiki style can be challenging at first but the act of learning the techniques is all part of the creative process. The second sustainable art technique is one I came across on Instagram. The post explained kintsugi, which is the beautiful process of repairing broken pottery with gold. Not only does kintsugi eliminate waste, it embraces imperfection. Kintsugi, which poetically translates into “golden joinery,” celebrates the brokenness of each piece with golden seams, rather than trying to hide or blend it back together. If you’re a romantic like me, you can easily see the jump from celebrating the imperfections in pottery to celebrating our imperfect selves. I repaired several antique plates that had no apparent value (other than that they were beautiful to me), with gold mika powder and a two part epoxy adhesive. Like with furoshiki, I highly recommend watching a video or two to get a better understanding of the process. Also make sure you’re using food-safe materials if you plan on eating off them! Neither of my sustainable artturned-everyday-life-hacks may seem like art at first, but I know that giving gifts wrapped in fabric or celebrating those beautiful gold seams in my plates fills me with joy and accomplishment. I feel better knowing I’ve done a small something to reduce waste and add beauty to my world.

www.SandandPineMag.com | 35

Parenting

Keep on Truckin' BY AMANDA ODEN

36 | SAND& PINE MAGAZINE April/May 2021

IN THE

Pines

EVERY WEDNESDAY MORNING in my house starts out the same. Before the sun has even fully risen, I will hear my 2 year old stir, followed by the slap of his little feet on the tile as he moves quickly down the hallway. Then I will feel his tiny toddler hand grab my arm. “Mommy, it’s GARBAGE DAY!” he will whisper-shout until he’s sure I’m awake. I want to grumble that I’m exhausted—his 4-year-old sister has been having bad dreams and our newborn hasn’t slept for more than a two-hour stretch in a month. There are a million reasons why I would rather stay in bed until at least 7 a.m., but then we hear the rumble of the garbage truck’s

engine and I know we’ve got to move or we’re going to miss the highlight of Arlo’s week. We run to the living room, pull back the blinds and I hoist him up on the couch for a better view as the ubiquitous garbage truck makes its weekly rounds down our street. Every single time the truck’s arm grabs a trash can, empties it into the back and sets it back down, my son says “whoa,” with reverence. I wish I had grabbed a cup of coffee to sip on as I watch my neighbor's garbage, and then their recycling, slowly rise and then fall into the rear loader. My husband makes a pot of coffee every morning before he leaves for work, and it smells delicious,

realize that he is still processing all the major changes in our family dynamic and that he doesn’t mean it when he says he doesn’t love me. In my brain, I know all of this. Maybe it's the sleep deprivation or the postpartum hormones, but it feels like a knife in my heart and a punch in my gut each time he rejects me. So right now, I’m doing my best to connect to my son any way I can. And right now, that way seems to be trucks. Arlo’s been obsessed with all things automobile since he was 6 months old. He’d take off his tiny baby shoes, flip them over, and make a little “vroom vroom” sound. He adores the weekly visit from the garbage truck, but he

We brought his new baby brother home four weeks ago, and since then Arlo has informed me that he doesn’t love me anymore. He still loves his daddy, he reminds me (frequently). But when I tell him I love him, but I won’t go to the kitchen just yet. Instead, I snuggle closer to my son and rub his cheek against mine and breathe in the scent of his hair (which smells like baby shampoo with a hint of dirt). The truth is, I’m stealing every second I can with Arlo right now, so the coffee (and the bajillion other things I’ve been letting slip over the last few weeks) will have to wait. We brought his new baby brother home four weeks ago, and since then Arlo has informed me that he doesn’t love me anymore. He still loves his daddy, he reminds me (frequently). But when I tell him I love him, I get a simple “I do not love you” in return. I know that he is only 2, and now, suddenly, a middle child. And I

also gets excited about almost all large vehicles, whether it’s a “Diggy” (excavator), a “mixer-ment” (cementmixer) or a school bus. Crane trucks, fire trucks, taco trucks, you name it, he gets excited about it. Driving around with him in the back seat is so fun because you just never know what kind of interesting vehicle is going to pull up next to you. “Mommy, did you see that dump truck?!?” There just isn’t enough time in the day for everyone or anything, and I feel like I’m failing a little bit at everything right now. Am I spoiling him by buying a new truck toy every time I go to Target? I’m probably rotting his brain by letting him watch back-to-back episodes of Trash Truck

on Netflix while I try to get caught up on work or make Indy yet another bottle. Last Sunday, I was driving home from doing the weekly grocery shopping (or as I like to call it, “me time”). I was alone in the van, but caught myself yelling out “bulldozer” and “ambulance” excitedly as I passed the different vehicles on the street. I was enthusiastic at first to spot them but then felt silly. I was by myself and it seemed foolish for a 36-year-old woman to get so passionate about a passing motor vehicle. I wished Arlo had been with me when I drove past a semi-truck. Maybe we could have made that universal up and down

I get a simple “I do not love you” in return.

honking motion and gotten the driver to blare his horn at us. But for now, it’s Wednesday. GARBAGE DAY! I have so many things I should probably be doing, like starting breakfast for everyone or catching up on emails to clients. Maybe take a shower? But instead, I’m watching the sanitation worker methodically slog through our rubbish with my son by my side— happy that he is happy. When the garbage truck gets to the stop sign at the end of our cul de sac, Arlo yells “Thank you trash truck!” I sneak one more hug from him before another crazy day begins and mumble a concurring “Thank you, trash truck” under my breath.

www.SandandPineMag.com | 37

Pet BRIANNA JOHNSON

Care C A R E D F O R C A N I N E & C AT

Is catnip safe? How will my cat react to it? Is it cruel to give to my cat?

38 | SAND& PINE MAGAZINE April/May 2021

Nepeta Cataria, aka catnip, is a plant species native to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and parts of China. It is also known as cats wort and catmint. While it is primarily associated with cats, humans have been known to use it in tea as a relaxant. It has also been cultivated in gardens to repel certain insects. The reason cats are attracted to catnip is due to the chemical terpenoid nepetalactone. This chemical can turn even the most relaxed feline into a fur ball with the zoomies, but only if the kitty in question has the genetic sensitivity to catnip’s effects. This sensitivity doesn't emerge until a cat is around 3–6 months old. So newborn kittens will not have a response. Catnip sensitivity is hereditary: about 50 percent of cats have no reaction. When cats rub or bite at catnip, the nepetalactone binds with their olfactory receptors and produces euphoric effects. Smelling catnip has a different effect than eating it. Of the two, the most intense catnip experience is the smell. Researchers suspect that catnip targets feline “happy” receptors in the brain.

When eaten, however, catnip tends to have the opposite effect and your cat mellows out. Most cats react to catnip by rolling around, jumping, vocalizing, salivating and eventually mastering the 100-yard stare. Cats may meow or growl at the same time. Other cats become hyperactive or downright aggressive, especially if you approach them. The “high” lasts anywhere from five to 15 minutes, with no harmful side effects. It may take as long as two hours for your cat to return to normal and become susceptible to catnip again. Be mindful of over doing it—cats are unlikely to overdose on catnip, but they can get sick if they eat too much of it. Trust your kitty to know when they've had enough. And in case you’re wondering, catnip affects even big cats like lions! Catnip does lose its potency over time, so store it in the freezer in an airtight container. Is it cruel? I don’t think so. Life is short. Let your cat enjoy it.

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DIY

By PATTI RANCK, Indigo Earth Creative

Furniture Renaissance B

y definition, renaissance means rebirth, revival or restoration. So to me, the act of reviving and restoring a useful object is also helping to revive the Earth and to rebuild the damage we humans have done over the past few generations. One of my personal missions is to live more sustainably. I try as much as possible to carry that over into all aspects of life, but for the purpose of this article, we will concentrate on reusing. Instead of discarding older furniture (in this case a bench) and getting something newly made, we are going to take an existing piece and give it new life. Every time we reuse and repurpose, we are basically helping to reduce the landfill (discarded furniture can take up to 50 years to breakdown); reduce deforestation (by building less new furniture); and, overall, reduce our carbon footprint while restoring a little piece of history. Nice! Sounds more complicated than it is, but it is definitely more fun than it sounds. So choose your piece and let’s get started!

The Stuff

•

Drop cloth. I like to use old stained tablecloths, but any drop cloth will do.

Heavy weight or upholstery type fabric of your choice. Think about reusing here too. I find thick draperies are a good choice for projects like this, or even a little woven throw rug like I used. Just be sure to wash the fabric thoroughly first.

•

Depending on the age of your piece, a mask to protect your lungs from the dusty old, crumbling foam. Mine was disintegrating in my hands … very messy and probably not good to breathe in.

High density foam at least 2 inches thick. You can find eco-friendly latex and recycled upholstery foams, but unfortunately, you’ll most likely have to purchase online as I could not find any sold in our immediate area.

•

Cotton batting. Yes, you can find natural

•

An old piece of furniture with good bones. I chose an upholstered bench, but this tutorial can also be applied to a wooden chair with a simple upholstered seat—a good beginners project.

• •

42 | SAND& PINE MAGAZINE April/May 2021

100 percent unbleached cotton batting in our local hobby store! Yay! •

Phillips head screw driver or drill with appropriate bit.

•

Flathead screw driver.

•

Stapler remover.

•

Needle-nose pliers.

•

Claw hammer.

•

Marker.

•

Tape measure.

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Scissors.

•

Bread knife or electric knife (optional). This will make your life infinitely easier when cutting the thick foam, but if you didn’t already own one you can certainly make do with the scissors, but it’s a bit hard on the hands and you can’t get as even a cut. I used scissors, because that’s what I had on hand, and it worked fine. By the time you

layer the batting and fabric no one will see that your foam wasn’t exactly perfect. •

Craft glue. Be sure to check the label as there are several eco-friendly versions out there available at the local craft store.

•

Cheap chip brush or an old paint brush that has seen better days. This will work perfectly for spreading the glue.

•

Paint color of your choice. Opt for only those labeled No VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) These paints are available at almost every hardware store in almost any color or finish.

•

Fine grit sandpaper (optional). This is only if you would like your piece to have that “distressed” look.

•

Heavy duty staple gun. Mine is electric, which made the stapling a little easier as the old wood is typically quite dense and hard.

•

Upholstery tacks (optional).

The Doing 1. First, flip over the bench and unscrew the top from the base/legs. Typically this the top is attached either with L-brackets or the screws are tucked inside the corners. Be sure to put the screws in a safe place in a labeled envelope or bag. Sometimes these old screws don’t match up with today’s standard sizes. Not losing them saves you a lot of time and aggravation searching the hardware store for matching screws. This may or may not have happened—oops. 2. Typically the old fabric is stapled on. You can lift the staple a bit away from the wood using either the stapler remover or the flat head a screwdriver, then pull out the rest of the way with the pliers. If nails were used, remove with the claw hammer.

3. Put your mask on for this next part, just in case the foam is crumbling. Remove the old layers of fabric, foam and batting. Unfortunately, most likely these materials cannot be recycled, so please dispose of properly. 4. You will reuse the plywood base. Give this a bit of a cleanup and set aside while you work on the base. 5. I do not strip or sand off the old paint or stain and I do not recommend doing it. You can’t be sure what type of paint was used, so it is safest to just cover over it. I usually use a primer/paint combo and I have never had an issue with it not adhering over the old finish. OK, grab your brush and get to painting! It took me 3 coats to get complete www.SandandPineMag.com | 43

DIY coverage over the bright teal that had been used previously, might you might get it ion 2 coats. I like to let each coat dry for 12–24 hours, especially if we are having really humid weather, as my “workshop” is my garage—the climate will affect your paint somewhat. After all the coats are completely dry, if you’d like a bit of the distressed look, now is the time. Take your fine grit sand paper and simple rough up the areas that would normally show signs of wear, such as corners and outer edges. There is no right or wrong with this process. Just sand lightly here and there until you are happy with the look. 6. Now, back to the base/seat. Lay out your foam on the floor putting the plywood base on top to use as a template. Using your marker trace the outline onto the foam. 7. I actually like to cut just outside the line for a bit of added width. Use either your bread knife (with short, light, careful strokes) or electric knife or scissors to cut the foam rectangle. 8. Measure the plywood base add about 6 inches on each side. Use this measurement to cut the batting and the fabric. Remember, this will not only have to be long enough to wrap around the plywood on all sides, but also the width of the foam. Always better to have too much than not enough. You can always trim off any excess fabric later. 9. Time for gluing. This may seem like an extra step, but it really does help with possible shifting of the foam during use later. It’s good to make a strong foundation from the beginning than to maybe have an issue later. Pour out quite a bit of the glue onto the plywood, right side up, and using your chip

44 | SAND& PINE MAGAZINE April/May 2021

brush, spread all over, especially in the corners and at the edges. Press the foam firmly all over the glued board and allow to dry. I put some heavy books on top of the foam while it dried to be sure it was firmly attached. Let dry completely. 10. On your workspace, lay the fabric first, right side facing down, then the batting over that. Then place the plywood base foam side down in the center of the fabric/batting. Now, pulling taut from the center of one side, put your first staple about ½ inch from the edge. Do the same on all the sides, pulling taut and stapling in the center. Then, continue pulling taut and stapling from centers out to each corner. 11. For the corners, pinch the fabric together and hold straight up and cut off a triangle shape of the excess fabric to get rid of some of the bulk before stapling. You have 2 options here for finishing: you can either make “hospital corners” much like the way you fold your sheets when making the bed, or you can slow gather the fabric bit by bit, which has will give you more of a rounded corner. Pull very tightly before stapling. The fabric I used was very, very thick, so to be sure it was extra secure I also hammered in upholstery tacks all the way around. (If you feel yours will hold firmly in place with just the staples, then this step is not needed.) 12. Now flip the base with the legs over on top and screw it back together. Turn your bench right side up and you have helped save something from the landfill while adding a “new/old,” awesome, one-of-a-kind piece of décor to your home! Be proud! You’re on your way to a more sustainable life. Good job!

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Puzzles

BRUSH THE DUST OFF

DIFFICULT

Place numbers into the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains each of the digits 1 to 9. No guessing is needed. EASY

Across 1. Egyptian goddess of fertility 5. Relation 8. Terror 12. Routine 13. Not 14. Land measure 15. Leg joint 16. Printer's measures 17. Angered 18. Grin 20. Doughnut-shaped surface 22. Zero 23. New Guinea seaport 24. Proverbs 27. Message 31. U-turn (Colloq) 32. Meadow 33. Having stabiliser fin 37. Covered with scabs 40. Cathedral city 41. Otic organ 42. Lightning 44. Indian peasants

47. Hindu garment 48. Primate 50. Vases 52. Is not 53. Human race 54. Put to sea 55. People in general 56. Poem 57. Nervous Down 1. Vex 2. Male offspring 3. A particular 4. Having vision 5. Genuflects 6. Braggart (Colloq) (1.2) 7. Snuggle 8. More just 9. Color of unbleached linen 10. Greek god of war 11. Color 19. Falsehood 21. Paddle 24. Diving bird 25. Scottish river

26. Affirmative vote 28. Long-sleeved linen vestment 29. Beak 30. Time of sunshine 34. Merriment 35. Biblical high priest 36. Generator 37. Placid 38. Coral island 39. Excite 42. Whip 43. Sea eagle 45. Type of jazz 46. Drag logs 47. Take a seat 49. Cushion 51. Wily

HIP, HOP, THE HIPPITY TO THE HOPPITY Ladderword puzzles are like crosswords but with a twist. The words in the middle column are anagrams of the words of the first column. The words in the last column are anagrams of the middle column plus one additional letter. The anchor words (the down clues) are related by a common theme. Across 1. Rekindled 3. Percolate 5. Hazelnut 6. Long lock of hair 7. Most certain 8. Surgical stitches

9. Ghost 10. Plunger for churning butter 11. Inures 12. Flower 13. Most uncommon 14. Ravers 15. Darkness

16. Morose 17. Science of muscles Down 2. Covered with fur 4. Young rabbit

Puzzle answers found on SandandPineMag.com 46 | SAND& PINE MAGAZINE April/May 2021

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Last Word Greenwashing In 2010, 4,750 companies in the U.S. and Canada were surveyed about their conservation and environmental protection efforts. These were companies that produced things, and they were asked how “green” their production was. After analyzing their answers, a whopping 95 percent were guilty of greenwashing. Ninety-five percent! More recently, TerraChoice Environmental Marketing published a report finding 98 percent of “green-labeled products” are greenwashed. And when you account for a Nielsen report that found 66 percent of global customers say they are willing to pay more for sustainable brands, you can see how the moral, ethical and environmental lines can blur. Greenwashing is the act of creating false impressions and providing misleading information to deceive consumers into believing the company’s products are environmentally friendly. This deceptive practice can come in many forms, from simply using environmental imagery on packaging or claiming a product is “certified organic” without supportive information to the more insidious hidden trade-offs, like when a clothing company advertises using “recycled materials” for their clothing but does not disclose the greenhouse gas emissions, water waste, energy use, transportation, and other means to actually make and deliver the clothes. One of the most recent, high profile examples of greenwashing was Volkswagen’s marketing campaign attempting to debunk the belief that diesel emissions are bad for the environment. They claimed they had developed technology that allowed diesel vehicles to emit less pollutants. It turns out Volkswagen’s “breakthrough technology” was actually the rigging of 11 million diesel cars with “defeat devices” that were used to cheat emissions tests. There was no breakthrough environmental technology. Volkswagen’s diesel vehicles were actually emitting pollutant levels 40 times the U.S. limit. The car company was forced to pay a $14.7 billion settlement for deceptive advertising and cheating emissions testing. Another example was in 2018 when Starbucks announced they were banning plastic straws, coming out with a straw-less 48 | SAND& PINE MAGAZINE April/May 2021

lid, to help the environment. The problem: The new, strawless lid contained more plastic than the old lid and straw combination. Or S.C. Johnson creating their own “Greenlist Certification” to place on their products rather than using an independent, third party to verify their claims. So what can we do as consumers? How do we navigate this greenwashing corporate landscape and not be duped by green marketing wizardry? Experts advise using a simple checklist: Examine. See what they are claiming to be green. Is it the product, the packaging or the whole package? Ask. Search for proof. Does their website explain? If not, directly contact them and ask. If they don’t respond or dance around your questions, you may have found greenwashing. Research. Research claims to see if they’re making irrelevant claims such as being CFC-free. Look. Look for certifications and seals from independent third parties. Verify it is a true third party and that they can prove that the product is on their list. Ignore. Ignore the green imagery and other green marketing tactics. Get to the facts, labels, and specs. Question. Question the whole product. How is it made, what is it made out of and how is it supposed to be discarded? Don’t buy. Hold companies responsible for their deceptive practices through what speaks loudest to the corporate mindset: the bottom line.

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April/May 2021 Sand & Pine

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