May/June 2013

May/June 2013

Take an

ECO-VACATION

15 &

ways to a greener

SUMMER

EXPLORE LOCAL

farms, gardens wineries

1

Greenability

Join the Metropolitan Energy Center this June as it celebrates 30 years of providing efficiency and sustainability to the Kansas City area. To learn more about MEC and how it can help you, visit www.kcenergy.org.

Publisher’s Letter

Make big summer plans with a smaller eco-footprint

T

his is my favorite time of year. I can plant a vegetable garden and still hold out hope that it will be a bumper crop. My family can host parties on the front porch and enjoy plays in the park, and the weather is usually perfect. The farmers markets are open, and there are farm tours on the horizon. Daylight lasts into the nighttime hours. And it’s vacation time!

To help you enjoy it all, we’ve found more environmentally friendly ways to do almost everything that summer allows. This issue is loaded with ideas for helping you host greener summer parties, find unique farm tours and plan the perfect eco-vacation.

If you’re thinking about travelling, but are concerned about the environmental impact it can have, turn to our special section on Eco-Vacations, and let the planning begin. We’ve found farm stays, nature trips, botanical gardens and a recycled wonderland of a museum full of repurposed waste and donated junk.

And we give you suggestions on how to minimize your carbon footprint while out on the road. There are even ideas for a “stay-cation” right here in Kansas City and Lawrence.

In our Challenge story, you’ll meet two young women from Lawrence who tackled a community garden start-up and, despite a squash bug infestation and record drought last summer, are ready to get out and plant it again. With assistance from the city of Lawrence, we’ve included tips on starting your own community garden.

We feature two farm tours with a total of 70 urban, suburban and rural farmsteads that will be open to the public for viewing. Meet the farmers, tour the wineries and talk to the gardeners who will share their stories during the Miami County Spring Farm Tour May 11-12, and the Urban Grown Farm and Garden Tour in Kansas City June 22-23.

It’s also time for the farmers markets to open. Check out our list and you’ll find markets for almost every day of the week throughout the season. All that local food will be inspiration to host a summer party. Read how it could be greener with less waste in our story 15 ways to green up summer celebrations.

If you want to keep up-to-date on all of the green events in the area, sign up for our free weekly newsletter at www.greenabilitymagazine.com, scan the QR code at right, or check out our events calendar on the Greenability website.

We hope our ideas for a smaller environmental footprint will help you enjoy this beautiful time of year even more.

Julie Koppen Publisher julie@greenabilitymagazine.com

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4

Volume 7, Number 3 May /June 2013

PUBLISHER Julie Koppen julie@greenabilitymagazine.com

OPERATIONS & CIRCULATION MANAGER Dani Hurst Brown dani@greenabilitymagazine.com

COPY EDITOR Kim Broers WRITERS Dani Hurst Brown Justina Gonzalez Eileen Horn Aimee Polson Michelle Strausbaugh ASSISTANTS James Gottsch Johannah Waldo GRAPHIC DESIGN Kim Tappan/Tappan Design Connie Saum

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Greenability

COVER PHOTOGRAPH Triple Creek Farm by Margie Manne PHOTOGRAPHY Ami Freeberg Baylie Marie Jabben Aimee Polson Rachel Anne Seymour Kim Scherman Cat Szalkowski Steve Wilson ADVERTISING Julie Koppen julie@greenabilitymagazine.com

WEBSITE MANAGEMENT Tim Gieseking COPYRIGHT All contents of this issue of Greenability are copyrighted by The Koppen Group Inc., 2013.

All rights reserved.

GREENABILITY May/June 2013 (ISSN 1938-5749) is published bi-monthly (6 times per year) for $24 per year by The Koppen Group, Inc., 1600 Olive St., Kansas City, MO 64127.

Periodicals postage paid (USPS 2020) at Kansas City, MO and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER Send address changes to GREENABILITY, P.0. Box 414056, Kansas City, MO 64141-4056.

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CONTACT US Phone 816-931-3646 Fax 816-960-4841

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RESULTS DETAILED REPORT DETAILED REPORT Based on the Cascades products youproducts selectedyou selected Based on the Cascades

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CONTENTS May/June 2013

Features

13 34 37

15 ways to green up summer celebrations Explore local farms, gardens and wineries Eat well from local farmers markets

ECO-VACATIONS

18 19 25 33

What is an eco-vacation?

Travel nearby for great inspiration with less impact Ramble on down to the farm for a hay-cation Head to the Rocky Mountains for a family eco-vacation

Departments

4 39

From the Publisher Greenability Directory

7

Common Ground: A Garden Incubator

KANSAS CITY’S MOST EXPERIENCED SOLAR ENERGY COMPANY AS A MATTER OF FACT,

WE DID THEIR

SOLAR INSTALLATION.

CLEAN ENERGY. CLEAR CHOICE.

.com

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6

commonground A Garden Incubator

By Aimee Polson

A young gardener enjoyed harvesting beets at the Common Ground Garden Incubator, a community garden on publicly owned land in Lawrence, KS. Photo: Aimee Polson

I

t is a well-accepted fact that diversity is the key to a long-lived and productive garden. Of course, saying it is easy; making it happen takes an abundance of patience. What are the good companion plants? What exactly is it that beans are doing to improve the soil? Can cucumbers be planted after tomatoes? What do I do with these freaking aphids, and why isn’t the nasturtium attracting them?

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Greenability Greenability

Greenability Challenge

Last year, the inaugural year of our community garden in Lawrence, KS, we saw a cherubic crop of pumpkins draw a few squash bugs that quickly morphed into a juggernaut of plantsucking death that swept across the entire garden. How do you deal with that?

When it comes to community gardening, as the garden goes, so go the people. Greater diversity in garden participation makes for a more stable and, frankly, more interesting garden. I met Justina Gonzalez last January when we were asked to collaborate on a new project spearheaded by the city of Lawrence and Douglas County encouraging the creation of community gardens and small farms on publicly owned land.

I had been passively following the city’s progress as a plan was hammered out. When the time came to apply, my husband egged me on, so I decided “what the heck.” I’d studied community planning with an emphasis in horticultural therapy and wasn’t using it in my university job. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to put some of that learning to practice.

I reviewed the application and put together something that I hoped was persuasive, if not downright moving. It included words like serendipity, discovery, rainbow, nurture and cooperate. Since this was the first year of the project, I had no idea what or who my competition would look like. I also had no idea how much time I would have to commit. I’d helped organize community gardens in the past, but didn’t have a great deal of real-world experience in gardening. I’d planted row upon row of seedlings, but often trailed off during the season so that my harvests were underwhelming if not completely in absentia.

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steps to starting a community garden

Whether you’re working with neighbors, friends or a local organization, here are some points you’ll want to consider before you plant your first tomato:

1 2 3 4 5 6

FORM A TEAM. Planning, building and maintaining a community garden is a team effort. Build a team that has the skills you need – from knowledge of local gardening conditions to experience writing bylaws.

CHOOSE A SITE. Look for sites that will be accessible to your participants. Vacant lots within neighborhoods or at schools can be great gathering places for growing food.

SET UP YOUR ORGANIZATION. What bylaws will you follow? Will you have a paid coordinator? How will you raise funds?

PLAN THE NUTS AND BOLTS. You’ll want to consider site layout, access to water, liability insurance, hours of operation, growing practices, etc.

GET GROWING. Engage volunteer groups and gardeners to get the site developed and ready to plant.

The more people you involve, the more gardeners will have a stake in how it turns out.

MAINTAIN THE MOMENTUM. Plan community workdays, potlucks and celebrations for growers to share food and ideas!

Both Kansas State and University of Missouri extension services offer great toolkits for community gardeners. Find more information at www.extension.missouri.edu and www.kansascommunitygardens.org.

The gardeners planted several varieties of carrots. Photo: Aimee Polson

Eileen Horn is the sustainability coordinator for the city of Lawrence and Douglas County, KS.

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Greenability Challenge

Top: Aimee Polson and her son, Dexter, did early garden preparation last spring with fellow organizer, Justina Gonzalez (right) and her husband, Ricardo Gonzalez, and Justina’s brother-inlaw, Rueben Gonzalez. Bottom: Photo: Kim Scherman

A few weeks after the application deadline, the project coordinator contacted me and asked if I’d be willing to partner with two others who had submitted proposals for the same space. Sure, less work for me! We agreed to meet and review our individual proposals so that we could resubmit them as one cohesive project.

Sadly, it wasn’t long before the trio became a duo. One partner had to move, and the garden would no longer be in his neighborhood. But the two of us who remained were still excited. Our garden proposal was one of five selected as part of the Common Ground community garden and urban agriculture program, which gave us permission to grow food on property owned by the city. The Garden Incubator was born.

My new garden partner, Justina, had grand and beautiful visions.

She made exciting plans for a discovery garden where children could walk through veggie mazes, crawl through willow tunnels and get lost in art rooms of alfalfa. There were fun and swirly paths, grape arbors, wheelchair-accessible tables, sensory gardens and a shed with a green roof. I did not keep my original layout, but I remember that it involved a lot of rectangles.

Justina and I had never met, but it was striking how similar our “garden visions” were. Hers were more artistic and child-centered than mine, which relied more heavily on a traditional community garden theme, but we still had considerable overlap. We both wanted to merge a children’s garden with a community or allotment garden. We both wanted to allow children the freedom to explore a garden, eat food, pick flowers and get dirty on their own terms. We wanted the garden to be open to everyone, not just those who signed up and paid for personal plots. Those common interests and goals made the beginning of our partnership relatively smooth. It was an added bonus that I preferred

At a volunteer day in April last year, gardeners helped build the veggie maze and get the Garden Incubator started. Photo: Aimee Polson

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Greenability Greenability

Greenability Challenge

organizing the people and handling the bureaucracy and Justina preferred thumbing through books looking for ideas, visioning and constructing.

We had big plans, and big plans call for big amounts of work, especially when you don’t have much money. We were awarded the site in February, the city helped clear grass from the land in March, and we began working right away. We had to get the site prepared well enough to allow people to garden by April – which is, coincidentally, when we were awarded a $5,000 grant. This was quite a boon, because up to this point, Justina and I had laid out quite a bit of cash, and we needed some relief.

I cannot overstate the value of the grant. It is part of a program managed jointly by Kansas State Extension and the Kansas Health Foundation in which seed money is provided to new community gardens across the state. This funding allowed us to buy all those little things that are necessary in a garden: hose, water wands, tools, etc.

More importantly, this grant allowed us to convert a one-acre rectangle of soil into a pretty amazing community garden in only a few months.

The grant purchased crushed rock for paths, fencing, a shed, watering stations, lumber for raised beds, landscaping plants, materials, blueberry bushes and plants for a veggie maze.

The grant also supported multitudes of opportunities to spend evenings and weekends doing landscape construction. We had a couple of volunteer days, but we needed to do plenty of prep work to make sure that the volunteer days were as productive as possible. That meant hours and hours every weekend, and some week nights were spent at the garden brainstorming layout, marking and remarking paths and plots, and leveling and preparing the site.

Garden co-organizer (front) Aimee Polson spent a day working in the Garden Incubator in Lawrence with (from left) gardeners Todd Kitchen, Ricardo Gonzalez and Aiden Gonzalez, and co-organizer, Justina Gonzalez.

Top: Photo: Kim Scherman Bottom: About 125 people visited the Garden Incubator during the Lawrence Urban Garden Tour last year. Photo: Aimee Polson

Bella Bryan and Tessa Vancil explore the Garden Incubator.

Photo: Kim Scherman

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Greenability Challenge

Peppers grew well in the garden last summer.

Photo: Kim Scherman

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Greenability Greenability

Justina and I each have one child (under age 5) as well as fulltime jobs. It’s not like we’re oozing spare time. Knowing that it was something I would enjoy and, optimistically, excel at, my husband actively wanted me to take on this project. But there is little on this Earth that makes him more tired than gardening, and his moral support did not translate into manual labor when it came to getting the site ready. Justina’s husband, on the other hand, made himself available at every opportunity and often brought his brother along to help. I was so grateful!

Not wanting to appear the slacker, I aimed to work at the garden alongside Justina and her family at every turn. Never mind that I was spending a scant number of daylight minutes with my family. One day, when I drove a friend by the garden to show it off, Justina was out there working with her husband and brother-in-law. I slumped down in the driver’s seat and kept on driving.

Our desire to make this garden great put a strain on our relationship at times. One rainy evening, I threw the mother of all temper tantrums when Justina confessed to removing some hose guards I had recently installed. She said they posed a danger to young children moving through the garden, and her own son had gotten hurt. I was concerned

Greenability Challenge

about the plants being whacked senseless by the hose. A wise gardener suggested that we put tennis balls on top of the guards, thus allowing both people and plants to avoid injury.

But we got past those hiccups. It turns out that a well-placed apology and frank discussion is an excellent “relationship fertilizer.” We acknowledged our strengths and weaknesses, and came to find a happy balance in which we complemented each other’s abilities.

As we saw an idea come to life with the people working, plants growing and community bonds being forged, I came to realize that just as there are challenges and difficulties in every garden, there are similar challenges and difficulties in every partnership. The best-laid gardens can often go awry, from awkwardly banked beds and unwilling laborers, to unpredictable drainage issues and bad weather. The bestintentioned partnerships can also founder on the shores of time and stress management.

But just as a garden blooms through care and nurturing and a little help from Mother Nature, a partnership can flourish, too. Gardening is work. Partnerships are work. Either can be rewarding on its own, but when they work in tandem, as with this community gardening project, the results are almost infinitely satisfying.

Squash bugs attacked the garden’s pumpkins with a vengeance. Photo: Aimee Polson

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Green Holidays

15

ways to green up

summer celebrations

By Dani Hurst Brown

Hosting a potluck allows your guests to prepare and share their favorite recipes and adds a range of diversity to your spread. If your guest list is large and catering the main meal is necessary, encourage guests to bring their favorite desserts.

Photo: Rachel Anne Seymour

G

athering together in the beauty of nature holds appeal for everyone, so it’s no surprise that summer is prime time for outdoor powwows and alfresco fiestas.

But parties, be they large or small, often contribute to large carbon footprints.

We took a look at some of the most common summer celebrations and found ways to add a bit of green to them. From one-time-use wedding décor to leftover food, weddings are notorious for waste and excess. Children’s birthdays and graduation parties abound this time of year, too, leaving hoards of trash in their wake. And barbeques, while a quintessential summer activity, can generate a heap of food and flatware garbage. Thankfully, there is a happy medium between throwing a party for a prince and throwing one for a pauper. You just need to take a few extra eco-steps.

This season, follow these tips to make your favorite outdoor celebrations a little lighter on the planet.

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Greenability

1 Give away leftovers

Take un-served leftovers to nearby community kitchens. The Bishop Sullivan Center, St. James Place and The Salvation Army always accept quality food donations as long as they have been properly prepared and safely stored. There are several Salvation Army locations in and around Kansas City for easy drop-off, and in some cases they can pick up the leftovers after your event.

If you are planning to donate event leftovers, contact the organization in advance to get donation guidelines and schedule your delivery.

Bishop Sullivan Center 6435 Truman Road Kansas City, MO 816-231-0984 information@bishopsullivan.org

3 Choose an outdoor locale

Take full advantage of the season’s natural splendor and host your party in an outdoor location. You won’t need to decorate nearly as much as you would for an indoor affair, which saves money and reduces your post-party trash heap. String a few strands of holiday lights around a tree or two, place a few bouquets of wildflowers in mason jars, and let Mother Nature do the rest.

4 Buy seasonal blooms The greenest floral arrangements are the ones that are grown seasonally by local farmers. Explore a local flower farm like Pendleton’s Country Market, 1446 E. 1850 Road, Lawrence, KS. Or make a trip to the farmers market and chat with each vendor to see what will be blooming around the time of your event.

St. James Place 3936 Troost Kansas City, MO 816-561-8515 information@bishopsullivan.org Salvation Army Visit www.centralusa.salvationarmy.org to find the location nearest to your event, then contact that site directly.

2 Make party favors do double-duty

Get creative with party favors by making them double as décor. Plant seasonal seedlings – herbs, tomatoes and rainbow chard are a few favorites – in biodegradable peat pots for decorations and giveaways. If you are naturally crafty, purchase a bottle-cutting kit (www.ephremsbottlecutter.com) and cut old wine and beer bottles into candleholders, centerpieces and vases that guests can take with them. For a child’s party, resist the temptation to buy the biggest, cheapest bag of plastic trinkets on the shelf. Instead, work with your child ahead of time to make favors that he or she will be proud to pass out. Baked goods and homemade candies are always a crowd-pleaser.

Just throw them in some cloth goodie bags and you’re done. You can also purchase used children’s books from area thrift shops and wrap them in recycled paper.

Wedding centerpieces can be elegant without breaking the bank. All it takes are a few wood slices, local and seasonal flowers and some crafty vases, and you’ve got rustic chic décor that can double as party favors for guests.

Photo: Rachel Anne Seymour

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5 Redefine the guest book

Instead of buying a new guest book that will just sit on a shelf collecting dust, consider repurposing stuff you already have or what you can make with what you already own.

Have guests sign decorative plates, refurbished windowpanes, or old wine corks that you can later display in a clear vase. For an even deeper green idea, saw wooden logs into slices (the number you need will depend on the size of the logs and your guest list), sand them and varnish the surfaces. Then stamp each “guest log” with a personalized homemade stamp.

There’s no waste here.

6 Make a piñata

Select the shape of your party animal’s favorite creature or cartoon character, or model it after the guest of honor. All you will need is a balloon, some glue, thin strips of newspaper, paint and a little time. Or make the piñata creation process part of the party. Simple instructions for a group décor activity can be found at www.mason.gmu.edu.

7 Host a local farm potluck

Ask your guests to make a favorite recipe from local food and bring the recipe, listing the farms from which they chose to buy their food. Then scan the recipes into a digital party file and email them to friends after the party. There will be no big-box plastic containers to dispose of after the fun is over.

8 Make recycled or repurposed invites

Find fun recycled paper to create your own invitations and thank-you notes. Or go a step greener and repurpose invitations and cards by cutting off the second panel and making them postcards. They can be as simple or as formal as you choose, and you can personalize them according to the occasion. However you choose to announce the party details or thank those who attended, get creative with using less and repurposing more.

9 Give useful gifts

Newlyweds and graduates are entering a new phase of their lives that often includes a major move, so don’t bog them down with extra knickknacks they don’t need. And kids definitely don’t need more cheaply constructed plastic birthday toys that will end up in the landfill. Instead, consider what the recipients might actually need, and tailor a gift appropriate to their personal journey. Give gifts they’ll actually use.

10 Use real or biodegradable dishware

Ditch the guest book idea and repurpose stuff you already have instead. Set your creative side free and tailor this project to your personal tastes and supplies. For a wedding, make and stamp “guest logs.” Then set them out with a few markers for everyone to use for signing.

Photo: Rachel Anne Seymour

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Greenability

A formal event calls for real plates and glasses, so no waste hits the landfill. But for an outdoor event, you may not want to haul dishes that need to be washed. So opt for biodegradable plates, cups and flatware. Compostable dishware can be found in some grocery stores. Check out www.sustyparty.com for a wide variety of alternatives to plastic and Styrofoam. You’ll find recycled paper, wood and palm leaf products and a list of stores that carry them.

13 Enjoy alfresco entertainment

Pack a picnic and head out to a theatrical performance in a local park. This summer, the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival will celebrate its 21st season with Shakespeare’s As You Like It. Performances run from June 18 to July 7 on Tuesday through Sunday evenings starting at 8 p.m. in Southmoreland Park, at Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard and Oak Street in Kansas City, MO. Playgoers can purchase food at the event, but nothing beats a picnic basket full of locally grown goodies under a summer sky.

14 Use natural charcoal The Midsummer’s Festival in Lindsborg, KS on June 15 is a celebration of the summer solstice as well as Swedish culture. Visitors enjoy traditional Swedish foods, songs and games, not to mention dancing around the Midsummer Pole.

Photo: Charlotte Anderson

11 Celebrate the solstice

The summer solstice, which is June 21 this year, is traditionally a time to celebrate fertility, nature and the amazing gifts of the season provided by the sun. The summer solstice is the harbinger of summer, as well as the longest day of the year, so spend this day outdoors. For a pre-solstice weekend adventure, travel to Linsborg, KS, for the annual Midsummer’s Festival, complete with Swedish food, games, music and dancing around the Midsummer Pole. The festival runs from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. June 15, and is free and open to the public. For more information, email cvbdir@lindsborgcity.org.

If you grill over an open flame, forego the lighterfluid-soaked briquettes and use natural charcoal instead. Conventional charcoal can release toxic byproducts when it burns, which can affect your health as well as the flavor of your food. Try an all-natural brand, like Cowboy Charcoal (www.cowboycharcoal.com).

It is composed of untreated maple and oak scraps from furniture and flooring factories, and is made without fossil fuels and fillers.

15 Make a simple sundial

Track the summer sun with your own sundial.

This easy, kid-friendly activity can be completed with recycled materials. All you need is a stick, a used pot of dirt, a place in your yard or driveway that gets full sun all day, a working clock and something with which to mark the ground. Stand the stick upright in the pot and set it in your chosen sunny spot. The stick will cast a shadow on the ground, allowing your children to mark each hour with chalk or numbered stones 002-0113-RRN-LeafGreenabilityMagazineAd_002-0113-RRN-LeafGreenability according to your clock. Have some summer fun!

12 Eat like a locavore

Grill local burgers and brats from farms like Good Natured Family Farms (www. goodnaturedfamilyfarms.com), Fahrmeier Farms (www.fahrmeierfarms.com) or Parker Farms Natural Meats (www.parkerfarmsmeats.com).

Prepare side dishes using fruits and vegetables from local farmers markets (www.kcfoodcircle.org), and serve your guests locally brewed beers and wines. If you want to step it up a notch, challenge yourself to a 50-mile meal, where as much of the food and beverages as possible comes from within 50 miles of your home or party venue. greenabilitymagazine.com

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ECO VACATION

17

Greenability Greenability

What is an eco-vacation?

By Michelle Strausbaugh

W

hen is a vacation not a good thing? Maybe it’s when

with sustainable practices. Check The International

the boss’s calls won’t stop or the e-mails back up

Ecotourism Society member directory at

in your brain. But certainly it’s when your vacation

www.ecotourism.org. Or just ask about the

travels harm the well-being of the planet’s other inhabitants.

hotel’s sustainability practices.

So when you go away, go gently. When you’re about to

Unplug unnecessary electrical devices in your home

make a footprint, step lightly. Practice the principles of

before you leave, and at your destination while you

ecotourism.

are not in the room.

As defined by The International Ecotourism Society,

Use public transportation, walk or bike as much

ecotourism is “responsible travel to natural areas that

as possible.

conserve the environment and improve the well-being of

Eat local food.

local people.” (www.ecotourism.org)

Take your own reusable water bottles.

Ecotourism is among the fastest-growing segments of the

Save water. Minimize shower and bath time.

global tourism trade, according to www.thedailygreen.com.

Use a hotel’s linen reuse program. If they don’t have

While travel uses resources and can harm the environment,

one, request that your linens and towels not be

it can also assist the environment, benefit local economies,

changed every day.

educate travelers about environmental issues and bring a

Recharge sustainably. Use options that don’t need

deeper appreciation of our connection to and dependence

batteries or buy rechargeable batteries for cameras,

on nature.

razors and flashlights.

Start by asking yourself a few questions: Do local people benefit? Are transportation effects minimized? Are local

Ask about composting and recycling options wherever you stay the night.

materials used and local foods served? Is sensitive habitat protected? Are facilities efficient with energy and water use?

Whether you stay close to home, cross the country or travel the planet to see the sights, choose the earth-friendliest options for travelers: Fly wisely: Take longer visits to one locale instead of many short trips. Offset your carbon footprint by calculating and offsetting your portion of a trip’s carbon dioxide pollution. Many organizations will mediate your support of carbon reduction through projects such as wind energy in North Dakota, rebuilding a greener New Orleans or promoting fair trade in Uganda.

Research the most fuel-efficient rental car, and if you don’t own it, rent one.

Travel light: Don’t take items that will become waste.

Even reducing the weight of your luggage will cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Book responsibly. Choose a hotel or tour operator Left: A rain forest, waterfalls, rocky cliffs and a river aquarium showcase a tropical eco-system at the Climatron in the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Photo: Laila Wessel, Missouri Botanical Garden. Right: Shaw Nature Reserve Photo: Missouri Botanical Garden.

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18

ECO VACATION

Travel nearby for great inspiration with less impact

By Michelle Strausbaugh

“Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher.” ~ William Wordsworth

S

ometimes the best vacations require surprisingly minimal travel and expense. Consider

a nearby location that takes you out into nature or inside urban places you’ve We

never

chose

explored four

before.

family-friendly

destinations — the Ozark National Scenic

Riverways

of

southern

Missouri, the Missouri Botanical Garden and the City Museum in St. Louis, and the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Indiahoma, OK, to get you started. We hope these tempt you to explore a natural area or find ideas to tickle your repurposing creativity.

Big Spring is the largest spring in Missouri and one of the largest in the world. Located near Van Buren, MO, it flows through the Ozark National Scenic Riverways.

Photo: Elizabeth Meyers, National Park Service

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Greenability

Ozark National Scenic Riverways This beautiful southern Missouri destination is the first national park area to protect a river system. It includes the Current and Jacks Fork rivers, two of the finest canoeing rivers in the Midwest. Visitors find the waters are also hospitable to swimmers, fishermen of trout and bass, and boating enthusiasts. This system is one of the few places on Earth where you can glimpse the Ozark hellbender giant salamander.

Round Spring and Devils Well are two of the park’s more than 300 caves that are open to the public. Visitors can explore the surreal sight of stalactites on a lantern tour underground. (Eco-Tip: Just don’t wear or bring anything that has been in other caves, to help prevent the spread of White Nose Syndrome, which has killed millions of bats.)

Above ground, hike park trails and go where the wild orchids grow among the many other wildflowers. There are three interpretive trails with exhibits and wheelchair accessibility, seven short trails and four longer ones. They range from 0.3 to 4.6 miles.

By day, go bird watching for hawks, herons, bald eagles and perhaps even the rare Swainson’s warbler. The area has glades that are rocky, desert-like landscapes where lizards, tarantulas and scorpions coexist. In contrast, horseback riders

have the hills and forests for trail riding on state and county unpaved roads and 23 miles of National Park-designated horse trails. (Eco-tip: Cross only at designated river crossings to prevent erosion, and don’t bathe your horse in the river because it will diminish water quality.)

Another awesome experience is viewing the power of the park’s springs. Vivid Blue Spring is more than 300 feet deep, deeper than the Statue of Liberty is tall. Big Spring has a daily flow of 286 million gallons, enough to fill a pro football stadium daily.

At dusk, settle at one of nearly 20 campsites, 10 of them “back-country” — on the rustic end of the comfort spectrum.

Rustic cabins are also available for rent. (Eco-tip: Don’t take your own firewood, since moving it from elsewhere spreads pests like the emerald ash borer and gypsy moth.)

Riverside by night, campers can see the “lightscape” unobstructed by city lights and hear the tree frogs, screech owls and whip-poor-wills without more urban interruptions.

Just for kids, there are weekend slide shows, designated activities to earn a Junior Ranger badge, and free river exploration kits.

To make travel plans, go to www.nps.gov/ozar.gov.

The Dana Brown Overnight Center in the Shaw Nature Reserve is a group of historic log or post-and-beam structures dating back to the 1800s. The center can handle overnight groups of 15 to 60 guests. Photo: Missouri Botanical Garden greenabilitymagazine.com

20

Inside the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Butterfly House Conservatory, visitors can see nearly 2,000 butterflies and moths. Photo: Missouri Botanical Garden

The Kemper Center for Home Gardening is the largest non-profit gardening information and education center of its kind in the nation. Photo: Missouri Botanical Garden

Missouri Botanical Garden St. Louis, Missouri Outside of a conservatory, it would be hard to capture an insect morphing into a butterfly. Inside the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Butterfly House Conservatory, the mysterious chrysalis is on display as its butterfly emerges to fly free with nearly 2,000 other tropical butterflies like the blue tiger, green birdwing and the Tanzania sunset moth.

To understand more about that process, the Emerson Theater shows the movie, The Butterfly Effect, an introduction to the creatures’ anatomy and behaviors. The Butterfly House is a division of Missouri Botanical Garden, located at Faust Park in the St. Louis suburb of Chesterfield, MO. Among other top attractions is the Climatron geodesic dome enclosing a tropical rain forest, waterfalls, rocky cliffs and a river aquarium. The dome’s 2,400 panes of glass are coated inside with a low-emissivity film, which helps reduce heating costs by retaining solar energy.

In the Children’s Garden, little ones can learn about plants and other aspects of nature, and begin to understand sustainability through hands-on activities. They can explore a limestone cave, ride the spelunker’s slide and discover wetlands.

Shaw Nature Reserve, another division of Missouri Botanical Garden, spans 79 acres at Gray Summit, MO, just 35 miles south of St. Louis. Its purpose is to inspire respect

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Greenability

and stewardship of the environment through education and public enjoyment.

The reserve originated as a refuge for plants rescued from the smoke pollution of the 1920s. The combined 2,400 acres of Ozark border region and 1.5 miles of Meramec River frontage has an extremely diverse native plant and animal habitat.

Working with the Missouri Department of Conservation, the reserve includes replicated prairie, woodlands, wetland areas and many trails. Rain gardens, bioretention and wetland detention basins are a few best management practices in use.

Habitat management and restoration include prescribed burning, correctly timed field mowing, selective thinning of woodlands and judicious use of herbicides for invasive species control. This enables the reserve to offer 14 miles of hiking trails through flood plain forest, dolomite glades, tall grass prairie, oak-hickory woodlands, savannas and wetlands.

The bravest visitors can attempt a tree canopy climb.

A certified tree-climbing expert will teach guests how to ascend into a tree canopy to sit on branches, limb-walk, lie in hammocks or relax in a suspended chair. Climbers must be at least eight years old. Specific dates are scheduled at both the Shaw Nature Reserve and the Missouri Botanical Garden grounds.

Shaw Nature Reserve “walks the talk” of sustainability by: m Plastic pot recycling. The garden staff grinds up pots and sells the chips to manufacturers of plastic lumber, retaining wall ties, and other recycled products, saving more than 1 million pounds of plastic from landfills. m Use of renewable energy m Improved storm-water management m An EarthWays Center staff working with the public, educators, students, businesses and municipalities to improve the built environment m Purchase of pupae from a sustainable butterfly farming operation in Costa Rica

Helpful resources: m Green Resources Answer Service offers advice from sustainable-living experts on finding green products and services, evaluating “green” claims and planning your green home or lifestyle project.

Contact: www.greenresources@mobot.org or 314-577-0246. m Plant experts can assist with gardening questions at the Garden’s Horticulture Answer Service at 314-577-5143. m Visit www.missouribotanicalgarden.org.

City Museum St. Louis, Missouri While you’re in St. Louis, take a trip to the City Museum for an awe-inspiring trek through a humongous, recycled wonderland of repurposed waste and wildly reconfigured castoffs and donated junk.

Its subterranean tunnels, 10-story slide, and Ferris wheel are the surreal vision of creator Bob Cassilly, who could imagine a use for discarded architectural elements and abandoned real estate. Cranes, old bridges and a bank vault are fixtures in this museum.

Inside the 10-floor abandoned shoe factory and warehouse are attractions like a circus ring with daily live acts and the Shoelace Factory, where an antique braiding machine makes colorful shoelaces for sale. Visitors can climb the “Slinky” refrigerating coil donated by Anheuser-Busch and make their way through a hand-sculpted cave system. The World Aquarium includes stingray petting and a shark tank with a glass tunnel running through it. MonstroCity features two Saber 40 aircraft fuselages suspended high in the air, a fire engine, a castle turret and two ball pits stuffed with large, rubber dodge balls. If your fervent desire is to see a school bus poised just over the edge of the roof, grapple with the world’s largest pencil or hide behind the largest pair of underpants, this is your vacation!

Other visitors suggest keeping a careful eye on children, because museum supervision is minimal. One suggested

Explore the recycled, repurposed castoffs of urban living at the City Museum in St. Louis.

taking kneepads for some of the more adventurous exploring, and many recommended not spoiling the surprises by learning too much before you visit. For a few logistics, see www.citymuseum.org.

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge Indiahoma, Oklahoma Fifty mammals, 240 varieties of birds, 64 types of reptiles and amphibians, 36 varieties of fish and 806 plant species can be found in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.

The refuge of nearly 60,000 acres was established in 1901 to protect wildlife species in danger of extinction and to restore species eliminated from the area. Bison, elk and wild turkey were reintroduced, and more recently the prairie dog, river otter and burrowing owls. Currently there is constant monitoring of the endangered black-capped vireo to ensure its survival.

Approximately 20,000 acres of the land is open mixedgrass prairie, the rest forest and rock outcroppings. There are 13 lakes and many small ponds for fishing, and two campgrounds open to the public. Fifteen miles of nature trails offer viewing and photographing sights for deer, elk and some of the approximately 650 bison at the refuge.

More organized, kid-friendly guided hikes are offered every Saturday morning.

This refuge also contains the perfect combination of elements for rock climbers: good quality granite and multigreenabilitymagazine.com

22

pitch routes in a wilderness setting. Climbs range from easy to highly difficult.

Children might enjoy preparing for their visit with the online “Let’s Go Outside” resource, including the “Book of Stuff to Do Outside.” They will find instructions for leaf and bark rubbings, star hunts, nature scavenger hunts, a waterscope and a nature collage.

The land draws a huge influx of spring wildflower enthusiasts, but the blooms are not just a spring phenomenon. According to supervisory biologist Walter Munsterman, wildfires and drought like those recently seen in the region promote wildflower growth, so it should be a good year for flower seekers.

The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge staff employs many environmental management techniques such as prescribed burning, mowing and planting native plants. Standardized ground and aerial wildlife surveys and vegetation surveys are conducted to inventory populations and document habitat use.

Explore the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge at www.fws.gov.

Top Left: The yellow lotus flower is native to the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge area. Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Bottom Left: Visitors to the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge area can see Texas longhorns grazing in the 20,000 acres of open prairie. Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

WE HAVE GREEN JOBS (and employees).

By partnering with businesses and job-seekers throughout the Kansas City area, the Full Employment Council is able to place trained, employees at businesses like yours. We can quickly respond to industry trends by providing trained and educated employees to help your company obtain the talent it needs for growth.

Interested in partnering with us? Contact us today at employerinfo@feckc.org or by calling (816) 691-2281.

The Full Employment Council, Inc., a provider of employment and training services, is an equal opportunity and e-verify employer. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. TDD/TYY: (816) 283-8439

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Greenability

BT_AD_GRN_FINAL.qxd:Layout 1 3/26/12 1 The Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge encompasses4:53 60,000PM acresPage of protected wildlife area in southwest Oklahoma. Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Every timber has a story Old barns, abandoned warehouses and fallen oak trees all have their own stories.

By reusing antique wood, we preserve the past, protect our environment and allow historic timbers and lumber to share their heritage with future generations.

If you’re considering the beauty and appeal of reclaimed wood for your next home, retail or office project, look to Beaver Timber as your resource.

Supplied by Nature:Reclaimed and Restored

913-831-2518 www.beaver-timber.com greenabilitymagazine.com

24

ECO VACATION

Ramble on down to the farm for a hay-cation

By Dani Hurst Brown

A

s the sun steps up into its welcome leading role, that

number of meals and a unique experience. Depending on

familiar yearning for a summer trip returns. From

the location you choose, you will be exposed to or immersed

faraway destinations to road tripping across the

in the often-hidden aspects of farm and ranch life. Visitors can

country, there is no shortage of vacation possibilities. But for

take part in morning and evening chores, relax in a variety of

urbanites looking for an adventure in food and a lesson in

guesthouses, and enjoy the local sights, sounds and smells

where it comes from, there’s no place like visiting a farm or

of farm life.

ranch for a “hay-cation.”

As more people shirk the typical vacation template in favor

A hay-cation is more than just a visit to the farm. It’s a farm

of a down-to-earth, educational experience, hay-cations

stay where guests get an opportunity to enjoy the ebb and

are growing in popularity. We found six locations that offer

flow of the season and try out farm life, if only for a short time.

guests genuine ranch and farm experiences within seven

Each farm is unique, but most offer a place to stay, a specific

hours driving time from downtown Kansas City.

Triple Creek Farm welcomes visitors to explore its 42 acres of rolling hills and mingle with the local tenants. Photo: Margie Manne

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Greenability

When they aren’t hiking, fishing or relaxing by the lake or swimming pool, guests can take part in all sorts of farm work. Depending on the season and what needs to be done at the time, visitors can help with gardening and harvesting, planting and pruning berry bushes, trail maintenance and feeding chickens, and can observe the farmers tending to their bees.

For more information about the farm, rates, and other amenities, visit www.bergerguesthouse.com or call 573-834-5057. The farm is located at 3691 Hwy. B, Berger, MO.

Dogwood Hills B&B Harriet, Arkansas At Triple Creek Farm near Berger, MO, there are two guest suites with kitchen facilities. Guests can enjoy the fruits and vegetables in season on the farm, and when available, fresh chicken and duck eggs. Photo: Margie Manne

About five and a half hours south of Kansas City amid the Ozark Mountains in Harriet, AR, sits Dogwood Hills B&B. Dogwood Hills is an organic farmstead on 72 acres that is

Triple Creek Farm Franklin County, Missouri Situated on 42 acres in Franklin County, MO, the Berger Guesthouse at Triple Creek Farm is an intimate setting for a quiet getaway. Complete with rolling hills, a majestic lake, wildlife galore and a variety of farm animals, there is enough to keep you entertained for the length of your stay without completely monopolizing your free time.

Triple Creek is a working farm that provides its guests

home to a number of goats (used for meat, dairy and fiber), cows, fiber sheep, angora rabbits, chickens, ducks, a minihorse, livestock guardian dogs and three horses, as well as an organic garden. It is the hope of owners Thomas and Ruth Pepler that guests find a home away from home among their domestic menagerie.

The owners recently built a visitor-friendly barn where guests can help with milking, learn how to make butter, card and spin wool on a drop spindle, collect eggs, bottle-feed baby animals as needed and groom the mini horse. On-farm

with comfortable accommodations, but is not a full-service bed-and-breakfast. Instead, guests have the freedom to choose when and what they eat, allowing for creative meal preparation and quality family time around the table. Guests are welcome to fruits and vegetables harvested from the garden and orchard as well as any fish they catch from the pond. Also, depending on availability, the owners furnish their visitors with fresh chicken and duck eggs, as well as tasty farmers market items like lamb, pork and beef.

The owners of Triple Creek are repurposing fanatics.

They recently renovated a guesthouse with repurposed light fixtures, wood, hardware and furnishings. They are in the process of reconstructing an antique Lord and Burnham glass greenhouse that they rescued from a trash heap.

The Berger Guesthouse consists of two similar suites, which come equipped with a flat screen TV and private bathroom.

The Sunrise Suite has a king-sized bed and a larger fully equipped kitchen. The Sunset Suite has a queen-sized bed and a kitchenette with a smaller refrigerator, gas stove and cooking basics.

Goats are just one of the many types of animals that call Dogwood Hills home.

Guests can also interact with sheep, cows, chickens, angora rabbits, ducks, a mini-horse, livestock guardian dogs and horses. Photo: Dogwood Hills B&B greenabilitymagazine.com

26

activities include gathering eggs, feeding the animals, and checking in on the babies as they arrive. Guests can take part in classes, which range seasonally from fiber demonstrations to making cheese and baking bread.

Bucks and Spurs Guest Ranch Ava, Missouri The Flying H Ranch, home to the Bucks and Spurs Guest

For off-farm entertainment, avid hikers can ramble along

Ranch, is a working horse and cattle ranch that sprawls over

the rugged perimeter trail that circles the 72 acres, or check

700 acres in the Ozark Mountains of Ava, MO. Guests can

out the many trails in the nearby Buffalo National Forest.

enjoy an authentic ranch experience through a variety of

More than 40 fenced acres have hiking trails throughout the

activities, including herding cows, going on cattle drives, and,

woods where their free-ranged goats and chickens roam.

of course, horseback riding. Bucks and Spurs Guest Ranch

Canoeing and swimming are also popular summer pastimes.

welcomes all levels of horseback riding experience, and will

The guest house has three bedrooms, two full bathrooms,

tailor the schedule to visitors’ interests and ability levels.

a full kitchen, a dining area that seats eight people, a living

A typical day will start with a family-style breakfast in the main

room equipped with family games and a TV with DVD and

ranch house. Guests can then help with the horse grooming,

VCR, and laundry facilities. The master bedroom has a private

saddles and tack in preparation for the morning ride. Those

bath and views on three sides. There are also two guest

with less riding experience can request additional riding

rooms, one with a queen bed and one with two twin beds. A

instruction. Lunch may be eaten as a saddlebag picnic along

queen sleeper sofa in the living room provides extra sleeping

the river before heading back to the main ranch to water and

space. On the back deck, there is a hot tub and grill.

rest the horses. The afternoon activities are fluid, depending

Dogwood Hills does not offer a full-service menu for all

on guests’ interests and the chores needing to be done.

meals, but does provide breakfast items that guests can

Visitors can also fish, swim, kayak, canoe and ride inflatable

prepare and eat on their own schedule, which can include

inner tubes on the river running near the ranch. After a home-

homemade breads, granola, cobblers, and some of their

cooked dinner and any additional chores or activities, guests

famous scones. They also keep basic pantry items stocked

can relax around a roaring campfire and gaze at the stars.

and offer guests fresh produce, eggs, butter and milk as they

“Our family have been cowboys, ranchers and farmers for

are available. Guests will often bring their own groceries to

five generations,” said Cecil Huff, co-owner. “We call our

cover the rest of their meals.

guest business the ‘guest ranch’ because we include our

To learn more, visit www.dogwoodhillsbb.com, or

guests in what we do. Real, everyday ranch work and all the

call 870-448-4870. The farm is located at 544 Cozahome Rd.,

fun is just what we do for ourselves, children, grandchildren,

Harriet, AR.

friends and family.”

The owners of Dogwood Hills B&B recently built a visitor-friendly barn where visitors can help with all kinds of farm chores, including collecting eggs, bottlefeeding baby animals and milking. Photo: Dogwood Hills B&B

Visitors to the Bucks and Spurs Guest Ranch can experience authentic ranch chores and activities, including herding cows, cattle drives and horseback riding.

Photo: Bucks and Spurs Guest Ranch

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Greenability

At Bucks and Spurs Guest Ranch, visitors can choose between two available lodgings, one of which is this cedar lodge. It comes complete with three full baths and three private rooms, plus a large wrap-around covered porch. Photo: Bucks and Spurs Guest Ranch

Visitors can reserve one of two guesthouses on the ranch.

A cedar lodge has three full baths and three private rooms,

hills of New Boston, MO, and offers a variety of activities and entertainment options.

plus a large wrap-around covered porch. A wood cabin has

Guests can choose from a number of adventure packages.

two private full baths and two private bedrooms. This cabin

The most popular farm stay provides a family of four with

features oak logs harvested from the ranch and solid walnut

four nights at the farm plus all meals, including a picnic on

beams and walnut paneling.

the grounds. A wide range of activities and experiences,

All meals, which are included, can feature fresh eggs and

such as feeding cows and calves, putting up hay, observing

bacon, biscuits or buttermilk pancakes for breakfast and

the use of farm equipment, harvesting from the garden and

grilled steaks, pot roast, steak burgers, southwestern meals,

orchard, an old-fashioned taffy pull, and touring a nearby

all-natural chicken and wild-caught fish for lunch and dinner.

dairy farm or soybean farm are included. Guests can also take

Check out www.bucksandspurs.com or call 417-683-2381

part in demonstrations and learn how to churn butter and

for more information. The ranch mailing address is HC 71 Box

bake bread. Badger Hill offers Fair Chase Whitetail hunts,

163, Ava, MO.

a fishing adventure, and a Native American artifact hunting

Badger Hill Farm New Boston, Missouri

adventure, where guests can hunt in creek beds for artifacts

Badger Hill Farm has been a family-owned operation for four generations, and is steeped in history and tradition. The

with an expert in the field. The prices for the farm stay and artifact adventures include all meals. The hunting and fishing adventures do not, but guests can purchase additional meals as needed, or travel to nearby restaurants.

farm is named after the hill that one of the family grandfathers

“We try to give our guests a true farm life experience as

had to traverse — often in slick and dangerous conditions

our ancestors lived, without being too primitive,” says Arlene

— in order to deliver the U.S. mail, first on horseback, then

McCollum, co-owner of Badger Hill. “We try to involve

later on a motorcycle. The farm sits on 600 acres in the rolling

people with whatever needs to be done around the farm.” greenabilitymagazine.com

28

Buffalo Creek Guest Ranch Talihina, Oklahoma If you’ve ever yearned to experience the days your grandparents talked about — where ingredients were harvested from the garden in the morning and prepared by hand for dinner that night, where the stars weren’t drowned out by lights and you slept with the windows open listening to the sounds of the night — then Buffalo Creek Guest Ranch might be the perfect hay-cation for you. Tucked away in the mountains of southeast Oklahoma, Buffalo Creek offers its guests a blend of authentic ranch experiences in a bed-andbreakfast environment.

As a 1,000-acre working cattle ranch, Buffalo Creek invites its guests to be as involved in the operation as they want. Ranch Badger Hill Farm sits on 600 acres in the gently sloping hills of New Boston, MO, and offers a variety of activities and entertainment options, including feeding cows and calves, putting up hay, observing the use of farm equipment and harvesting from the garden and orchard. Photo: Badger Hill Farm.

chores can include helping herd cattle, feeding the animals and operating tractors. Off-ranch activities range from hiking, biking and fishing to swimming, shooting and riding.

Visitors to Buffalo Creek can choose between two suites, one

Visitors to the farm can also explore the surrounding historical

with a king-sized bed and one with a queen-sized bed. Both

towns and antiquing havens. The farm is a short drive away

have a gas-burning log fireplace, double whirlpool tub, and

from Florida, MO, the home of Mark Twain, and Hannibal, MO,

flat-screen TV with DVD and satellite as well as access to the

where Tom Sawyer whitewashed the infamous fence.

lodge’s great room with wood-burning fireplace, projection

The guesthouse at Badger Hill is a renovated 1910

TV theater room, and private doors leading out to the wrap-

bungalow built of native lumber. The back deck provides

around porch. Guests also choose from a variety of packages,

beautiful views of the sunset and a relaxing place to wind

including those with amenities and all meals. But owners Dave

down. Two full hook-up sites are available for RVs.

and Darleen Shaw can customize a perfect getaway.

For details, visit www.badgerhillhunting.info or call 253-686-4900.

The farm is located at 13825 Highway 11 North, New Boston, MO.

Visit www.buffalocreekguestranch.com or call 877-527-4207.

The farm is located at 6832 S.E. 235th Rd., Talihina, OK.

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29

Greenability

Guests at Buffalo Creek Guest Ranch can choose between two suites, both of which offer a gas log fireplace and double whirlpool tub, as well as access to the lodge’s great room with wood-burning fireplace and private doors leading out to the wrap-around porch. Photo: Buffalo Creek Guest Ranch

greenabilitymagazine.com

30

ECO VACATION

9 great ideas for a stay-cation

By Michelle Strausbaugh

T

his summer, stick close to home without feeling stuck at home. Taking a “stay-

1. Look up!

There are at least two local places from which to see the stars. Powell

cation” means you save travel time and

Observatory (www.kansastravel.org) is 25 miles south of Kansas City in

dollars, your carbon footprint is light, and you can

Louisburg, KS. It stages the “Star Bright Saturday Night” programs so

sleep in your own bed every night. So, pretend

the public can use one of the largest telescopes available for public

you’re a visitor to Kansas City or Lawrence and try one (or more) of these options.

viewing in the five-state area. Believe it or not, the moon, the planets and the stars can also be seen right in the middle of the city at the Warkoczewski “Warko” Observatory on the roof of Royal Hall at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, just east of the Plaza. Get visitor information at www.cas.umkc.edu/physics/warko.

2. Hike a natural area Visit one or all of the many nature centers in the Kansas City area, from Parkville Nature Sanctuary in the Northland to Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center at 4750 Troost Ave., near the Plaza. Cave Spring Historical Site and Nature Center is situated at 8701 E. Gregory Blvd.

Whether at Burr Oak Woods in Blue Springs, James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area near Lee’s Summit, or Ernie Miller Nature Center in Olathe, there is a nature educator near you. Lakeside Nature Center in Swope Park is a good example. You can hike with a naturalist or take a beginner bird walk. Express your appreciation by taking some birdseed to support their support of the planet’s plants and animals.

3. Explore a farmstead At the Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead, visitors can walk the nature trail, sit in the butterfly garden, feed and pet the goats, take a hayride, pan for gold and hook a live worm for fishing with a cane pole. You’ll find more fun ideas for Deanna Rose Farmstead at www.opkansas.org.

For a different hands-on farm experience, spend a morning working at Cultivate KC’s “Work the Farm” volunteer days on the second and fourth Saturday of the month. Visit www.cultivatekc.org.

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Greenability

Nearly 85 percent of the 300-acre Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens in southern Overland Park is dedicated to the preservation and restoration of eight natural ecosystems. The remaining portion includes traditional botanical gardens and trails, Xeriscape gardens and five miles of paved and wood-chip hiking trails. Two 75-foot bridges span Wolf Creek, which bisects the arboretum. At the Children’s Discovery Garden, guests can climb to the top of the Sky Watch, a spiraling walkway, and visit the inhabitants of the frog pond. Look for the garden at www.opkansas.org.

5. Learn a little natural history The University of Kansas Natural History Museum in Lawrence has four floors of exhibits of fossils, bugs, evolution and North American wildlife. Preview three summer day camps in the online video at www.naturalhistory.ku.edu/visit.

6. Canoe a river The Kaw River State Park in Topeka is Kansas’ newest state park, with forested trails and access to the Kansas (Kaw) River for canoes and kayaks. The river is accessible from a boat ramp and parking area and is ideal for canoes, kayaks, and other small craft. Two miles downstream is Portage Park, which provides a portage around the city water low-head dam. Learn about river conditions before entering the water. For details, see www.kdwpt.state.ks.

HENDRICKSON TREE CARE

4.Visit a garden

7. Pick blueberries and blackberries The Berry Patch just south of Kansas City is a you-pick place to

n

Crown Restoration & Thinning

gather blueberries and blackberries. Find dates and picking hours at

n

Plant Health Care Programs

www.theberrypatchonline.com. For similar sites in other locations, go to

n

Cabling & Bracing

www.pickyourown.org and click on a state.

n

Professional Consulting

n

Hazard Reduction Pruning

n

Tree & Stump Removal

8. Trek to the Missouri State Fair For a fun day trip, head to the Missouri State Fair August 8-18 in Sedalia. Sample fresh local produce at the AgriMissouri farmers market.

The Missouri Department of Agriculture offers a trip planner to help you locate farmers markets, farm stands, fairs and you-pick farms. Visit www.agrimissouri.com.

9. Head to the lake Smithville Lake in Clay County, MO has more than 700 campsites only 20 miles from downtown Kansas City. The 7,200-acre lake has 175 miles

816 523-1181 hendricksontreecare.com At Hendrickson Tree Care we are more than just a tree company.

We understand the value of your trees and the value your trees hold for the community.

of shoreline to enjoy fishing, walking, biking and horseback riding. It also includes a 2,300-acre native grassland revitalization project.

greenabilitymagazine.com

32

ECO VACATION

Head to the Rocky Mountains

F

Shadowcliff Lodge offers a one-week eco-vacation for families of all ages in Grand Lake, CO this summer.

or families looking for an intergenerational eco-experience, a trip to Shadowcliff Lodge’s Family Eco-Vacation in Grand Lake, CO offers an outdoor adventure for all ages.

Shadowcliff, which was started as an environmental retreat center by Kansas City’s Bridging the Gap, has partnered with the Rocky Mountain Nature Association to offer a fun-filled week of learning and playing in Rocky Mountain National Park and the lake and town of Grand Lake, CO. The programs are geared for children from age 7 to grandparents of all ages. You’ll learn about national parks, forests, water and birds during hikes (two miles or less) in Rocky Mountain National Park. Take a boat ride around Grand Lake, go fishing and watch the stars with an astronomer.

During free time, try canoeing or horseback riding, or take a trip to the Hot Sulphur Springs.

The all-inclusive week, June 23 - 28, includes five nights lodging, meals and scheduled activities. The cost is $1,100 for the first three people in a room and $300 for each additional person.

For more information, go to www.shadowcliff.org or contact Carl Sniffen, Shadowcliff director, at carl@shadowcliff.org or 970-627-9220.

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816.531.SAVE n EnergyWorksKC.org 33

Greenability

Explore local farms, gardens and wineries

By Dani Hurst Brown

C

hatting with vendors at local farmers markets is a good way to meet the people who grow and harvest your food. But haven’t you ever wondered what their farm or garden looks like? What those tomatoes, cauliflower and peas look like when they’re still on the plant? And how someone can raise such an amazing variety of food on one piece of land? If those are some of the questions you ask yourself as you peruse each market table, then make room in your schedule this May and June for two fantastic farm tours.

The 10th Annual Miami County Spring Farm Tour May 11-12 will feature farms and wineries in rural Kansas. This free, self-guided tour will give participants a chance to visit 14 different farms in the area. Several stops will have products for sale, including fresh fruits and vegetables, honey, wine and pecans. Some items may require refrigeration, so tour goers are encouraged to take a cooler. Each site will offer activities for the whole family, and most will provide picnic areas for families to enjoy. Visitors will get the chance to see a wide variety of animals, ranging from emus and alpacas to Hereford cattle and goats. Tour goers can begin at any farm from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 11 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 12.

The 5th biennial Urban Grown Farm and Garden hosted by Cultivate Kansas City is a weeklong celebration of urban agriculture. The activities begin June 15 with the Urban Grown Crop Mob volunteer event and conclude the following weekend with a twoday, self-guided tour. The list of activities and events leading up to the tour includes how-to workshops and demonstrations, an “Eat Out Local” night at participating area farm-to-table restaurants, and a keynote address by Mark Bittman, columnist for The New York Times and author of How to Cook Everything.

Many of the tour sites will feature cooking demonstrations by local chefs, live music and educational activities. The tour also will include an organized bike tour, and will provide maps highlighting farms along city bus routes so participants can go green and leave cars at home. With this year’s theme of “Cultivate the Change,” the tour seeks to inspire tour goers to grow, eat and advocate for fresh, local food in their own neighborhoods.

Farm tour hours are 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. June 22-23. Tickets can be purchased at any tour site on tour days or in advance at designated locations.

Blue Door is a small, certified organic vegetable farm in Kansas City, KS that sells at area markets and operates a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Photo: Steve Wilson

Miami County Spring Farm Tour

Nighthawk Vineyard and Winery

May 11, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

May 12, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Cost: Free 913-294-4045 www.micofarmtour.com

16381 W. 343rd St. Paola, KS

4 D Acres 13096 W. 287th St. Louisburg, KS

Alpacas ‘R Diamonds 15163 W. 323rd St. Paola, KS

Beverlin’s Little Piece of Paradise 28005 W. 295th St. Paola, KS

Cy and Dee’s Blackberries

Prothe’s Pecans 33850 Victory Rd. Paola, KS

Ramshackle Ridge 36720 Crescent Hill Rd. Osawatomie, KS

Silver Lining Herefords 8435 W. 295th St. Louisburg, KS

Somerset Ridge Vineyard & Winery 29725 Somerset Rd. Paola, KS

Terabithia Dairy Goats

28615 Rockville Rd. Louisburg, KS

30984 Bethel Church Rd. Paola, KS

Fire Lake Camp

Walnut Crest Cattle Co.

29580 Lone Star Rd. Paola, KS

17873 W. 287th St. Paola, KS

Middle Creek Winery

White Wind Farms

4353 W. 351st St. Louisburg, KS

21045 K-68 Highway Paola, KS

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Quindaro Gardens Mutual Aid Society 3027 N 11th St.

JOHNSON COUNTY, KS Kimmi Homestead 8512 Richards Rd. Lenexa, KS

Mitzvah Garden 12320 Nall Ave. Overland Park, KS

My City Hens 4200 W. 54th Terr.

Roeland Park, KS Hoop Dog Studio is both an art studio and home to an eclectic and productive garden on a couple city lots in midtown Kansas City, MO. Photo: Cat Szalkowski

Natural Grown 6131 Long St. Shawnee, KS

Wild Willow – Ticket Hub 7640 Eby Lane Overland Park, KS

KANSAS CITY, MO – MIDTOWN/PLAZA 18Broadway Broadway & W. 18th St.

Anti-Hero Farms at Westside Local

June 22-23, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Cost: $8 for individuals, $20 for families Tickets: Available at Brookside Farmers Market, Gibbs Road Farm, designated ticket hubs, and at www.urbangrowntour. eventbrite.com

4223 Gibbs Rd.

KANSAS CITY, KS Blue Door Farm 3830 55th St.

Cross-lines 736 Shawnee Ave. 35

Greenability

Huns Garden 4730 Metropolitan

Juniper Gardens N. 1st St. & Richmond Ave.

Karen Fresh Garden 5626 Farrow Ave.

Ki Koko Farms 4900 Yecker Ave.

Green Griots Community Garden 6401 Rockhill Rd.

Kansas City Academy 7933 Main St.

KANSAS CITY, MO – EAST Cherith Brook Catholic Worker 3308 E. 12th St.

Conception Farm 2701 E. 43rd St.

Emmanuel’s Community Garden 3510 Prospect Ave.

Front Porch Alliance Children’s & Family Garden 3210 Michigan Ave.

Ivanhoe Community Garden 3644 Woodland Ave.

Ivanhoe Scouts & Sprouts

Crown Garden

Jardin Jubilo

921B W. 17th St.

Hoop Dog Studio Garden – Ticket Hub 3314 Troost Ave.

Gibbs Rd. Farm & Bee Farm – Ticket Hub

8150 Wornall Rd.

3700 Woodland Ave.

Herb’n Gardener

Urban Grown Farm and Garden Tour

Gillis Center Growth Grove – Ticket Hub

1663 Summit St. 2502 Cherry St.

Huns Garden is a small urban farm on almost four acres in Kansas City, KS, that uses sustainable practices for growing vegetables, fruits and flowers.

Photo: Huns Gardens

KANSAS CITY, MO – BROOKSIDE/WALDO

Notre Dame de Sion Community Garden 3823 Locust St.

Project Living Proof 917 Emanuel Cleaver II Blvd.

Sprout: A Trophy Garden 56 E. 32nd St.

Sunset Hill 5207 Sunset Dr.

Switzer Neighborhood Farm 20th & West Pennway

130 N. Topping

Morning Star Community Gardens 2400 E. 28th St.

Niles Home for Children Garden – Ticket Hub 1911 E. 23rd St.

Root Deep Urban Farm 3219 E. 19th St. (19th & College)

Santa Fe Neighborhood Garden #1 – Hope Center 3145 Benton Blvd.

Santa Fe Neighborhood Garden #2 – St. Paul Presbyterian 2910 Victor St.

Mama Tu’s Family Farm

The Magic Garden – Westport Post Office

Santa Fe Neighborhood Garden #3 – Apostle Fellowship

4935 Lathrop Ave.

200 Westport Rd.

3044 Indiana Ave.

St. John Garden – Northeast Arts KC – Ticket Hub

Kansas City Community Gardens – Beanstalk Children’s Garden

3916 St. John Ave.

6917 Kensington Ave.

The Urban Farming Guys

Krostadir

1121 Myrtle Ave.

Washington Wheatley Neighborhood Garden 2410 Montgall Ave.

Whatsoever Community Garden 1201 Ewing Ave.

KANSAS CITY, MO – SOUTHEAST City Bitty Farm 9615 Grandview Rd.

Eastwood Hills Community Garden 8100 Ozark Rd.

Hilltop Acres 13525 Rickey Rd.

7807 E. 68th St.

Pearly Gates Organic Soapery/Gardens Inc. 7000 Sycamore Ave.

Urbavore Urban Farm – Ticket Hub 5500 Bennington Ave.

KANSAS CITY, MO – NORTH Creekhouse Community Garden

Marty Kraft, founder of Niles Garden, works on the home’s educational garden located next to the Niles Home for Children in Kansas City, MO. They use organic and no-till practices on their beds, but don’t claim certification.

Photo: Baylie Marie Jabben

S & J Herbs & Heirlooms

6310 N.W. Waukomis Dr.

7514 Raines Rd. Liberty, MO

Jardin de la Tour – Ticket Hub

INDEPENDENCE, MO

Platte County Community Garden

Adams Osage Ridge Aronia Berry Community Farm

9035 N. Hull Ave.

10609 N.W. Hwy 45

18103 E. Courtney Atherton Rd.

St. Paul Community Garden 11200 E. 36th St. (36th & Sterling)

LEE’S SUMMIT, MO The Gardens at Unity Village 150 B Colbern Rd.

Missouri Organic: Ranked #1 for Landscaping Products and Services* * Source: Andover Group Research 2010

And Our Competitors Can’t Match Our Low Rates Because We Create And Process All Of Our Own Products

What We Offer: Premium I™ Mulch, Nature Wise Compost™,Top Soil, Hardwood Chips, Natural Darkwood and Colored Mulch

Why the Best Companies in the Midwest Choose Missouri Organic 1. Our quality is ranked higher than products offered by box stores like Home Depot.

2. We’ve been a premier provider in the Midwest since 1992.

3. Our latest product innovations include: Rain Garden mixes, Roof Top mixes and Custom mixes.

We didn't think so. Upgrade your house to the 21st century...Retro-fit your home for comfort.

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Ask about Missouri Organic products available in bags kevin@missouriorganic.com www.missouriorganic.com http://blog.missouriorganic.com 7700 E. 40 Hwy., Kansas City, MO 64129

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913.708.8004 • www.smallstepenergy.com Certi� ed HERS Energy Rater • Accredited NAHB Green Veri� er Certi� ed RESNet Green Rater • LEED for Homes Accredited Professional

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36

Eat well from

local farmers markets

By Dani Hurst Brown

T

reat yourself to the best and freshest produce Kansas and Missouri farmers have to offer at your local farmers market.

Each market is unique, with vendors offering everything from homegrown fruits, vegetables, fresh-baked goodies, local honey and jams to fresh cheeses, free-range meat and eggs. Many vendors are certified organic or farm using sustainable practices, ensuring that the foods you buy have been ethically raised, treated and harvested.

In addition to fresh foods, many markets offer entertainment, live music, chef demonstrations and samplings. Several markets accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) payments, and some may even double the value for market purchases.

Shopping farmers markets is a great way to live and eat sustainably, while boosting the area’s economy. If you don’t see your favorite market on this list, its schedule may not have been set by our publication deadline. For additional lists, visit www.ksfarmersmarkets.org for Kansas markets or www.agebb.missouri.edu for markets in Missouri.

MIDTOWN *Brookside Farmers Market Border Star Montessori School 63rd & Wornall Saturdays, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

April 20 – November 23 www.brooksidefarmersmarket.com

*Westport Plaza Farmers Market Westport Road & Wyoming Wednesdays, 4:30 – 7:30 p.m.

May 1 – October 16 www.farmersmarketkc.org

DOWNTOWN *Badseed Farmers Market 1909 McGee St. Fridays, 4 – 9 p.m.

May 3 – November 22 Fridays, 4 – 8 p.m.

End of November – end of February www.badseedkc.com

37

Greenability

Cultivate Kansas City sells organic produce at the Brookside Farmers Market on Saturday mornings. Photo: Ami Freeberg

City Market

*Waldo Farmers Market

20 E. 5th St. Saturdays 6 a.m. – 3 p.m., March – October 7 a.m. – 3 p.m., November – March Sundays 8 a.m. – 3 p.m., March – October 7 a.m. – 3 p.m., November – March Wednesdays 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., March – October 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., November – March www.thecitymarket.org

Waldo Habitat ReStore 303 W. 79th St. Wednesdays, 3 – 7 p.m.

May 1 – September 25 www.waldofarmersmarketkc.com

SOUTH *KC Organics & Natural Market at Minor Park Minor Park, Santa Fe Trail Historic Site East of Holmes on Red Bridge Road Saturdays, 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

May 4 – Oct. 12 www.kcorganics.org

CLAY COUNTY Briarcliff Village Organic & Locally Grown Farmers Market Briarcliff Village Shopping Center 4151 North Mulberry Drive Thursdays, 3 – 7 p.m.

May 2 – end of September www.greenacres.com

Historic Downtown Liberty Farmers Market Four sides of the Liberty Courthouse Square Franklin, Main, Kansas, and Water Streets Saturdays, 7 a.m. – 12 p.m.

May 4 – October 26 www.historicdowntownliberty.org

North Kansas City Farmers Market

Merriam Farmers Market

KANSAS CITY, KS

Caboose Park, SE Corner of Howell and Armour Rd. Fridays, 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.

May 3 – October 25

5740 Merriam Dr. Saturdays, 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.

May 4 – October 12 www.merriam.org

KCK Greenmarket at Catholic Charities

EASTERN JACKSON COUNTY

Olathe Farmers Market

Downtown Lee’s Summit Farmers Market Corner of 2nd and Douglas Streets Wednesdays, Saturdays, 7 a.m. – sellout April 6 – November 30 www.downtownls.org

Grand Court Four Seasons Farmers Market

2220 Central Ave. Tuesdays, 7 a.m. – sellout June 4 – October

City Hall W. Annex Building parking lot 200 W. Santa Fe Saturdays, 8 a.m. – sellout April 20 – October 19 Wednesdays, 8 a.m. – sellout June 5 – September 25 www.olatheks.org

Overland Park Farmers Market

107th St. & Wornall, just south of I-435 Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Year-round

Independence Farmers & Craft Market Independence Square, corner of Truman and Main Streets Saturdays, 5 a.m. – 1 p.m.

May – October Wednesdays, 5 a.m. – 1 p.m.

June – October www.independencefarmersmarket.com

JOHNSON/WYANDOTTE COUNTIES Kill Creek Farm 9210 Kill Creek Road, DeSoto, KS Wednesdays, 4:30 – 7 p.m.

June 1 – September 26

Corner of 3rd Street and Richmond Mondays, 7 a.m. – sellout June 3 – October

KCK Greenmarket at Strawberry Hill 6th and Tauromee Wednesdays, 7 a.m. – sellout June 5 – October

Historic Downtown Overland Park 79th & 80th Streets at Marty Wednesdays, 7:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

May 22 – September 25 Saturdays, 6 a.m. – 1 p.m.

April 13 – November 23 www.opkansas.org

Rosedale Farmers Market 4020 Rainbow Blvd.

Sundays, 11 – 2 p.m.

May 19 – September 29 www.rosedalefarmersmarket.com

Shawnee Farmers Market Shawnee City Hall parking lot Johnson Drive & Nieman Road Saturdays, 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.

May – October www.cityofshawnee.org

LAWRENCE, KS Lawrence Farmers Market

Spring Hill Farmers Market

Fresh Promises Farmers Market

KCK Greenmarket at Juniper Gardens

Spring Hill Elementary School parking lot 500 S. Webster Saturdays, 7:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

May 19 – August 31 www.springhillmarket.org

824 New Hampshire Saturdays 7 – 11 a.m., April 13 – September 28 8 – 11 a.m., October 5 – November 23 www.lawrencefarmersmarket.com

Lawrence Farmers Market 824 New Hampshire (East lot) Tuesdays, 4 – 6 p.m.

May 7 – October 29 * Organic market

Energy Assessment

Insulation Solutions

Comfort Improvement

Larsen & Associates Reliable geothermal drillers specializing in residential installations

Find out why your home is hot this summer. Mention this ad for a free infrared inspection and report. ($75.00 value)

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Phone: 785.841.8707 Email: jessica@larsenenvironmental.com greenabilitymagazine.com

38

GREENABILITYDIRECTORY BUILDERS/REMODELERS

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

SunSource Homes Inc.

cfm Distributors, Inc.

7832 Rosewood Lane Prairie Village, KS 816-783-3863

1104 Union Ave. Kansas City, MO 816-842-5400

SunSource Homes offers net-zero design/build construction services, solar PV system design/installation, net-zero energy design, architectural services and sustainable remodeling.

Cfm Distributors is the Midwest’s employee-owned provider of sustainable heating, cooling, and refrigeration solutions for home, office and industry.

EDUCATION

EnergyWorks KC

www.SunSourceHomes.net

Johnson County Community College Center for Sustainability 12345 College Blvd.

Overland Park, KS 913-469-8500

www.cfmdistributors.com

Test Drive The New 100% ELECTRIC

NISSAN LEAF

www.jccc.edu/sustainability Want a new “green” career? Explore JCCC’s sustainability programs and train for a career in the growing “green” industry.

9600 NW Prairie View Road Kansas City, MO 816-459-4800

EnergyWorks KC provides resources to help you make smart, easy, energy-efficiency improvements to your home or business to save energy and enhance comfort.

The Hayes Company Kansas City, MO 816-444-6352

ELECTRIC VEHICLES Randy Reed Nissan

816-531-7283 www.EnergyWorksKC.org www.kcmo.org/EnergyWorksKC

www.thehayesco.com The Hayes Company offers Home Performance services for energy efficiency through energy audits, insulating, duct sealing, 816-459-4800 weatherization and HVAC balancing.

9600 NW Prairie View Road, KCMO www.randyreednissan.com

www.randyreednissan.com Randy Reed Nissan offers fast, friendly, simple and fair service and is now featuring the 100-percent electric Nissan Leaf.

Heartland Utilities for Energy Efficiency (HUEE) www.HUEE.org

HUEE promotes energy efficiency through Atmos Energy, Independence Power & Light, Kansas City Board of Public Utilities, Kansas Gas Energy, Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative and Metropolitan Energy Center.

Sustainable Home Comfort Products from Your Backyard cfm Distributors is the Midwest’s employee-owned provider of sustainable heating, cooling, and refrigeration solutions for home, office and industry.

We feature York and Coleman products made right here in the Midwest.

800-322-9675

www.cfmdistributors.com 39

Greenability

Metropolitan Energy Center 3810 Paseo Kansas City, MO 816-531-7283

GREEN JOBS

Metropolitan

Full Employment Council

ENERGY CENTER

www.kcenergy.org

1740 Paseo Blvd.

816-471-2330 Kansas City, MO

The mission of the Metropolitan Energy Center is to help create resource efficiency, environmental health and economic vitality in the Kansas City region.

www.feckc.org

Your Workforce Is Our Career™

The Full Employment Council, Inc. (FEC) supplies employers with a skilled workforce and job seekers with successful training in greater Kansas City.

Missouri Gas Energy

www.missourigasenergy.com

GREETING CARDS

Missouri Gas Energy offers an energy-efficiency rebate for customers who purchase a qualifying energy-efficient, tankless natural gas water heating system.

Posty Cards, Inc. 1600 Olive Street Kansas City, MO 816-231-2323

Small Step Energy Solutions

www.postycards.com

Shawnee, KS 913-708-8004

Featuring Sustainable Sentiments® locally grown, green greeting cards. Build client and employee relationships with environmentally inspired cards for birthdays, holidays and other occasions.

www.smallstepenergy.com Small Step Energy Solutions specializes in home energy auditing and green energy building consultations for both new and existing homes.

HOME IMPROVEMENT

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Habitat ReStore

First Affirmative Financial Network 913-432-4958

4701 Deramus, Kansas City, MO 303 W. 79th St., Kansas City, MO 816-231-6889

First Affirmative Financial Network is an independent, fee-only, fiduciary investment management firm specializing in socially and environmentally responsible investing.

Habitat ReStore collects quality, new and used building materials and sells them to the public at a discount. Proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity home building.

UMB Financial Corporation

LAWN & GARDEN

www.firstaffirmative.com

www.restorekc.org

1010 Grand Boulevard Kansas City, MO 816-860-7000

Hendrickson Tree Care Company 913-381-6339 (KS) 816-523-1181 (MO)

www.umb.com

UMB offers complete banking, asset management, health spending solutions and related financial services to personal, commercial and institutional customers nationwide.

www.hendricksontreecare.com

B:7.25”

Take the guesswork out of maintaining your trees by consulting an ISA Certified Arborist for all of your tree care needs.

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greenabilitymagazine.com

40

B:3.125”

Mobile banking at umb.com/mobile

T:3.125”

S:2.875”

Still Your Pinky

Missouri Organic

Hen House Market

7700 East 40 Highway Kansas City, MO 816-483-0908

13 locations

www.henhouse.com

www.missouriorganic.com Missouri Organic offers a convenient and affordable facility for customers to drop off green waste and purchase quality compost, topsoil and mulch.

Hen House is locally owned, specializes in Buy Fresh Buy Local food, and offers customers a seasonal Community Supported Agriculture membership.

RECLAIMED MATERIALS LITTER REMOVAL

Beaver Timber Inc. 3133 Merriam Lane Kansas City, KS 913-831-2518

Adopt-A-Highway Litter Removal Service of America 800-540-8694

www.beaver-timber.com

sarah@adoptahighway.net www.adoptahighway.net Sponsor-A-Highway and receive promotional signage.

We take away the trash, you take all the recognition. Be seen as we clean.

Beaver Timber provides reclaimed, recycled, restored and salvaged wood building materials for architects, builders, contractors, designers and homeowners.

Bridging The Gap’s By-Product Synergy

Good Natured Family Farms

1427 W. 9th St., Suite 201 Kansas City, MO 816-561-1061 ext. 115

L

www.midwestmaterialsexchange.com

www.goodnaturedfamilyfarms.com

FRES UY

UY

B

Good Natured Family Farms is an alliance of more than 150 family farms that raise animals humanely and care for the Earth in a sustainable way.

B

LOCAL & ORGANIC FOOD H

Midwest Materials Exchange

LOCA

Natural Gas

The Midwest Materials Exchange is a free online marketplace to buy, sell or give away by-products or recyclables.

$ave Money ($/MMBTU) Natural Gas: $10.93 Electricity: $35.11 2013 Price Outlook On a BTU for BTU basis Natural Gas costs less than other forms of energy EIA Short Term Energy Outlook http://www.eia.gov/forecasts/steo

Save the Environment

Reduce your carbon footprint by 45% with residential natural gas appliances versus electric appliances.

Locally Produced

100+ Years of gas supply right here in North America compared to buying foreign oil as a major energy source.* *US EIA and Potential Gas Committee

41

Greenability

Larsen & Associates, Inc.

RECYCLING The Surplus Exchange 518 Santa Fe Kansas City, MO 816-472-0444

785-841-8707 Contact: Jessica Pryor

www.larsenenvironmental.com

www.surplusexchange.org

Larsen & Associates provides geothermal installation services including loop installation, line purging and charging, pressure grouting, thermal fusion and drilling.

The Surplus Exchange responsibly recycles electronics locally and offers pickup from metro commercial locations. Visit the Tech Shop and furniture showroom.

SunSource Homes Inc.

RENEWABLE ENERGY

www.SunSourceHomes.net

Brightergy Solar

7832 Rosewood Lane Prairie Village, KS 816-783-3863

SunSource Homes offers net-zero design/build construction services, solar PV system design/installation, net-zero energy design, architectural services and sustainable remodeling.

1617 Main Street, 3rd Floor Kansas City, MO 816-866-0555

www.brightergy.com

Brightergy is the region’s most experienced solar design, installation, financing and leasing firm with hundreds of commercial and residential installations across the Midwest.

FreeEnergy 816-461-8877

info@FreeEnergyCorp.com www.FreeEnergyCorp.com FreeEnergy is a full-service sustainability company. We design and install solar PV, solar thermal hot water and geothermal GSHP.

Do you want your green business or service to be seen by environmentally conscious readers? List it in the GREENABILITY DIRECTORY. For information, contact Julie Koppen 816-931-3646 or julie@greenabilitymagazine.com

This?

orThis?

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It’s YOUR choice.

Millions of tons of American electronics are shipped overseas annually, where they are processed in dangerous, primitive conditions that contaminate our world. The Surplus Exchange, however, recycles all of its electronics in the United States and guarantees that no harm comes to the environment or the workers.

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The Solar Solar Technology Technology Associate’s The Assocate’s Degree Degree and and Solar Technician Certifi cate at JCCC prepares students Solar Technician Certificate prepares students NABCEP entry-level to sit for the NABCEP entry level exam and provide the design and fifieldwork eldwork experience to qualify to take the installer exam.

The rooted in in courses coursesthat thatapply apply Theprogram’s program’sfoundation foundation is rooted totoaawider range of job opportunities in industrial wider range of job opportunities in industrial maintenance maintenance and electrical work.

Learn It. Live It. Save It. For information, call Dan Eberle at 913-469-8500, ext. 3388, or visit www.jccc.edu/solar-technology.

Johnson County Community College 12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS 66210 greenabilitymagazine.com

42

locavore?

Are You a HEN HOUSE

lo•ca•vore (lo-k -vor): one who eats foods grown locally when possible e

Buy Fresh Buy Local ® is part of the FoodRoutes Conservancy, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to building a new sustainable local food system for generations to come.

Buy Fresh Buy Local® Chapters are connecting consumers in communities throughout the country to the freshest, most delicious locally grown and produced foods available. Through outreach education, fun events, festivals, farmers markets and by supporting local food system revitalization, Hen House is hard at work expanding the availability and quality of locally grown and produced foods to you, our customer. Hen House is the only Grocery store in the Kansas City area authorized to use the Buy Fresh Buy Local® label on it’s products.

Good Natured Family Farms is an alliance of more than 150 family farms and small businesses. Many are 3rd or 4th generation stewards of the land who raise their animals humanely and care for the earth in a sustainable fashion. When you purchase Good Natured Family Farms’ products, you support the local family farms around the Kansas City area. These farms protect Kansas City’s natural resources by producing food that is good for you, good for the earth, and good for the tastebuds.

Community Supported Agriculture Show your support for local family farms by joining the Hen House Markets Growers’ Alliance CSA. It is your opportunity to support the local environment, the local economy and local family farms. You can do all of this and eat the best of locally grown foods in the Kansas City area. From beef and poultry to eggs and milk to mouth-watering fruits and vegetables, treat your family to the best nature has to offer and SAVE!

CSA runs June 1- September 14

Look for sign-ups in May!