Using gray water to flush our toilet

In our home we follow the age-old proverb: If it’s yellow let it mellow. If it’s brown flush it down. Meaning, of course, that we let our lemonade linger. Okay, when we urinate into the toilet we do not flush unless there is accompanying feces or if there was already pee in there or if we have guests. TMI? Maybe, but think about how much water we save by letting our yellow wine “breathe”! I encourage you, dear reader, to try it for yourself. And preferably after asparagus season has passed. Just sayin’…

It is what it is… (Art by Emma Megitt)

I have been investigating greywater systems, most of which involve using your leftover bath water to fill your clothes washing machine. Gravity is the relied upon method of transport in all of the systems I have explored. Unfortunately for us, our bathroom and laundry areas are on the ground floor (actually, slightly below the ground) so gravity is not useful for that particular transfer. We could use an electric pump but that seems to defeat the eco-friendly purpose of this endeavor.

I did come across one water-saving/recycling system that may work for us: rain barrel (outside) to tank (inside) fill system. There was some mention of drilling through walls and whatnot, which I find alarming but I’m sure we can manage to avoid electrical lines and such. At one point we were just leaving the tub undrained and transferring water by the bucket-full to toilet tank or laundry machine. It was not the most efficient use of our time. So, we might just get out the Sawz-All and set up a couple more rain barrels. After all, it’s for a good cause: saving the planet one flush at a time. I’ll let you know how it all goes down…

Do you use a gray water system? What worked for you?

Poll question: Let it mellow or flush it every time with Mother Earth’s blessing?
 

 

Sloooow down and EAT!

If I didn’t have a wedding to attend, work and family in town, I would totally be at this radical potluck that’s happening over at Monticello’s Tufton Farm on Sunday.

Monticello’s own veggie and fruit gardens (photo courtesy of monticello.org) 

Slow Food Albermarle Piedmont (SFAP, which is fun to say) is having their first kick-off yum fest from 4-7pm at the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants. It will be a potluck and participants are asked to consider giving a $10 donation (to SFAP) as well as sharing a dish of some homegrown goods on non-disposable dishes. 

When I first encountered the term ‘Slow Food’ I thought it was just a good title for the cookbook I was ogling. Alas, when I went back to my local bookstore to find that particular book I was met with dozens of cookbooks with a similar title. And, no, it’s not just a fancy new escargot-only diet (although, the go-to Slow Food quarterly is called The Snail).

Slow Food began, in fact, to counter the ‘fast food’ culture that was literally taking over an Italian neighborhood one McDonald’s at a time. About 25 years and many international chapters later, Slow Food has crept into the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains with the help of the folks at Roundabout Farm, among others. It’s not just about food. The movement encourages more community and individual involvement with food- from school gardens to farm tours and tastings it’s about having a true relationship with your eats and others.

If you would like to learn more about SFAP or just go get your fingers sticky with fresh figs and peach pie, drop the Slow folks a line: slowfoodalbemarle.piedmont@gmail.com. I’m sure they’ll get right back to you (only kidding)!

Are you going to the picnic? If so, be sure to let me know how delicious it was!

Eco-Diapering: A contradiction in terms?

I have two boys under the age of 3 and I can tell you that whether I want to deal with it or not, poop is literally often on my mind, or hair, or hands, or clothes… When in it comes to babies, it seems creating “waste” is the majority of what they do. How do we as parents (and adult consumers) make conscientious choices about our children’s poop?

When I was pregnant with my first, Pierce, I read a lot about the whole cloth versus disposable debate. The conclusion that I drew was that cloth is the better choice. 

But the debate did make me pause and encouraged me to look at other alternatives. And boy, are there alternatives. You’ve got your standard disposable numbers, all-in-ones (AIO’s to those in the know), cloth diapers (organic or just un-bleached) with plastic waterproof covers, felted wool covers, waterproof fabric covers with Velcro, with snaps and so on.  And don’t forget: Diaper pails, diaper pail deodorizers and the almighty “Diaper Service.” Whew.

Then I came across what seemed to be the holy grail of diaper-dom: the g-Diaper. What they are, in essence, is a combination of disposable, cloth and the AIOs. The inside liners are flushable or if they are just wet they are compostable. The whole package stays on your baby with Velcro tabs. You can also substitute regular cloth diapers for the flushable liners.

Awesome, mostly. g-Diapers don’t come cheap. Plus, after the first post-partum rainstorm, our compost pile looked like the remnants of a gnome slumber party (the liners kept absorbing water until puffy, bloated and saturated). The flushing went fine until we hosted a big family gathering for a few days with lots of Indian food (We’re still not sure if the blockage had more to do with the Indian food than the g-diapers). So, now we skip the liners and opt for cloth inserts.

Except when we’re on a trip, we now use cloth diapers pretty much exclusively. We have a simple method for laundering them at home and a system for keeping things as stink-free as possible (baking soda). All of the research paid off because we found a way to be the least wasteful with our kids’ “waste.”

Then again, there’s always Elimination Communication

Do you use cloth diapers for your little ones? 

 

 

 

Get the funk out, naturally!

I’m a derby girl. And I don’t mean Kentucky.
My teammates, the Charlottesville Derby Dames, know me as Nilla WasteHer on and off of the roller derby track.

That’s me in the green wheels (photo by Dan Purdy)

I practice with CDD three times a week and we have a game (or “bout” in derby terminology) at least once a month. Because roller derby is a full-contact sport we must wear protective equipment to keep us from getting too mangled on the track. All of that equipment has layers of foam padding, various nylon straps, buckles and fabrics that soak up our sweat and can’t just be tossed in the wash. My husband (Zookeeper) is our team’s head ref and the coach for our brand-new skaters (Fresh Meat Butcher, if you will). With 4-5 practices a week, between the two of us, we manage to produce quite a stink, literally.

Mr. and Mrs. Baker taking names in a co-ed roller derby bout in Richmond

More derby action! Zookeeper reffing in the green helmet top right (photo by MBS Photography)

Some skaters spray their gear down after every practice with Lysol or Febreeze. Preferring to go a more natural route, I’ve tried Burt’s Bees baby powder and generic baking soda. When I am able to wash my pads I mix up a bucket of white vinegar and water (1:3) and let them soak. I then squeeze and rinse and, most importantly, hang in the sun to dry. But by the next week my gear is rank again.
Relay Foods (formerly Retail Relay) to the rescue… When placing my weekly order for groceries I happened upon a product made by Bio-Kleen called Bac-Out. Using “live enzyme cultures” and lime peel extract this stain and odor eliminator has become the sweet smelling David to my stinky Goliath. Now after every practice I spray down my gear and let it air dry. And the fact that Bac-Out is totally natural, non-toxic and biodegradable puts some extra roll in my (green) wheels!

What other natural methods do you use to banish foul odors?

*Update!*

More info on enzymes in action and natural cleaning formulas, yes!

Check out the Dames as we take on the New River Valley BruisinBurgs at Augusta Expo Land Saturday, September 4th! Visit the CDD website for more info.
 

The odd birds of Bantam Annex

Tikki Masala, Curry, Tibault and Roxanne have been holding down Bantam Annex for going on two years now.

 

Bantam Annex is on the left

While way more skittish than our Rhode Island Reds and Barred Rocks, they have their own endearing qualities. Tibault, our black and glam rooster, has taken on a more fatherly role than our previous standard rooster, Sal. He is also much quieter. I think it is because he has a smaller voice box. The crowing, though nearly constant, is more charming than grating, and our next-door neighbor has even remarked that Tibault’s exclamations are a welcome reminder of a childhood spent on a farm in rural Virginia. Bonus!

Roxanne is bitty and quick but doesn’t seem to mind when my two-and-a-half-year-old throws grain near her. Curry’s a bit of a kook. She’s like that crazy aunt you learn to stay away from because you never know when she’ll just go off squawking and making everyone within earshot think that you’re pinching her or something. And Tiki, well, she’s just a follower, like every good chicken ought to be.

The Annex itself is a small raised elongated box-like structure with two nesting boxes and two doors. It is painted red with the leftover larger chicken coop paint, which is the leftover claw foot tub paint.

Does that red look familiar?

All of the annex materials are leftovers from something: from drawer pulls to pine paneling.  It’s quirky, just like the bantams that live in it.

The run of Bantam Annex (Tibault is on far left) 

Do you keep bantams? Have you noticed a difference between the standard/large breed chickens and the smaller breeds?

Shopping for seconds: Thrift store love!

My theory on stuff is that it all passes through a thrift store at some point or another. Obviously, some folks take their cast-offs straight to the landfill via the trash can but many, especially in this town, like to give their junk another chance.

Book bunker at McIntire Recycling Center

I can only vaguely recall my last excursion to the mall (I think I was meeting someone in the food court to check out a secondhand laptop off of Craig’s List). Whether it’s a new pair of pants for my son, an insane skirt for roller derby or a seasoned skillet- I’m shopping for seconds.

Once, when the whole Nalgene/BPA issue came to the fore I went out with a fancy, Swiss, aluminum water bottle on the top of my wish list. Amazingly, I found a (seemingly) brand new one at my favorite local thrift store that day. For a dollar.

Other times it has been a funky sunburst clock (it doesn’t work, but I love it all the same) ($1), a fabulous blue Kitchen-Aid mixer ($25), and a printer adapter ($1) to replace the one that had just been destroyed. Just this week I found a great pair of sunglasses that will also double as safety glasses ($1) and a great summer dress for the beach ($4).

Thrift store clocks find new home!

I guess it is a small thing, but to find things that retain use and value amongst the detritus on those thrift store shelves never ceases to delight me.

More thrift store/trash finds! Red lockers came from Circuit City via The Habitat Store.

What is your favorite thrift store find?
Is there anything you wouldn’t buy second-hand?

Hanging out with the Pop(sicle) man!

If you find yourself sweating your way through the strollers and hot tamales at the City Market some steamy Saturday morning, don’t panic. Tucked away between the pies and flowers is a little silver treasure chest on wheels: Pop’s Achilles Ice Pops (formerly Pantheon Popsicles). James Rucker, the ice pop/popsicle master, is there for you with some icy, sweet goodness on a stick.
For three dollars treat yourself to one of these rich, satisfying ‘sicles. From peach to hibiscus, Mr. Rucker makes his popsicles in small batches from locally sourced ingredients. These treats are the perfect summer refreshment!
Every time I see James (usually at Circa when he’s taking a break from his kitchen across the street) we talk about the new recipes that he’s trying. “The lemon’s too tart,” he tells me. “Why does everyone want me to put basil in them?!” He replies to my suggestion of adding basil to the lemon. I just keep throwing out new combos and ideas and we laugh about most of them.
This week I popped by the kitchen, for a change, and we talked about Greek mythology, politics and the local blackberries that he was mashing in a sieve.

The ice master at work!

We discussed his worry about making his passion into a truly viable business. With local, seasonal, vegan and delicious ingredients, what’s not to love about Pop’s pops?
However, it’s the concern of every new venture: will this simple and great idea keep making sense and cents? With three weekly markets for all things local, you can support many of Charlottesville’s courageous entrepreneurs by putting your money (and an ice pop) where your mouth is.

I peeked in the freezer…

Can’t make it to the City Market? Ask James about bulk orders for the ultimate summer party treat or swing by Rebecca’s over in the Barrack’s Road Shopping Center and pick up one for the road.
By the way, the new watermelon flavor is choice (see pictured above)!

Do you have a great suggestion for a popsicle flavor?

Saving tomato seeds

When my first tiny orange tomatoes ripened in June I was smiling and dancing about! More than the soupy air and spontaneous thunderstorms, tomatoes are summer. So, I ate four and set aside two- for seeds.

Last fall we spent a glorious sunny day at the Harvest Heritage festival. Under one of the tents were tomato samples and it was there that I found four or so delicious varieties that I wanted to grow. So, I took a taste and kept a piece from each of the kinds that I enjoyed most (And I bought several packets of herb and veggie seeds, I’m not a total free-loader!). When I got home I extracted the seeds and got them ready for the following spring. And now, miracle of miracles, I’m eating those same tomatoes off of the vine!

Tomatoes from scavenged seed (and several types of basil from purchased seed) 

Around that same time my husband went on his own tomato excursion to the grocery store and bought several different varieties of local heirloom tomatoes. Those suckers weren’t cheap but we certainly got our money’s worth: I removed seeds from those special fruits and they too are responsible for this season’s bounty.

If you want to save some of your own favorite tomato seeds here’s the method I used:

You’ll need:
-a clean cutting board
-slicing knife
-glass jar or drinking glass
-fine sieve (I use a tea strainer)
-paper towels or paper bag
-water

 

-First you will cut the tomato horizontally through the middle (stem dimple is north pole, fat middle is equator- slice through equator).
-Then squeeze the seeds and tomato goop surrounding the seeds into the glass. There are a lot of seeds in there so you can do what I did which was eat half the tomato and de-seed the other half.
-Eat or compost the skin and tomato flesh. Yum.
-Fill the glass so that all of the seeds/goop is covered by at least two inches of water.
-Set aside. I put mine on a sunny windowsill but I’m not sure if that makes things go more quickly or not.

Seeds in water on windowsill

-After about 3-4 days the water will be gross. This is a good sign as it means the goop is separating from the seeds.
-Pour the water, goop and all, into the sieve. The seeds should remain sans goop.
-Rinse the seeds and spread in a single, well-spaced layer onto the paper towel or if you are like me and don’t use paper towels, a brown paper bag will do nicely (a dish towel will most likely cause the seeds to stick to the fibers of the cloth and could make for a difficult last step).
*Make sure you label the paper if you are doing more than one type of tomato as the seeds look alike.
-Let the seeds fully dry for another day or two.
-Transfer the seeds into labeled envelopes. Seal and store in a cool dry place.

Do you save your seeds? Any tips?
 

Milk (paint) everywhere but not a drop to drink!

Casein or Milk paint has been around for decades—no, centuries. It is a lime-based dry powder that when mixed with water, painted, and let to dry is an inert and sturdy wall (or furniture) treatment. A few weeks before my son, Pierce, was born my husband and I were scrambling to make a nest for the baby. Even though he would be in our room for a while, we knew that eventually we would want a safe, cozy place to put him so we could reclaim some autonomy (Did I mention that this was my first kid? Autonomy, ha!). Aaron laid down pre-finished cork and the salvaged latex house paint already had many months to off-gas.  

 

 

 

Before paint and before baby!

We decided to “white-wash” the unfinished wood wainscoting with milk paint. I went on over to Meadowbrook Hardware (…my favorite local hardware store). Meadowbrook carries paint from The Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company based out of Massachusetts.

Odorless, antiquey, from New England and a bit pricey, it’s the preppiest paint on the market. The detailed instructions walk you carefully through what amounts to essentially dumping the powdered paint and some tap water into a bucket. Then, after you’ve put on your old loafers, rolled up the sleeves of that ancient Brooks Brothers button-down and tightened that Nantucket belt, you’re ready to go (kidding).

I made a somewhat thin mix and used a natural bristle brush to paint the stuff on. Any drip got wiped up with a damp cloth and within an hour the whole thing was dry and ready for a second coat.

The baby’s room ended up looking cozy thanks to the milk paint and has already withstood some “antiquing” thanks to our son.

After the milk paint. 

Close-up of the knot holes and everything!

Have you used Milk paint? Success? Regrets?

Did you know that you can make your own milk paint? You can! Check out this site for a truly DIY version

Bat house installed: mozzies unnerved

For a few weeks my husband and I cared for a group of rescued bats. We were bat sitting for a woman who rescued and rehabbed bats. She delivered the little guys in a mini camping tent. If you’ve ever been to a large sports store or Sam’s Club you may be familiar with the mini-camping tent displays. Apparently, when not used to entice you to buy a collapsible outback palace, these mini-tents function as bat rehabs. While we had the bats under our watchful care, we fed them mealworms from our gloved hands and made sure they had fresh, clean water. I don’t know if it was their broken wings, missing ears, or “special” toes but those little stinkers were cute!

Little Brown bat

I’ve always been interested in bats: their deadly guano, their sonar, their ability to eat copious amounts of insects- specifically mosquitoes. They pollinate night blooming plants and congregate en masse under a bridge in Austin, Texas educating and entrancing crowds of onlookers! I’ve read how beneficial they are to farmers keeping thousands of pounds of pesticides off of our fruits and veggies. So, to do our part we have decided to install a bat house.

I happened upon a sweet cedar bat abode at Circa on Allied Street (Full disclosure: I work at Circa a few days a week). So, for $9 (less with my employee discount, rock!) I had an awesome gift for my hubby and the bats. Aaron braved the salvaged extension ladder and mounted the new house onto the sunny side of our backyard studio.

Bat house installed on Southern exposure of backyard studio (it’s the black box)

As I wait for the bats to arrive I can already feel the tiny breezes as they swoop by to gobble up those beyond-irritating mosquitoes. And if any turn up injured I know a quality mini-tent rehab just down the road.

A perfect time for bats!

Any success with bat houses? Or tips on being hospitable to our bat visitors?