MOTHER EARTH NEWS October - November 2017

I just returned from the Seed Savers Exchange Conference & Campout at Heritage Farm, located on the outskirts of Decorah, Iowa. Seed Savers Exchange is a wonderful collective of seed-saving aficionados formally organized as a long-running nonprofit organization (www.SeedSavers.org ). This was my first time visiting Heritage Farm, and I had the privilege of delivering a keynote presentation on my great-grandfather’s seed business that dates back to 1882 in Bismarck, North Dakota. What makes this event one of the best I’ve attended over my career is that it’s a purely joyful celebration of our seed heritage — both Native American and otherwise. From the staff members to the leadership to the board of trustees to the participants to, most especially, Diane Ott Whealy, one of the organization’s founders, I felt embraced…

A Way to Listen to MOTHER I’m the director of the Nebraska Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Service, and we just saw the letter to the editor in the June/July 2017 issue about MOTHER EARTH NEWS not being available for blind readers of the Library of Congress program. I’m writing to let you know that MOTHER is indeed available, and recorded here in specialized audio format for blind readers. Letterwriter Brian Bethel would be able to obtain our specialized recording from his talking book library in Virginia, which I’m going to contact. But the magazine is available to blind readers already in a more general sense. You can call 888-NLS-READ (888- 657-7323) to get connected with the library serving your area. You can also search for your local talking book library…

People Like Pearl I’m subscribed to MOTHER EARTH NEWS and Mother Earth Living and enjoy each issue. I keep them and reread them often; they’re filled with good, practical information for sustainable living. Thank you for all the hard work you do to produce such important magazines. I very much enjoyed Pearl O’Neill’s letter, “Pearls of Wisdom,” in the Country Lore department of the last issue (August/ September 2017). I’d like to see MOTHER EARTH NEWS find more people like Pearl to interview for tips and information about how to keep gardening as they age. We have a large population of the baby-boom generation who are now in their 60s and older, and I think this would be inspirational and give the support we long to see. There’s so much on TV…

Since January 2017, the United States has reversed several policies supporting renewable energy, controlling greenhouse gas emissions, and investing in cleaner technology. These changes have led many states to fill the gaps with diverse legislative objectives that include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting natural resources, and creating new jobs. Clean Energy Momentum States have the authority to individually support environmentally friendly policies, and many are turning to the power of lawmaking to do just that. In recent months, state congresses have proposed hundreds of bills that relate to clean energy production, greenhouse gas reduction, and state-enforced regulations and incentives for environmental protection. Many are also looking at ways to tax carbon production, encourage solar energy installations, and mandate advances in renewable energy technology. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) recently created a Clean Energy…

Around the world, millions of plants produce food that spoils because no one knows to collect it. Now, a Colorado-based nonprofit named Falling Fruit is striving to connect would-be foragers with this untapped resource. With a world map that uses a geographic information system (GIS), Falling Fruit enables users to explore, edit, and record the location of wild food anywhere in the world for others to find and enjoy. New foraging locations are added daily, making it easier to find anything from berry bushes and fruit trees to edible fungi and even food-filled urban dumpsters. In this way, Falling Fruit is making it easier than ever to take advantage of the underappreciated food that grows in urban spaces. By streamlining the process of recording and finding foraging sites on the interactive…

A transition toward greener living is happening in the homebuying market, and real estate agents are taking notice. Realtors around the country are seeing increased value in promoting energy efficiency, sustainability, and other green features in the homes they sell, and 7 out of 10 realtors believe that these subjects are major selling points for their clients. According to the National Association of Realtors’ 2017 sustainability report, more than half of homebuyers are interested in homes with Earth-friendly features that reduce their use of fossil fuels. This includes energy-efficient lighting and heating systems, water-saving landscaping and appliances, and renewable energy systems, such as solar panels and geothermal heating. Solar panels are particularly increasing in popularity, as 80 percent of realtors surveyed reported their presence in the homes they sold, and close…