Monday, December 20, 2021

9th, 10th, 11th & 12th days, commit to gifts of plow

As the holiday season approaches, are you considering gift choices? For many, the focus is ‘hearth and home’ but from an eco perspective, a focus of ‘plow not hearth’ is more appropriate.

Too often, we purchase last-minute trendy gifts, something most people would view as thoughtful but useless. So, instead of a trendy gift, over the years, I’ve for examples donated a half day to rake an elderly friend’s yard, plant bulbs or began the pruning process; in other words, focus on ‘plow’ in my holiday gift giving.

Interested but don’t know how to start? There are numerous ‘living green’ gift options from which to choose: crafting a seasonal arrangement or decoration, planting bulb beds, raking yard debris, lime and fertilizing grassy areas, creating a site for a spring planting or thinning crowded evergreens.

Use 'living green' for hand-made holiday decorations
 
If no available outside choices exist, create a container garden of forced-bloom bulbs or identify an educational opportunity and make two reservations: one for yourself and one for a friend. And, if you are proactive, a gift could be sharing bounty from your garden. Pickles, jams or jelly are relatively easy to make. On the other hand, if you cannot create a gift item directly from your kitchen, check out ‘buy local’ options.

When it comes to gift giving, limited personal time is a determining factor. Fortunately, there are emerging markets of eco-choice products and services. GoodGuide for example identifies issue-specific ratings so that consumers can evaluate and compare products; and then, make selections based on health, environmental or social performance. Another eco option is to acquire products or services through vendors that participate in a central Virginia program, Virginia Green. These consumer shopping options predetermine eco-friendly and socially responsible products and services; and although relatively new aides, both options are gaining acceptance; and perhaps, at some point, will become a guideline for consumer product or service consumption.

In the spirit of the holiday season, won't you join a quest to green life’s garden one scoop at a time. Enable an earth-healthy eco-legacy, a tradition of ‘plow not hearth’ gifts. I urge you to ‘plug in’; acquire a weather station such as those provided by Wind and Weather; and, specifically in honor of December as ‘national give/read a book month’, visit Sylvia’s Store option. For, people who ‘dig in the dirt’ not only have opportunities to make a difference through personal choices but influence others. To identify additional eco tips and strategies, visit web site TheWrightScoop.

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