AMHERST SUSTAINABILITY FESTIVAL

ORGANIC GARDENING 101 AT THE AMHERST SUSTAINABILITY FESTIVAL

Sustainable Seed Starting Demonstrations

The 7th Annual Amherst Sustainability Festival will be held SATURDAY, APRIL 16th from 10 AM - 4 PM in the town common.  The Stockbridge School of agriculture at UMASS will have a booth for the Sustainable Food and Farming Major where we will be offering an Organic Gardening 101workshop with demonstrations on sustainable seed starting at 10 and continued every half hour until 3:30.  We will also be there to answer questions and provide tips on getting your garden started.  Other topics to be discussed are: no till gardening, seed bombs, hardening off and planting your starts and permaculture practices and plants to incorporate into your garden.

This is a kid friendly event and open to children, beginners and seasoned gardeners alike.  Demonstrations will show you how to make your own seed starting containers using various up-cycled materials.  Tables and supplies will be provided so that you and the kiddos can make your own seedlings to bring home and start your own garden. 

By using the sustainable seed starting methods we show you,  we can collectively help reduce plastic waste and limit the load put on the recycling facilities by up-cycling common household wastes and reusing them.  

Join us at the sustainable food and farming booth and share in the fun!  Ask us about our major, the interesting classes and fun happenings on campus.

We are doing this as a group out reach project for my writing for sustainability class and the festival itself will be a lot of fun.  They have animal and a main stage where other demonstrations will take place throughout the day as well as the much loved farmers market with venders selling their good.  Come support me and my class mates and the Amherst Sustainability Festival, you won't be disappointed.  :)

~Megan~

15 Things That Helped Me Survive my Teething Baby

Does teething have you and your little one in your own version of teething hell? Well I can relate and I'm still in it myself but here are some things, 15 in fact, that over the coarse of the year have helped us deal with the nightmare of teething. 

1. Breastfeeding - my little one really likes the comfort and suckling of breastfeeding. She nurses much more frequently while teething and it seemes to help. Although once their teeth come in and they decide to bite the crap out of your nipple you may no longer like this suggestion. Not all babies like to nurse while teething and can go on a nursing strike so do what works for you and your baby.

2. Frozen wash cloths - wet some wash cloths with some water or even chamomile tea to increase the antiinflamitory properties and put them in a plastic baggy and freeze them. Pull one out for baby to chomp on while teething. The cold eases inflammation while the chewing feels good on their gums. 

3. Natural rubber teether - a natural rubber teething toy that babies just love to chomp on. It's non toxic natural rubber so it's BPA free and free of the other chemical junk too so you feel comfortable that you kid is mowing on it. This was my diaper bag staple that my daughter loved. Not only does the soft rubber feel good on their gums but the squeaking noise it makes is fun for the younger babies especially. 

4. Wooden teether - the hardness of the wooden teethers put much needed pressure on their gums and is a great alternative to say the coffee table or whatever else they deem as food.

5. Plush toys - pretty much anything baby can get their hands on to chew they will. Different textures of cloth on babies gums helps and you know it's safe for them to chew. 

6. Chilled food - once baby is old enough for solid food giving them some cold fruit and veggie purées or yogurt can help to reduce inflammation of their gums and ease pain temporarily. 

7. Mesh food bags - filling up these mesh bags with frozen or chilled fruits or vegetables for baby to munch on works wonders with teething while also giving baby a healthy snack. 

8. Chilled drinks - once baby is old enough for a sippy cup, filling it up with cold fluids eases teething pain while babies are drinking. 

9. Teething biscuits - whether it be rice husks, or cookies, these help immensely while filling babies tummy at the same time. 

10. Gum massage - rubbing your babies gums with a clean finger feels great for them too and it's not something you've got to remember to put in the diaper bag either. I also liked to use a silicon tooth brush for my finger too although once those teeth come in watch out! I've gotten bit quite a few times. 

11. Teething jewelry - accessories you get to wear to keep your teething tot at bay. Some of these silicone beaded jewelry is actually really cute and could be worn when your baby is no longer a teething monster. I've found them to be pretty handy at keeping them entertained while out and about too, added bonus right there!

12. Amber necklaces and bracelets - when baby wears these baltic amber bracelets and necklaces the warmth of their skin is alleged to release the succinic acid that acts as mild pain releiver and offers anti-inflammatory properties.  In the weeks my little one wore hers I did notice a difference in her discomfort level but after a while she started noticing it more and more, trying to chew it and rip it off so I decided to take a break from it for a while, but it is definitely worth a shot!

13. Distraction - although temporary changing your babies mind is a wonderful tool to keep their thoughts off of how bad their mouths hurt. Whether it's a nice relaxing bath or playing with their new favorite toy it distracts them for a little while so that they and you can get a little bit of a break. 

14. Homeopathic remedies - whether it be teething tablets or syringes filled with herbal remedies targeted to naturally relieve pain, redness and swelling and even diarrhea linked to teething.clove oil acts as a potent antiseptic, analgesic, with antibacterial and local anesthetic properties. Clove oil itself can be used in diluted form but for those wanting to take the guess work out, you can use the Baby Orajel Naturals which it's active ingredient, eugenol, is derived. This type of Orajel is plant derived and dosnt contain some if the questionable ingredients the original formula does. 

15. OTC Pain Relievers - when all else fails and both baby and you need much needed sleep, giving them a dose of Motrin or Tylenol usually does the trick. I go for the dye free most natural kind I can get. Also my little one gets a low grade fever along with teething so when she does I reach for this. Always with any over the counter, whether homeopathic or not, it's best to check with your pediatrician first before giving them anything. 

That concludes my list of teething remedies. I hope these suggestions help you and your little survive this painful time a little less worse for wear. If anyone has any other things that work please add them in the comments, thanks!

~Megan~

Grow food Everywhere

There is a small initiative gaining some momentum called, Grow Food Everywhere, that has the potential to make the world a more sustainable place by doing exactly what the name states getting people and organizations to grow food everywhere.  When thinking of being sustainable, small initiatives often get over looked because we think they are too small to make a difference, but if millions of people do them they end up making a huge impact overall.  Growing some tomatoes on your balcony, having a vegetable garden in your back yard, or even just growing some herbs on your window sill can have an impact and can make a difference in the sustainability of our planet.  By doing this you are preventing one more item from being grown largely in an unsustainable manner and then being trucked or shipped from around the world, saving tons of co2 to just to get it to your local supermarket, where you often drive to, and that has an impact.  Just think if everyone in every house hold around the world were to grow one food item for themselves the amount of co2 that could reduce overall, it would really add up to quite a lot. It may not be a complete solution in global warming or fully make the world sustainable but it would make a huge difference and would greatly improve sustainability overall by reducing the carbon footprint that these food items generate.  Small initiatives and individuals have the power to make change and just doing one small thing can reduce our impact on the earth, so when thinking of sustainability you shouldn’t feel like shouldering the weight of it entirely, chip away at the problem by reducing what you can when you can and that too will make a difference.