More Hip Than Hippie #262 - Makin' Bacon

Llano Seco Rancho manager Dave Sieperda touts the benefits of sustainable farming and organic pork.

Oh yes, there's a difference between organic and conventional meats. The Hipsters chew the fat with ranch manager Dave Sieperda as he explains how his sustainable operation works, why organic meat is more expensive and why it's better to produce bacon from happy pigs. Also, Val talks uniboobs and rock star toes while Dori searches for a bottle opener.

Beer and Chocolate:

Beer: Don't hate us because we're Chicoans! Sierra Nevada has finally bottled their Crystal Wheat, calling it Old Chico...but it's only available here. Um, road trip?

Chocolate: Our new Favorite Listener, Brenda in Minneapolis, made our day with healthy, organic Fair Trade Innercalm In-Fused chocolate from Intelligent Nutrients. Thank you for sending along copies of David Wagner's "Life as a Daymaker".

Hip News and Finds

Finds:

• Vampire slayer. The adorable Bugplug uses sensors in its "eyes" and "tummy" to power down your energy-sucking gadgets. This award-winning concept won't hit the market until a company adopts it.
• Oil for one, one for oil. Aspirin? Dice? Umbrellas? Check out the Daily Green's list of 60 surprising products made from oil.

Hip News:

• Nonscents. Top-selling fragrances for men & women often contain secret chemicals that could harm you, according to a new report by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. That's right, Halle Berry and J. Lo could be disrupting your hormones.
• Power pants. Japan's population is aging, which means fewer baby diapers and more adult diapers. One company is turning the grand-nappies into biomass fuel pellets for heating.

Teenie Weenie Greenie™

Branch out! If you need a trellis in your garden, fashion one from tree branches and jute twine. Grab some shapely branches from your own or a neighbor's tree, string twine between them and let your vines climb.

 

Makin' Bacon

Consumers know that organics usually taste better, but there's more to the story. Dave Sieperda is the manager of Llano Seco Rancho, a sustainable farming operation here in Northern California. Dave explains how his operation works, why organic meat is more expensive and why it's better to produce bacon from happy pigs!

• Dave manages the beautiful 18,000 acre Llano Seco Rancho in Butte County, CA. The ranch has been family-owned since 1861.
• Dave follows organic practices that are better for the animal, the land and the consumer.
• Can organic farming feed the world? The debate continues.

Listener E-mails

• Rob in Kentucky posted this cartoon on our Facebook page. We had to share.
• Carrie in PA fears that her beloved soy candles source back to Monsanto. Sorry to say, it's probably true...can you learn to love beeswax?
• Annie in Calistoga bought a recycled vinyl bag from Elbow Grease Designs and loves it!
• Sarah in NYC needs a big Klean Kanteen and some good glass containers. She also shares Green My Parents for the kiddos, and 1BOG for group solar discounts.
• Chrissy in NC is excited to find a great way to reuse non-stick pans: cool birdhouses!
• Elizabeth in Minnesota uses rhubarb in lentil soups and dal. That sounds yummy...and so does this pie! (Thanks Janis!)
• Melinda in SC passes along recipes for making your own soap, lotion and deodorant.
• Sebastien in Montreal (eh!) watched "Food Inc." and promptly joined a CSA and a co-op. Bon idée!
• Emily in Tennessee discovered a delectable delicacy in a homebrew magazine: Bacon Beer. Let the angels sing.

 

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More Hip Than Hippie is sponsored by Greenfeet.com.

More Hip Than Hippie #261 - Life Without Monsanto

In March 2010, April Davila embarked on a quest to live a Month Without Monsanto.

So how tough could it be to avoid all Monsanto products for one month? After spending 30 days naked, starving, drunk and hairless (OK, not really!), April answers that question and explains her motivation for doing it. Also, Dori's chickens get names and Val takes to the stage for ChicoEatLearnGrow.

Beer and Chocolate:

Beer: We found much to enjoy in this big-ass bottle of Decadence Pomegranate Saison from Valley Brewing Co. The hint of fruit juice added a tart freshness to the Belgian-style ale.

Chocolate: Speaking of decadence, hello? $6 for a little chocolate bar? Earthsource Righteously Raw Acai Cacao had a nice truffley texture but a bit of a bitter finish. On the plus side, it's organic and soy-free, so it probably hasn't been touched by the icy hand of Monsanto.

Hip News and Finds

Finds:

• Reusable bag, supersized. If you do a lot of home improvement projects, consider getting a Bagster instead of renting a metal dumpster. Buy it, store it, use it when you need it, call Waste Management to dump it for you.
• What's in Season? Find the answer with Real Simple's handy online guide. Learn to buy, store and prepare all those fresh goodies you see at the farmers' market.

Hip News

• Winds of change. America's first offshore wind farm gets the green light. Cape Wind will power homes in Massachusetts and piss off the rich people in Nantucket.
• Bye bye birdies. Species of plants and animals continue to be lost at an alarming rate, so world leaders have failed to keep biodiversity commitments made in 2002.

Teenie Weenie Greenie™

I think I can! To protect seedlings in your garden, remove the top and bottom from a coffee can (or other large can) and place the metal cylinder around your delicate sprouts. The can provides shade and shelter; just recycle it at the end of the season!

 

Life Without Monsanto

In March 2010, April Davila embarked on a quest to live a Month Without Monsanto. She thought it would be as simple as avoiding GM corn and cotton; however, she soon realized that the agribusiness giant is much more deeply entrenched in our daily lives. Faced with having to source the seeds of her food, April found few choices available in the supermarket and even fewer companies willing to take a stand against GMOs. April maintained a blog about her experiences and hopes to turn it into a book.

• April's quest began when she read this report about the dangers of genetically modified corn.
• Her search for GMO-free foods led her to Lundberg Farms and Massa Organics.
• April wore only organic cotton, since Monsanto controls much of the cotton seeds in production. Learn about the disastrous failure of their bt cotton in India.
• Avoiding Monsanto's GM soy in personal care products, April washed only with Dr. Bronner's soap.
• At least she could still drink! April chose 15-year-old whiskey and biodynamic wine.
• Two of April's favorite resources are Vandana Shiva and the Center for Food Safety. You'll find other resources on her blog and her Facebook page.
• If you want to avoid Monsanto seeds, consult the Garden of Eatin'.
• Yep, there's an app for that! iPhone users, get the ShopNoGMO app.

Listener E-mails

• Theresa in NC wonders if Quorn is a good product. It's made from a fungus but isn't a mushroom; it's a good source of protein but is also an allergen. You decide.
• Colleen in Buffalo, NY is appalled by the wasteful new Kleenex Hand Towels. As for audiobooks, wait for Michael Perry's "Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs & Parenting".
• Miles in Toronto (eh!) is writing about the evils of HFCS on his website, Miles Ahead. Thanks for the shout-out!
• Sarah in NYC is ready to upgrade her TV and found some good info about LED TVs. She also wants to get rid of her old scented candles without tossing them out. We recommend keeping 'em for an emergency, or just burn them outside. Oh, and we'll check out your blog!
• Patrick in NC did the legwork and found that LED bulbs work best as rapid on/off "pee" lights.
• Emily in Indianapolis shares a link to an Ode magazine article about our buddy Ken Grossman. Dig around the site, you'll find a tidbit about Val!
• Nancy in Arizona makes her own reusable bags from old sheets and jeans, and loads them up with local goodies at the farmer's market.
• Shout-Out! Check out listener Patti's podcast, PregTASTIC!

Twitter goes green on #EcoMonday! Follow Val on Twitter: GrnDiva, at your service! Add us to your friends on Facebook and MySpace!

Remember to vote for us at Podcast Alley, and leave a glowing review at iTunes!

More Hip Than Hippie is sponsored by Greenfeet.com.