Have you ever thought about what sort of food grows around your neighborhood? The bounty of edibles found right around the corner, from apples and nuts to rosemary and greens, is astounding. The urban landscape is filled with fresh, free food if you just know what to look for. Plants you might normally ignore, like dandelions or nettles, can be cooked into healthy, delicious meals.

Many people first experienced wild foods in their childhood—learning to mushroom hunt with their grandfather or picking apples from a neighbor’s tree. Looking for wild fruits, veggies, and nuts is a fun family activity that helps teach kids the value of local, fresh food. In addition to having kids help you forage for your own kitchen, you can volunteer to help harvest urban edibles for those in need (see resources below). More...

--Erin Russell, Chinook Book Sales Coordinator

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because it's all about the gathering of great people and amazing food.  This year I have pledged with the Cascade Harvest Coalition's Eat Local for Thanksgiving campaign and need to take a look at my options for having an unforgettable meal!

Ballard Farmers Market: I love buying produce at the Ballard Farmers Market because it feels like an adventure to see who has what local produce and products.  I plan on purchasing some local cheese at the Ballard Farmerís Market to use as an appetizer on Thanksgiving. Search ecometro.com to find the closest farmers market to you. More...

Six years after plans were laid to open a new Whole Foods on 15th St that would service Ballard, Magnolia and Downtown commuters and residents, Interbay Whole Foods opened its doors to the public for a pre-Grand Opening gala on October 12, 2009 that was attended by over 1000 people. Not yet open for business, the new store had its wares on display, fully-stocked shelves providing an ornamental backdrop to the main attraction: the food. Proving Whole Foods' signature ability to tempt at every turn, premium hors d'oeuvres, beer and wine were served throughout the aisles. More...

When Washington lawmakers approved a set of incentives in 2005 for producing electricity from the solar power, they hoped to encourage residents to install solar panels and recruit businesses to build them in the Evergreen State.

Four years later, we are seeing slow, but steady and growing progress.

Under the state's incentive program, anyone who installs a solar panel and a meter that records its production gets a double payoff. First, the electricity it produces lowers the amount you need to buy from your utility. Then, you also earn at least 12 cents for every kilowatt-hour of energy the panel generates.

It’s a generous incentive.

The minimum production incentive alone is nearly double what my employer, Seattle City Light, charges its residential customers. Combined with the savings from not needing to buy that electricity, the minimum payback is about 18 cents per kilowatt-hour.

But wait, it gets even better and THIS SPACE is here to tell you why. More...

Seattle, Washington.  August 31, 2009.  Five years after its conception, Seattle’s Chaco Canyon Organic Café is now Washington State’s first fully certified organic vegetarian restaurant and one of only approximately 10 certified organic restaurants in the country.   

While the café has always sourced about 95% organic ingredients, the Oregon Tilth certifying agency has now verified the café’s compliance with the USDA National Organic Program standards.   More...

What was your biggest stress during your last move? Were you able to find all the cardboard boxes that you needed in your neighbor's recycling bin? Or did you succumb to buying brand new moving boxes (made from virgin wood) at your local big box store?

Lose the eco-guilt...now you have another option! Welcome, FROGBOX, a company new to Seattle that aims to help locals move with the help of rent-able plastic boxes. See the press release below!
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