If you are feelin' the need to get out of the city and connect to the land, consider a visit to The South 47 Farm in Redmond. The great folks there are providing a couple of events to keep the whole family engaged. Be sure to clip your Chinook Book Coupon before you go to receive 20% off your purchase of fruits, veggies, flowers and herbs!

Farm Kids
Farm Kids is a farm adventure for children ages 6-12. Responsible adult must be on farm premises. Includes hayride, farm walk, hands-on exploration, and more. No reservation needed.  Cost: $7 per child.
Every Thursday through Aug 27, 10:30-11:30am

Fourth at the Farm Celebration
Featuring wagon rides, music, farm animals, refreshments. Seasonal fruits and vegetables, U-pick and farm stand. All crops grown using organic methods.
July 4-5, 11am-3pm


The South 47 Farm, 15410 NE 124th St, Redmond

Image Credits: gudlyf/Creative Commons

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Cirque du Cycling, the Portland bike parade, came and went like…well…a parade. People lined up and down Mississippi Avenue to witness the spectacle of collected bike groups. Our family rode with a group of cargo/utility bike users. Aside from all being larger bikes, this group shares the belief that bikes are superb vehicles for moving large objects from place to place. James--seen in the photo below with his dog Louie who sits in a custom made box atop his Xtracycle--made our banner, which pretty much summed up our group’s thinking: WeGO Cargo! More...

There's a lot going on this weekend right here in the Puget Sound! You've got Seattle's PrideFest, Strawberry Festivals in Bellevue and at Remlinger Farms, SeaTac's International Festival, Shoreline's Arts Festival, Port Orchard's Fathoms O' Fun Summer Festival, the Capitol Hill Pride Festival, Greenwood Car Show, Taste of Tacoma, and a Party in the Park in Kirkland. Wow!

But if that doesn't keep you busy, take a look at the event we are highlighting this week by clicking on "More". And don't be shy - let us know what your weekend plans entail!

Image Credit: Flickr/Creative Commons
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On Art Mondays we bring you innovative, inspiring examples of artists working with and for the environment.

Sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor creates cement figures from models--including students and a BBC presenter-- and then places them underwater as artificial reefs, where sea sponges and worms can collect on the hard surface and attract fish and other underwater residents searching for a stable home. Check out the images of the works changing over time, it's both eerie and beautiful how the sea overtakes the forms.
One more image after the jump. All images courtesy Jason deCaires Taylor. More...

Were any of you EcoMetro readers inspired to try out a car-free lifestyle after you read about Carissa's experience with joining Zipcar? If you're looking for the extra kick-in-the-pants to get started, consider joining Seattle Zipcar's Low-Car Diet Challenge.

The Low-Car Diet Challenge is an annual Zipcar event that gives people across the country the opportunity to ditch their car and see how it works with their daily routine. You give up your personal car keys for 30 days with the opportunity to blog about your experience - others will be able to follow you journey, hearing about how your life has been affected. Imagine the fame (and cost savings, carbon savings, personal weight loss, etc...)!

Participants (assuming approval as a safe driver) get their first year’s annual and application fees waived and driving credit from Zipcar, as well as a car-free survival kit filled with goodies from various sponsors.

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This week's featured event is one to put on next month's calendar. Celebrate local food and local food producers and take part in the many (free!) educational events that will be available to all. EcoMetro will be there, so be sure to come by our table to say "hi!".

Community Alliance for Global Justice presents the 3rd annual Strengthening Local Economies, Everywhere Dinner & Fair, Saturday, July 18, 2009, 3pm–11pm. This year the event will be at a new location in Seattle's Montlake neighborhood: St. Demetrios Church, 2100 Boyer Ave E.

The event starts out with a community fair, which is free and open to the public. Dinner is followed by dancing! Get all the details by clicking 'More'.

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Group member and landscape architect Just Smart Design submitted this photo complete with notes about what's growing! Submit your photos to our EcoMetro Sustainable City Pool. More...

After an extended, gray winter, Seattle is now enjoying the kind of summer that reminds us why we live here.

As the long-awaited sunshine pulls us from our fleece cocoons and recharges our vitamin D levels, THIS SPACE is here to remind you that sunshine also offers one of the simplest, low-investment opportunities for saving electricity -- the solar clothes dryer. You might recognize this energy-efficient technology better as a clothesline.

Hanging clothes to dry used to be a commonplace event, but largely disappeared with the arrival of affordable, convenient appliances.

That convenience comes with a cost, which you can turn into a savings. More...

June is the month for graduations, celebrations for dear ol' Dad, and garage sales! You're on your own to come up with the graduation party, but we've found a couple of events to help satisfy the other June traditions.

Image Credit: Flickr/Creative Commons

Capitol Hill Garage Sale
The Capitol Hill neighbors have rallied together and will be hosting nearly 80 separate sales that will be happening throughout the neighborhood this weekend. Take the bus to avoid parking, or better yet, hook up a cart to your bicycle and get a workout while you shop!
June 13, 10am start
Capitol Hill Neighborhood, Seattle

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