Top Trends for 2012 Eco-Friendly Home

Over the past few years we have seen a decided move towards eco-friendly homes and lifestyles. 2012 is likely to continue that trend, with new products and common practices making sustainable living more convenient than ever.

Here are the top forecasted trends for 2012.

Improved Efficiency

More green builders and eco-friendly citizens are seeking out strategies for a more efficient home. This trend is all about making efficiency cost-effective and effortless. Homes are trending smaller, with proper insulation and energy efficient windows. Market trends and government tax credits make installing solar panels more affordable than ever before and “greywater recycling” systems allow the home owner to reuse water from sinks and bathtubs. Likewise, rain barrels are a very simple method for collecting rainwater for yard use.

More Composting

Most eco-conscious families are already recycling plastic, aluminum and paper, but new composting systems are making it even easier to recycle food waste at home. Bokashi composting uses fermentation rather than aeration to break down food into nutrient-rich compost and/or compost tea. Mixed with EM-1® kitchen composting accelerant, the result is a faster, less smelly and bug-free compost cycle. This system is fantastic for dense urban communities as there is virtually no decomposition smell to offend neighbors and the only space needed is a couple five-gallon buckets and a place to bury the fermented food wastes. For homes that rely on septic tanks, the very same technology can be applied for septic tank maintenance. Naturally occurring septic tank enzymes and bacteria are supplemented to the tank for greater decomposition efficiency. The result is fewer odors, lower maintenance costs, improved drainfield performance and reduced groundwater pollution.

The Diner Table

Knowledgeable consumers understand that diet not only affects their family’s health but can also impact the environment. Many families are adopting a “paleo style” approach to eating, eliminating overtly processed foods and opting for nutrient dense “real” foods. When given the choice they will always select organically-grown produce and prefer locally sourced foods that require fewer fossil fuels to move from farm to table. They select meats that are produced on farms that are certified organic and avoid mega-farms that produce meat in a non-sustainable way. Many families have even begun producing their own vegetables, fruit, and herbs, or raising their own chickens in backyard coops. Using EM Technology® in your garden will help you produce fruits and vegetables that have higher vitamins and minerals and enzymes. You can also use EM Technology® around chicken coops to control odors and help keep the area clean. Add a little EM Bokashi to the ground area for scratching and the birds will be happy. If raising ducks, you can also add some EMX® Ceramics and EM-1® to keep the water they swim in clean.

Reducing Chemical Output

Most households use and expel dangerous chemicals in their home, including bleach, ammonia, drain cleaner, detergent and hard surface cleaners. These chemicals wash down the drain and end up in our community’s soil and ground water. They may also aggravate chemical sensitivities in family members. For this reason, many families are actively replacing chemically-laden products with green cleaning agents. Likewise eco-families are replacing chemical fertilizers in their gardens and lawns with organic soil amendments and conditioners that naturally improve soil quality without chemical runoff. The result is a home and garden free of harsh chemicals and the associated risks.

Additionally, growing plants in the home helps keep the air inside clean and rich in oxygen. Some plants such as Gerbera Daisies are known to remove Benzene from the air. If you have a new home, off-gassing from chemicals in the building materials could cut down simply by growing some plants inside. Plants also provide therapeutic benefits and aesthetic benefit to a home. Growing better plants is easy using juice from the fermented food buckets to provide a liquid fertilizer and spraying some EM-1® on the plants once or twice per week.

What is EM Technology?

Teragainx is proud to be the exclusive North American distributor of Dr. Higa’s EM Technology®, including EM-1 Effective Microorganisms®, EM® Bokashi and EM® Ceramics. EM Technology® utilizes predominantly facultative microorganisms to enhance agricultural, medical and nutritional processes and products. These naturally-occurring organisms have proven highly effective in a diverse array of applications, from livestock odor control to micronutrient fertilizer amendment and even as a part of daily probiotic cleanse supplement.

EM Technology® embraces the fact that certain microbes are the cornerstone of a properly functioning ecosystem, be that system your garden, a livestock farm or your digestive tract. It harnesses the power of naturally-occurring microbes such as lactic acid bacteria, photosynthethetic bacteria, and beneficial yeast to positively influence the decomposition process. As Dr. Higa explains, decomposition of organic matter is a necessary part of a healthy environment and is, in fact, a “life promoting” process.

A professor in the Department of Agriculture at the University of Ryukyus in Okinawa, Japan, Dr. Teruo Higa has revolutionized sustainable agriculture through his development of EM Technology®. His company is structured upon 8 key principals: low cost, high quality, safety, convenience, co-existence, co-prosperity, exchange of information, and sustainability. The company strives to reflect the product it produces. The microorganisms of EM-1 co-exist, co-prosper, exchange information, are sustainable, safe, efficient, and highly effective. If only human behavior could mimic these simple microbes.

These beneficial microorganisms are found is all aspects of nature, from rock crevices to your digestive tract! For this reason, their applications are myriad. Best of all, it is 100% organic, completely natural and will not contaminate your environments or aggravate chemical sensitivities.

EM Technology® EM-1® Applications

• Household cleaning
• Deodorizing the home
• Pet odor control
• Bathing & skin care
• Septic tank maintenance
• Indoor plant care
• Pond maintenance
• Soil amendment for gardens or agriculture
• Drought control
• Aquaculture
• Hydroponics
• Greenhouse maintenance
• Foliar feeding
• Hydrogen sulfide removal
• Ammonia removal, reduction & control
• Hydrogen Sulfide Odor Control
• Waste water management
• Corrosion control

EM® Bokashi Application

• Fermentation of compost
• Compost accelerant
• Compost Teas

EM-X® Ceramics Applications

• Natural Water Conditioning for Home, Wells & Agriculture
• Infrared therapy

Pro EM-1® Applications

• Over-all digestive health
• Improved nutrient absorption
• Purge toxins from the digestive tract
• Improve immunity
• Treatment for a variety of gastrointestinal conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and Crohn’s disease
• Alleviate certain allergies
• Stave off yeast infections (Candida albicans) and urinary infections
• Weight maintenance

The Benefits of Probiotics & How to Choose a Probiotic

The human digestive system relies on a series of beneficial microorganisms and digestive enzymes in order to properly digest and support the immune system. These human-friendly microbes are often referred to as beneficial bacteria or "probiotics" and are a critical component of healthy digestion. A growing body of scientific research supports regularly introducing live beneficial bacteria to the digestive tract in order to aid digestion, enhance the immune system, and prevent chronic illness. These tiny creatures aid in breaking down food matter and keep some harmful pathogens at bay.

One method for introducing these organisms is regularly ingesting foods fermented with beneficial bacteria, such as probiotic yogurt, kimchee and various fermented beverages. Many of these foods contain some variety, or strain, of beneficial microbes. They are normally from one or two different genus and, therefore, not very diverse in species makeup. Diverse species is important because one species or one genus of microbe only produces one set of metabolites. More metabolites (enzymes, vitamins, trace minerals, bacteriocins, etc.) mean more dietary and immune support. Metabolites are only produced during metabolic activity. So, if there is no activity, the metabolites are not being produced. Metabolic activity takes place during active fermentation and maturing.

We would like to make a note on yogurt. Most yogurts on the market are not fermented. The milk is often thickened with some type of acid (acetic acid, vinegar, citric acid, etc.) and are inoculated with freeze dried cultures at some point during the processing of the food and then refrigerated to keep the cultures from growing while in storage (no metabolic activity). This means the milk base is not properly pre-digested by the live microbes and you do not get all the benefits of the metabolites that would have been produced by the microbes during an actual fermentation process. There are some yogurts on the market that are fermented. Make sure they are clearly marked on the label. Kefir is another fermented milk product that uses multiple species of microbes and is fermented.

For many, however, these "fermented foods" are not readily available, inconvenient or not compatible with their dietary requirements. Some people may wish to use non-soy, non-dairy, or wheat-free probiotics. For these individuals, a more efficient and reliable solution would be finding the right probiotic supplement to fit their dietary needs. And, since many fermented foods are made with low diversity, getting all you need from food sources becomes very difficult.

Benefits of Probiotic Supplements

• Allows you to efficiently deliver an appropriate amount of beneficial bacteria and digestive enzymes to your digestive tract on a regular basis.
• Improves digestion and nutrient absorption.
• Aids in the expulsion of toxins from the digestive system.
• Shown to improve immunity and stave off certain illnesses.
• Proven to be an effective treatment for chronic or intermittent diarrhea.
• Treats several gastrointestinal conditions that have long mystified conventional medicine, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and Crohn's disease.
• Shown to alleviate allergies in children.
• Helps to control the yeast that causes yeast infections (Candida albicans).
• Believed to stave off and treat urinary infections in women.
• Can be used to support long-term weight loss.

Choosing a Probiotic Supplement

In the US, probiotic products are currently classified and sold as dietary supplements, so they are not subject to the testing and approval process that pharmaceutical drugs would be. For this reason, it is critical that you select a probiotic supplement from a manufacturer like Dr. Higa’s EM Technology® that is respected by both the medical and scientific communities. Look for organizations are based out of first-world countries that culturally value probiotic treatment, such as Japan, Sweden or Norway.

Choose a probiotic supplement that uses raw, fermented beneficial bacteria that uses all-natural and certified organic ingredients. It should contain live (never freeze dried), non-genetically modified microorganisms. You can also find a probiotic that does not contain preservatives, animal products, dairy, wheat and/or soy. There are multiple beneficial bacteria strains, so look for a probiotic that utilizes groups of synergistic naturally-occurring microbes. Also, be sure to choose a probiotic cleanse that is gentle enough for daily use.

Different Types of Community Gardens

In the last installment of our community garden series, we are presenting the most common types of community gardens. A community garden can take many shapes and forms depending on the desired benefits and objectives as well as the available land. A community garden may be a place to grow plants, vegetables, herbs or flowers among the company of neighbors and friends. It could also be a collection of individual plots that are each tended by an individual gardener or a sanctuary where individuals can learn or heal. There are many ways to organize a community garden, but there are a few methods that are the most common, including neighborhood gardens, allotment gardens, donation gardens, school gardens, therapy gardens and market gardens. A community garden can be one of these or a hybrid of several styles of garden.

Neighborhood Gardens

A neighborhood garden is a plot of land that a group of neighbors tend together as a group. These gardens often consist of both edible and decorative plants and are frequently viewed as something akin to a park for the community. A neighborhood garden strengthens community bonds while also beautifying the neighborhood.

Allotment Gardens

Allotment gardens are typically vacant lots that are divided into individual plots. These plots are then assigned to individuals who tend the plots in whatever fashion they like. These gardens are popular with individuals who enjoy gardening but do not have a yard of their own. The result is a beautiful patchwork of different gardens that provide fulfillment to individuals and natural beauty to the community as a whole.

Donation Gardens

Donation gardens focus on growing edible crops for philanthropic reasons. The resulting food is given to local food pantries and homeless shelters. Most donation gardens focus on organic produce and rely on natural fertilizers and organic soil conditioners for a healthy, robust yield. These gardens also often produce their own compost using left over food stuff and vegetation. Because the garden is city-central, we recommend the Bokashi compost fermentation system rather than traditional decomposition, as it is much faster and does not emit foul odors into the community.

School Gardens

School gardens give urban children a chance to experience horticulture in a way that is normally unavailable. These gardens focus on teaching children about sustainable agriculture, science, and applied mathematics in a hands-on gardening atmosphere. The interaction also provides personal growth, as they develop their ability to work as a team, learn life skills, and develop social skills. The result is a more knowledgeable child with a strong sense of accomplishment. Schools can also benefit from collecting cafeteria wastes and converting it into soil amendments. These types of projects help children learning recycling and growing plants. Because there is less waste going into dumpsters, there are less hauling costs.

Therapy Gardens

The purpose of a therapy garden is to provide emotional, spiritual or physical rehabilitation to those who need it. These types of community gardens are popular with hospitals, elder care facilities, therapy centers, substance abuse rehabilitation centers, and special needs schools. Therapy gardens are based on the principal that humans crave connectedness with nature. A green space encourages exercise and introspection, both of which are healing.

Market Gardens

As demand continues to increase for fresh local produce, so does the demand for market gardens. A market garden is a community garden that is farmed for profit as a source of supplemental income for lower income families. These gardens allow needy individuals to raise their own cash crops for sale to restaurants, individuals and at farmers markets.

Rooftop and Balcony Gardens

In many urban areas, space is limited...or so one would think. One just need look up to see there are acres of surface area that can be converted to food-producing areas. These farms can supply local produce to fit any of the above types of gardens. They also help provide much needed oxygen and clean air in these urban areas. Several cities, New York and Chicago in particular, are boasting multiple rooftop gardens. The sites are selected for a variety of reasons such as location to low rent and a strong roof. Soil is hauled up to the roof and beds are developed for planting. Irrigation lines are installed and a farm is set up on top of a building. Areas are left for composting and collecting rainwater as well.

How to Start a Community Garden

Our recent post on The Greenbelt Overhaul Alliance of Levittown’s (G.O.A.L.) land remediation projects generated a lot of interest in community gardens. After years of over-industrialization and economic hardship, many inner city communities are undergoing a Renaissance of sorts. Urban dwellers are reclaiming their neighborhoods, supporting local businesses and courting responsible development. Part of this movement is the inclusion of community gardens. Increasing urban green space not only infuses the community with natural beauty, but it can reverse ecological damage, improve property values, and impart a sense of community and connectedness.

The following is a quick 10 step guide to starting your own community garden using ecologically sound methods.

1. No Man is an Island – Organize a Community Garden Group
   
   A group as small as 3 can start a community garden, but – in general – the more individuals you involve, the more the community will support the project. With permission, post notices in local coffee shops and business windows. Invite neighbors, local tenants, business owners and the like. Utilize existing organizations and civic groups. Some great volunteer resources include neighborhood centers, youth groups, schools, seniors groups, congregations, homeless shelters and even rehabilitation / treatment centers. Look for folks invested in the community and looking to make a difference.


2. Get Organized – Determine the Project’s Leadership and Scope
   
   Determine who will lead / plan the initiative. This should be a group of 3 to 5 people who have the organization skills, time and enthusiasm to make the project a success. They will be responsible for fund-raising, scheduling, delegation, construction planning and overall communication, so they should be up to the task at hand. The leaders should also organize collective meetings where the project scope is hammered out.


3. Define Who You Are – What Kind of Community Garden Will You Create?
   
   Determine the type of garden the community requires. Should it be a vegetable or flower garden? Perhaps a combination of both? What purpose does the garden serve? Is it purely a beautification project? Or should it be a place to teach children about sustainable agriculture? Will it be organic? If it produces foodstuff, who should benefit from the harvests? Next, brainstorm ideas for fund-raising and set rules for the garden’s use and participation.


4. Take Root – Choose a Garden Site
   
   Contact your local municipal planners about possible sites. Visit each site and determine the best location. Some things to consider when you visit a site include sunshine exposure, water access, and soil quality. I recommend testing the soil for prohibitive levels of pollution. Once you decide on a location, find out who owns the land. Will they allow your community garden team to lease for at least three years? (Often they will for virtually nothing… especially if the prospective garden space is adjacent to an income-generating building – as a garden almost always enhances the building’s attractiveness.) Lastly, find out if public liability insurance will be necessary.


5. Find Your Strength – Identify What Resources the Neighborhood Has At Your Disposal
   
   Contact local horticultural societies and see if they can provide information on the best plants for the region and garden conditions. Call local landscaping and gardening companies and see if any are interested in providing pro-bono horticultural expertise. These types of organizations / business are often the best partners a community garden can have.


6. Get Funded – Find a Sponsor or Develop an Alternative Funding Model
   
   There are a number of creative ways to fund a community garden initiative, including regular fund raisers and long-term sponsorships. Do a sweep of all the local businesses and explain the project and its objective. They may be able to offer their support in one way or another. If one or several businesses offer to sponsor the project, your garden might feature an official plaque in their honor. Some community gardens self-fund with small monthly dues or occasional fund-raising projects.


7. Prepare for Success – Prepare the Garden Space
   
   This is the labor intensive part. Chances are, your space will require considerable preparation. Organize a team (or teams) to clean the space and clear away debris. In most cases, the soil will be very low quality so it is important to prep and churn the soil with an organic soil amendment that will bolster the overall nutrient level. Because of the plot’s general isolation from the natural world, you should treat the ground with a quality microbial inoculant product that will reintroduce all the beneficial soil organisms necessary for a healthy ecology. This will result in soil that is hospitable to plant life and resistant to both drought and water erosion.


8. Plants Need Neighborhoods Too – Organize the Garden
   
   Decide how the garden will be organized and map out the plot arrangement. A common method for marking different flower bed zones is to use string and stakes to create visual lines or boundaries. Be sure to section off an area for a shed where you can store and lock away equipment. Also keep an area where you can collect food wastes from the members and compost them or make worm castings. It is nice to include pathways between plots and to surround the garden with beautiful flowers and shrubs. Try to find ones that have bright colors and are scented to attract beneficial insects and people. It goes without saying, but it is important to make the area look pleasing so that it becomes a beloved feature of the community. Once the garden is properly planned, assign areas to different subgroups and begin planting.


9. You are a Community – So Be Sure to Communicate
   
   The community garden will require consistent attention and seasonal updates so it’s important to keep the community in contact. A monthly email newsletter is an easy method for staying in touch. Some community groups create websites for updates and forums. Consider monthly meetings as well to establish schedules and bolster the sense of community. You may even identify new community projects to undertake as a group in the future.


10. Look to the Future – Seek Out Other Ways to Improve Your Neighborhood
    
    During your monthly meeting, brainstorm other possible garden locations or projects that may contribute to the development of your neighborhood.

To find out more about community gardening, visit the American Community Garden Association and the Urban Harvest websites.

G.O.A.L. Successes With Effective Microorganisms®

G.O.A.L. (The Greenbelt Overhaul Alliance of Levittown) is a non-profit organization, founded in 2009 by Dale Frazier, in Levittown, Pennsylvania. GOAL is dedicated to cleaning Levittown, PENN greenways and tributaries of debris; elimination of waterway damming by debris; removal of undesirable plant species with replacement by desirable species; and the ongoing maintenance of these remediated areas through education, participation of the public, other interested parties.

Over the past 2 years, G.O.A.L. has applied EM•1® Microbial Inoculant in the planting of local riparian buffers in the Levittown, Penn, USA area in order to remediate the local green zones and stream banks. Leaves and other debris have accumulated in drainage ditches causing odors and pest problems. Fertilizers and road runoff from the surrounding area run into these ditches as well. The ditches were so plugged they would often flood. As water sat in the plugged ditch it would go stagnant. This water eventually flowed (trickled really) into Silver Lake, bringing with it any pollutants that had accumulated in the water.





G.O.A.L., along with members and volunteers, has removed over 300 cubic yards of trash and invasive plant species, planted over 850 native trees, removed 1,000 tires from the area, and planted native wildflowers within riparian buffers.  Robert Nix, President/CEO of B Organix, Co. Inc, is the acting soil and planting specialist working with G.O.A.L. He has been volunteering his time and donating the EM•1® in these projects.  Robert Nix has been using Effective Microorganisms® products for the past 15 years for many uses.  Mr. Nix has been a long-time customer of TeraGanix and has worked closely with the company on various applications of EM Technology®, including the G.O.A.L. projects. At a recent watershed management seminar, Dale Frazier announced that they have achieved a 99% success rate for the riparian buffer restoration projects that Robert Nix helped accomplish.

Finding Hardpan

This project first started with taking some soil samples.  There was a hardpan about 16 inches below the surface.  In the photo on the right, Mr. Nix pulls a chunk of hardpan which would prevent proper drainage around the trees if not cracked through.  He found that years of misuse resulted in the lack of soil percolation, low levels of organic matter that needed to be replaced.

Mixing Soils For Tree Planting

Once the soil type was assessed, Mr. Nix determined what would be used in a custom soil mix.  The mix included Activated EM•1®, perlite, organic peat, a humate/mychorrizea mix from BioAg called VAM+ Activator  (Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi) and TM7, and a proprietary mix of wild mushroom soil developed by Mr. Nix's company, B OrgaNix.   The need for EM•1® Microbial Inoculant in the soil formulations used for the projects was determined in the first soil inspection made by Robert Nix.

Water Wagon Spraying AEM•1® & Nutrients

Mr. Nix recommended G.O.A.L. continue watering with EM•1® to improve organic breakdown and help control pathogens along with possible toxins from runoff in the area. The improvement of these factors added to EM•1®’s success rate.  In order to do the watering, G.O.A.L. made a "water wagon" that had a nutrient solution with Activated EM•1®.

A groups of volunteers came and removed all the trash and invasive species.  After that the area was mowed and raked clean.  Then holes were dug for the native trees to be planted.  The soil mix with Activated EM•1® and EM® Bokashi was added to the holes and trees were planted.  The trees were then mulched with additional soil mix.

Trees Planted By GOAL Volunteers

A few days after the planting there were no signs of transplant stress.  During the week that followed, there was an incidence of vandalism where an ATV was driven, ripping the soil.  Several of the trees were pulled out as well.  After a little more help, the soil was fixed and the trees re-planted.  Even though this was done, there was still a 99% survival rate of the trees that were planted.

The last step in the project was to plant wildflowers.  All the species of wildflowers are native to the area.  Some include sunflowers with a variety of bright colors.  This fall they bloomed in a brilliant display of colors along the neighborhood.  The project has helped clean the area of debris, treat runoff pollutants, and prevent erosion along the drainage ditch.  It has also helped beautify the neighborhood.

G.O.A.L., with the help of B OrgaNix, is expanding the use of EM•1® in the community in order to promote environmental education, reduction of food wastes in landfills, natural water quality, and overall environmental health.

Wildflowers In Bloom

New Year’s Resolution for a Healthier 2012 – Everything in Moderation! (Part 3)

In the final installment of our 3 part series on how to make your New Year’s resolution a commitment you can succeed at and feel good about, we will take our moderation approach even further!

Part 3: Commit to 3 Additional Health Enhancements

Last but not least, in your commitment to a healthier you in 2012, it is a good idea to also incorporate a few small health enhancements to complement your new moderate lifestyle. Again, do not set too lofty a goal, but rather choose three easy-to-implement changes that will fit into your life and make you happier.

First you must identify which aspects of your life need to be addressed. Are you most concerned with your physical health, or would you like to work on emotional, spiritual or intellectual health aspects of your life? You may want to address all of the above! If so, be sure to set realistic goals.

Possible "health enhancements" include:

• Introducing a multi-vitamin into your morning routine, which is a good idea no matter how young or old you are
• Adding in a calcium supplement (this is especially important for women)
• Starting a micro nutrient probiotic cleanse if you have ever suffered from immunity or digestive issues
• Scheduling your annual check-up appointment, especially if you’re someone who usually tries to avoid going to the doctor
• Switching to a non-toxic, green cleaning agents in the home for those messes that kids and pets cause
• Adding recycling and composting kitchen bins
• Starting an organic garden
• Volunteering once a month to stay active in your local community and help you achieve greater connectedness
• Attending a religious/spiritual gathering or lecture once a month
• Take a class that will broaden your mind or advance your career
• Take one trip abroad this year

The possibilities are endless!

The trick to being successful in your resolution this year is embracing moderation and committing to change. Instead of focusing your transgressions and labeling yourself a failure, think of your life as a long-term quest for moderation. Take pride in being the sort of person who makes thoughtful choices about their health, but also enjoys indulgences in appropriate portions.

Good luck on your journey to moderation!