Earth-friendly steps to take at start and end of food chain
Oxford EarthFest is upcoming April 23 in Uptown Memorial Park. The event, which is 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., marks Earth Day, an annual worldwide observation to honor our planet.
This year’s worldwide Earth Day theme is “invest in our planet.” The theme resonates strongly with MOON Co-op, which is committed to supporting local and Earthfriendly products.
To mark this year’s Earth Day, we can think about Earth-friendly steps we can take at the start and end of the food chain. These steps may not be as familiar as Earth-friendly food shopping and cooking in our community.
Do you grow your own produce — as well as flowers — from seed? Consider using seeds from Seeds of Change, availability at MOON Co-op Grocery.
Seeds of Change is the nation’s oldest organic seed company. It guarantees seeds that are 100% Organic and 100% Non-GMO.
Thinking about converting some or all of your lawn grass to natural vegetation? A new group in Oxford, Wild Ones Miami Valley, is here to help. Find them at Oxford’s Farmers Market.
Wild Ones is a national organization of local groups that promote naturalized landscapes. Dayton and Cincinnati also have branches of Wild Ones. Wild Ones provides guidance for folks looking to do something more ecologically valuable with their lawn.
A naturalized landscape helps preserve wildlife important for biodiversity, especially honey bees, insects and birds. Oxford has an important place in the history of beekeeping and honey production.
The “father” of American beekeeping, the Rev. Lorenzo Langstroth (18101895), lived and worked in Oxford from 1852 to 1887. When he invented the first movable frame beehive in 1852, Langstroth revolutionized the beekeeping industry.
Oxford remains a center of beekeeping and leadership in preserving and protecting endangered honey bees. Several of the local honey makers are regulars at the Oxford Farmers Market, and others sell through MOON Co-op.
At the other end of the food chain, Oxford also is home to an innovative program. Nearly all of your food waste can be deposited in one of six green bins located just off Chestnut Street near the foot of Main Street.
In addition to the fruit and vegetable waste that many folks compost in their yards, the city bins accept hard-to-compost items such as meat (including fat and small bones), dairy products, eggs, nuts (including shells), flour (including bread and pasta) and fats (including oils and dressings). These items are tough for backyard composting because they can take a long time to break down and can attract vermin.
The bins are emptied once a week by a nonprofit food waste courier service called GoZERO Services, founded in 2015 by Springfield, Ohio, resident David Andre. GoZERO is part of what Andre calls the Econopian Food Waste Composting Ecosystem.
In addition to GoZERO, Andre’s “ecosystem” currently comprises two other nonprofits. Econopia is responsible for doing the actual composting, and Fork2Farm sells the compost to farmers and home gardeners.
Seeds of Change are available at MOON Co-op Grocery, Oxford’s consumer-owned full-service grocery featuring natural, local, organic, sustainable, and Earthfriendly products. MOON Coop, located at 516 S. Locust St. in Oxford, is open to the public every day. www.mooncoop. coop.