#the csa i joined is giving so much food. way more than one person can eat in a week I'm going to have to meet some neighbors | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

kennethherrerablog · 6 years ago

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This is How to Save Money, Meet Your Goals and Kill It in 2019 for Less

Whatever your New Year’s resolutions are, you’re a Penny Hoarder.

No matter the resolution, you’d probably like to spend less money accomplishing it, right?

To help, we’ve rounded up some tips and tricks for saving money on the most common New Year’s resolutions.

Whether you want to eat healthier or travel more, we put together a list of 23 ways to do it more cheaply.

Quit Smoking

We don’t need to tell you how much money you’ll save by quitting smoking — you already know.

Instead, here’s how to save money while quitting smoking.

1. Get Free or Discounted Smoking Cessation Aids

If you want to try the patch or gum, look online for coupons before making your purchase.

Many state-supported health campaigns also provide free smoking cessation aids, as well as other resources and support.

Find a full list of coupons and state campaigns here.

2. Join a Free Support Group

If you want to quit cold turkey, it might be smart to join a free support group.

Try in-person groups like Nicotine Anonymous, or apps and virtual forums like quitSTART and The EX Plan.

3. Enroll in a Class With a Money-Back Guarantee

Have you heard of Allen Carr’s Easyway to Stop Smoking seminar?

Friends of mine have had success with this class. It guarantees you’ll quit smoking — or you get a full refund.

You do have to pay $450 upfront, but you’ll quickly make the money back if and when you stop buying cigarettes. If you sign up at least one month ahead of time, you can often get a $50 early bird discount.

Lose Weight

Losing weight helps you feel better — both physically and mentally. It could also lead to reduced medical costs down the road.

Here’s how to save money while losing weight:

4. Find Free Ways to Exercise

You don’t need to hit the gym to get your sweat on. (Though we do have a guide to help you find the best gym membership.)

Even if you live somewhere cold, you can exercise with high-quality home workout YouTube channels, or these cheap ways to exercise.

5. Do a Discounted Downward Dog

Yoga is my favorite way to exercise. Not only is it a fantastic workout, it also helps me clear my mind.

The only problem? It can be expensive. If you want to find yoga on the cheap, here are 10 creative ways to enjoy free or low-cost classes, and where to find the best free online yoga classes.

Or, if you really love yoga, become a yoga teacher.

6. Try Classpass or Groupon

There are always discounts for local gyms and fitness studios on Groupon.

Or, if you live in a major metropolitan area, try Classpass. It lets you work out at several different studios each month.

7. Get Paid to Exercise

Few motivators are better than money.

Here are 17 creative ways to get paid to work out — plus these 10 ways to get paid to lose weight.

Travel More

Want to travel more this year, but afraid it’s going to cost too much?

8. Save on Flights, Lodging and More

Rather than list all the ways you can save money on travel, check out these budget travel tips.

Eat Healthier

Eating healthier comes with myriad benefits.

Not only will you feel and look better, but you’ll also save money by eating out less frequently.

9. Hack Grocery Coupons and Apps

People often complain coupons are only for processed food.

But The Penny Hoarder founder and resident couponing expert Kyle Taylor knows lots of secrets for finding discounts on healthy food.

Or, read about how these couponing moms still manage to eat healthy:

This Mother Rarely Pays for Groceries. Here’s Her Couponing Strategy

How Couponing Derailed This Mom’s Eating Habits — and What She Did About It

10. Get Paid to Watch Cooking Shows

A commonly cited reason for eating out all the time?

“I don’t know how to cook.”

It’ll no longer be a valid excuse after you get paid to watch cooking shows. (Yes, really!)

11. Find Organics on the Cheap

Eating local and organic doesn’t have to mean spending a ton of money.

From sponsoring a farm animal to joining a CSA, this post should give you some smart ideas:

12. Subscribe to Budget Food Blogs

With all the cooking blogs out there, you have no reason not to try cheap and healthy recipes this year.

Some of my favorites are $5 Dinners and Budget Bytes.

You’ll also learn some fun cooking techniques here at The Penny Hoarder, like how to save money with freezer meals.

13. Get Cookbooks From the Library

Though recipes are abound on the internet, sometimes you just want to leaf through a cookbook…

But you don’t want to invest in one without trying it first.

My solution? Check them out of the library — a free way to learn lots of new recipes!

Get Organized

Want to finally get on top of everything this year? Getting organized can undoubtedly save you money.

Here’s how to do so without spending a closetful of cash:

14. Buy Discounted Organizers

One of the easiest ways to clear clutter is to buy physical organizers: folders, plastic tubs and the like.

They don’t have to be expensive, though. You can often find used ones at garage sales and thrift stores.

Or, purchase clearance items at retailers like Bed Bath & Beyond and Overstock. Both offer coupons when you sign up for their email lists.

15. Grab a Tax Break

Getting rid of all your extra stuff?

Can’t wait for tax time? Check out this year-long guide to sell your stuff online.

Spend More Time With Family

Spending time with loved ones doesn’t have to be costly. There are plenty of ways to get in some QT — without spending a dime.

Even better, we’ve got a whole list of ways you can earn money while spending time with family!

16. Participate in Free Activities

Whether you have kids or not, these free activities are sure to please:

10 Fun Summer Activities for Kids That Won’t Break Your Budget

17. Exercise Together

Why not kill two birds with one stone? If you want to get in shape and spend more time with your family, try working out together.

Whether it’s a walk, hike or round of pickup soccer, getting in shape with your family is free and fun.

18. Cut the Cord

What’s better than a family movie night?

Instead of paying for a costly cable subscription, subscribe to Netflix. You’ll have thousands of movies at your fingertips.

19. Buy Board Games

Board games rock because once you collect a few, they’ll provide entertainment for years to come.

Walmart and Target often have sales on board games. But be sure to visit Ebates first — you can get 1-5% cash back on all your purchases.

Plus, if you get really good, you could even earn money playing in Monopoly tournaments!

Learn Something New

Smart Penny Hoarders know learning something new can often lead to extra money in your pocket.

Here’s how to boost your brainpower on a budget:

20. Check Your Community College

I’m amazed by how many courses my local community college offers.

You might think they only have academic courses, but they often have offerings as wide-ranging as belly dancing and cake decorating.

And if you’re a resident, they’re often really affordable.

21. Take a Free Online Course

Thanks to the internet, you can learn anything from nutrition to computer programming — and many courses are available for free.

OpenCulture and Coursera are two of my go-to sites for finding free classes.

22. Barter Your Skills

Just because we live in a cash economy doesn’t mean you can’t barter.

If you know someone with a skill you’d like to learn, think about what you could offer them in return. Do you know how to speak Spanish? Can you brew beer?

Find a skill to trade and learn something new — without spending a dime.

The beginning of the year is a great time to improve your life and your finances. With these tips, those two goals don’t have to be mutually exclusive!

Susan Shain, senior writer for The Penny Hoarder, is always seeking adventure on a budget. Visit her blog at susanshain.com, or say hi on Twitter @susan_shain.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

The Penny Hoarder Promise: We provide accurate, reliable information. Here’s why you can trust us and how we make money.

This is How to Save Money, Meet Your Goals and Kill It in 2019 for Less published first on https://justinbetreviews.tumblr.com/

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healthmasterlove-blog · 6 years ago

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is thrive market worth it

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They largely Appear to fall in to 2 types: Inch) "I did not understand that there was a membership fee" Two) "It is Difficult to cancel" Thrive Market conducts a great deal of promotions, frequently touting free services and products. But, their complimentary services and products include a trial membership as soon as it expires they'll charge you for the yearly fee. This is the way just about all of subscription services work, moving all of the way back into the Columbia House Records deals in my childhood. I actually don't actually expect you'll find anything at no cost therefore this is simply not a turn me offpersonally, but recall; if you accept the offerings they are going to charge you after the trial time period. Another one is the membership is tricky to cancel. I've begun it, canceled it restarted it without the real troubles. Much like many subscription services and products, they make an effort to speak out of departing when you say your aim. I hope that that it will not violate me to jump through the hoops leave after that point comes. Let us talk concerning the waiver Fee The component of this Thrive Market service which may make a lot of men and women balk could be your membership fee since it is somewhat odd to pay for a commission such as this for markets (if you don't utilize Costco or BJ's). Also to tell the truth, it initially rubbed me the wrong way so that it took me a little while to give it a go. But, I think that it's some of the items that by the close of your afternoon makes no critical big difference. The main reason why I say is that using Amazon often means you are going to want to acquire Amazon Prime, and that's just another membership fee. Amazon's yearly fee is 50 percent more than Thrive Market. But it has really a high value rate whilst the selection in Amazon is not quite infinite plus it has an streaming television membership which may make Netflix blush. Nonetheless, it's a subscription fee. Pinching penniesSave Save Save Save Save Save Vitacost along with also other internet vendors provide free shipping within a particular purchase dimensions and also we make significant usage of their vouchers, however, the percent item prices in many cases are marginally greater. Therefore there isn't any up front membership fee however, all of it comes out in the wash as, by the close of your afternoon, sending costs money and all these really are low-margin services and products. I would like to produce two additional tiny notes. The initial is all about Amazon. Even though their pick is generally unmatched, they don't really carry a number of things people try to find, because you'll notice below. The different note is all about Thrive Market's email newsletter. They send mails just a tad bit more often than I would enjoy, however they're frequently packaged with genuinely invaluable recipes and data. It isn't simply a sales page everytime just like so many different newsletters. As a result of the, I believe that it's well worth registering to listen from their website. Thrive Market Online Codes How Thrive Market boosts their service is through semi-constant sale promotions. There is virtually always a sale going on in Thrive Market. It's frequently free types of hot items; additional times it's a percent away from your complete purchase. We are going to continue to keep the latest promo codes and offers to these pages to ensure it is easy. Be mindful that taking good advantage of such a promotion will signify that you're becoming a member of his or her yearly fee. Read the full article

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myfuckofffundjourney · 7 years ago

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Money Diary Week 4

Thursday January 25

Today is exam day. I am NOT EXCITED. Before I even take the exam I need to get an ishur from the tuition department. I think I’ll take another loan. Fuck it, the stress isn’t worth it. I’ll talk to them about consolidating my payments and putting down chunks of cash whenever I can afford to, but the way it’s done here is relatively stress free which is nice.

Do some yoga to calm my brain and instead get depressed by how massively out of shape I am. I think I know next months challenge - getting back into shape! Only half kidding :)

At school, print some notes for my next final. I don’t know how much it comes out to because the printer doesn’t give me a tally. It’s probably around 10 nis.

I take out some cash and fill up my Rav Kav after the final - 50 nis. Once in Jerusalem, it’s straight to Uri to cook - I’ll be cooking for him and Jordana this weekend and hope to make about 2000 nis for the two together.

Friday January 26

Basically cook at Uri all day - I spend tons of money, but I’m getting reimbursed pretty much immediately, so I won’t even tally it. Cook, Shabbat dinner, pass out HARD.

Saturday January 27

After a nice weekend at Uris, I get pizza with Jeff and Kim. Mike joins us so we end up splitting the pizza 4 ways, so it’s only 35 nis a person. Kim accidentally left my credit card she’d been using on Friday somewhere though, so I don’t pay. I’ll add it to the money I pay her for the weekend. Jordana’s father transfers the money; I’ll check in with Uri soon. I do plan on going to Shlomi once he’s done work and there’s no effing way I’m walking or getting on the back of his bike, so I’ll take a taxi. It’s too cold though, don’t even feel slightly bad about that choice.

Due to the way I tally up my weeks, it’s next week that’ll be the “hoo boy crazy hectic” one. Hectic means expensive, really. So far expenses are: around 1000-1200 for the move, not including anything else i’ll need to buy. But, I’m selling a mattress for 400, sold a heater already for 150, and am selling my oven and fridge, so that’ll offset the costs, thankfully. So I guess my move will technically be free, even? I use the money I’ve spent obsessively working on things for the house! That’s exciting :) I may need to front the cash to Kim though.

35 nis

Sunday January 28

Take a taxi to Shlomi at like, 2:30 - 30 nis. It’s expensive but nice to have a sleepy cuddle. In the morning, I go grab a coffee (26 nis) and have a meeting with someone who is potentially interested in hiring me to cook for her seminary? I don’t think it’s something I’m interested in, but I’ll give a proposal. Why not.

So the thing here is: it’s winter sale time and I am so sick of my wardrobe and my shitty shoes and my haircut that’s totally grown out. I haven’t had time to take advantage of said sales because of my study schedule, but I would really like to! I have one pair of jeans I can reliably wear - one got weird and stretched out and unwearable, I lost too much weight for another, and the only other pair I have are kind of uncomfortable. My sort of winter jacket got a rip in the pocket and the zipper pull fell off. I could fix it but I don’t even like the jacket anymore. My Kiehl’s face oil that keeps me looking alive is done. Need a haircut, new glasses and contacts, This sort of thing. However, did just get +150 for a radiator, plus got paid for the weekend. But I’m also thinking of signing up for a month of Crossfit because lord knows I need to get my ass whipped into shape.

Head back to Tel Aviv and in the bus station I pick up some school supplies. I don’t have cash on me though, and they won’t take a credit card so Sarah pays. Then I grab bread, a small cinnamon roll, and a cookie, 13 nis and 18 nis (for bread), regret the cookie and bun not at ALL. Sometimes you just need some sugary comfort when you’re exhausted and facing the prospect of a week solely comprised on studying/packing/weddinging. I also email Chubeza to see if I can skip getting my CSA this week because I’ll be in between apartments and don’t foresee myself cooking a ton.

I get a gross/kinda weirdly delicious cheesy sandwich from Cofix on the way to class because I’m feeling hungry and bummed out. 5 nis. After class I am still hungry and bummed so I buy a package of wraps for 12 nis but also a chocolate bar for 7. Wraps are nice when I’m home - make a dinnertime breakfast burrito.

Monday January 29

I finally re-set my password for my online bank and discover that I have way less money than I thought, mainly because it appears that a certain payment for a gig never went through. Wtf company. They contacted me 18 days ago for my information after I’d come to their office with an invoice. Now I’m bugging and nervous AF. But on the plus side, once I get paid from them and Uri, I can maybe start to put a bit of money away. I’m going to just take loans out for this school year - I think I mentioned that already - and I would like to be able to save a bit in the times when I’m a bit more flush with cash. I also still have a small stockpile of cash left over from Sukkot, and a few potential gigs coming up, plus Bruno and Ben need to pay me so that’s a small comfort.

While packing up Bluths, I decide to count my “money jar” (lol, I’m so fucking irresponsible.) I have 4,200 shekel left in there. I should be getting 5,850 from this company minus taxes, so like, 5,400? It;s not pure profit by a long shot but whatever. Uri also needs to pay me 1,000, and Bruno owes me 1,200 + I’m sure another 1,000-1,200 for this Thursday. So I guess I can assume I have a total net worth/savings of 12,800. NOT TERRIBLE. Except I owe school around 30,000, and have rent coming out (-2,600) and a move (-1,000) and all of life expenses. But yknow. Not doing SO horrible! I can live frugally off of those projected numbers for a month or two or three even. Assuming I get paid >:(

I pack up and head to Meravs, and yes, I *do* take my coffee making things with me because we all know I’m useless without that and when asked for coffee, Merav might shamefully present you with some Nestle Red Mug and that shit just won’t fly.

And it’s a money-free day! Nice.

Tuesday January 30

Wake up at Meravs to a message from Uri - he says he’ll sort out payment ASAP, it’s his wedding in a day though so I’m not holding my breath or upset that I’m not holding my breath.

I take a study break (studying for 20 minutes is hard okay) and grab a small sandwich and cookie, since I don’t really have food at merav and her stovetop isn’t working so cooking will be a pain. 20 nis. Then I pick up a few veggies and fruits because my body really really wants fruits and veg. 5 nis.

...but then I eat the sandwich and am reminded of why it’s so much smarter to make it at home, because I’m still starving and it totally wasn’t enough. Ugh. Whatever, it’s an extenuating circumstance.

Since I can’t really cook at Merav, I go get a sandwich and cookie. Hmm. My eating habits today have been pretty similar - sandwich + cookie, sandwich + cookie. 30 nis. Then go to school - 5.9 nis and print notes - 4.6 nis.

Home. 5.9 nis. Ugh and then I impulse-buy jelly bellys and it’s so effing expensive - 14 nis

Wednesday January 31

Today is a bit of a blur because of exams and the wedding, but after going to school and taking my exam (5.9 nis for bus, plus I write a bunch of cheques for tuition. Hopefully when the school cashes them I’ll have the funds in my account - please Jesus!) Also grab a yogurt and banana on the way to the exam - 7.2 nis. Then right after my exam I buy a cookie and water - 11 nis- as a celebration maybe? Load my Rav Kav with 50 nis and when I arrive in Jerusalem I buy an 8 nis pair of tights for the wedding and jump in a cab and race to the wedding hall - I’m a bit late but not terribly so. Cab is 43 nis. The wedding is AMAZING and then I get a free cab ride to shlomi. Phew!

Misc - 22.6

Transportation - 190.7

Groceries - 42.7

Food - 161

Other -

Total : 417

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josephkitchen0 · 7 years ago

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Homesteading For a Living Through a CSA

The Spickermans realized the American dream on homesteading land by making money through a CSA.

“Our original goal was to produce as much of our own food as possible,” Landis Spickerman, 53, of High Bridge, Wisconsin, says. She and her husband Steven, 56, began living on the farm part-time during the summer months of 1989, while they were building their home. They moved to the farm full-time in 1991.

They planted fruit trees and started a garden before they lived on the farm. As the garden grew, they simply got to a point where they had more food during the growing season than they could eat. At first, their sales were small — a few heads of lettuce and other produce to the local food cooperatives in 1993 — and then it slowly snowballed.

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“It went slowly and ‘full-scale’ production didn’t happen until many years into this venture,” Landis says. As the homestead became more developed they read many books, used common sense, and grew the farm in a steady but sustainable fashion. Landis tells me that they made mistakes and learned from them, reinvested everything they made in better equipment, learned the value of good record keeping and quality control and began to really look at themselves as a business. Today Hermit Creek Farm is a full-scale produce farm grossing six figures and employing four to five folks during the growing season.

Investment

“To scale up, we needed to infuse more capital than we could generate,” Landis explains. “Since that decision point, we have used several loans including from family, a local bank, from our local food cooperative, and from FSA (USDA Farm Service Agency).” They used the loans to purchase equipment, build a heated greenhouse and packing buildings, and purchase additional farmland. Today, they still reinvest nearly 100 percent of their farm earnings back into the farm after 22 years of commercial operation.

Steven learned early on how much work running a farm was. Growing up, he watched his neighbors take a couple of long-handled hoes and walk their soybean fields in the summer after dinner. As they walked, they hoed the fields. Steven says, “They had the cleanest bean fields in the county.”

What his childhood neighbor’s dedication resulted in was immeasurable. “Their keen understanding of their land and what it and they could produce through their daily habits and personal attention to detail was the path to success,” Steven said.

For those who want to make the shift from homesteader to entrepreneur, the Spickermans have several suggestions. When they started they self-proclaim that they were young and naïve enough to not really have concerns. “We were physically fit, strong—both of body and will—and were used to hard work and simple living,” Landis says. For their first five years on the farm they lived without electricity, for a decade without refrigeration, and they still don’t have running water in the house—they have an outdoor shower, water in the packing building, and a sauna for winter bathing.

Another important decision that they made in the beginning was to be an organic farm. In 2001, they became officially certified.

They have been teaching various aspects of farming for a number of years now including as part of the Land Stewardship Project “Farm Beginnings” program. They serve as mentors in the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Services (MOSES) “Farmer-to-Farmer” mentorship program. They also teach workshops and classes on their farm.

Since they keep accurate records, they know exactly how much it costs and how much they earn by the square foot of growing space for each crop grown inside a high tunnel. This informs them of the payback on a tunnel purchase and dictates if they should purchase additional tunnels. The same goes for field crops.

Community Supported Agriculture

“We started marketing our produce as a CSA agriculture (Community Supported Agriculture) during the first few years of our farm as a business, which means we have been a CSA for 21 or 22 years now,” Landis says. This year they have about 175 CSA members, which generate 60 percent of their farm income.

“CSA is what we like to call ‘relationship farming,’ in that everything you do and grow on the farm is done directly for a person who has joined as a CSA member,” Landis explains. “As part of that, we liken ourselves to the same concept as say a family having a ‘family doctor’ or ‘family dentist’ but in our case, we’re your family farmer.”

They want to be the farmers whom customers think of when they’re thinking about what to make for dinner. “We want you, the customer, to know where your food is coming from, to have a direct link or tie to the land and people responsible for growing your food, to have trust in the food system and to feel good about helping support a family farmer,” she says.

The Workings

“Customers join our farm as a member by purchasing one or more of our share options,” Landis says. Some CSA agriculture is simple with one share type option—traditionally a mix of in-season produce for a set number of weeks. As the Spickerman homestead has matured, so has the types of shares and length of their season, which now runs from late May to the following March. Shares are on a weekly or every-other-week schedule, and each share or veggie box contains seven to 12 separate items of what is in season. Since the shares follow the changes of their northern season, what costumers find in their box changes, as well.

Typically less than one percent of the total volume of what goes into their CSA agriculture share on an annual basis is from resources outside of their farm. Items include local honey, foraged wild rice, locally or regionally grown certified organic blueberries and cranberries. In addition to CSA garden produce, some shares include local certified organic eggs and artisanal goat and sheep cheeses. The Spickermans say that they feel synergy gained by partnering with other small, local farms. Diversifying what their customers get is a large part of their success they believe. They say that social capital should not be underestimated.

One of the hardest parts of managing a CSA is producing enough food for all the shares. With money taken up front, the farmer is responsible to grow the food and meet the demands of their members. “This leads to a certain amount of stress and anxiety as the growing season progresses, as even with the most seasoned grower, there are just so many variables that are largely out of your control,” Landis says. She mentions that weather, disease, and pests are additional concerns.

Having sold unproduced food is not all bad. The benefit of getting paid first is having the essential funds at a time of year where farmers are buying most of their annual inputs and bringing on employees. “Most farms use short-term operating loans to do this, and in a way, it’s our members who are giving us that loan and they are paid back in product,” Landis says. Having the money at this time of year also gives CSA agriculture farmers a good idea of exactly what they need to produce.

Sound Advice from Landis

Essential questions for those interested in starting a farm

What is your passion? “For us, we have both always grown plants, so a produce farm was a given.” Your passion has to carry you through the initial stresses of starting a business.

Based on your location, what can you market? “We live in a very rural area and we simply do not have enough people willing to buy fresh, local, organic produce close enough to us to really sustain a farm large enough to truly call ourselves successful.” They make 29 deliveries for their CSA.

What will become of your hiccups? “Learn from your mistakes. One mistake that we made was where we chose to live. We figure perhaps only about 1% of the overall population really ‘gets’ the local, fresh, organic food scene and if you are in a rural area, you have severely limited your potential market.”

How will you track spending? “Track all calculable activity and cost for your farm.” This will allow you to better set the price of your products and inform you of whether a given product is even worth growing, and if you need to invest in a tool to help reduce cost or calculate the ROI.

Would you personally pay money for it? “Keep what you want to do simple, at least at first.” Don’t invest in something that you wouldn’t want. It’s hard to sell something you are not interested in.

If you don’t already have land, think about where and how you will be marketing your products? “In reality, it is easy to grow food (veggies, fruit, and animals); the hard part is selling it at a profit.”

Season Extension

The use of high tunnels and a heated greenhouse allows them to push the seasons a bit, which is how they can have certain crops much later into the fall or even winter, such as kale and spinach in January. “We also have a root cellar and cold storage capacity that we fill with crops such as carrots, potatoes, parsnips, beets, rutabaga, onions, winter squash, cabbage, celeriac, and kohlrabi,” Landis says. In addition to that, they grow shelf stable crops like dry beans and produce maple syrup that is included in their CSA agriculture share.

By having multiple high tunnels, this allows them to rotate crops and have substantial indoor growing space and product volume. Their heated greenhouse produces vegetable transplants for spring and early summer transplanting. They transplant most of their vegetables instead of direct seeding, because this is another way to push the season. In a typical season, they transplant more than 70,000 seedlings! Later in the year, one or more of the high tunnels becomes an onion curing facility. They store winter crops in their 100-year-old root cellar, which they rebuilt about 20 years ago. The root cellar maintains a steady temperature of 36°F. Since a few crops, such as winter squash and onions, prefer it a bit warmer and dryer, those go in their own separate storage location.

Due to their latitude and mid-continental location, which is too cold and cloudy for actively growing during the winter months, the Spickermans focus on preserving their food in holding areas. “Kale, Napa cabbage, spinach, bok choi, and a number of other cold hardy veggies can be started late summer and grown to maturity in the fall, then held and harvested through at least early to mid-January (in a mild year, maybe even February) before desiccation gets the better of them,” Landis explains. “Spinach grown the same way will look dead and gone all winter in a high tunnel only to spring back to life come the lengthening and warming days of March,” she adds. “Areas further south or closer to one of the coasts than our Lake Superior location will have better success with winter production.”

Carrying on the Mission

“Our core mission as a farm is to create positive change,” Landis says. She tells me that their mission statement is fairly nebulous for a reason. “A diverse farm operates in many realms and we wanted a mission statement that reflected all of those realms and spoke to our own values of environmental advocacy, social justice, and organic food production among many others.” For them, creating positive change means improving soil health and water quality, creating a healthy work environment for both their employees and them and increasing on-farm biological diversity. They also aim at providing healthy, nourishing, affordable food for their family, friends, and neighbors. Being good stewards of the land and working toward a future that includes small farms and healthy communities are also important to them.

For more information on Hermit Creek Farm and the Spickermans, check out hermitcreekfarm.com.

Do you participate in CSA agriculture? Do you buy or sell? We want to hear about it!

Kenny Coogan, CPBT-KA, is a regular pet and garden columnist and has authored an ecological themed children’s book titled “A Tenrec Named Trey (And other odd lettered animals that like to play).” He has a B.S. in animal behavior and is a certified bird trainer through the International Avian Trainers Certification Board.

Originally published in Countryside September/October 2015 and regularly vetted for accuracy.

Homesteading For a Living Through a CSA was originally posted by All About Chickens

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manleycollins · 7 years ago

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Journal Entry #21 - Happy Independence Day, Volunteer Life, and Community Service

JOURNAL ENTRY #21 Name: Manley M Collins Social Security Number: 5 7 9 - * * - 6 5 4 1 Date of Birth: 06/21 Place of Birth: Washington, District of Columbia Country of Birth: United States of America Date: July 31, 2017

TOPIC: Happy Independence Day, Volunteer Life, and Community Service DEPARTMENT: United States Department of Agriculture DEPARTMENT: United States Department of Labor DEPARTMENT: United States Department of Defense

Happy Independence Day to all United States of America citizens and upcoming citizens. Thanks to all the servicemen and servicewomen who fulfilled and are fulfilling the tasks to help America keeps its freedom and independence AND promote democracy in other nations. It has been an interesting journey doing food in a variety of ways. I always had a volunteer life and community service life. I spoke about it very little or it is on LinkedIn. Since I do not have the money to donate, donating my time is the next best thing. Let's start with month of July.

I enjoy the new life breathed into First Baptist Church of Washington, DC. I enjoyed one of several social events across the city of Washington, which was the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception Summer Organ Recital Series 2017 plus BusBoys and Poets Brookland. It was my first time at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. It had wonderful designs per dome and beautiful storytelling per dome, stained glass windows, or exterior/interior columns. The Basilica has five masses starting as early as 5:15 AM and latest one 9:00 PM. The Basilica has The South Gallery Organ and The West Chancel Organ, both housing 9,393 pipes, from which 157 stops play 172 ranks. The largest pipe of the south gallery, standing nearly 40 feet, weights close to 900 pounds, while its smallest pipe is no bigger than a simple pencil. You would need a copy of the program to see all the names of the instrument or pipes…..I said ‘WOW!” to everything.

Position #32 - Capital Area Food Bank I started the month volunteering for a community event for 16 years and older on L St NW between First St and New Jersey Ave. Two different communities (Asians and other minority groups). The Asians must have been there since 3 AM. CAFB was very hip to use keycards/keytags to keep track of households. CAFB gives very fresh food. I even had to sign up even though South Carolina informed me first how free food distribution works with the free lunch program and mom collecting can goods, the 12 inch block of government cheese, and white paper canned peanut butter; and New York provided additional education on how free food distribution works regarding its CSA programs. Illinois gets no credit for what it did.

Position #33 - Bread for the City It is very unique offerings. I only took advantage of the food distribution program. I attended a volunteer orientation session to start my volunteer relationship. Great food distribution program, but wish there was more ready-to-eat type foods.

Position #34 - Central Union Mission This men only shelter is a unique group of people. The setup is great and offering all the type services, laundry, various improvement programs, bed/sleep distribution around 3pm daily, and security wand you down at the door. I am volunteered in helping with clean up of the shelter and serving dinner. This is starting my volunteer relationship. I think something is the food, but I am allergic to something maybe the meat since I have not ate certain meats after a long period time. I love the cupcakes and cookies. The full service meal is great...the serving of water became larger. I enjoy seeing traveling organizations, radio stations, corporations, and other neighboring Virginia/DC churches serve as volunteer.

Position #35 - Martha's Table First, this organization seem small, but when I discovered it calendar and other services. It is a large non-profit organization with plenty to offer for everyone. The meals are unique. it may be mish-mash, but you get all your needed nutrients. I love the sandwiches, lemonade, trail mix, and fresh fruit for later. I have started my volunteer relationship even though I have to book a month or two in advance.

Position #36 - S.O.M.E. (So Others Might Eat) I was first introduced to this organization through a member (Ken) of my church years ago around 2010, but did not know what the organization was. In 2017, I heard they served breakfast and lunch. All the shelters bus those who want a full course breakfast or lunch. Families and women are more acceptable here. A lot of male cliques are here. I took the time to volunteer. I got the souvenir hat, a printed name tag, and wore an apron. However, some crazies or angry people have done unusual outbursts to make Jerry Springer Live come true. I have started my volunteer relationship.

Position #37 - Caviar Hannah and Caviar DC team has their hands full trying to service DC and Virginia. Everytime, it comes around to deliver for Caviar/Square, the weather just would not act right and I saw my schedule reliability rating went from 95% to 38%. I kept wondering why I was not getting much orders. The experience has been crazy. If you attempt to deliver while it is raining/storming on a bike, they will give you an address that do not exist. Also, they attempt to send you to pizza places that have enormous boxes you cannot fit anywhere.

Position #38 - Americorps/ByteBack This is my first experience with a nonprofit. The Americorps organization was formed by President Clinton and additionally funded by President Obama. I like the commitment to community service and its initiatives, but it is a full time job to make the hours for a little bit of money and no benefits (benefits are offered through public services). I was glad to run into the FEMA Americorps team at the Capital Area Food Bank community event. Also, picture attached. ByteBack offers classes to adult learners. The experience has been unique from 10 attendees dwindled down to 2 attendees. Or holding at 7 attendees and showing up once or twice a week missing some material, etc. Byteback crew is great. I look forward to the new move from NE Brookland to NE NoMa.

Position #39 - UberEats This team I was able to discuss over the phone and online only. International calls were something very different. To join this organization, they made sure you get the rough patch. I remember delivering a cupcake from dupont circle all the way to glover park area. The hills were a killer. I remember one confrontation with Uber to get me to cross the bridge to Anacostia. Another confrontation with Uber was at 10:45 PM, a customer had a work address in, but discovered she wanted the food delivered Alexandria, VA on a bike. Uber needs to address if they want deliveries like that please offer Uber cabs/taxis to get the UberEats driver there and back to DC. Uber very interestingly tries to emulate the others, but I still can not believe how many trips I did for this company. I did cover all four quadrants (NE, NW, SE, and SW) with this company. George Washington University and Georgetown University seem to use this service quite a bit. You have to get creative delivering McDonald's. This is the only delivery company that said Happy Birthday to me. When you join UberEats, just give them my invite code ManleyC23UE. Just like the intelligence or Microsoft community called me ‘SharePoint’, the Washington, DC market and community are starting to call me ‘Uber’ or ‘UberEats’.

Position #40 - Grubhub This team with Patrick, and others, give a very unique experience. Something always happened to my bike when working or going to work for this company. It is very interesting the three (3) or four (4) California companies do not talk about you. Seeing the large signage on Douglas Development HQ in downtown Dc was nice, but with the new system of merging WhenIWork and Grubhub app terminate all the drivers who may have changed their schedules or miss a block. I chatted with Jordan Oates about this and he was able to reactivate the account. You surprised me and gave me a Virginia trip, but when I am not on GPS, I took WMATA/metro and made the delivery. When you join Grubhub, just give them my name as a referral.

Position #41 - Postmates Neil and this crew is hilarious. Postmates try to deliver everything. Soft drinks and ice cream, etc., and the driver has to be creative to deliver Wendy's. This was my first company delivering soft drinks. During some trips, I had to substitute the drink for bottled water because I did not know how to do fountain drinks. One morning, I remember delivering two packs of paper from one office to next door office on the same block. Howard University and NorthEast DC uses this service a lot. Postmates did send me a warning of my 5 star rating to dropping below 4.7 star rating....slight suspicion or paranoia is the minorities seeing me a whole lot. Using the PEX card is nice feeling in knowing there are commercial prepaid card. I even got a personalize PEX card right around my birthday. The only annoyance is getting/photoing the receipts into the system/app. When you join Postmates, just give them my name as a referral.

Position #42 - DoorDash This is a very creative service for flat rate, but short trips. Posting a time when the order is delivered gives the driver a huge break and not have to rush to customer regardless if they say ASAP (as soon as possible). The RedCard is a great experience and do not have to photo the receipt into the system. I love the personalized texts. The only downside is one trip per hour. When you join DoorDash, just give them my name as a referral.

Position #43 - Metropolitan Police Department Guess what?! MPD disqualified me based on an old psychologist (about 73 years old) opinion. I took the new written test (100% reading, 81.67% writing, and 56.52% video test). I did send an appeal to the deputy director and director. The video test I guess for every option that says shoot with deadly force I guess I should have picked that option instead of providing customer service.

Position #44 - United States Capitol Police Since MPD disqualified me and I failed the video test, I moved on to United States Capitol Police. I applied here before years ago via paper application. Let's see what happens. If I fail here, most likely I will continue to go through all the law enforcement and fire agencies.

Position #45 - United States Air Force Since MPD disqualified me and I failed the video test, I decided to accept Alabama as one of the possible states to go to for training. In 1999-2000, I wanted to apply and had the application when I lived in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2017, let's see what happens as I apply for every branch of the military, including reserve forces.

Position #46 - DC Government Just keeping me D*MN busy with CPR, AED, First Aid, Emergency Preparedness training and whatever else on SERVE DC as a volunteer. Mayoral campaign, I started visiting the ANCs. Every ANC so far has been different from zero (0) minutes (no meeting) to four (4) hours.

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wellnesssidekick · 8 years ago

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Healthy on the Cheap

The most common answer I get when I ask people what is preventing them from taking better care of themselves is, that it is too expensive and they can’t afford it. They compare the cost of a cheeseburger to a salad or organic vs non-organic and just say that there is a reason people in this country are fat. Many people get discouraged because they look at the world of health and wellness more as a luxury than a necessity like a car or a cell phone. Here is what I know as a health coach and what I try to tell my clients. Your health is an investment, the more you put into it the more you will benefit over the long term. That investment doesn’t have to come in the form of money, but instead, it can come as an investment of time, patience and research. You don’t have to have a lot of money to be healthy. Health and wellness are not just for the rich, being healthly is for everyone. Below you will find some tips and tricks for becoming and staying healthy on a budget. No one should feel like their health is out of reach.

Fitness

Let’s say you’re the kind of person who needs a group class to get you motivated to workout. However, spending $15- $45 to spend on a single fitness class is not in the budget. Or, you want to join a gym but the monthly fee is too expensive. Instead of letting your fitness route lapse, there are ways around the high-priced fitness class but will still put you in that group setting.

Community classes/ Charity classes: Most studios offer community classes to promote their studio or gym. They usually happen once a week and are by donation or are around $5. You still get the experience of taking the class, but don’t have to pay the high prices.

Running/Biking Groups: A lot of cities and towns have running or biking groups that you can join. They meet a few times a week and are usually working toward an easy goal so that you don’t need to be a professional to keep up. I love these groups because every one in them is usually really laid back and friendly; best part is they are almost always free! Also, there are usually a few really experienced people who you can ask for tips and guidance if you’re new to running or biking.

The Gym: There are some gyms out there that only cost about $10-$15 a month to join. While most of them don’t have fitness classes and personal training costs more, they almost always have someone who will show you how to use the equipment for free. Plus, don’t be shy to tell them that you are on a budget. Everyone respects someone who is trying to better himself/herself by not spending a lot of money.

Online: We live in the age of online-is-everything-and-everywhere. You name it, it is probably online. A great way to cut your costs is to look around online. Nowadays you can find thousands, I mean thousands, of fitness class and routines online for practically nothing; sometime they even cost nothing. While you’re not doing it in a group, you are doing it to a video that has people in it, so I mean close enough. You can always invite a friend over to do the videos with you. These subscriptions usual cost $10-$15 a month and you have access to every type of workout that you can imagine. Plus, these subscriptions usually give you a 30 day free trial! Then, of course, there is always YouTube, where you can find fitness videos for free!

The Great Outdoors: It doesn’t get much cheaper than this. Being outside is completely free or your tax dollars have already paid for it! I am talking about hiking, running, and walking around in a park or trail. Community and state-run parks are almost always free to use because your tax dollars have already paid for them. Most of them also already have workout equipment, like jungle gyms and fitness tests, along the way. So, don’t be afraid to take a look around the next time you are at your local park.

Healthy Food

Everyone is always telling me that eating healthy is so expensive. They go into the health food store and see that one bag of carrots is twice as expensive as another because it’s organic. So, when you are trying to replace everything in your kitchen with more healthy products, but your budget’s not allowing it. Being healthy can appear almost impossible. What can you do?

Shop local: Signing up for CSA or food share can save you hundreds of dollars. They are boxes of produce that typically come once a week or once a month, depending on the kind of share to which you subscribe. These programs usually cost $20-$35 a box (depending on the size), but contain enough local organic produce to feed you and your family for a week and a half.

Co-ops: Local food co-ops are an amazing way to save some money. They usually have an annual or one-time membership fee that more than pays for itself on the first few shopping trips. The memberships come with a discount on each purchase or access to special discounts. Plus, these store are usually stocked with hundreds of local products, from produce to cheese to homemade pasta, from a small family owned facility of which you never heard. They usually also have a bunch of homemade premade food you can take with you on the go or use to help you make dinner. Because, let’s face it, we don’t always have time to make our own pesto.

Cook at home: Cooking at home can save you a bundle because, while going out and eating healthy might cost you more, staying in and cooking yourself will save you a bundle. This way you can control what goes into your food, you can buy and make things in bulk, and you’re not paying for someone to bring you your food.

Avoid processed food: While frozen, prepared, and processed food might appear cheaper and will save you time, they almost never do. Cheap processed and frozen food is usually full of unhealthy things and the ones that aren’t are very expensive. Pre-cleaned or prepared food is going to have an added cost because you have to factor in the person who spent time making it or preparing it. So, save yourself some money and just make it yourself.

Buy what’s in season: It is a perfect example of supply and demand. Food that is in season is cheaper because there is more supply of it. More people have an easier time growing it, so it drives the price way down. Instead of spending $6 on your strawberries, wait till they are in season when they are $3.

Subscription Food: One of the best ways to spend money is by subscribing to something you could do yourself. Many of those food subscription services that deliver things to your house, like juice, smoothies, or meals, can really add up. There are plenty of cheaper ways to eat healthy than relying on a service to do it. Instead, look up free healthy recipes online and make things in bulk. It is cheaper to buy a whole chicken than pieces, plus you can make gravy, broth, stews, and soup out of what is left over. The same can be said for vegetables. Just because you used the bulk of the produce doesn’t mean you can’t use the “waste” for something.

Avoid trend diets: Trend diets are expensive because the industry wants to get the most out of your pocket and in a short amount of time. A juice cleanse or a supplement cleanse will end up costing you a lot more than you will benefit. Plus, those diets aren’t sustainable. The only reason to invest in yourself is to see results long term. Quick fixes will only cost you money and won’t solve anything long term.

Self- Care

Nothing sounds more expensive than taking care of yourself. Most people think it means taking time away from being productive, going to an expensive spa, or spending a large chunk of money on vacation. The truth is it doesn’t have to be. There are plenty of things you can do for yourself that don’t cost any money.

Bathtime: Taking a nice relaxing bath will barely cost you any money at all. You can even use things from your kitchen to make baths more special. Oatmeal or olive oil is a great way to get smooth skin without investing in an expensive bottle of bath oil. You can even grow your own lavender or sage for a relaxing smell in the bath and around the home. It doesn’t cost much and you only need a sunny window. You can also put things like baking soda or salt to help with soreness. A luxury bath doesn’t have to cost you much.

Self Massage: We have been lotioning ourselves after a shower for years, so why not use this time to slow down and give yourself your own massage? It’s cheap, easy, and it is a really great way to self care.

Meditation: There are so many free guided meditations online now, so you don’t have spend money to learn how to meditate. Simply find the firmest pillow in your house and press play.

Masks Mask Masks!: You can make your own face, body or hair mask in your own home using things from your kitchen. Don’t worry about spending $40 on some expensive mask just go to your kitchen and, boom, here comes some “me” time. There are lot’s of recipes online that help with every skin or hair problem out there, and they are all free!

DIY Facial: Grab your cleanser, a crockpot full of warm towels, lemon juice, some honey, and baking soda to give yourself an at-home facial.

Simply cleanse first, remove with a hot towel,

Mix some baking soda into your cleanser and gently massage, rinse, and remove with another warm towel.

With a clean makeup brush, take some the juice and coat your face, let it sit for 5 minutes, then remove with a warm towel.

Then take some honey and place it on your face for a mask, let it sit for 10 minutes, and remove with the final warm towel.

Then put on some moisturizer and you are done!

Being healthy does not mean you have to spend all your fun money on fitness, self-care, or organic products. You can easily find ways to make healthy cheap because no one should have to make six figures in order to live a healthy lifestyle. With all the money you save, remember to treat yourself to something fun because there needs to be some balance to your budget. *wink

The post Healthy on the Cheap appeared first on Wellness Sidekick.

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healthmasterlove-blog · 6 years ago

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is thrive market worth it