The amount of recycling we put out last week was sickening. In our defense, we had done some spring-cleaning, thrown a party and also missed a pick up, so there was much more than our regular amount of lifestyle evidence.
Ithaca is counter-consumerism and that is by design. First of all, the minute the sun peeks out, most people want to head outdoors--hiking, skiing, running, fishing, bird watching, foraging for mushrooms, you name it.
Some of us have Bunyanesque children to feed, so skipping food shopping is not an option, no matter how gorgeous it is outside. My saving grace is that I have found a local farm and country store (http://www.ludgatefarms.com/), which does not feel like a chore, and, bonus, they do not offer much in the way of packaging.
Beyond boycotting conglomerate waste, upstate New York is very aware of their carbon footprint. Lots of people have their own gardens and raise their own chickens. There is even a farmer who will sell you ¼ of a butchered cow for $1.70 a lb—“from hoof to freezer in five days”. You can order ½ a lamb or part of a pig, too. No cruelty, no hormones, no fossil fuel, and no Styrofoam!
I’m not going to provide a home for my food before I eat it or start fermenting my own grapes, but I will finally compost and possibly, just possibly, even stop trolling around Target.
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