The Real Dirt on Farmer John (2005) on IMDB.com
“My family has been plowing and planting every Spring for generations. I inherited this history and I just about ended the whole thing . . .”
– Farmer John
Farmer John, a man who will turn every idea you ever had about what it means to be an American farmer, or an American dreamer, on its head. Farmer John might sit on a tractor but he’s also an outrageous artist, a maverick environmentalist, a homespun rebel, a pink-boa-wearing eccentric, a playful provocateur – and the incredible human being whose inspirational story of revolutionizing his family farm and redeeming his own life has won accolades and awards at film festivals around the world in ‘The Real Dirt On Farmer John’.
Each of us has the power to make some positive changes. Some people believe that living green is a waste of time because you are only one person. Yet if the educational information out there about it could encourage many individuals to all do their part it would have quite a significant impact overall. The efforts of only one person over the course of their lifetime will significantly reduce the amount of pollution out there. Teaching children from a young age what they can do and why will allow that process to continue being implemented in our society as well. If you are ready to start living green and to do your part to reduce the carbon footprints you have placed on this Earth it is time to learn about the various ways you can do so. It is never too late to make some positive changes to your behaviors so that you can live healthier and so can everyone around you.
Recycling is one of the easiest as well as most effective ways that you can help the environment. There are plenty of different projects at home you can separate from your trash for this purpose. The concept of recycling can extend to your schools and place of employment as well. In many instances people just need to be educated and then reminded about the benefits of recycling for our environment. Buying products that have been recycled such as paper products is a great way to show your support for these efforts. It is also very simple to carry around a large mesh bag when you are going to shop for a few items. Rather than getting a paper or plastic bag from them you can place your purchased items into your own bag. Look for one that is durable so it you can reuse it over and over again.
We use electricity for many things in our lives, and often do so without thinking twice about it. We turn on the switch for lights in our home and to turn on electronic devices all the time. Yet we need to do our best to save as much power as we can. If from start to finish everything in your electricity gathering and using process is eco-friendly you won’t feel bad about consuming it to operate lights and the electronics that you use in your home and business. With more vehicles on the road today than ever before transportation is a huge factor with pollution. Even with emissions laws in place that limit how much pollution a car can give out, the accumulative amount of it is unbelievable. Taking the time to do your part to cut down on it will ensure everyone is healthier and breathing cleaner air. Many of us are very attached to our vehicle as we see it to be a life line that keeps us going where we want to be. It is convenient to have your own vehicle and it offers you a way to get to work, take care of your errands, and to do leisurely activities that you enjoy. It is important to take proper care of your vehicle to reduce pollution. If you have a damaged exhaust system or other problem you need to get it resolved right away.
Even though you do need your vehicle, you may be able to use it less. Can you walk to the store or the park? Can you carpool for work or to get the kids to their various activities? This will reduce the number of cars on the road each day by doing so. There are also modes of public transportation in many areas. You can commute by taking a bus, subway, or a train that many other people are on. This will save you the wear and tear on your vehicle as well. With the cost of gas these days it can prove to be more affordable for you as well. If you have a lengthy commute you can also use that time to get some work done both directions or to enjoy a good book. There are some very good cars on the market that have been recognized as being environmentally friendly.
Taking care of our home inside and out is something most of us do take plenty of pride in. We want to be able to make it the very best that it can be. A beautiful front yard as part of a beautiful landscape assistance outside is what everyone who drives by and who stops to visit us will see. It is important to be able to remodel your home with a general contractor and to feel welcomed at home. In order to get your garden and your grass to look its very best though you need to have the right tools and the right ingredients. Too many people assume this means you use pesticides and other chemicals to keep pests out. Yet you can have a lovely garden and lawn organically so you won’t be harming the environment in the process. Fertilizer for your grass has a great deal of chemicals in it. The two main chemicals found in them that are problematic are nitrates and phosphates. Since it takes several pounds of fertilizer to complete one yard you will be exposing your family and pets to unnecessary problems. You may not realize it but the use of such fertilizers can trigger asthma or other illnesses, be linked to cancers, and even cause neurological or medical problems for your pets and young children. These chemicals also get into the soil and then run downstream into water supplies.
Instead of using this switch to natural compost. You can buy it or you can even make your own. The process of making your own isn’t very difficult at all. You simply get a compost container and you place food scraps, the droppings from your pets, and even the leaves from your yard into the container. This will become the compost you get the nutrients from for your lawn and your garden. You want to save your materials all year long to make enough compost. This is because the amount you end up with will be significantly compact compared to the volume of materials that you start out with. With healthy soil to place your grass seed on, it will be able to grow much healthier. It will have longer roots which ensures survival. At the same time you will need to offer it less water to stay green. This is going to help you cut back on your water bill as well.
With many areas being on water restriction in the summer months, you want to be able to get as much use out of it as possible. By having the soil properly prepared you can still have a lovely green lawn even when you are restrained to only allocating water for certain periods of time on specific days of the week. To get the most out of the water you put on your grass you need to take care of it in the early morning hours. This will result in more of it getting into the soil and less being lost to the process of evaporation. Many individuals believe that they can get the same results if they water at night. However, a big problem is that this leaves your grass very susceptible to various types of fungus growing.
To ensure your garden is able to benefit from the water you provide keep the ground level. You don’t want it to all run off and therefore not offer the items in your garden the water they need to thrive. A good option to think about is to place mulch in a nice layer over the top of the soil. This will prevent the water from evaporating so your plants and flowers will get to retain more of it. If you plan to spend a great deal of time enjoying the grass you have grown you want to do so organically. This way your family won’t be at risk of anything. Look for type of grass that tends to grow well in your area. Not all of them are universal so selecting the wrong one can result in you being disappointed with the overall look of your lawn.
You also want a grass that is going to hold up well to people walking on it and playing on it. You don’t want to have to keep everyone off of your lawn in order for it to continue looking nice. This can be a sad outlook because it will be inviting, especially under the shade trees and not being able to go out there isn’t going to make your family happy. Some individuals immediately reach for chemicals to kill off weeds that grown in their garden or their lawn. Yet this isn’t the right solution to turn to. First, find out what type of weeds you are growing. That will tell you what the problem may be in that area. Some weeds are actually good for your lawn and you will want to leave them.
They can serve as a natural fertilizer for your yard. The rest of them you want to pull out by hand or to use tools to remove them. Make sure you get them from the roots up so they can’t regrow as easily. It is often a thought to just run them over with a mower and be done with them but avoid doing so. There are seeds in the weeds and when you do this they will spread all over the place. That will result in your lawn having more weeds than before and in various locations spread throughout it. You may want to consider getting a different type of lawn mower too. Those that operate with the use of gas are placing pollutants into the air. If you have a very small lawn you may want to consider using a reel type. These are hand propelled and use sharp blades underneath to cut the grass. You can adjust the blades to accommodate how short you wish to cut the grass. They are very simple to use and don’t make much noise. That means you can be out there using this type of lawn mower any time of the day or day of the week without bothering your neighbors. You will also get some exercise as you walk around the yard cutting it.
There are plenty of small areas where you can make some significant changes. The concepts here are very easy and anyone can implement then to start living greener right now. You will be proud to offer such benefits to the environment without having to give up anything you really need.