Butler's Distributing

This recipe fits nicely on 3 dehydrator trays. It’s ideal to leave an empty space above each tray for better airflow, and so kale doesn’t get crushed by the tray above it.

EXTRA PREP TIME: – soak walnuts 4 to 8 hours
- dehydrate kale chips 5 to 6 hours (totally dry)

QUANTITY: 6 to 7 cups kale chips

Ingredients:
- ¾ c walnuts (to soak)
- 12 packed cups kale, after removing stems
- 1 c red pepper
- 2 stalks celery
- 2 green onions
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. curry powder
- 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

Soak walnuts 4 to 8 hours. Drain and rinse.
Remove stems from kale and place kale in large bowl.
Place all other ingredients in blender (except kale). Blend until smooth.
Pour mixture over kale. With hands, massage kale and mixture to thoroughly coat both sides of kale. Place coated kale on non-stick dehydrator sheets and dehydrate at 105 degrees until very crisp (5 -6 hours). Turn off dehydrator before removing the chips as they are light and will blow around. Allow to cool, then store in covered container in cupboard.

Alternate Coatings
- Instead of walnuts, use ½ c sunflower seeds and ¼ c pumpkin seeds, or ¾ pine nuts. Best to soak seeds 4 – 8 hours. Pine nuts don’t need soaking.

- Instead of curry, use cilantro, cumin, dill, oregano, parsley, or other herbs/spices. Use ½ to 1 tsp. dried or 1 to 2 Tbsp fresh.

- Pesto Sauce to coat kale: Blend 8 garlic, 1 c basil, 1 c pine nuts, 3 T lemon juice, ½ tsp salt, 1/3 cup water.

Sandra Butler
Raw Food Chef
250- 491-0425
http://www.butlersdistributing.ca/

Trying to get in the recommended daily servings of fruits and veggies can be a tough task. Fresh produce can go bad quickly or be expensive (compared to junk food), and many people just think produce doesn’t taste good! But eating a diet heavy in fruits and vegetables is good for both you and the planet.

According to Vegetarian Times, only 3.2% of Americans are vegetarian. For the other 96.8% of America, beef, chicken, and pork play a large part in their diet. Because of this demand meat production has grown… and that production is becoming increasingly inefficient. Approximately 1,800 to 2,500 gallons of water are used to create a single pound of beef!

In contrast, how much water is used to produce a pound of lettuce?

Producing fruits and vegetables uses much less freshwater. An average pound of lettuce requires just 23 gallons of water to produce.

Why is beef production harmful to our water supply?

Most estimates claim that between 1,800 and 2,500 gallons of water go into producing each pound of beef. Beef production includes everything from providing water to the cattle to watering fields to produce grain for the cattle to eat. According to The Sierra Club, that same amount of water “could produce 16 pounds of broccoli, 25 pounds of potatoes, enough soybeans for three pounds of tofu or enough wheat for nearly five pounds of whole wheat bread.”

Simply raising the large amount of cattle needed to fill people’s high-meat diets is impacting our environment. In the United States, approximately 260 million acres of land that were once forests are now grazed by cattle. Worldwide, livestock rearing is responsible for nearly 20% of all greenhouse gases.

Not only does producing beef use a lot of water, but it also has the potential to contaminate our waterways. According to the Government Accountability Office, an estimated 1.6 million tons of animal waste is created in the U.S. alone. What do farmers do with that waste?

Most animal waste on farms is stored and used for fertilizer on crops or as manure. Waste that isn’t re-used often finds its way into our water systems by getting washed away by rain or being absorbed into the soil. However, “the soil and water cannot absorb the manure in an efficient manner, leading to soil accumulation and runoff of phosphorus, nitrogen, and other related toxins, which threatens drinking water as well as aquatic ecosystems” (Center for a New American Dream).

What are some benefits to reducing the amount of beef in my diet?

• If large numbers of people were to cut meat out of their diet one or a few days a week, the long-term impact could eventually lead to a cut in costs to combat climate change by nearly 50% over the next few decades.
• Fewer trucks and vehicles would need to travel long distances to deliver meat to grocery stores significantly reducing your food’s carbon footprint.
• Introducing more fresh foods into your diet will be better for the environment and your waistline!

Want to go one step further? Don’t throw out your scraps! Instead, compost your scraps to create natural free, natural, and nutrient-rich soil great for starting a veggie garden in the backyard!

How can I reduce my meat consumption?

Replacing meat in a few dishes a week can significantly decrease your, and your food’s, carbon footprint. Substitutions are easy to do if you plan your meals out ahead of time. In many meals, simply replacing your meat with eggplant or soy-based tofu does the trick!

Our favorite burger-alternative is the Portabella Burger with pesto, marinated tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese! The average portabella mushroom cap has approximately 50 calories with no fat or cholesterol, making it a tasty, and healthy, alternative!

If you’re not familiar with a variety of fresh produce, consider joining a CSA (community supported agriculture)! Each week, fresh produce will be delivered to your door introducing you and your family to a variety of new, and local, foods. Find a CSA in your community!

Article taken from: http://www.earthshare.org/2010/03/how-does-your-diet-impact-the-environment.html

We are proud to announce that our client Quality Greens Farm Market has been selected as a 2010 recipient of a Sustainable Business Seed Award as part of the City of Vernon’s Sustainability Awards program. 

The City of Vernon Sustainability Awards will be presented at the Powerhouse Theatre at 2:00 p.m., Sunday, May 30th. The Powerhouse Theatre is located at 2901 35th Avenue in Vernon. The awards ceremony will begin shortly after 2:00 p.m. and will include the RDNO Environmental Leadership Awards, as well as a screening of the feature documentary “No Impact Man”. 

The City of Vernon’s Sustainability Awards program consists of both Sustainability Awards and Seed Awards. Sustainability Awards recognize outstanding contributions to community sustainability through economic, social and environmental excellence. Seed Awards recognize outstanding contributions in two of the three areas of sustainability (i.e. economic, social or environmental excellence). 

We look forward to the expanding our relationship with Quality Greens and congratulations on a job well done!! 

The Butlers

Butlers Distributing
Green ECO Products
250- 491-0425
http://www.butlersdistributing.ca/

Your food can’t go everywhere exposed to the elements; it needs packaging. Unfortunately, that packaging often takes massive amounts of energy to create, and much of it doesn’t properly decompose. We’ve rated some common carriers on a scale from 1 (bad) to 5 (good).

1. Styrofoam (Rating: 1). Ubiquitous clamshells for restaurant leftovers, hot-and-sour soup containers, coffee cups at PTA meetings.
The bad news: All research shows that Styrofoam becomes a permanent part of our environment after we use it. Information on the health risks of styrene, which is used in the production of polystyrene plastics and resins, can be found on the EPA website.
The good news: Many cities are passing laws that require restaurants to discontinue use of all Styrofoam products. And the options are getting better.

2. Plastic (Rating: 2). Soup, deli salad, and yogurt containers; big soda cups at convenience stores; ice cream sundae dishes.
The bad news: Plastic is made from petroleum, a resource in short supply. Plus, many of the chemicals used to produce plastic resins pose serious health risks. Recycling helps a little (check to see if your city accepts plastics, and what types), but there is still significant pollution in the production to consider.
The good news: Reducing and reusing can lower the quantity of plastics being produced. But you probably shouldn’t reuse these containers more than a few times: Potentially harmful chemical compounds have been shown to “migrate” from the plastic into your food, particularly if you’re microwaving the container.

3. Paper or Plastic Bags (Rating: 3). The grocery store, the farmers’ market, the drugstore, your favorite takeout lunch joint.
The bad news: Both are pretty environmentally unfriendly. A lot of technical information needs to be weighed when coming up with a definitive answer to which is more green, including recycling rates in your city and the pollution, waste, and energy used to create the bags. The best answer when asked “Paper or plastic?” is “I brought my own canvas bag.”
The good news: Like plastic containers, plastic bags can be reused as garbage bags, lunch bags, etc. Since a tax was introduced in 2002, Ireland has seen a 95 percent reduction in its plastic bag use. Other cities are putting in place similar taxes or banning plastic bags altogether. Paper bags have a shorter life span but can be recycled in many cities.

4. Cardboard Boxes (Rating: 3). Leftover hash browns from brunch, takeaway salad bar from Whole Foods, Chinese takeout, birthday cake in the office break room.
The bad news: Many cities don’t have a composting system that can take food-soiled paper products. A lot of paper products still contain chlorine or bleach, which can be harmful to the environment if it ends up in landfills. And more chemicals are emitted from the paper mills than from the paper itself.
The good news: Cardboard that has not been contaminated by food can be recycled along with other papers. (This is preferable, as it can be made into more paper.) But if you can’t recycle it because it’s got food on it, many cities have composting programs that will take your dirty cardboard. Or if you’ve been composting it at home, give it away directly to farms, gardens, and landscaping companies.

5. Bioproducts (Rating: 3). Bioplastics manufactured from starchy agricultural by-products; Bagasse plates made from plant fibers such as sugarcane-, wheat-, bamboo-, and rice-based pulps; SpudWare potato-based cutlery; and a growing number of brands of corn-based tableware.
The bad news: Most need special conditions and facilities to biodegrade or be composted, and, like plastics, require energy and scarce resources to produce. When you mix bioproducts in recycling systems, it creates a sorting nightmare and can leave entire batches of recyclable plastic useless.
The good news: There is a vested consumer interest in seeing more alternatives to plastic, and better options are being introduced and adopted by restaurants at a rapid clip.

6. Aluminum Foil (Rating: 4). Wrapping for your burrito, naan, falafel, roasted corn on the cob.
The bad news: It takes energy to extract and process the metal. And though aluminum is in abundant supply, no resource is infinite.
The good news: Aluminum and its alloys can be melted and recast again and again. Check to see if your city’s recycling program accepts aluminum. At home, you can wash and reuse foil. If aluminum makes it to the landfill, the metal eventually will oxidize, returning to aluminum oxide without the emission of gas or pollutants.

7. Recycled Paper Products (Rating: 4). Some cardboard boxes for salads and leftovers; some napkins and paper towels that come with your takeaway food.
The bad news: There is no labeling process to let consumers know how much of a product is actually recycled material. Ideally, it’s made of 100 percent recycled paper, which means that no trees were cut down to make it. Anything less than 100 percent means the unrecycled content came from virgin trees.
The good news: Making recycled paper requires fewer chemicals than making unrecycled paper. It also saves energy, uses less landfill space, saves trees, and reduces pollution in the water and air.

8. Edible Containers Made from Food (Rating: 5). The bread bowl your chowder comes in, ice cream cones, tortilla bowls for taco salad.
The bad news: An edible container may come on a paper plate or other disposable product, thereby negating the benefit of using food to hold food.
The good news: If it’s the only thing that’s put in your hands, it eliminates a lot of waste. If you can’t finish it all, the pigeons will.

9. Inedible Containers Made from Food (Rating: 5). Banana leaves holding your dim sum rice item or your Indian thali; the corn husk wrapped around your tamale.
The bad news: As with the edible container, an extra plate or bowl may be given out for serving or transporting.
The good news: They’re entirely compostable and nonpolluting, and they can be used both to cook and to transport food.

10. Bring Your Own … (Rating: 5). Canvas bags at grocery stores, Mason jars at some microbreweries and tea salons, coffee mugs at the local java house, Tupperware at the salad bar.
The bad news: There are few negatives. Just remember: It’s got to be very clean if you’re going to ask a restaurant to handle it.
The good news: Many grocery stores offer discounts for bringing your own bag. There’s no waste. You feel good about yourself. It’s fun.

(article taken from http://www.chow.com/stories/10870)

While Earth Day takes place on April 22, anytime is a good time to reduce your impact on the environment and save yourself some money.

Whether you’re a renter or a homeowner, there’s a lot you can do to save your pocketbook and the planet.

On the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, here are 40 simple tips you can incorporate, compiled from Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator and Allstate Insurance Company of Canada.

Year-round:

• In parts of Canada where time-of-use billing is in effect, shift your usage as much as possible to off-peak times: weekday evenings and weekends.

• Turn off lights, TVs and other appliances when they are not needed.

• Wash laundry in cold water. This does just as good a job, keeps your colours bright and saves lots of energy.

• Take short showers instead of baths. A five-minute shower uses about half as much water as a bath.

• Replace incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient compact fluorescents, which are four times more efficient and last about eight times as long.

• Control the intensity of your incandescent bulbs with dimmer switches to save money. A bulb dimmed by 25% uses 10% less energy.

• Install motion sensors on light switches.

• Dispose of your CFL bulbs properly. You can check with the store where you purchased the bulbs to see if they recycle them or dispose of them at a hazardous-waste depot.

• Using a low-flow showerhead can save up to 15% of hot-water costs.

• Aerators on your sink faucets can reduce water use by about 10%.

• Use small appliances such as a microwave, slow cooker, electric kettle or toaster oven instead of the stove.

• Take clothes out of the dryer and fold them while they are still warm to prevent wrinkling; your iron uses a lot of energy.

• Shower and run your dishwasher, washer and dryer early in the morning or late at night.

• Try setting your dishwasher to start after 10 p.m. when off-peak prices begin. If your dishwasher has a timer, use it.

• Consider a home energy audit to find out how energy efficient your home is and what would be the best way to spend your home-improvement dollars.

Summer:

• Proper maintenance of your air conditioner can increase its efficiency by about 5%.

• Replace the air filters that keep dust out of the duct system — usually every three months for most models.

• Check the SEER number (an energy-efficiency rating) of an air conditioner before you buy one. An energy-efficient air conditioner may be more expensive but it could pay for itself during its lifetime.

• Get your air conditioner tuned up on a regular basis. You can clean the outside compressor yourself with a hose, removing debris that impedes air flow.

• Following instructions and safety precautions from your air conditioner’s manufacturer, you can also clean the grilles and fan blades, clean and lubricate the fan motor and clean the coil fins.

• Reduce the time your air conditioner is on.

• Raise the thermostat by 1 C and lower your electricity bill up to 5%.

• Open windows at night and use fans to blow in cool air.

• During the day, close your windows and draw the curtains closed to keep out the sun’s heat.

• Use fans to cool your room. You can cool the main floor of a house by using a fan to blow cool air up from the basement.

• Winter is over, so there is no need for the ski rack on your car. Save money and fuel by making your car as aerodynamic as possible.

• A tree or shrub that shades your central air conditioner can improve its efficiency by up to 10%.

• Planting trees around your home’s east, west and south sides shields it from summer sun.

Winter:

• Since up to 25% of heat loss is through windows, plastic window covers can help reduce drafts. They can be purchased at most hardware stores.

• Keep curtains open during the day to allow the sun’s heat into your home.

• Put removable temporary caulking on the inside of your windows that you can peel off in the spring.

• Reduce the temperature on your thermostat when you’re not at home and overnight. A programmable thermostat can be set to change the temperature automatically.

• If you have forced-air heating in your home, give your furnace a break by having ducts cleaned regularly and checked for leaks. Leaky air ducts can cause distribution losses of up to 30%.

• Use the sun for more than vitamin D. Solar panels provide clean electricity – even during the winter. Look into grants from the government; they exist for those who want to incorporate solar energy into their home design.

• Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket or covering. You can reduce standby heat losses by 25- 45%, which works out to be about 4-9% of your water heating costs.

• Opting to take a bike instead of a car for all your local travels can have the same effect on greenhouse gasses as planting up to 170 trees. What’s more, when you ride your bike to work, you can skip your cardio workout at the gym.

• Lingering residues from ingredients in conventional cleaners, such as ammonia and glycol ethers, can dissolve and leave behind harmful and irritating vapours. Some products, such as toilet cleaners, go directly into our water systems. Consider making your own cleaning products or purchasing ones without harsh chemicals.

• For cleaning products you do buy, be sure they have full ingredient disclosure and are dye-free and fragrance-free.

• Instead of buying water in plastic bottles, choose a refillable glass or metal bottle to take with you wherever you go.

• Share some environmentally friendly tips with a friend…or two.

(article taken from http://homeandgarden.homes-extra.ca)

Butlers Distributing
Green ECO Products
250- 491-0425
http://www.butlersdistributing.ca/

REASONS WHY POLYSTYRENE FOAM IS BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN HEALTH:

1. Toxic chemicals leach out of these products into the food that they contain. These chemicals threaten human health and reproductive systems.

2. These products are made with petroleum, a non-sustainable, heavily polluting and disappearing commodity.

3. The product does not biodegrade. It crumbles into fragments that have no expiration date.

3. A certain percentage of product will be dumped in the environment, persisting on land indefinitely as litter and breaking up into pieces that choke and clog animal digestive systems in waterways.

4. The product takes up more space in landfills than does paper and eventually will re-enter the environment when landfills are breached by water or mechanical forces.

5. Foam recycling is a public relations stunt, promoted by the chemical industries that manufacture it. This is done in highly centralized, distant facilities using complex chemical processes and expends far more energy than is ever saved by recycling the material.

UNBLEACHED PAPER BIODEGRADES AND ITS USE AVOIDS ALL OF THE ABOVE PROBLEMS

There is a growing number of alternate containers and products available that are made with unbleached paper, a far more environmentally benign material that is made with recycled sustainable materials.

1. Bleaching paper creates chemical pollutants and uses more energy. UNbleached paper is as close to environmentally benign as can be achieved in a non-reusable product. Yes it’s still not perfect. If you want perfection make a cup out of your hands.

2. Recycled paper is an easily renewable resource.

3. Paper dissolves and biodegrades in the environment.

4. Paper products can be recycled at most people’s doorstep where community recycling is in place.

(article pulled from http://verdant.net/)

Fair Trade is really about making changes to conventional trade, which frequently fails to deliver on promises of sustainable livelihoods and opportunities for people in the poorest countries in the world.

Poverty and hardship limit people’s choices while market forces tend to further marginalise and exclude them. This makes them vulnerable to exploitation, whether as farmers and artisans, or as hired workers within larger businesses.

That two billion of our fellow citizens survive on less than $2 per day, despite working extremely hard, suggests that there is indeed a problem.

Fair Trade seeks to change the terms of trade for the products we buy – to ensure the farmers and artisans behind those products get a better deal. Most often this is understood to mean ensuring better prices for producers, but it often also includes longer-term and more meaningful trading relationships.

One Size Fits All?

How this is done varies widely – how people practice Fair Trade is largely determined by how they understand the problems it’s meant to address.

For instance, TransFair Canada manages the Canadian side of an international system that sets standards defining what Fair Trade products are, and provides Canadians with a way to know whether those standards have been met. The intent is to both bring clarity about Fair Trade and instill confidence in the public that it is not about empty promises.

However, neither TransFair Canada nor the international system it represents invented Fair Trade, nor are its standards the only way it should be understood. Even companies who meet our standards and whose products carry our certification mark often approach Fair Trade differently, and it’s up to you as an individual to decide which approach makes the most sense to you.

Ultimately, Fair Trade appeals to our sense of fairness and common decency, and applies those values to the marketplace. It allows us to make a positive difference in the world just by the products we choose to buy.

A Much Larger Community

Beyond certification bodies like TransFair, producers, and the companies that sell their products, there is a much larger Fair Trade community. This community certainly includes all of these actors, but it also includes individual citizens, schools, academics, unions, activists, religious organizations, and more, all unified in their desire to make the world a better place and all bringing their own ideas and perspectives to the table.

To reflect this diversity, this website is meant to do two things. First, it’s meant to explain what Fair Trade Certification is and what TransFair Canada does. Second, it’s meant to provide a platform for people (including you) to have their voices heard and to participate in a broad conversation about Fair Trade and how we can make it better.

(article pulled from http://transfair.ca/)