Professional Documents
Culture Documents
com/goinggreen
Animal rescue
20 groups turn rags
to riches by
practicing the 3Rs
24 Rhodes College
adds two new
The raw story
12 The dairy case is stocked with
environmental
science majors
every kind of milk. Whole.
Reduced-fat. Buttermilk.
Even soy. What you won’t see
26 Got junk? One
man’s trash is
another’s success
is raw or “real” milk. story
Micro Greens...
Created by a teacher of 20 years who said non-toxic school and art supplies
Eco are not good enough for my little ones, Clementine Art wants to bring art and
all-natural materials together as one. Flour, water, caramel and lemon
kid extract are some of the ingredients that make up crafts like crayons, glue,
paint, markers, dough and more. If a parent needs to know what else is in
these, they can look up all the ingredients on ClementineArt.com. These safe
crafts and kid-friendly art supplies are available at Whole Foods Market on Poplar.
The Commercial Appeal March 2011 | GOING GREEN 5
Green Snap...
Cyclists using the new Shelby Farms Greenline cross Highland avenue
as cars stop for them at the cross walk. Photo by Mike Brown of The
Commercial Appeal. Interested in sharing your green experiences: a bike
ride on the Greenline, a successful recycling project or a neighborhood
cleanup? Send your photos to goinggreen@commercialappeal.com with
"Green Snaps" in the subject line.
6 GOING GREEN | March 2011 commercialappeal.com/goinggreen
Green Page...
Family Farm Fest
March 19 at 14281
State Line Road in
Olive Branch. 1-5 p.m.
Our Family Farm
LLCwill host a “Family
Farm Fest” from to
celebrate National Ag
Day. The theme is
“American Agriculture:
Your Food. Your Farmer.”
Admission is free. There
will be a petting zoo,
farming demonstrations,
and livestock exhibits.
For more
information, call
Carolyn Neergaard at
(662) 893-7888 or visit
ourfamilyfarmtours.com
raw
advocates claim that the unpasteurized stuff tastes
better, and even that raw milk is a sort of superfood,
chock-full of nutrients and enzymes
From coast to coast, the issue of raw milk is quickly emerging from
obscurity to one of the most contentious of the local food movement.
Nothing illustrates this better than the raid on Rawesome Foods in the
seaside community of Venice (CA) last summer. Without warning,
investigators entered the health food store with a search warrant and ordered
workers to stop what they were doing.
Four uniformed officers with guns drawn fanned out across the store in
search of their contraband — raw milk and its related products.
"I still can't believe they took our yogurt. There's a medical marijuana shop
a couple miles away, and they're raiding us because we're selling raw dairy
products," one astonished employee told an L.A. Times reporter.
Fortunately, reaction to Tennessee’s growing raw milk industry hasn’t been
quite as hyperbolic. Currently the state’s raw milk dairies are operating under
the herd-share program.
pasteurized
on the other side public health advocates dispute the
health benefits, and say that raw milk is inherently risky
14 GOING GREEN | March 2011 commercialappeal.com/goinggreen
raw story
The most natural
milk to drink is raw or
unprocessed whole
milk. It retains all the
vitamins, minerals,
good bacteria and
enzymes.
The next best thing
to unprocessed milk
is “Low Temperature
Pasteurization“. In
this, the milk is
heated in a vat up to
the minimum
temperature required
by law. Similar to that of many states, the program allows a
The next method,
used by industrial
customer to buy a portion of the herd in order to
scale operations, is legally gain access to the raw milk and its related
the High- products from the animal.
Temperature-Short- Tennessee also allows milk providers to sell its
Time (HTST) method. product as ‘pet quality’. This basically allows the dairy
The third method to put its product on the market. What the buyer does
used is the Ultra High with it at that point is their business.
Temperature (UHT) “As long as you have an annual feed license, you can
method. It kills any
and all bacteria and sell raw milk as feed,” said Walter Haybert, owner of
enzymes. Evergreen Farms in Middleton, which is the only raw
By heating to the milk provider in West Tennessee. Haybert credits Rep.
minimum required Frank Nicely (R-Knoxville) for his work in clearing up
temperature, many any ambiguity in the state laws concerning raw milk.
of the nutrients can “Previously the law wasn’t specific enough,” said
be preserved while Haybert. “We spoke with Rep. Nicely and he introduced
still meeting safety a bill based on the conversations. We believe that their
guidelines.
will be further amendments to avoid any confusion.”
Check out Proponents of raw milk argue that the process of
realmilk.com for
more in-depth pasteurization robs the milk of many of its most essential
information on the nutrients. It is also common for regular drinkers of raw
pros and cons of the milk to credit it with ameliorating digestive ailments and
pasteurization strengthening the immune system — to name a few.
process. One such advocate is Sally Fallon Morell. As co-founder
Source: and president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, based
utterlyfresh.com in Washington D.C., she and her non-profit are currently
highlighting the issue with a ‘Campaign for Real Milk’
The Commercial Appeal March 2011 | GOING GREEN 15
A fre
Rawsome see raw milk as a super food — rich
with nutrients and other good stuff — it’s the
potential for the other, not so healthy, things to
make there way into the milk that concerns many.
Generally, these concerns center around fecal-
born bacteria like Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria
approa
— three of the main contaminants that can make
their way into milk. Pasteurization, which heats
the milk to high temperatures, effectively kills
any bacteria present.
“From 1998 to 2008, 85 outbreaks of human
infections resulting from consumption of raw
milk were reported to CDC. These outbreaks
included a total of 1,614 reported illnesses, 187 Retired couple
hospitalizations and 2 deaths,” said Siobhan
Delancey, Food and Drug Administration. surprising
Dawn Jackson Blatner, a spokesperson
for the American Dietetic Association, with raw
shares many of the same concerns as
Delancey. However, she said that if you
are going to drink raw milk you should
dairy st
‘know your farmer’ to make sure that they
run a sanitary operation.
Blatner also points out that, while raw By Jim Coleman /
milk may be nutrient rich, it may be lacking
some nutrients that pasteurized milk has. WHEN WALTER
“An important fact to remember is that
raw milk is not fortified with vitamin D, a 400 acre spread am
nutrient we fall short on, and is difficult outside Middleton
for most people to get without eating wasn’t a dairy farm
fortified foods.”
While the back and forth over the safety “Originally, I w
and nutritional value of raw milk rages on,
one thing is for certain – it won’t end walking horses.” sa
soon. According to Morell, the raw milk But a market dr
movement is growing, giving a nationwide
ballpark figure of 700-800 dairies. regulations aimed a
“We have seen a five to six fold increase practices in the ind
(in raw milk providers) in the last few year.”
The Commercial Appeal March 2011 | GOING GREEN 17
esh
ach
le makes
ng choice
raw milk “Our cows are grass fed, Jersey & Guernsey
y start-up cows & can live to be twenty years old..”
n / Special to Going Green plans. With his land idle, it took his wife’s,
Jan, penchant for culinary experimentation for
TER HAYBERT purchased his a new use for his land to take root.
among the rolling hills “She took a cheese making class while she
on his original intention was in Vermont.” he said.
arm. Shortly after the class Walter and Jan
I wanted to raise Tennessee found himself at a cow auction in Houston.
” said the retiree. “We went with the intention of buying
t drop and recently passed two cows,” said Walter. “We bought seven.”
ed at curbing some of the With the purchase came what was the
industry scuttled his initial beginning of Evergreen Farm dairy.
18 GOING GREEN | March 2011 commercialappeal.com/goinggreen
Now, instead of surrounding a herd When you enter the milking room
of rollicking walking horses, the of the dairy the first thing you notice
Kentucky-style black fencing is how clean it is.
surrounds 90 cows for his raw milk The room dripped wet from a hose-
dairy start-up. The horse barn has down following a milking as Haybert
been converted into a state-of-the-art explained how he runs his operation.
dairy. The freshly bathed cows, which are
“We have mostly Jerseys and primarily grass-fed, are coaxed into
Guernseys,” said Haybert. “Most the milking station with a little bit of
commercial dairies use Holsteins grain and then milked. Making sure
which put out a lot of volume. Ours that the cow is clean is one of the
have a better quality. The taste is most important aspects of the
sweeter.” operation. Most cases of
The Commercial Appeal March 2011 | GOING GREEN 19
LOCAL NEWS
toys for the dogs and cats they foster. “We reuse newspapers from city gov-
Towels, washcloths and blankets that ernment to help with housing of our
are too ragged to donate to Goodwill smaller animals. It helps us with ease of
can make warm bedding for homeless cleaning and disease prevention.”
animals. The shelter is in itself a different type
Novak depends entirely on recycled of recycling center, he said.
items to provide bedding for the cats “One of our primary goals is the re-
and dogs she rescues. cycling of lives,” Pepper said. “We have
“We can’t afford to buy them, so we these animals, just like these products
don’t have an option there,” she said. that get discarded by members of the
Matt Pepper, administrator of the community, and it’s our job and our
Memphis Animal Shelter, said it uses a responsibility to try to re-home them.”
variety of donated, used pet items, but Another focus of the shelter is owner
what the shelter recycles most is paper. retention, and recycled items are often
The Commercial Appeal March 2011 | GOING GREEN 23
Rhodes College is bringing the great outdoors to the classroom as it creates two
new bachelor's degree programs — environmental study and environmental
science. All students in the new majors will take a core course called, "Environment
and Society" which addresses environmental issues past and present.
Got
Junk?
One man’s trash is
another’s business
By Suzanne Thompson
Special to Going Green
Getty Images
Stericycle handles the disposal of medical waste for hospitals, clinics,
pharmacies, and other health-care facilities. Baptist Memorial Hospital takes part
in a biowaste reusable container service offered by the medical waste company.
Frank Johnson has been the on site property manager, security guard and grounds keeper of
the Sears Building for eight years. He makes daily rounds checking on the building.
Towering vision
Big idea: A coalition in art and real estate has quietly been
laying the groundwork for more than a year to turn
Remake old the Sears Crosstown building into an arts-centric
urban village.
Sears The still-fluid plan is to establish an artists’
residency program, studios, exhibition and per-
behemoth formance space in parts of the 1.4 million-square-
into arts foot building at Watkins and North Parkway.
The big idea: People gravitate to art and artists,
village and will fill the rest of the 84-year-old landmark with
Historic style
The Sears Crosstown building is an
iconic, landmark building that stands as
a “restrained” example of the Art Deco
style, says architect Keith S. Kays, who
recently co-wrote a book surveying
Memphis’ mid-century modern public
buildings.
“The original, 1927, Cleveland/Watkins
portion of the building is stunningly
monumental with building setbacks
reminiscent of the massing employed on
the skyscrapers of that time, “ Kays said.
The building is an early example of a
mixed-use project, with offices, retail and
warehouse.
Each function is clearly expressed by
the building’s massing, facade treatment
and window patterns. Projecting
pilasters, each modestly ornamented at
the top, provide a verticality to the
otherwise wide facade of the warehouse.
“It is an important work of
architecture that merits being
preserved,” Kays says.
offices, stores, schools, apartments, con- so public about the intended location.
dos, hotels and nonprofit organizations. However, its leaders have held scores
The rough estimate to renovate is of individual meetings with potential
$200 million. space-users and stakeholders.
The driving force is Crosstown Arts , Their vision is to revive the Art Deco
the nonprofit group collaborating with building — closed since 1993 — and in
the building’s owners. doing so the distressed Crosstown
The 10-month-old organization now neighborhood as well.
wants the public to help shape the vision. For example, one conceptual site plan
Crosstown Arts will soon take its ideas for the 16-acre site shows a zeal for mak-
to the community with public meetings ing the development porous. A traffic cir-
and even tours of the historic landmark. cle, green space, walking/biking trails,
Crosstown Arts has been open about its and new entrances reach out to neighbors.
mission to create an artists’ community Local owners going by “Crosstown
and residency program, but until now, not LLC” bought the building for $3.5 mil-
The Commercial Appeal March 2011 | GOING GREEN 33
lion in 2007 from out-of-town investors. artist Christopher Miner, had already
Andy Cates represents the owners been working on a plan to develop an
and volunteered the due-diligence work artist residency in the area.
that paved the way for the purchase. “We combined our ideas, “ Richard-
While he’s not an owner, Cates is son said. “... It represented this op-
something of a change agent, having portunity to create a lot of synergy.”
helped bring the NBA to Memphis and Mayor A C Wharton said he embraces
led development of Soulsville USA. the project. “This is not merely some
Cates describes the owners as “civic private persons’ vision and dream,” he
investors” motivated not by profit, but said. “This is something our city would
to bring Crosstown back to life. like to see. ... This is a dream of the city.”
Their first attempt, in 2007, to re- Wharton said he believes the project
develop Sears Crosstown would have is do-able even though it “requires a
involved a collegiate-level educational stretch of the imagination.”
institution and businesses. The strategy to save the Memphis
“Then the world blew up, “ Cates building uses art in three ways:
said, referring to the recession. A residency program will provide
Nothing happened until fall 2009, free room and meals to artists who’d
when Cates got a call from a friend, come from across the nation, the world
Todd Richardson. and the city.
He’s a 37-year-old art history pro- Exhibition space has great potential
fessor at the University of Memphis. because of the vast spaces and 18-foot-
His focus is Renaissance art. tall ceilings.
The former Idlewild Presbyterian Shared art-making facilities would
youth minister had seen other former be offered to all types of artists.
industrial spaces revived by art and Local artists could join the facility to
commerce while working on degrees at use it.
Graduate Theological Union in Berke- Cost of some memberships might be
ley, Calif., and Universiteit Leiden in sponsored while others might be based
The Netherlands. on the artist’s income, he said.
When he returned to Memphis to Miner stressed that the concepts are
teach at the U of M, Sears Crosstown still a work in progress, adding, “We’re
still stood empty and still inspired in discovery mode.’’
Richardson. “Not just the enormity of Filling more than 1 million square
the building, but it’s in the middle of feet will take a variety of users.
the neighborhood, “ he said. A new Crosstown Arts website in-
The thought occurred to him in Au- vites Memphis area residents to learn
gust 2009: What if the Sears building about and get involved in the Sears
could be transformed, too? project. Go to crosstownmemphis.com.
“At that point, it was pretty naive, “
For more on the topic, check out the
Richardson said. “Who could wrap their Commercial Appeal’s Viewpoint publication
mind around a million square feet?“ (Feb. 27, 2011) for a new series on Memphis’
Richardson and another friend, video abandoned buildings.
34 GOING GREEN | March 2011 commercialappeal.com/goinggreen
Memphis-based
Kronos Energy
readies to ship
its first
residential
turbines
A mighty wind
By Toby Sells / sells@commercialappeal.com
They are all the major contributors to But back in Memphis, Bogensberger
TVA’s Green Power Switch program. believes his Eureka connects with
For now, the Buffalo Mountain Wind something deeper in environment-
Park is the largest wind project in the conscious consumers, the “warm fuzzies.”
state. But others are prospecting — yes, “(Buying power from big windmill
just as in the gold rush — for more. farms) might give you the warm fuzzies,
The Tennessee Energy Policy Office, knowing that you don’t have this huge
TVA and Appalachian State University carbon footprint associated with your
have teamed up for a two-year project power, “ he said.
called “Wind Prospecting in the “But what will really give you the
Tennessee Valley Region, “ which is warm fuzzies is seeing (the Eureka)
funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. sitting on top of your house and you
The project is now testing possible high- have a daily reminder that 25 percent of
altitude sites in East Tennessee. Any new all the power you’re using isn’t causing
wind energy they find will directly any damage to the environment.”
support TVA’s Green Power Switch. - Toby Sells: 529-2742
The Commercial Appeal March 2011 | GOING GREEN 37
MY GREEN BIZ
Huey’s Midtown
Address: 1927 Madison Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104
Phone: 901-726-4372
Online: hueyburger.com
Features: Live music Sunday evenings;
open daily from lunch until late; happy
hour 4-7 p.m.
MY GREEN JOB
Feat of clay
Midtown potter
incorporates sustainable
practices into work, life
Melissa Bridgman
Bridgman Pottery - Owner/Sole
Proprietor
The details
How is your business
considered a “green business”?
Pottery is not an “eco business,”
per se, but I work to make it
sustainable in several ways.
First, I use a single claybody to
facilitate ease in reuse.
Second, I limit my glaze colors to
about 6, but have two main colors.
Third, by recycling clay, glazes,
and water through a series of
reclaim and waste glaze buckets —
pieces that crack before firing go
into a bucket filled with water to
soften and reuse, and I wash my
glazing brushes and containers in a
5 gallon bucket, collect the glaze
solids and remix to use as a
“mystery glaze.” Right now the
mystery glaze is purple!
Additionally, I ship with 100%
recyclable materials, only run full
kiln-loads to save on energy costs,
and have both a large kiln and small
kiln to help me meet my production
goals and save energy. We plan to
install solar panels on the south-
Dave Darnell / The Commercial Appeal facing studio roof to offset energy
usage from kiln firings in the next 3-
Midtown potter Melissa Bridgman makes 5 years.
handmade, functional pottery for the home In addition to my attempts at
and garden — simple pieces inspired by studio sustainability, pottery is a
vintage kitchenware and the natural world. long-term product. People can use
40 GOING GREEN | March 2011 commercialappeal.com/goinggreen
their dishes for years. I’ve found that my Most satisfying career moment:
handmade pottery outlasts commercially- My most satisfying career moment
made, inexpensive pieces. When a special happens every time a customer tells me that
piece breaks, I save the broken pottery for my mug or cup or bowl was their favorite,
mosaic work in the garden! and that they are devastated because they
Why did you choose this career? broke it, and could I possibly make them a
I met and married my husband in new one? That is the best feeling in the
Mississippi, even though we both grew up in world.
Memphis. As a good Mississippi bride, I What do you consider to be the
received a lot of McCarty pottery for our highlights of your career?
wedding. I loved it and took a class when we This past January my egg cups were
returned to Memphis and I was looking for featured in Southern Living. That was
work. Playing in clay led to a teaching artist exciting. I think the thing that was most
position with the Center for Arts Education thrilling, however, was in 2005 when Lee and
(it was an arm of the Memphis Arts Council), Pup McCarty (of my wedding pottery) were
several different teaching gigs with MCA and at the Memphis Farmers Market and told me
Germantown Parks and Red, and finally, the that I was on my way to something good.
Brooks Museum of Art. I stopped teaching in
2009 to focus on pottery full time. What’s the hardest thing about finding
work in your field (in the Greater
What education/ experience did you Memphis area)?
need for your job? Perhaps I’m lucky, but I haven’t had a
First, you have to learn basic pottery hard time with finding a niche in Memphis.
skills. Throwing, hand-building, firing, My business is still small and is growing
glazing, kiln maintenance. Patience and slowly, which is what I intended. I think the
persistence help, too. Good record-keeping thing with my work that I have the hardest
and basic math skills are necessary to keep time with is being a one-woman operation
the business on track. Marketing skills, and being realistic about what I can
including photography and a clear writing accomplish.
voice — I can’t stress how important those
two are to my business, especially when it What one green practice would you
comes to my online sales. Social media recommend to others?
(Flickr, Facebook) have also been important It may sound funny as someone who
parts of my marketing strategies. Next to my depends on selling things to earn her living,
hands and my wheel, my camera (a Nikon but I’d recommend shopping less. Buy less
d70) is probably my most-used tool. lower-quality goods. Spend a bit more on
something that you love, that will last, and
What was your first job? that is locally-made and/or will support your
My first job was a girl-Friday type position community.
at a law firm. That was during my junior
/senior years in high school. What green trends would you like to
What was your most recent job(s)? see in the future?
My most recent paid position was I’d like to see Memphis be more
teaching for the Arts Basic Curriculum at the pedestrian/bike friendly. I’d like to see more
Brooks. people growing their own food and buying
But, I’m also a non-paid- mom, cook, CFO from local farmers. I’d like to see more
of Bridgman Enterprises, LLC — just like people with backyard chickens!
every other working mom out there! — Compiled by Emily Adams Keplinger
The Commercial Appeal March 2011 | GOING GREEN 41
TRANSPORTATION
By Suzanne Thompson
on go
skate. But this car — the manufacturer
of which is owned by GreenTech Au-
tomotive — is electric.
The car is known in the industry as a
neighborhood electric vehicle and
doesn’t go faster than 45 miles an hour,
Current climate drives making it unsuitable for highway usage.
production of small Dubbed MyCar, it will go 70 miles on
electric vehicles to area a three-hour charge.
42 GOING GREEN | March 2011 commercialappeal.com/goinggreen
jobs is also a product of my lifelong eign oil is something I have long spoken
pursuits as a business leader.” out about, and green energy is a critical
McAuliffe has a long history as an step to reducing that dependence,”
entrepreneur and has started 25 suc- McAuliffe said.
cessful companies. And it’s not just Americans who want
When he purchased the company, My- to get away from oil dependency, judg-
Car was involved in a project in Born- ing from the response to a car.
holm, Denmark, the “Bright Green Is- “We already have a waiting list in
land.” Europe for once production begins in a
Officials of the Danish island are few months. We’ll be building the My-
striving to become 100 percent carbon Car in the U.S., but it will be available
neutral, and are using MyCar as part of worldwide.”
their strategy to make that happen, said McAuliffe believes GTA has the po-
Lene Grooning, chief executive officer tential to become a multibillion-dollar
and enterprise ambassador for Business company, because he does not plan to
Center Bornholm. stop at the production of just the MyCar.
Though the cars aren’t made for high- “We are currently in development of a
way usage, McAuliffe said there are cer- portfolio of full-speed electric and hy-
tain groups for which the use of MyCar brid electric automobiles and anticipate
is ideal. some very exciting announcements in
“For young professionals, students, the coming months.”
homemakers, delivery drivers, residents
of gated communities, MyCar is per-
fect,” he said.
The cars will be reasonably priced
since McAuliffe has committed to selling
the first 100,000 cars for $10,000 apiece.
With government tax credits of up to
$1,500, that could bring the price down
to $8,500 for the first consumers.
McAuliffe believes the price of green
technology has been a factor in holding
back the switch to energy-efficient ve-
hicles.
“Americans have been resistant to
adopting green technology, often due to MyCar Electric Vehicle
sticker shock. At GTA, we are abso- MyCar is a neighborhood electric vehicle
lutely committed to affordable green (NEV) with styling by Italdesign, the famous
technology,” he said. Italian design studio founded by Giorgetto
Guigiaro. It can travel a distance of 70 miles
He sees the GTA MyCar as a step and can be recharged from any regular
toward making the country less depen- household socket. GreenTech Automotive’s
dent on foreign energy suppliers. MyCar was named electric vehicle of the year
“Our unfortunate dependence on for- at the 2008 European GreenFleet Awards.
44 GOING GREEN | March 2011 commercialappeal.com/goinggreen
Memphis to get
install electric
vehicle plug-ins
By Daniel Connolly
and Wayne Risher
connolly@commercialappeal.com
risher@commercialappeal.com
James Ellis
of the
Tennessee
Valley
Authority
(TVA)
discusses
charging
electric
vehicles
during a
press event
at The
Peabody.
Dave Darnell
The Commecial
Appeal
stimulus grants for the project, and pri- about 100 miles, and charging the ve-
vate investment is expected to bring the hicle can take several hours. The price
total to $230 million. tag is $32,780 to start, though buyers
In Tennessee, subsidies and chargers qualify for a $7,500 federal tax incen-
will be available to customers who have tive.
expressed interest in buying a Nissan And in Tennessee, there’s also an im-
Leaf, which is currently the only purely mediate rebate of $2,500 for the first
electric car available in Tennessee. 1,000 buyers.
Zeman, who is awaiting delivery of At the moment, only a plant near
his vehicle, is credited as the inventor of Tokyo makes the cars, but Nissan is
the VeinViewer, a device that uses in- refitting part of its Smyrna, Tenn., plant
frared light to project images of hidden to build the vehicles and accompanying
blood vessels onto the skin in real time, batteries, and production should start
helping health care workers perform in- by late 2012, said Tracy Woodard, Nis-
jections and other tasks. san’s director of government affairs.
The retired 66-year-old said he is in- Several of the hundred or so people
terested in electric vehicles. “It’s clearly attending Tuesday’s session at The
what’s going to happen in the future,” Peabody filled out “letters of intent” to
he said. He plans to hold on to a hybrid try to obtain the devices.
gas-electric SUV for longer trips. — Daniel Connolly: 529-5296
The range of the Nissan Leaf is only — Wayne Risher: 529-2874
The Commercial Appeal March 2011 | GOING GREEN 47
FAITH
Faith in action
Team creates By Cathi Johnson / Special to My Life
Alexandria's smiling face shows delight in the "very pink" room she requested.
work day one week before Christmas, Jacob’s Ladder has programs in place
when the furniture and everything else to help new and prospective homeown-
was finally put in place. ers with budgeting and home upkeep.
One meaningful opportunity for the They also operate two after-school ed-
volunteers was interaction with the fam- ucational centers which provide safe
ily and neighbors who showed up over a sanctuary and learning opportunities for
series of Saturday workdays to help all the neighborhood children.
where they could. One “worker bee” in New life has been breathed into a
particular, Jeanette, also a Jacob’s Lad- community that has embraced this
der home recipient, was a constant pres- young family. Neighbors have pledged
ence and hard for most folks to keep up to look after them. The children are
with. Her work ethic was an inspiration. warm and safe, and home.
For more information about Jacob’s
Marler has a housing team of vol- Ladder, visit jacobsladdercdc.org or call
unteers who regularly meet on Wednes- 327-3771. Or visit CrossRoads UMC at
days. Led by Rev. Ken Burnette, board crossroadsumc.com.
chairman of Jacob’s Ladder, the team
rebuilt all the windows and installed Cathi Johnson is the vice president of
Advancement for Memphis Theological
new flooring, drywall and an on-demand Seminary, a member of CrossRoads UMC and
water heater. a volunteer for Jacob’s Ladder.
50 GOING GREEN | March 2011 commercialappeal.com/goinggreen
FOOD
ROOT
are probably saying it to yourself more
these days: "Eat more vegetables!"
It's a message that's hard to ignore, and
for good reason. Vegetables are naturally
high in fiber, low in fat and full of nutrients.
In season now are winter squashes and
OF ALL
root vegetables. This is a great time to try
some if you haven't before. Today's recipe is
a hearty combination of these winter
vegetables with a little spinach thrown in
GOODNESS
The Commercial Appeal March 2011 | GOING GREEN 51
for color and nutrition. The addition of Ziti with Skillet Roasted Root
pasta and a little Parmesan makes it Vegetables
something you could serve in larger 2 tbsp. olive oil
portions as a main dish if you like. 1 large red onion, coarsely chopped
Sweet potatoes and butternut squash 4 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
are wonderful sources of beta carotene, 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and
trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
a precursor to vitamin A. Our bodies 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, strings and
convert this compound to vitamin A as seeds removed, flesh cut into 1/2-inch pieces
we need it. Beta carotene is also used 11/2 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
to strengthen our immune systems, as 11/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (preferably
homemade)
well as to prevent free- 1
/2 tsp. salt
radical damage to cells. 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
It is important to note 1 (10-oz.) pkg. frozen spinach, thawed and
that supplements of beta excess moisture squeezed out
2 cups dry ziti or other tubular pasta
carotene in pill or liquid 2 tbsp. butter
form did not have this 1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
effect, and in fact, may
actually increase death Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet
from lung cancer in this over high heat. Add all vegetables
MEGAN group. Getting it the except spinach; sauté until vegetables
MURPHY
natural way, from food, is begin to soften and brown, stirring
definitely the way to go. often, about 8-9 minutes. Add
Recipe rosemary; stir 1 minute. Add broth,
for Health Parsnips are another
of those vegetables that bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium;
we sometimes forget about. They look sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover
like white carrots. Like carrots, they skillet and cook until vegetables are
can be eaten raw or cooked. Parsnips tender, stirring occasionally, about
are a good source of vitamin C and also 15-18 minutes.
contain important B vitamins like Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot
thiamin and folate. of boiling water until just tender but
I adapted this recipe from the original still firm to bite, stirring occasionally.
by using less pasta, because I like a Drain. Return pasta to pot.
higher proportion of vegetables to pasta. When vegetables are tender, stir
In the 1-cup serving size , this dish spinach and butter into vegetables,
makes a nice side to any meat or fish heat briefly to heat through, then add
entrée you might be serving. In larger entire mixture to pasta. Stir in about
amounts, it's hearty enough to stand ½ cup Parmesan cheese. If mixture is
on its own. Either way, it's a delicious too dry, add a bit more chicken broth.
way to get a bunch of good nutrition. Season with additional salt and
pepper, if desired. Serve with
Megan Murphy is a Tennessee-licensed remaining Parmesan cheese.
registered dietitian and associate professor of
nutrition at Southwest Tennessee Makes about 12 cups.
Community College. Call 277-3062, fax 529- Source: Adapted from Bon Appetit,
2787, e-mail Meganmyrd@aol.com. January 2009
52 GOING GREEN | March 2011 commercialappeal.com/goinggreen
Vintage style
The east Memphis home of Anna and Ben Avant is filled with family pieces and antiques they
have acquired. The kitchen table is a farm table found in an antique store and the table at the
end of the sofa is an antique work table. The cotton boll and birds, top, were carved by Anna's
grandfather, David Williamson and painted by her grandmother Louise Williamson.
The Commercial Appeal March 2011 | GOING GREEN 53
By Stacey Wiedower
Special to The Commercial Appeal
“grandma chic.”
“It definitely has the feel and the
comfort of a grandmother’s home,
but with kind of a modern twist,”
said Abbott, who decorates with art
by up-and-coming artists, flea market
finds, found objects and carefully
curated collections. “It feels like a
grandmother’s home, but in a good
way. A very fun grandmother.”
Among her collectibles are vintage
globes, quilts, art, vinyl records and
needlepoint pillows — including
some handed down by her
grandmother.
“I do have a lot of collections, but I
don’t put them all out at once,” she
said.
And that’s a major theme repeated
among vintage fans: Editing is
everything.
Photographer Melissa Sweazy,
whose personal style is part
contemporary, part rustic, said she
likes to pair old art from thrift stores This dining room table was bought by Anna
with modern photos, and quirky Avant’s grandparents for her parents, then
was passed on to her.
vintage objects like typewriters and
cameras with clean-lined furnishings.
“I don’t want my house to look like
a museum of relics,” she said. “I try
to keep it contemporary, but with fun,
quirky things — 1930s pieces,
midcentury modern pieces — thrown
in. I want it to look beautiful and
updated, but with vintage pieces that
are noticeable throughout.”
Because so many items in vintage
lovers’ favorite shopping spots —
thrift stores, junk shops, estate sales The Avants’ master bedroom includes a
— are affordable, it’s easy to go Victorian dresser and armoire from Anna’s
overboard, Abbott warned. And the mother and a sewing stool acquired from an
sheer amount of stuff to sift through antique store.
and deals to be had can be
The Commercial Appeal March 2011 | GOING GREEN 55
Sunflowers and zinnias are not only pretty additions to a vegetable garden,
they attract necessary pollinators such as bees, butterflies and birds.
Fresh produce
drives gardener
Okra grows in abundance in a
vegetable garden. Kate Morrison, of East Memphis,
believes that she inherited her “green
not easy for beginners; doing thumb” from her parents. They brought
something out of the ordinary her up gardening on their farm. As a
is hard on both the body and driver instructor for Intermodal Cartage
the imagination. How does a Company, Morrison continues to want to
young or inexperienced person pass along the joys of gardening, saying
get into gardening without that one of her favorite gardening
wasting time, money, effort — experiences is being able to take fresh
and hope? fruits and vegetables to the drivers at the
Like Bruce says, “Everything company.
you buy these days comes with
an instruction manual, except Name: Kate Morrison
the most expensive items in How long have you been interested in
your life: Your home and your gardening? All my life, my parents have
garden.” With fewer “old-hand” always gardened and I remember picking
gardeners around to show new beans in July on our farm. Not necessarily
neighbors, it’s becoming a a great memory of gardening, but the
reinvention of the wheel. beans were wonderful to eat.
That’s where community Average amount of time involved with
kicks in with Master gardening — per week or month: There is
Gardeners, lectures and classes always something you can be doing in your
at public gardens, newspapers, garden. I don’t put near as much effort into
magazines, books, the Internet. it as my parents.
The resources are out there; What's your favorite plant and why? I
just dig in. don’t think I really have a favorite, I switch
Horticulturist Felder Rushing is a types of plants from year to year.
10th-generation Southern gardener. Current or most recent gardening
Contact him at his Web site: project: We grew a lot, almost an acre, of
felderrushing.net. His show, “The
Gestalt Gardener, “ is on Silver Queen corn this past summer. I do
Mississippi Public Radio 90.3 FM not know why we grew so much, but it was
at 9 a.m. Fridays, rebroadcast at 10 fun. My husband, John, was the one that
a.m. Saturdays. thought we should try that. It was great,
60 GOING GREEN | March 2011 commercialappeal.com/goinggreen