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Moving Toward a Zero Waste Lifestyle By Cassandra Rosas

February 12, 2021 By Debra Quillen Leave a Comment

It can seem like not a day passes by without more bad news concerning the environment. In the face of such huge reported problems, it’s easy to feel helpless and be discouraged. But there’s an effective approach that everyone can take to reduce their impact on the planet’s resources, and it involves working toward a zero-waste lifestyle.

What is the Zero Waste Lifestyle?

Modern society can be hugely wasteful of resources, whether through uneaten food, unnecessary packaging, or excessive use of energy. Embracing a zero-waste approach means looking at every area of your daily life, and considering if there’s a way of approaching it with greater thrift. The idea is that while every step may be a small one, the combined results can be huge – and they only increase as more people become involved.

Essential First Steps

Moving toward zero waste is a project that never stops growing and developing, but getting started needn’t be a major disruption to your lifestyle. Here are just three changes you can make that will have an immediate impact on your carbon footprint, and can serve as a basis to build a longer-term approach around.

– Using Glass Jars

Glass jars are an excellent way of storing dried goods in the kitchen. They’re more attractive than Ziplock bags or Tupperware containers, and can be reused again and again. They can also be taken to loose-goods stores and filled direct, avoiding the need for extra packaging.

Look in thrift stores for second-hand jars you can give a new home, or even better, reuse mayo jars, jelly jars, and others instead of sending them to landfill.

– Use Grocery Tote Bags

Reusable cloth bags can help you make a dent in the billions of plastic and paper grocery bags that are used and discarded each year. They needn’t cost much to buy, and can last years if treated well and washed with care. And for full zero-waste brownie points, you could make your own totes out of old cloth shirts or sheets.

– Prioritize Reusable Items

Many other single-use everyday items can be replaced by reusable equivalents to reduce plastic pollution. Buy sturdy plastic or metal drinking straws instead of the lightweight disposable ones which only last a drink or two.

Buy a good reusable water bottle and fill it before leaving home, instead of relying on bottled water on the move. Return to using old-fashioned washable handkerchiefs instead of disposable tissues, or use old rags for cleaning rather than single-use cloths. The possibilities are endless with a little thought.

Moving On: Using the Five Rs

While even these small starts can add up to a big difference, there’s a handy way of approaching a more advanced level of zero waste lifestyle. The Five Rs concept was devised by Bea Johnson, a leading light of the minimalist living movement, building on the original Three Rs of reduce, reuse, and recycle which were introduced in the 1970s

Adding two extra Rs of refuse and rot, the new Five Rs add up to a comprehensive approach to keeping your own waste footprint to an absolute minimum, without needing to live a spartan or self-denying life.

1) Refuse

You can start working on your waste footprint by refusing the unneeded items which are thrust toward you almost every day. From marketing magazines, leaflets, and flyers, to promotional gifts and other freebies, there’s no reason you need to accept whatever you’re offered just because it’s free. And in any case, the vast majority of these free items are barely glanced at or used before finding their way to the trash.

Also, don’t accept single-use items or unnecessary packaging if there’s a readily available alternative. Always consider whether there’s a recyclable or reusable version of a product which you can buy instead, to stop wasteful items from entering your life at their source.

2) Reduce

As well as refusing unnecessarily wasteful items, it’s an excellent strategy to reduce the overall amount of things you buy wherever you can. For example, plan a week’s menus in advance, and shop only for the ingredients you need, rather than buying things out of habit and wasting a proportion of them. You’ll spend less at the store, and discard less at the end of the week.

For items other than foods, decide whether any particular purchase is for something you’ll genuinely use. And if it is a justifiable buy, aim for quality so that the resources consumed to produce the product are likely to give lasting value.

3) Reuse

Rather than throwing something in the trash when it’s no longer needed, consider ways to put it to a new use, just as with re-purposing glass jars for storage. Likewise, if an item is broken or damaged, see if it can be repaired rather than discarded.

And if an item is in good condition but simply unwanted or unused, consider donating it to a thrift shop so that it’s not wasted in the future.

4) Recycle

Most everyday items today can be bought in recyclable packaging, so choose these whenever possible. Not only will the act of recycling preserve resources, but as you vote with your wallet recyclable materials will increasingly become the standard option.

5) Rot

Lastly, any vegetable scraps from the kitchen or trimmings from the garden can be rotted down into compost if you have the yard space. However, don’t add meat or dairy to your compost as they’ll attract pests and risk disease.

Luckily, most areas now have a drop-off point where waste food of all kinds can be left, with the collections being processed in a waste management center or biofuel production plant rather than being sent to landfill.

Specific Zero Waste Tips for Everyday Home Life

If the idea of zero waste is an attractive one to you, here are some concrete steps you can take to begin your journey toward being garbage free.

1) In the Kitchen:

– Eat unprocessed foods wherever you can to reduce packaging and the carbon footprint of their production.

– Try to reuse leftovers, for example making broth from bones and vegetable off-cuts.

– Reduce detergent use by making an organic homemade cleaning product for your work surfaces. Combine equal parts of distilled white vinegar and water, and add a few drops of tea tree oil as a natural disinfectant.

2) The Bathroom:

– Buy your shampoos and soaps in bulk, refilling smaller containers for daily use.

– Leave behind expensive skincare products and use DIY personal care and makeup products. For example, a mixture of raw honey and extra virgin olive oil makes a great moisturizer that uses far less resources.

– Use a homemade toothpaste containing baking powder, a few drops of peppermint oil, and enough water to make a stiff paste.

– Use recycled toilet paper, and washable cloths instead of disposable wet wipes.

3) Laundry and Cleaning:

– Buy your laundry detergent in bulk, and use distilled white vinegar as a rinsing aid.

– White vinegar also makes a great organic surface and window cleaner. Simply mix one part vinegar to eight parts water, and add a little cornstarch to hold the mixture together.

– For more stubborn dirt, mix a quarter-cup of vinegar, four cups of water, and a tablespoon of baking soda to make a natural homemade cleaning product. For extra freshness, try adding a little freshly squeezed lemon juice.

4) Bedroom and Closet:

– When the time comes, replace synthetic bedding with natural fiber materials like organic cotton or linen.

– Combine the clothes in your closet in new ways, rather than buying whole new outfits.

– Donate unused clothing to charity to extend its life, or use worn-out items as cleaning rags.

5) Dining and Social Gatherings:

– Use real plates, cutlery, and fabric napkins rather than disposable ones at social gatherings.

– Buy drinks and so on in bulk rather than as individual servings.

– For informal gatherings, serving finger foods cuts down on the plate washing afterward.

6) Medicine Cabinet:

– Don’t go overboard on supplies that will go out of date. For once, buying in bulk isn’t a good idea for general consumer medications with an expiry date.

– For repeat medications, ask if your current container can be refilled rather than using a new one each time. However, bear in mind that this isn’t legal in every state.

– For minor ailments such as colds, consider herbal teas or essential oils rather than expensive commercial preparations. They’re often just as effective, but with much less waste and resource consumption.

7) Garden:

– Compost garden cuttings and waste to return the nutrition they contain to the soil.

– Reuse larger cuttings as a mulch to protect the soil and retain water.

– Grow your own fruits and vegetables in your backyard, rooftop, or even on a balcony.

– If realistic, collect rainwater in water butts to lessen the amount you take from your local supply.

8) Office

– Don’t print documents unless you really need to.

– Use old-style refillable pens rather than disposable plastic ones.

– Recycle or compost shredded documents rather than throwing them in the trash.

– Store your data in the cloud where feasible, rather than using hard drives and memory sticks which quickly become obsolete.

These tips only scratch the surface of the many ways you can cut your garbage generation down to size. But remember: zero waste is an aspiration and a direction of travel, and not a hard and fast rule. Modern life means completely eliminating waste is probably impossible, but every step you can take toward being trash free is an important one with real-world results.

Originally posted on Porch.com

 

Filed Under: Community and Lifestyle Tagged With: farm community, new home sustainable community, teaching kids conservation

This Years 5K will Support Traumatic Brain Injury

June 22, 2018 By Debra Quillen 3 Comments

The Fritz Stickland & Family Brain Injury Journey

“July 28, 1997 was the date that changed Fritz, Jane, Alex and Allison Stickland’s lives forever.  One single moment in time and place that would alter the course of a marriage, a successful career and a family structure.”

That’s what I remember in the beginning…wishing that there had been just 2 minutes difference that would have changed that near fatal experience where I almost lost my entire family in one horrible car accident.  I can still remember arriving home to a dark house after a long day of work and riding my horse.  I had an ominous feeling as I entered our home which should have been a flurry of activity with two young children ages 2 and 7 and their father cooking dinner.  I still can hear the kids crying in the background on the answering machine as a man at the accident scene was trying to contact me two hours prior.  The panic I felt not knowing the condition of my husband and having enough information to know they had been in a very bad accident with a semitrailer.  The mental control that was necessary to drive to the hospital safely.  Arriving to find my kids with a social worker who desperately needed their Mommy.

I think most people who have experienced the effects of traumatic brain injury to a family member or loved one will always hold those memories of before, during and the new normal after.  It is a life changing moment that begins with fear and prayers for survival, wishing it had never happened and then acceptance and hope for the future.

Brain injury is very unique to each survivor as the trauma that occurs is caused by a specific accident and no two events are exactly alike.  In Fritz’s case, he and the kids were sitting on a bridge stopped in traffic when a semi traveling too fast in the opposite direction neglected to brake soon enough and jackknifed directly into our Camry at the driver’s side.  The truck hit Fritz with such force that he experienced brain sheer and a subdural hematoma.  After emergency brain surgery which included removal of dead brain tissue due to the hematoma, it took two weeks before Fritz was stable enough to be sent to Marianjoy for rehabilitation.  He had to relearn to sit up, eat, talk, walk and regain the most basic physical and mental capabilities that were second nature in his prior life.

Acute rehabilitation lasted four weeks and he was able to come home while continuing outpatient rehab for another six months.  Due to the care and support required to manage Fritz’s recovery, attending to the emotional scars that my young children experienced and managing our home and finances without a partner, I lost my job.  Brain injury has many victims.  At 39 years of age, Fritz had been a very successful sales professional who sold very technical Cisco networking solutions to CFO’s and CIO’s of various companies.  Since that time, he was never able to maintain a job of any kind due to the deficits from his injury.  He has to be on several medications to manage his behavior and treat epilepsy caused by scar tissue in his brain.  He has been back to Marianjoy for rehabilitation twice due to falls that resulted in additional brain damage.

The family held together through all of this change and created a new life by pursuing a dream that Jane and Fritz had always wanted.  They purchased property in Hampshire, IL in 2001 and built their equestrian business called Serosun Farms.  Working outside doing farm work and taking care of horses was very therapeutic for all.  Giving Fritz a safe place where he could still work in a supportive environment.  A happy place for the kids to grow up and thrive.

It has been a long 20 years, but we keep moving forward.  Fritz has still maintained a positive attitude despite the limitations he endures.  His outgoing personality that made him the life of the party and always the top salesman wherever he worked still remains. His love and knowledge of the NFL has kept him competitive in his Fantasy League as his friends can attest!  His children have grown to be compassionate adults who understand the challenges life can bring as they’ve seen their father live with disability.

The reality and challenge for most TBI survivors is financial difficulty.  The costs associated with ongoing care, physical rehabilitation, medications, psychiatrists, neurologists, hospitalization, etc. is great and can be overwhelming.  Everyone deserves a quality life and we support fund raising for organizations devoted to helping TBI survivors and their families.   The more help and rehabilitative support as well as social programs for this population can restore hope, capabilities and happiness.  We want to help others to thrive as this has been our life’s work for Fritz.

Thanks for reading our story.

Sincerely,

Jane Stickland (Fritz’s wife)

Serosun Farms

 

Filed Under: Community and Lifestyle, Events

Latest Millennial trend – Ditching the city to go live on a farm.

January 29, 2018 By Debra Quillen Leave a Comment

Hey all you millennials. Here’s your opportunity to live on the farm without the work. Check out Serosun Farms  Real Estate at www.serosunliving.com

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-latest-millennial-trend-ditching-the-city-to-go-live-on-a-farm/

 

Filed Under: Homes, Lifestyle, On the Market, Sustainable Communities, Sustainable Living, Uncategorized

Spring is Coming!

February 22, 2017 By Debra Quillen Leave a Comment


A large flock of Sandhill Cranes were seen circling the farm this weekend. The sight and sounds of Cranes are always a sure sign of spring but this is a little earlier than normal.  We hope to have more visiting the farm this year.  Last year we had a pair checking out the wetlands in the fall.  We are still amazed at their remarkable turnaround from being an endangered species.

Sandhill Cranes give out unusual loud rattling bugle calls, each lasting a couple of seconds and often strung together. They can be heard up to 2.5 miles away and are given on the ground as well as in flight.  They are very distinctive from the Canada Geese we frequently see and hear.

Check out the video that was recorded this past weekend to hear their distinctive  call – Sandhill Cranes

Here are some cool facts you may have not known about Sandhill Crane’s

  • The Sandhill Crane has recovered significantly in the last 30-40 years and now are fairly common though local to northern Illinois. They have expanded their territory into the Midwest prairie areas and are starting to nest further south. In some areas during migration they congregate in the hundreds of thousands.
  • They are large birds, often over four feet tall.
  • The Sandhill Crane’s call is a loud, rolling, trumpeting sound whose unique tone is a product of anatomy: Sandhill Cranes have long tracheas (windpipes) that coil into the sternum and help the sound develop a lower pitch and harmonics that add richness.
  • Sandhill Cranes are known for their dancing skills. Courting cranes stretch their wings, pump their heads, bow, and leap into the air in a graceful and energetic dance.
  • The elegance of cranes has inspired people in cultures all over the world—including the great scientist, conservationist, and nature writer Aldo Leopold, who wrote of their “nobility, won in the march of aeons.”
  • Although some start breeding at two years of age, Sandhill Cranes may reach the age of seven before breeding. They mate for life—which can mean two decades or more—and stay with their mates year-round. Juveniles stick close by their parents for 9 or 10 months after hatching.
  • The earliest Sandhill Crane fossil, estimated to be 2.5 million years old, was unearthed in the Macasphalt Shell Pit in Florida.
  • Sandhill Crane chicks can leave the nest within 8 hours of hatching, and are even capable of swimming.
  • The oldest Sandhill Crane on record was at least 36 years, 7 months old. Originally banded in Wyoming in 1973, it was found in New Mexico in 2010.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Conservation & Nature- Partners, Conservation and Nature, Field Notes, Uncategorized

Fahey Home Breaks Ground

January 23, 2017 By Debra Quillen 1 Comment

Fahey Ground breaking 1

The Fahey house broke ground this past December. It should be completed and ready for move in later this year. John Bieritz of JB Architecture & Builders worked closely with the Fahey family to design and build their custom home. Their home will support the design standards and sustainability guidelines of Serosun Farms. Check out our Facebook page and website  for pictures as the home progresses.

Filed Under: Community and Lifestyle, Homes

Photos: Beautiful Celebration of Lilac Festival at Serosun Farms!

June 8, 2016 By serosunfarms Leave a Comment

In May, we were pleased to host our 8th Annual Lilac Festival! The day was incredibly beautiful, and the afternoon was full of delicious food, hay rides, golf cart tours, nature walks, games, wine and more. For the featured event, we enjoyed a folk concert by Brother Sun, hosted by WFMT’s Rich Warren. We love this opportunity to invite everyone to experience life at Serosun Farms.

Check out some photos from this event below:

Serosun Serosun Brother Sun Lilac Brother Sun Lilac Brother Sun Lilac Lilac Lilac Lilac Lilac Lilac Lilac Lilac Lilac Serosun Lilac

Are you interested in living in a luxury home within a sustainable community where the green grass grows? Contact us and make an appointment to visit Serosun Farms to learn more about our incredible builders and community today!

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Filed Under: Events Tagged With: Agrihood, Brother Sun, Lilac Fest, Lilac Festival, new home Hampshire, Serosun, Serosun Farms

10 Pictures to Make You Fall in Love with Summer at Serosun Farms

May 31, 2016 By serosunfarms Leave a Comment

We love summer at Serosun Farms. It’s a time for green everywhere, the brilliant colors of flowers and fruits, and nonstop activity and fun outside. Check out a few photos we especially love that capture the beauty of summer life at Serosun Farms.

Summer1 Summer3 Summer4 Summer5 Summer6 Summer7 Summer8 Summer8b Summer9 Summer10

Would you like to live in this idyllic setting—an agrihood where you can live where the green grass grows? Make an appointment to visit Serosun Farms today to find out more about building a home in this incredible, unique community. Contact us below and we will set up a tour!

Contact Us

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Filed Under: Community and Lifestyle Tagged With: Agrihood, Farm life, Serosun Farms, Summer photos, sustainable community

Join Us This Saturday, May 21, at Lilac Festival!

May 18, 2016 By serosunfarms Leave a Comment

We can’t wait for this weekend—it’s time for our 8th Annual Lilac Festival! From 12-5, come and enjoy lunch, hay rides, golf cart tours, nature walks, games, wine, and more! From 3-5, you’ll love the incredible sounds of the Brother Sun Folk Concert hosted by Rich Warren from WFMT. What a great way to spend a May Saturday afternoon!

(We don’t want to jinx it, but we’ll just say we checked the X Forecast, and there so far is no sign of drizzly X—not even fluffy Xes—only a full X. And it says more than 60s and less than 80s—it should be an Xcellent day!)

Enjoy a few photos from past events, and come be a part of it this year!

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Lilac Fest Lilac Fest Lilac Fest Lilac Fest Lilac Fest Lilac Fest Lilac Fest Lilac FestLilac Fest

What: Serosun Farms 8th Annual Lilac Festival
When: Saturday, May 21, 2015, 12-5 PM. Brother Sun Folk Concert hosted by Rich Warren from 3-5PM.
Where: Serosun Farms, 45W489 Berner Rd., Hampshire, IL 60140
What will we do? Enjoy food and drinks, hay rides, a golf cart tour, nature walk, games, a wine tasting, and excellent music!
RSVP: Complete the form below to let us know you’ll be there!

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Filed Under: Events Tagged With: Lilac Festival, Lilac Festival Hampshire, Serosun Farms, Serosun Farms Lilac Festival

Join Us for the 8th Annual Lilac Festival on Saturday, May 21!

April 11, 2016 By serosunfarms Leave a Comment

Lilac 2016

We look forward to the Lilac Festival every May, and we’re sure you will too! Join us on Saturday, May 21 for this entertaining annual event. Attendees enjoy a complimentary cookout, hay rides, golf cart tours, nature walks, games, a wine tasting, and more. WFMT’s Rich Warren will host a folk concert by Brother Sun. It’s always an incredible way to spend a May afternoon.

What: Serosun Farms 8th Annual Lilac Festival
When: Saturday, May 21, 2015, 12-5 PM. Brother Sun Folk Concert hosted by Rich Warren from 3-5PM.
Where: Serosun Farms, 45W489 Berner Rd., Hampshire, IL 60140
What will we do? Enjoy food and drinks, hay rides, a golf cart tour, nature walk, games, a wine tasting, and excellent music!
RSVP: Complete the form below to let us know you’ll be there!

Lilac Festival

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BrotherSun

Brother Sun is made up of the incredible trio: Joe Jencks, Pat Wictor, and Greg Greenway. They celebrate the amazing power of three-part male harmonies, singing contemporary folk with touches of gospel, blues, jazz, and pop. (Later that evening, they will be heard on WFMT Radio Chicago!) Rich Warren is the host of WFMT’s The Midnight Special, and he’s recorded and produced hundreds of folk music concerts through WFMT.

We can’t wait to see you there! RSVP below!

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Filed Under: Community and Lifestyle, Events, Music Tagged With: Brother Sun, Greg Greenway, Joe Jencks, Midnight Special, new custom home Hampshire, new home Hampshire, new home sustainable community, Pat Wictor, Rich Warrent, Serosun, Serosun Farms, WFMT

Help Plant an Orchard and Learn from Experts! Join Us April 30.

April 8, 2016 By serosunfarms Leave a Comment

Apples

On Earth Day, about a week before our event, a lot of people will be planting a tree. At our plant an orchard event, we plan to plant 150-200! Serosun Farms invites you to a rare opportunity on Saturday, April 30 from 11am-2pm to join us as we plant 150-200 bare root apple, pear, cherry, and plum trees. During the event, you will learn about the history of apple orchards in the US and about cider, hard cider, perry, and more. You’ll get to enjoy refreshments—including some local cider, hard cider and perry for tasting!

  • What: Plant an Orchard with Serosun Farms
  • When: Saturday, April 30, 11am-2pm
  • Where: Serosun Farms, 45W489 Berner Rd., Hampshire, IL 60140
  • What will we do? Plant an initial orchard of bare root apple, pear, cherry, and plum trees, learn about the history of apple orchards and about cider, hard cider, perry and more. Enjoy refreshments including tastings of local cider, hard cider, and perry.
  • Wear and bring: Wear close-toed shoes and outdoor work/gardening clothes. We will supply the gear necessary for planting.
  • Who: Everyone is invited; however, only those 14 years and up will be allowed to help us plant. Younger children with parental supervision can watch, learn, sip cider and have fun. Grab a partner, your family, or a group of friends and come. Whether you are able-bodied and looking to take a part in satisfying volunteer work where the green grass grows or you are fascinated with history and how things work, please join us!
  • RSVP: Fill out the form below to let us know you will be joining us.

This unique event is taking place at a unique place. Serosun Farms is a sustainable community that blends peaceful, pastoral living with modern convenience. The community gracefully combines agricultural preservation and high-performance homes with every modern amenity. The custom homes offer one acre lots with breathtaking views of the working farm on which they are situated. Learn more about living at Serosun Farms.

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Photo Credit: Albert Lugosi via Compfight cc

Filed Under: Community and Lifestyle, Conservation and Nature, Events, Food & Farm, Natural History, Sustainable Agriculture Tagged With: apple orchard, apple orchard event, orchard planting, orchard planting event, Serosun Farms, tree planting, tree planting Hampshire

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  • Amazing Agrihoods: Farm-to-Table Living for a Healthy Community
  • This Years 5K will Support Traumatic Brain Injury
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