2 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 10, 2010 commercialappeal.

com

What’s in this issue ...

Global Work Party
4 Communities around the world
promote activities to turn attention
to the issue of global warming.

Good stewards Blessing the Ground

12 Montessori school
14 CBU constructs green
brings gardening into Living Learning Center
the curriculum. for students.

The art of good taste

16 Groovy Foods owner Uele Siebert sees her
products as a form of art from the heart.

Sunny future on
19 Time to rake up
a compost pile
22 toxic grounds

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Going Green is a special online publication of
The Commercial Appeal. We welcome your comments and suggestions. Follow
Going Green on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoGreenMemphis.
Editor: Kim Coleman, 529-5243, goinggreen@commercialappeal.com
Community Editor: Emily Adams Keplinger, keplinger@commercialappeal.com
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, October 10, 2010 | GOING GREEN 3

The Green Page

TVA’s plans suggest more nuclear, less coal
NASHVILLE — The
Tennessee Valley Authority’s
future is likely to include
more nuclear power
production and less reliance
on coal, according to a draft
of an assessment of the
utility’s options for the next
two decades.
The Integrated Resource
Plan released recently
suggests scenarios that
could mean idling more
coal-fired units and adding
nuclear units as early as
2018.
A handful of strategies
were considered, but the
report indicated that TVA
would be better positioned in
the future if the utility
diversified its power
production and added more
energy-efficient and demand
response programs.
The public can comment
on the plan through
November and then TVA will
submit the plan to the
Environmental Protection
Agency in March for a review
of the environmental impact.
The TVA board will approve
plans in April.
The nation’s largest
public utility supplies power
to nearly 9 million people in
Tennessee, Alabama,
Mississippi, Kentucky,
Georgia, North Carolina and
Virginia.
Online: tva.com/irp

GREEN PROGRAMS from the Native Americans to the Civil War. And
stick around to watch the sunset over Ole Man
Randolph Bluffs picnic River. No pets allowed due to an artillery
demonstration.
Join the Sierra Club For directions or additional information
and the Tennessee about the picnic, see the Sierra Club
Parks & Greenways Chickasaw Group Facebook page
Foundation for the (facebook.com/Chickasaw.Group), e-mail
Randolph Bluffs Fall hooverkw@yahoo.com or call 363-8299 or
Sunset Picnic today 276-1387. More information can be found at
from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., on 350.org/randolph-bluffs-sunset-picnic.
one of the last non-
privately owned bluffs,
along with the Memphis GREEN CELEBRATION
riverfront. The event
will be held on Ballard GreenUp Memphis
Slough Road near A hike to a nearby A new festival, GreenUp Memphis,
Needham Road, in rare, preserved celebrating things you can do to make Memphis
Randolph, Tenn. underground Civil both more eco-friendly and a more attractive
The outing is War powder place to live, will take place on Oct. 30 from 11
designed to allow the magazine will be a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Green at South Front
public an opportunity to conducted at the (adjacent to the Memphis Farmers Market,
explore, enjoy and help behind Central Station in Downtown).
protect this riverfront
Randolph Bluffs With live music, festival food, exhibits,
property as a site for a Fall Sunset Picnic. prizes and more, this is an event for folks who
future state park. Bring care about their hometown and want to make
a side dish or dessert to share for the picnic, and a difference.
enjoy scenic hikes and living history For more information, call 576-6000 or e-
demonstrations that span the area’s history mail greenup@memphistn.gov.
4 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 10, 2010
Work for the planet
Community projects highlight global warming issue
Today, communities across the globe
are gathering together for the 2010
Global Work Party — a
single-day event coordinated
by 350.org to highlight the
issue of global warming in
your city or community .
It encourages people to take part in a
project that will be beneficial to the
environment. Nearly 5,000 projects have
been organized in 174 countries.
Regionally, more than 20 events are
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being held as part of Global Work Party,
including neighborhood cleanups and
meet-the-farmer events in
Hot Springs; a green jobs
conference in Nashville; and
a sunset picnic at Randolph
Bluffs.
To pay homage to the day, Going
Green has organized a 10-10-10 list of
the 3 R’s (reduce, reuse and recycle) to
help you (or those around you) to
lighten your footprint on our planet.
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, October 10, 2010 | GOING GREEN 5

REUSE

New-to-you saves money and the Earth

Suzanne Thompson / Special to Going Green spend some time, but when
you get to the checkout
Let’s consider everything purchased brand-new in the counter you’ll see it was
past year. How much do you think you could have worth the effort.
comfortably bought used? Here’s a list of 10 items you can Another option is to
buy used, so you can potentially save hundreds of dollars purchase from
this year. Not only that — they often have enough usable consignment stores. The
life for you to pass them on, too. Think price and planet. prices there are a usually a
bit higher, but the clothing
is in pristine condition.
1. Vehicles: Everyone really great items in them. 3. Furniture: Lots of
knows as soon as you drive The Junior League operates people just get sick of their
off the lot in that brand-new a thrift store on Summer decor and decide they want
car, the value has just Avenue called the Repeat new furniture. Take
dropped. There are lots of Boutique — I’ve picked up advantage of their changing
used cars that can be designer pieces there still tastes to get a great bargain.
purchased for far less than bearing the original price From kitchen tables to
their newer counterparts, tag. sofas, buying used furniture
and some even have The Salvation Army is not only practical but also
extremely low mileage. recently opened a new eco-friendly.
For instance, new cars store on Whitten Road Used furniture is pay dirt
are put into service by local where clothing items are for those who are fond of
dealerships to ferry golf separated not only by shabby-chic decor. You can
pros around town during category but also arranged find listings for used
the St. Jude Golf Classic by color. Be prepared to furniture in the classified
golf tournament. After the
tournament is over, those Thrift stores
cars are sold, and even and
though they may be the consignment
latest model, they must be shops offer
sold as used. bargains in
Used cars also are used
available all over the clothing.
Internet, from eBay to
Craigslist.
2. Clothes: Thrift stores
are all the rage these days
and you can find some Jupiterimages
6 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 10, 2010
section of The Commercial Appeal or on
Freecycle.com or Craigslist.
4. Baby items:You can find some great
bargains by purchasing used car seats,
strollers, high chairs, changing tables and
even toys. You’ll want to disinfect them once
you bring them home, but unless you
are purchasing something from
someone who’s raised seven
kids, the stuff is usually in very
good condition. Blankets and
clothing are also good to buy
used. You can even get
backyard playsets at a steal.
There are several major consignment
sales in the area at different times of the
year — just Google children’s consignment
and Memphis.
5. Household appliances: Many people
replace washers and dryers that have
plenty of good life left in them. The latest
trend is a set that washes and dries a load
of clothes in 37 minutes. Take advantage of
super-busy folks who have a spare $4,000
to use saving time, and pick up their old
machines for a song. Used refrigerators can
also be found at great savings.
6. Electronics:Many people just can’t
resist the allure of a bigger screen or new
features, so when they upgrade they sell
their old sets, which are often in great shape.
Some stores will sell demo models
off the floor and that can snag
some savings too. Ever-
changing technology often
puts used computers on the
market for a bargain price. I
used a reconditioned laptop
for two years. Gaming systems
are usually a good bet to buy
used, because people often are upgrading
their systems and switching brands.
7. Games, CDs and DVDs:Let’s face it,
there are only so many times you can defeat a
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game before it’sno fun anymore. In addition
to purchasing these used items on the
Internet, stores like Game Stop not only sell
used games but will also accept them in trade
when making another purchase. If you enjoy
yard sales, you can often find them there.
There is real truth in the old adage “One
man’s trash is another man’s treasure,”and
that applies to music and movies, too.
8. Books: Many people, and I’m one of
them, don’t read a book more than once.
Reference books, of course, are a different
matter. Used bookstores usually have an
extensive title collection, so you can find a
cookbook or a crime novel. Most
of the used bookstores
accept books in trade, but
they won’t take books of
which they have ample
copies, or that are in
shabby condition.
9. Jewelry: You can
find some real bargains
by purchasing jewelry
used. As I write this, I am
wearing a pair of 14-carat
gold earrings I bought at a
pawn shop. I can hear the collective
gasping, but gold is gold. For those of you
who would never think of setting foot in a
pawn shop, estate sales are a great place to
find jewelry, and many antique stores carry
vintage jewelry that is quite stylish.
10. Sports equipment: The treadmill
that has been sitting in the corner of
someone’s room so long it’s grown cobwebs
is a prime purchase. Dust off those cobwebs
and you’re ready to go. Trendy workout
items, like the Doorway Gym and the Perfect
Push Ups, can usually be easily found.
Sometimes you can find these at thrift
stores, but you’re more likely to find these
on Craigslist, Freecycle.com or in the paper.
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, October 10, 2010 | GOING GREEN 7

RECYCLE

Paper, plastic ... and

lots of other stuff too rechargeable and single-
If you’re old enough to remember the Carter use batteries, PDAs and
administration, you’re old enough to have witnessed ink/toner cartridges: For
the birth of modern-day recycling in the USA. Today $30, GreenDisk will send
more than 80 percent of U.S. households have easy you a cardboard box in
access to locally based programs for recycling paper, which you can ship them
plastic, glass and aluminum. up to 70 pounds of any of
But recycling isn’t just about everyday household the above. Your fee covers
items any more. Nonprofit organizations and the box as well as shipping
specialized businesses are springing up everywhere to and recycling fees. Call
recycle almost everything imaginable. (800) 305-GREENDISK or
visit greendisk.com.
5. CDs/DVDs/Game
1. Wine corks: Yemm & Disks: Send scratched
Hart (yemmhart.com), music or computer CDs,
which produces recycled DVDs, and PlayStation or
building materials, turns Nintendo video game disks
used corks into floor and to AuralTech for
wall tiles. refinishing, and they’ll
2. Foam packaging: work like new: (888) 454-
Lightweight “peanuts” 3223 or auraltech.com.
made from expanded 6. Phone books: If your
polystyrene contain 25 to polystyrene used to
local recycling center
100 percent recycled cushion televisions, air
accepts phone books,
material. The Plastic conditioners and such,
drop them off there.
Loose Fill Council contact the Alliance of
Otherwise contact the
(loosefillpackaging.com) Foam Packaging Recyclers
closest Project
has a “Peanut Hotline” at (epspackaging.org).
ReDirectory center. Find
(800) 828-2214 which you 3. Potato chip bags
your local center with an
can call to find local and other foil packaging
Internet search or by
recycling centers, that often are used to
contacting the company
including chain-store wrap up junk food can be
issuing the directories.
shippers such as Pak Mail recycled at Terracycle.net.
7. CFLs: Many people
and The UPS Store. To 4. CDs, jewel cases,
already know that IKEA
recycle large, molded DVDs, audio and video
accepts your old compact
chunks of expanded tapes, pagers,
fluorescent light bulbs. So
8 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 10, 2010
do many hardware and home
improvement stores, though they
may charge if you’re not
replacing an old bulb with a new
one. LampRecycle.org lists
businesses and organizations
that will recycle these bulbs.
8. Carpets, rugs, padding:
There are places that will try to
recycle used carpets and rugs
rather than toss them into
landfill. To recycle
yours
(depending on
your area) try
checking with
the Carpet
America
Recovery Effort,
UGA Carpet Recycling Resource,
the California Integrated Waste
Management Board or any other
number of organizations geared
toward recycling.
9. Old medicine: Rather than
tossing it into the toilet (where it
can end up in the water supply)
or in the garbage, why not
recycle it? Some
states have
enacted drug
recycling
programs.
Check the National
Conference of State Legislatures
website for updated information.
10. Paper towels and
napkins: If you live in Canada
and don’t compost, Partners for a
Green Hill has a program just for
old napkins and paper towels.
— re-nest.com
commercialappeal.com
REDUCE
You’re never too
busy to think green
Even busy people can cut their eco-footprint
by using this quick guide.
1. Use cleaner transportation: Walk, bike
or take public transit whenever possible. On
average, your ecological footprint can be
reduced by as much as 20 percent if you don’t
own and drive a car.
Have your vehicle serviced regularly to keep
the emission control systems operating at
peak efficiency and check the car’s air filter
monthly. Keep the tires adequately inflated to
maximize gas mileage.
2. Eat local and cut down on food waste:
Growing your own fruit and vegetables takes
away the energy waste which goes into getting
food from the field to the plate — such as
transport, refrigeration and packaging.
If you just don’t have a green thumb (or the
time), then eating more local, organic, in-
season food from a farmers market or natural
food store can make a significant reduction.
Look for local, in-season foods that haven’t
traveled long distances to reach you.
3. Minimize air travel: Aviation has the
fastest growing carbon emissions of any
industry sector. Flying has an even greater
impact on climate change than was previously
thought — flying has two to four times the
impact of CO2 emissions on climate change
because it releases water vapor and nitrous
oxide at high altitude.
When thinking about the next vacation,
consider staying at home and checking out all
The Commercial Appeal
the local haunts you’re usually too busy
for on the weekends. Or consider a
leisurely train trip across the country.
4. Choose sustainable building
materials, furnishings and cleaning
products: Explore green design features
for your home — solar heating,
rainwater barrels or gray-water
recycling system, and recycled
materials. Look for furnishings
that are secondhand, recycled
or produced in a sustainable
manner.
Drought-tolerant or
native plants in your
garden and yard will help
reduce the amount of
water and pesticides
needed to maintain your
outdoor space.
Finally, when it’s cleaning
time use biodegradable, nontoxic
products.
5. Buy secondhand or
borrow: On average, 10
percent of our footprint is
made up of the things we
buy new. Houses are often
cluttered with items that get
used or worn only a few times.
6. Home energy efficiency:
This tip is one of the simplest to follow.
Improving your home’s insulation, which
can be quick and easy, will typically recoup
the cost in reduced energy bills within a few
years. When it’s time to replace appliances,
choose efficient models as well as installing
low-flow shower heads, faucets and toilets.
7. Adopt water-saving habits: Take
shorter, less frequent showers (saves
water and the energy used to heat it);
turn off garbage disposal and compost
instead; run the dishwasher and the
Sunday, October 10, 2010 | GOING GREEN 9
laundry machine only when full; wash
cars rarely, or better yet, take them to a
commercial car wash.
8. Easy behavioral changes: By
turning down your thermostat by just one
degree you could cut your heating bills by
10 percent; turning it down by four
degrees could save the
average home 5 percent of
its total ecological footprint.
Other easy changes
include:
Clean or replace dirty air-
conditioner filters as
recommended to keep the AC
operating at peak efficiency.
Unplug your
electronics when not in
use. To make it easier,
use a power strip.
Dry your clothes
outside whenever
possible.
Defrost your
refrigerator and freezer
regularly.
Choose green electricity.
Many utilities give you the option
to purchase electricity generated by
wind and solar power for a small rate
surcharge.
9. Vegetarian diet:
The ecological footprint of vegetarians
who eat a moderate amount of milk and
eggs could be 40 percent lower than their
counterparts who consume a low-meat
diet.
10. Recycle everything:
Avoid overpackaged products when
shopping. Donate unwanted items to
charity shops. Use your curbside
recycling collection and find out where
you can recycle items that are not
collected.
10 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 10, 2010 commercialappeal.com

Faith, science unite

Environmental
issues draw
attention

By Jim Coleman
Special to Going Green

Ever since the first

set of data was
collected for science,
there has been friction
with the religious
community. This
stalemate between
camps, one armed with
the certainty of facts,
the other with the
certainty of faith, has
been waged for
millennia. Stem cell
research, for example,
has been viewed by
some of faith as a way
to further codify
abortion not only as an
acceptable procedure
but one that is
beneficial, too.
This distrust has
only helped to create
ambivalence about Mark Weber/The Commercial Appeal files
environmental The Gather at the River conference was designed to
concerns. draw attention to Memphis’ largest geographic feature,
A good example is the Mississippi River, and raise awareness of
the most pressing environmental issues.
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, October 10, 2010 | GOING GREEN 11

issue facing humanity, according to a about the environmental issues we face.

consensus of the scientific community: “Houses of worship are great places
global warming. to effect change,” said Harper, who
In a decidedly Christian nation (78.4 also addressed the issues of economics
percent of Americans are self- and culture and the effect they have on
described Christians, according to bringing awareness to the
recent data compiled by the Pew environment.
Forum on Religion and Public Life), “I haven’t seen one environmental
belief that global warming is caused by issue — ever — where economic
human activity tops out at 48 percent issues didn’t fight it.”
among Protestants and only 34 But Harper also pointed out the
percent for Evangelicals. growing public awareness that
Although both groups appear to be at environmental issues are now
loggerheads, there is receiving.
dialogue between the “In the end the “If you look at all the
two about how to religious community marketing over the last
address environmental two to three years and
issues without breeding needs to hear from you would think that all
distrust. the scientific of our problems are
“In the end the solved with all of the
religious community community and to ‘green’ products
needs to hear from the learn from it. We available,” said Harper.
scientific community He likened this
and to learn from it. We need to heal the rift” awareness to the anti-
need to heal the rift” smoking campaigns of
between them, said Rev. between them. the 1990s, which
Fletcher Harper. rendered what was
REV. FLETCHER HARPER
Harper is executive once an acceptable
GreenFaith executive director
director of GreenFaith, habit into a bad one.
a New Jersey-based “Look at the change
organization whose mission is to heal in culture versus cigarettes, i.e.,
the divisions between the scientific secondhand smoke. When I was a
and religious communities. It has child we didn’t even know what
branches throughout the U.S., secondhand smoke was.”
including one in Memphis. Ultimately, Harper said, the only
GreenFaith is just one of many groups way to make drastic changes in
with this focus that gathered recently at people’s behavior to make our
Bridges in Downtown Memphis for the practices more sustainable is to make
Gather at the River conference. The it easy for them.
two-day event was designed to draw “If it is made easy for people to do
attention to Memphis’ largest the right thing, people will do the
geographic feature, the Mississippi right thing,” said Harper. “If you start
River, and to help mobilize easy, that gives you a sense of
communities of faith to build awareness momentum that change is possible.”
12 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 10, 2010
Kennedy Ross
(left), 7, and
Remy
Feathers, 8,
work with
Steve Ross in
the vegetable
garden at
Evergreen
Montessori.
Mike Maple
The Commercial
Appeal
How does your garden grow?
At local school, it’s with help from the kids
By Suzanne Thompson
Special to Going Green
Evergreen Montessori
School has a garden
planted with such variety
that it rivals one used by a
major local restaurant
group to grow produce
for their eateries.
For the past two years
the students have been
cultivating an extensive
garden and the harvest
goes into their lunches.
The school, which
opened in 1985, was
located in a building at
Evergreen Street and
Poplar Avenue until three
years ago, when it
relocated.
At the old facility there
was always a modest
garden, and students were
already learning about
composting and recycling.
In 2004, they used old
dresser drawers to create
raised beds where they
grew greens for making
“summer salads,” said
Angela Flowers, head of
school at Evergreen
Montessori.
Students who attended
the summer program at
the school participated
commercialappeal.com
initially.
The summer students
also raised chickens and
the eggs were used in
meals.
After the school moved
to its new location on
North Trezevant Street,
the garden project
mushroomed.
There’s more behind
growing the fruits and
vegetables than just
supplying food for lunches.
“Garden really is part of
the curriculum in
Montessori,” Flowers said.
“It starts from the very
youngest child learning to
be good stewards of the
earth and goes all the way
The Commercial Appeal
into the older elementary ages for biology
lessons, learning how plants survive in
the world and doing a little more
experimentation with botany.”
Hutchison School has a 2-acre farm,
but the reason for having it there is
purely educational, according to Steve
O’Dell, community relations coordinator.
“It’s basically a way for the lower
school and middle school to see how
things grow. They measure the pH
balance in the soil. It’s all incorporated
through science,” he said.
Vegetables raised in the garden are
either given to individuals or to various
local charities.
At Evergreen Montessori everything
that is raised in the garden is
incorporated into the lunches where
Stephen Hassinger, who has been a
professional chef for years, turns the
bounty into meals that have included
pasta with roasted red peppers, sundried
tomatoes, basil and parmesan cream
sauce, mushroom risotto and carrot
bisque as main dishes.
In addition to working as innkeeper
and general manager at the Inn at Hunt-
Phelan, every morning at 8:30 Hassinger
goes to the school. He leaves at noon
after the children have finished lunch.
He particularly enjoys letting the
students try new dishes.
“It’s really fun turning them on to new
things when I bring out something that
they’ve never had before and they say,
‘Mr. Steve, I don’t like rutabagas,’ or
whatever and then I cook it and they end
up really liking it,” he said.
Hassinger said he serves almost all
vegetarian lunches that include a main
course, a raw vegetable (usually a salad),
bread and fruit. “That’s five meals out of
hopefully 21 that they don’t necessarily
Sunday, October 10, 2010 | GOING GREEN 13
In the garden
Some of the items grown in the
Evergreen Montessori garden:
Eggplant Sweet potatoes
Several varieties of Eggplant
squash Watermelon
Several varieties of Cantaloupe
peppers Strawberries
Corn
Blueberries
Peas Blackberries
Beans An extensive mint
Tomatoes garden
Potatoes A herb garden
have meat,” he said.
While it may seem amazing a toddler
would eat mushroom risotto or carrot
bisque, serving the food to the children
as a group also helps them to be more
open to trying new foods.
“If you put out the food and 30 kids sit
down at the same time and eat it and some
of them really like it, then the others are a
lot more willing to try it,” Hassinger said.
Hassinger said growing the
ingredients for lunch has made a
difference in the children’s school day.
“The biggest change is the ‘wonder’
factor, and the personal involvement that
the kids have in creating the production
of the food,” he said.
Evergreen teaches students from age
14 months to 14 years old and has about
60 children enrolled.
The youngest children who tend the
garden are 3, according to Flowers.
“It’s important for the children to
understand where their food comes
from, and how to nourish their bodies
the correct way,” Flowers said.
14 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 10, 2010 commercialappeal.com

Blessing of the Ground

Photos by Cory Dugan/Special to The Commercial Appeal

Brother Rob Veselsky (right), CBU director of campus ministry, officiates at a
Blessing of the Ground ceremony for CBU’s new Living Learning Center. At
left is John Austin Tubbs, a freshman chemistry major from Bartlett.

CBU By Elisa C. Marus / Special to Going Green

constructs A Blessing of the Ground ceremony was held Oct. 1
green at the construction site of a “green” Living Learning
Living Center, adjacent to Pender Hall on the Christian
Brothers University campus. In partnership with
Learning Fleming/Associates/Architects, P.C., and Montgomery
lab for Martin Contractors, LLC, CBU will utilize the
construction of a a living/learning lab for its
students engineering students. As the project progresses, this
unique partnership will allow engineering students to
utilize the facility as their laboratory for class
enrichment activities, providing them firsthand
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, October 10, 2010 | GOING GREEN 15

experience with the

green aspects of
engineering.
This new
multipurpose center
will include premium
residence hall
accommodations,
public spaces
(Commons) on each Artist rendering of the new Living Learning
floor for both formal Center at CBU.
and informal
gatherings, fully
equipped serving charging stations, plantings.
kitchen, meeting recycled construction Among those who
room/classroom on the materials, occupancy participated in the
main floor, an exterior sensors, low-flow toilet ceremony were Shelby
patio accessible from fixtures and mechanical County Mayor Mark
the Main Commons, system sensors. In Luttrell and a
quiet study space, addition, the center will representative from
game and video areas, make use of energy- the office of Memphis
and laundry and efficient components Mayor A C Wharton.
recycling facilities on such as white roofing
each floor and water efficiency Elisa C. Marus is
measures including a executive director of
The center is being communications and
designed with “CBU 67-gallon rain barrel to marketing for Christian
Green” features that collect rain to use in Brothers University.
include electric car irrigation of nearby

Among those
participating in the
ceremony were Bobby
White (left), chief of
staff for the Memphis
mayor; Shelby County
Mayor Mark Luttrell;
CBU president John
Smarrelli; U.S. Rep.
Steve Cohen and CBU
board chairman Robert
McEniry.
16 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 10, 2010 commercialappeal.com

Tastin’ groovy
Siebert’s business
is about art as
well as eats

By Angela Knipple
Special to Going Green

WHEN UELE
SIEBERT started
Groovy Foods in
2002, she never
thought of it as being
strictly a business.
For her, it is as much
about art as it is
about food.
“When people think
of art, they think about
painting and sculpture
first, but people are
starting to have a
greater perception of
food as art. For me,
that’s what it is. It’s a
way of expressing
myself, of being able to Photos by Justin Shaw/Special to The Commercial Appeal
put my touch on Groovy Foods owner Uele Siebert sees her products
something, of tweaking as a form of art. “It’s a way of expressing myself, of
it somehow,” she says. being able to put my touch on something,” she says.
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, October 10, 2010 | GOING GREEN 17

Groovy Foods came about

as a way for Siebert to be her
own boss after a job loss. She
had previously offered a lunch
delivery service, but knew
that she needed something
that would be accessible to a
larger audience.
“I had to follow my heart.
These were things I was
doing for fun in my own
kitchen. I thought, ‘Well, if
this turns me on, maybe it will
turn someone else on, too.’ ”
Groovy Foods’ Civil Granola “is high in fiber, a Siebert was right. Her
cholesterol lowering product, and it’s high granola, infused honeys and
energy producing food,” says owner Uele vinegars, and herbal teas
Siebert. soothe the soul as much as
they nourish the body for her
as well as her customers.
Still, the business didn’t
MEET THE VENDOR grow enough to become her
What: Groovy Foods, 669 Philadelphia St., full-time career until two
Memphis, 38104 years ago. Getting her
Contact info: 335-2469, groovyfoods.org, products into markets other
e-mail: groovyfoods@yahoo.com than local farmers markets
Products available: Memphis Farmers Market took time. She had to build
(Saturdays), Otherlands, Java Cabana, Sean’s relationships with the
(Midtown and East), Maggie’s Pharm, Memphis community to keep
Freewheelin’ Franks, Trolley Stop Market, Muddy’s from being overlooked.
Bakeshop, Miss Cordelia’s, YoLo (Collierville and “In some ways that was
Memphis) hard for me. I’m not a

“I operate on lifelines instead of deadlines, and I get to

have the meditation time I need to stay groovy.”
UELE SIEBERT, Groovy Foods owner
18 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 10, 2010 commercialappeal.com

capitalist. I’m not Groovy Pie

driven by a need to
get out and make a
1
For the crust: or 1 cinnamon stick /2 cup honey,
2 cups granola 1
/2 tsp. whole cloves flavored if desired
whole bunch of (about 11 oz.) 1
/4 tsp. ground nutmeg 1 cup heavy whipping
money. So it started 2 tbsp. brown sugar 2 Granny Smith
cream
by people seeing me 1
/2 cup unsalted apples, peeled, cored
1
/2 tsp. vanilla extract
or 1/4 tsp. vanilla paste
at unexpected butter, melted and sliced thin
Garnish if desired:
For the apples: For the filling:
venues like art 3 cups apple cider or 1 packet unflavored ¼ cup granola
openings and apple juice gelatin 2 tbsp. honey or 1/4
festivals. Through 1
/2 tsp. ground 2 cups plain Greek or cup reserved
poaching liquid
that work, that cinnamon strained plain yogurt
accessibility and To prepare the crust: Break up granola. In a medium bowl,
contact, people combine granola and brown sugar with melted butter. Press
were able to get to mixture into a pie tin and refrigerate until set, about 30
know me. They got minutes.
to have a more
organic To prepare the apples: Bring apple cider, cinnamon and
understanding of cloves to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Add the apple
my work,” she says. slices, reduce heat to medium-low and cover pan. Simmer for
Today, Groovy 10 minutes or until tender. Transfer to a covered dish and
Foods is giving the refrigerate for 1 hour or until chilled. Bring remaining
artist in Siebert the poaching liquid to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow liquid
time she needs to to boil, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until liquid has reduced
fuel her art as well as by 2/3 to make 1 cup. Transfer to a covered bowl and
the family time that refrigerate for 30 minutes. The liquid will thicken as it cools.
keeps her inspired. To prepare the filling: Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup of
“As an artist, I water in a small heat-proof bowl or double boiler. Allow gelatin
have to be able to to soften for 2 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk together
go back inside yogurt and honey until smooth.Bring 2 to 3 inches of water to
myself to retreat, a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Set in
recharge and find double boiler or set the bowl of gelatin over the pan, making
inspiration. I sure that it does not touch the bottom. Allow gelatin mixture
operate on lifelines to heat, whisking constantly, dissolved, about 1 minute.
instead of Remove gelatin from heat and whisk into yogurt mixture. In a
deadlines, and I get large bowl, whip heavy cream and vanilla until stiff peaks
to have the form. Gently fold yogurt mixture into whipped cream.
meditation time I To assemble the pie: Place chilled apples into prepared
need to stay crust in an even layer. Drizzle over 1/4 cup of the reduced
groovy.” poaching liquid. Spoon yogurt filling over apples and smooth
the top. Cover and refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours.
To serve, garnish with granola and a drizzle of honey or
reduced poaching liquid.
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, October 10, 2010 | GOING GREEN 19

Start simple
to build
compost pile
By Dawn Hinshaw
McClatchy Newspapers

Joan Taylor had a low

spot in her yard and
started raking leaves into
it. Before she knew it, she
had started composting.
Taylor recently
attended a session on
compost at the local
library, looking to learn
more about the rich
brown humus that
seemed to make her red
and yellow purslane even
more brilliant this year.
“I just want to do my
part to help out the
Earth,” said Taylor, 52.
Workshop leader Ryan
George Doyle
Nevius said that seems to
be a common thread: The
people who have turned
her composting classes
into standing-room-only
events want to connect
with nature and make a

GREEN SUMMIT
The Memphis Urban Garden Program,
along with the Sunshine Crew Garden
Club, St. Luke United Methodist Church
(HARC), and 7th Harvest Farms, will host
a Green Space Summit II on Thursday
from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Luke’s
Fellowship Hall, 480 S. Highland.
The session will offer information
about utilizing green space in Shelby
County with an added nutritional value.
Topics will include backyard and
community gardening soil preparation,
Shelby County’s available land use,
nutrition, hoop houses and year-round
growing, and social economics.
Speakers will include Dr. Jac Varco
of Mississippi State University, Dr.
Barry Colley of Forrest City, Ark.,
Robson Zimuto of Zimbabwe and
Donna Downen of the UT Extension
Service. Information will also be
available about scholarships in
agriculture and consumer science.
The public is invited. Registration is
available at surveymonkey.com
/s/LKVMCTC or by e-mail to
greenspacesummitII@gmail.com.
You can also register by calling Rose
Gales of the Sunshine Crew garden
group at (901) 745-5240.
20 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 10, 2010
difference.
“There’s so much buzz about
sustainability and folks trying to go
green, and this is something tangible,”
she said. “They know fall is coming on,
and they can use their leaves.”
Nevius said using compost makes
plants healthier and helps the ground
retain moisture, which saves on water
bills.
The South Carolina county where
Nevius lives wants to encourage people
to manage their yard waste, too,
because dumping it in the landfill is
expensive. She said 63 percent of
household trash — including fruit and
vegetable trimmings, yard waste and
paper products — can be composted.
“We’ve got to do better,” she said. “We
can do better.”
Taylor said she and her neighbor
have started doing yard work together.
He saves his coffee grounds so she can
put them in her compost pile.
But the two are the only ones on
their street who put out their recycling
bins each week, she said. “It’s kind of
sad that the service is there, and
people don’t use it.”
Maxie Benjamin, 66, said he has a
little compost pile in his yard but
learned recently that he wasn’t mixing
in all the right materials.
Nevius threw out words like
microbes and humus, and warned
participants they might get “hooked”
on the intricacies of making good
compost. But there’s really no need to
stress out about the temperature, the
moisture, the layers of green and
brown materials.
“You can just throw it on a pile and
let it be,” she said, “and, trust me, it
will rot.”
commercialappeal.com
Drink pouches:
50 million and counting
Of all the reusable bags I’ve amassed over
the years — and not a duplicate among them
— the one that seems to be the favorite of
grocery store baggers is the TerraCycle sack
made from Capri Sun drink pouches.
It’s my favorite, too. It’s incredibly sturdy,
ooze-proof and pretty snappy-looking to boot.
Apparently, I have schools throughout
Philadelphia and well beyond to thank.
TerraCycle and Capri Sun recently announced
that their Drink Pouch Brigade — schools and
organizations that participate in a free
fundraiser that
pays 2 cents for
every drink
pouch collected
— has broken the
50 million mark.
That means $1
million has been
returned to the groups, just for stuff that
would otherwise be garbage.
TerraCycle, based in Trenton, N.J., and the
brainchild of Tom Szaky, “upcycles” the
pouches into various products, including
totes, cosmetic/pencil cases and more. In
Philadelphia, the company reports, there are
more than 70 Drink Pouch Brigades.
“Our goal is for people to look at waste in a
whole new way, and through its sponsorship
of the Pouch Brigade program, Capri Sun has
helped us to expand the numbers of those
who are doing so,” said Szaky in a prepared
statement.
When I wrote an article about the
company in 2009, delivery trucks were
arriving every day with drink pouches, yogurt
containers for a similar program and more. A
warehouse was full of still more products —
in some cases, entire rolls of misprinted or
out-of-date labels.
Szaky and Co. could hardly keep up with
the task of thinking up products to make
with them, but clearly they’re still at it.
— Sandy Bauers, The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, October 10, 2010 | GOING GREEN 21

Plumber: ‘Eco’ bathrooms a natural choice

By Ed Del Grande
HGTVPro.com

Q: I’m a contractor.
Recently I started
working with a designer
on a project, and she is
very excited about us
offering the homeowner
the option of an “eco,”
instead of a conventional,
bathroom. I’m new to all
this eco thinking for
bathrooms and would
like your views. Can you SHNS file photo courtesy DIY Network
explain in plain English
some basic components Cast-iron tubs and sinks are back in style since they
used in eco bathrooms? are made from about 90 percent recycled materials.
A: Simply put, an eco
bathroom should Vanities and high demand. However,
incorporate as much countertops: Natural environmentally friendly
natural and recycled stone is a great choice for and energy-efficient,
material as possible, and vanity tops, along with lightweight concrete
efficient plumbing, man-made countertops flooring can be a good
lighting, heating and that use recycled choice for bathrooms
cooling equipment. But it materials. For vanities, with radiant-floor
doesn’t stop there; the natural moisture-resistant heating.
materials used for the products like teak are Plumbing fixtures:
project should also be becoming a popular Cast-iron tubs and sinks
ordered from factories choice. are back in style since
and manufacturers that Wall tiles: Natural- they are made from about
have kept environmental stone tiles and recycled- 90 percent recycled
concerns in mind when glass tiles work well. Also, materials. High-efficiency
making the products. fired-clay tiles that toilets and shower heads
That’s the short version. incorporate recycled are flying off the shelves,
For a more detailed material and lead-free since new flushing
breakdown, here are a glazes are commonly systems and pressure-
few ideas and tips that used. delivery designs allow for
can be used to create an Flooring: Once again, top performance while
eco bathroom: natural-stone tiles are in using less water.
22 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 10, 2010
Lighting fixtures:
Wide choices in
decorative fixtures
that use less energy
than standard
lighting fixtures have
made it easy to
conserve electricity in
the bathroom. Also,
installing skylights
and making the best
use of natural
sunlight is considered
very eco-friendly.
Eco-packing for
bathroom materials:
Using companies that
ship products from
the factory with
recycled and/or
recyclable materials
in the packing, makes
trash disposal easier
on the local
community.
These are just a
few ideas designed to
get your mind going
in the right direction
when it comes to
creating eco
bathrooms.
Master
contractor/plumber Ed
Del Grande is author of
“Ed Del Grande’s House
Call” and hosts TV
shows on Scripps
Networks and
HGTVPro.com.
For more information,
visit eddelgrande.com or
write eddelgrande@
hgtvpro.com.
Sunny days ahead for
New Jersey solar project
Site was once a
toxic waste dump
By Kevin Riordan
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Atop a sealed mound of
industrial waste on a
historically toxic swath of
Gloucester County, N.J.,
Bill Geary sees a sunny
future.
His company awaits
delivery of about 6,500
solar panels for the
former Rollins
Environmental facility,
where six people died
and at least 30 were
injured after a massive
explosion on Dec. 8,
1977.
This notoriously
wounded place looks far
from hellacious; in fact,
it’s sort of scenic. Geary
and I climb the slope of
the defunct landfill that
rises above the marshy
grass in the heart of the
site.
With maps and
renderings, Geary
indicates where “an
array” of 6-by-3-foot solar
panels will be connected
commercialappeal.com
“like Legos.” Covering six
of 90 acres of the
landfill’s grassy surface, it
will generate 1.5
megawatts of electricity,
potentially enough for
1,100 homes.
“This is our very first
solar array, and we’d like
to have it energized by
the end of January at the
latest,” says Geary, an
affable Bostonian who’s
president of Clean
Harbors Environmental
Services.
Founded in 1980, the
Massachusetts-based firm
is among the largest
hazardous-waste cleanup
companies in the
Northern Hemisphere
(it’s been working on the
Gulf of Mexico oil spill).
Clean Harbors obtained
the 480-acre Logan
Township property in
2002, and maintains
crews and equipment
there for response to
regional environmental
emergencies.
In the unregulated era
before the 1970s,
industrial waste of all
sorts was transported to,
and stored and
The Commercial Appeal
incinerated at, Rollins. The facility
operated in stunning proximity to
the Raccoon Creek, the Delaware
River, and farms and homes. It
closed in 2001 after its owner at the
time, a company called Safety-Kleen,
went bankrupt.
Although the landfill was sealed
before 2002, Clean Harbors has
since spent $7.7 million to remediate
other environmental damage on the
property. The new $7.2 million solar
panels will offset the use of
commercial power on the site.
“The remediation itself will be
powered by renewable energy,”
Geary says.
Noting that the New Jersey
township has installed solar panels
on the municipal building, Logan
Mayor Frank Minor is enthusiastic.
“It’s wonderful,” says the mayor,
who hopes the project will generate
jobs as well as electricity.
Surplus power could well be an
incentive for adjacent development,
Sunday, October 10, 2010 | GOING GREEN 23
Robert
Bucknam
Jr. (left)
and Bill
Geary look
over the
Clean
Harbors
site while
holding the
plans.
Charles Fox
Geary says. “We can also sell it
back” to the utility grid, he adds.
“Turning brown into green,”
agrees Robert W. Bucknam Jr., the
Haddonfield, N.J., lawyer who
helped Clean Harbors obtain the
approvals required for the project.
The chair of the land use and
environmental permitting group at
Archer & Greiner, Bucknam praises
the state’s innovative and aggressive
incentives for solar development.
No wonder private firms are
rushing to install solar panels atop
the vast warehouses along the
turnpike; closed landfills are likewise
attractive. Arrays are already in
place on two former landfills, and 15
more are in development elsewhere
in the state.
“We looked at 20 other locations
in other states, but we decided on
this one because of New Jersey’s
incentives,” says Geary, citing in
particular the state’s Solar
Renewable Energy Certificates.