Going Green Memphis 02-27-11

2 GOING GREEN | March 2011 commercialappeal.
com/goinggreen
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(milk?)
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Appeal, simply follow the one-time
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obtain access.
Upon registration, home delivery For about a year now, the topic
subscribers to The Commercial of this magazine has become a big
Appeal receive access to the digital part of my life — at work and at
product at no additional cost. home. And as the art of ‘going
green’ moves into the mainstream,
Raise your profile one thing doesn’t seem to change.
Elevate your company’s profile There’s always an issue to
within the Green Community. Send debate. Climate change.
us a short article or a project outline Renewable energy. Organics.
for consideration in Going Green, An escalating point of
explaining what you are doing to
“green up” your lifestyle? Include contention in the local food
your preferred contact phone movement is the issue of raw milk
number. — non-pasteurized, non-
homogenized milk.
Send in your e-mail The raw milk debate has been
address going on since pasteurization was
We’ll share information and instituted in the 1920s to combat
resources to help readers of Going tuberculosis and other diseases.
Green swap money-saving tips and Raw-milk advocates view it as
information related to “green” issues ‘nature’s perfect food.’
and events. Send to Pasteurization, they say, destroys
keplinger@commercialappeal.com. beneficial micro-organisms.
You can also follow Going Green “They burn the good with the
on Facebook and at
twitter.com/GoGreenMemphis . bad,” said Walter Haybert, who is
owner of Evergreen Farm in
Middleton.
Editor: Kim Coleman, 529-5243,
But opponents argue that the
goinggreen@commercialappeal.com
benefits don’t justify the risk
Community Editor: Emily Adams involved.
Keplinger, As with so many of these
keplinger@commercialappeal.com issues, you have to decide.
The Commercial Appeal March 2011 | GOING GREEN 3
What’s in this issue ...

LOCAL NEWS
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
BUSINESS TRANSPORTATION HOME
Melissa Bridgman’s Terry McAuliffe, CEO Couple’s classic

pottery business of Greentech décor evokes
inspired by simplicity, Automotive, believes memories, makes
natural world with a renewable energy autos unique personal
vintage flair. PAGE 34 are the future. PAGE 40 statement. PAGE 52
On the cover: Artwork by Jorge Arrieta

4 GOING GREEN | March 2011 commercialappeal.com/goinggreen
Micro Greens...
The art of UPCYCLING

Private First Class Rupert Valero is currently stationed in Khandahar,
Afghanistan and has connected with the locals — through toys. These are
not just any homemade toys, however. Valero uses recycled materials
such as water bottle caps and plastic forks to make robot-like action
figures during his downtime. Each toy is distinctly different, imaginative
and whimsy in it's own special way. A handful of these unique toys are
being sold for $15 and $20 at Valero's Etsy store and more pictures of his
work can be found on Flickr at rupert_valero.
- Courtsey of treehugger.com
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.
Green Snap...
Setting the course

Volunteers are needed to help draft maps that detail
city routes that are best for walking and cycling. With
the help of bicycle enthusiasts, Walk Bike Memphis
hopes to get constructive feedback on which streets
have signs that need to be replaced or which
stretches of road are too narrow for bicycling, for
example. Descriptive information from bikers and
walkers in the know can be directed via email to Tina
Sullivan at tinapsullivan@gmail.com.
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.
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
Events Nature walk

Preservation Series March 20 at the
Memphis Botanic
March 7 at 2282 Madison in Midtown. March 7- Garden. 1 p.m.
April 2. Five-part series.
The Memphis
Memphis Heritage will host its annual Botanic Garden will
Preservation Series beginning March 7. The series host a “Signs of Spring
will explore Mid-Century Modernism in Memphis Walk”. Participants
architecture from the twentieth century. These should meet at the
structures are disappearing from the built MBG Visitor’s Center
environment as most have not been designated for a tour of the
eligible for the National Register. grounds of the Botanic
The series will be led by renowned members of Garden with Master
The American Institute of Architects, as well as Gardener Judith
noted modernist professionals, and concludes April Hammond. The
2 with a guided tour of Memphis College of Art. program is free with
Tickets for the five-part series are $50 for garden admission. No
members and $60 for non-members, available registration necessary.
online at memphisheritage.org. Individual session For more information,
tickets will not be available for purchase. call 636-4128.
Questions? Call 272-2727.
Programs JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Green grants
The EPA Community Action for a
Renewed Environment (CARE) grant
We asked...
period is now open and EPA is
accepting applications until March 22. What are some clean ways you
EPA is making approximately $2 deal with mold in your house?
million available in 2011 to reduce
pollution at the local level through the How do you get rid of it without
CARE program. using harsh chemicals or bleach?
To learn more about these grants,
visit epa.gov/care/ On the right-hand
side of the web page, a click on ‘learn
more’ to go to the RFP and upcoming
You said...
informational webcasts.
Jana Gilbertson: I’ve used the all-
Conservation TV show purpose standby, vinegar. I’m no
The “Nature of Conservation” is expert, but in my experience, if you
presented by Sierra Club Chickasaw wipe all the mold off with a damp
Group as a Cable TV Show on WYPL- cloth, spray the area with vinegar
TV 18 (Comcast). Days and times vary and scrub it really well, then dry the
— see whole area out with fans,
memphislibrary.org/tlc18/schedule/ dehumidifiers, etc...that should get
(or the Comcast on-screen guide) for rid of everything you see. Figure out
the latest schedule. Topic changes
every month. Got an idea for a future how to keep the moisture out and
program? Contact Judith Rutschman mold shouldn’t return. Again, this is
at jcrutschman@gmail.com or call just what’s worked for me.
767-5916.
Carol Ripa Roy: Half and half of
Spring hours hydrogen peroxide and white vinager
The trails at the Strawberry Plains in spray bottle. ?
Audubon Center reopened for the
season on March 1. The center had Melissa McGuire Bridgman:
been closed during the winter to
manage their deer population, Straight hydrogen peroxide in a non-
keeping the herd and ecosystem see-through spray bottle.
healthy.
For more information, call (662) Cathleen Zinkus: I highly
252-1155 or visit recommend the “Shark” hand held
strawberryplains.audubon.org steamer for dealing with mold in the
Going Green Memphis is now on bathroom. It has about 15 different
Facebook. Simply “LIKE” the page to attachments. It also works well for
receive regular news briefs and general cleaning and is a must for
updates about green events and wallpaper removal.
programs taking place in and around
the Greater Memphis area.
Beware of toxic mercury inside

home's compact fluorescent bulbs
IN MY LAST COLUMN, I talked about 3. Sweep up the shards (no vacuum)
the benefits of compact fluorescent light 4. Wipe the floor with a damp
bulbs over incandescent and how to disposable towel.
avoid some of their problems. But, I held 5. Put all of that in a plastic bag.
out one so I could dedicate a whole
column to it: Mercury. Environmental exposure
Mercury is a toxic
element, and is currently First, it’s important to know that coal-
an unavoidable part of burning energy plants put off mercury,
CFLs. Each CFL too. And that over the life of an
contains about 5 mg of incandescent bulb, the coal-fired power
mercury, equivalent to plant will put off about 13.3 mg of
the tip of a ballpoint pen. mercury, compared with 3.3 mg for the
For comparison, those CFL.
DEANNA old mercury A larger problem is spent bulbs tossed
CASWELL thermometers we all into the trash. Once in the landfill, the
used as kids had 0.5 to 3 bulbs will almost surely break. And we
Practically don’t want mercury in the soil and
Green grams of mercury in
them. And like the ground water. In fact, a new Tennessee
thermometers, the law (Public Chapter 840) was passed
mercury in CFLs is released only if the last year that prevents businesses
glass is broken. Broken bulbs release employing more than 10 people or
mercury vapor and a mercury- occupying buildings more than 3,000
containing phosphor powder. square feet from tossing their CFLs in
the trash. Many states have laws that
Home exposure don’t allow homeowners to do it, either.
If you break a bulb, don’t freak out. Proper CFL disposal
According to energystar.gov, the biggest
danger of breaking a CFL in your home Any Home Depot, Lowes, Ace
is getting cut on the glass. Now, if you Hardware and IKEA store will recycle
break 65 bulbs at once — leave the them for you.
house. But one bulb: Energy Star bulbs have a two-year
1. Open a window, if possible warranty, if one of those goes out early,
2. Leave the room for a few minutes to you can take it back to the retailer.
let the vapor dissipate. The Shelby County Hazardous Waste
Lowe’s (left) and Home Depot have

CFL recycling programs that are
available at area stores. Simply take
your CFL to the store, and drop it into
their recycle-disposal bin – free of
charge. The stores ensure the
Facility (6305 Haley Road) will also compact fluorescent bulb is properly
properly dispose of your used CFLs. disposed of, so the mercury in the the
If none of these facilities are an option bulb does not harm our environment.
for you, there are mail-back programs
available like lamprecycling.com. I’ve It may soon be illegal to throw them in
also seen some recommendations to the landfill. Get used to hauling them to
place your bulbs in a crush-proof the home improvement stores. Before
container before tossing in the bin. But writing this article I had no idea I was
if these options are not available, just doing it wrong. Dang, now I need
make sure your sanitation folks don’t use ANOTHER box in the garage.
an incinerator. That is bad news for Deanna Caswell is a local writer who blogs
mercury. at littlehouseinthesuburbs.com. Her first book,
So, overall, even if you have to toss “First Ballet, “ was released this year by
them in the trash, the total mercury Hyperion. Caswell and her husband, Jeff, live
in Collierville. She practices eco-friendly
exposure to the environment is less than living while raising their three children, along
incandescent bulbs. But let’s not be lazy. with pygmy goats and chickens.
Regional sourcing is as close

as you can get for oranges
By Melissa Petersen sweet oranges — Valencia and navel are
Special to The Commercial Appeal the most common varieties. However,
bitter oranges, such as Seville, are used
You don’t see many orange trees here to flavor maramalade as well as Curaçao
in Memphis. There are a few protected and Grand Marnier liqueurs, and the
in courtyards. Dwarf varieties can be essential oil from the Bergamot orange
grown in pots and moved indoors for the is what gives Earl Grey tea its distinctive
winter, but you’ll need to look further flavor.
south to find orange The fruit ripens on the tree and is
groves. characterized by its tight rind (the
While we frequently orange-colored skin, also called zest);
tout the benefits of local the thick white, bitter pith; and
food, when it comes to segmented fruit. Select fruits that feel
certain varieties of heavy for their size, store in the
produce, sourcing refrigerator, and wash the skins well
regionally is the way to before using the zest (commercial
MELISSA go. sources wax the rind).
PETERSEN An orange from A medium orange yields
Florida packs on fewer 2 to 3 tablespoons of zest, which is
Eating Local,
Eating Green miles than one trucked loaded with orange flavor, so don’t let it
in from California. go to waste. Zest can be removed from
Choosing to spend your food dollars on an orange using a special tool, such as a
locally grown doesn’t mean you microplane zester, but a fine-hole grater
shouldn’t treat yourself to regional or vegetable peeler works just fine, too.
specialties. Oranges and other citrus are Chop the zest finely before adding to
a bit of sunshine in winter, and we all dressings, marinades, sauces, or baked
deserve that. goods, or freeze for future use.
The orange is thought to have Sweet oranges are at their peak from
originated in southwest China and December through April, giving us a
northwest India. As oranges grow best great fruit option for those who like to
in tropical and subtropical eat seasonally.
environments, commercial cultivation is Use fresh orange juice as a substitute
now concentrated in the Americas. for lemon juice in dressings and
We are all probably most familiar with marinades. Add orange segments to
Three Kings Salad

2 large beets, cooked, peeled, chilled and sliced (can
substitute canned beets)
2–3 oranges, peeled and cut into segments
½ red onion, sliced thin
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. stone ground or Dijon mustard
1
/8 cup champagne or rice wine vinegar
1
/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
In a medium bowl, whisk together
honey, mustard and vinegar. Slowly whisk
in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Skip lettuce, unless you want to make the
plate look pretty, and gently toss beets,
oranges and onion. Drizzle with vinaigrette.
Serve immediately.
Candied Orange Peel
2 cups water, divided
½ cup granulated sugar
2-3 oranges, washed
Additional granulated sugar
Ron Chapple Use a vegetable peeler to remove peel
Oranges from Florida bring from oranges. Cut the peel into 1/8-inch
a little taste of sunshine during thick strips. In a small saucepan, bring 1
wintertime, so treat yourself. cup of water to a boil. Blanch orange peel
in the boiling water for 1 minute. Drain.
In a small saucepan, combine sugar and
lettuce or grain salads. Use the 1 cup of water. Over medium-high heat,
zest in baked goods. A fresh stir liquid until sugar is dissolved. Bring
squeeze of orange juice is a nice liquid to a simmer and add blanched
twist for fish, vegetables, beef, orange peel. Simmer until peel is
chicken and pork. Candy the peel translucent, about 30 minutes. Drain and
to use as garnish on baked goods cool. Toss, peel in granulated sugar until
and salads. coated. Store peel uncovered with a little
Melissa Petersen is the editor of
extra sugar in a container. Use candied
Edible Memphis, a magazine that peel in cookies, to garnish cakes or
celebrates the abundance of local food, cupcakes, or event atop salads.
season by season. It is available at Note: You can candy almost any citrus
various locations around town. Contact peel (lemon, lime and grapefruit are also
her at ediblememphis.com . Her column
will run every other week in Going delicious), but be warned that homemade
Green. candied peel is addictive.
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
STORY BY JIM COLEMAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL MCMULLAN
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
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’
which stresses the benefits of unpasteurized milk.

“Raw milk is easier to digest than pasteurized milk herd shares &
so you absorb all the nutrients in the milk. The pet quality
enzymes actually strengthen the intestinal wall and What does ‘pet
strengthen the immune system to protect against quality’ mean and how
things like asthma and allergies. With pasteurization all does it apply to milk?
the enzymes are destroyed.” In Tennessee, it is
“They burn the good with the bad,” Haybert agreed. illegal to drink raw
“You have — prior to pasteurization — good and milk. You may, legally,
bad bacteria in milk. All that nutrition is no longer purchase
there after commercial pasteurization,” he said. unpasteurized milk as
pet food. Farms have
Haybert also points out that his milk has no hormones to buy a license to sell
or antibiotics present, unlike most pasteurized milk animal feed, then put a
obtained from large-scale dairies. label on the milk that
Proponents point out that living conditions for the says ‘Pet Quality —
cows on raw milk dairies are often healthier. Not for human
“Their herds are kept in free-stall barns — huge consumption’.
facilities — and the cow lives, eats, goes to the While the law
bathroom and sleeps in the same stall. The only time recognizes and allows
they walk them is to the milking parlors. They milk fresh milk to be sold
as “Pet Quality”, the
several hundred in a couple of hours,” Haybert said. butter, kefir, cream,
“We clean them up before we milk them and then we half & half, buttermilk
and any cheeses
offered do require
that you buy a herd
share.
In May of 2009 the
Tennessee legislature
changed the law by
adding the word
“partial” so the law
now reads “an owner
or partial owner of a
hoofed animal may
legally consume the
products from that
animal“. So now you
can buy a share of a
herd and legally put
fresh cream in your
Justin Shaw/The Commercial Appeal files coffee.
Walt & Jan Haybert of Evergreen Farm take part in Source:
the herd share program for raw milk: unpasterized, utterlyfresh.com
unhomoginized milk.
take them back out (to pasture). Our process is a

little more personalized in regards to the cow.”
While Haybert, Morrell, and employees of
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.”
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.
Mike Maple/The Commercial Appeal

Walt Haybert and his wife, Jan, own Evergreen Farm in Middleton and provide
raw milk to the Memphis market. Waltdelivers to the Cooper-Young winter
farmers market every Saturday.
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
contaminated milk outbreaks are

generally due to exposure to fecal
born bacteria like Listeria and Return of the
salmonella. milkman
From there the milk goes directly Evergreen Farm has a milk
to a refrigerated holding tank where route every Wednesday that
it is immediately cooled. begins in Bolivar at 8 a.m.
“It comes out of the cow at about and ends in East Memphis
90 degrees. This refrigerator cools six hours later.
the milk to 37,” said Haybert. Haybert drives his green
Cooling the milk immediately helps it trunk through Somerville and
remain fresh. Hickory Withe before hitting
local stops at the Harley
From there the milk either goes to Davidson stores on Whitten
a raw milk holding tank off the Road (9:45 a.m.) and Byhalia
bottling room or to a room where the Road (11:30 a.m.), Memphis
milk is pasteurized, which Evergreen OB-GYN in front of St.
also sells. Francis (10:05 a.m.), Panera
“We slow pasteurize the milk at a Bread in Cordova (10:30
temperature of 150 degrees. We end a.m.), Las Tortugas in
up pasteurizing it for a longer period Germantown (10:15 a.m.),
Whole Foods Market (1 p.m.),
of time.” This type of pasteurization and Memphis Botanic
kills the illness-causing bacteria but Gardens (1:30 p.m.). Check
keeps most of the nutrients and the dairy’s website for a
enzymes ‘alive’ in the milk. more detailed listing of the
In a weeks time Haybert says his route.
little dairy manages about 200 to 250 Each stop is a short one —
bottles. about 10 to 20 minutes. Walt
“From there they go to the markets usually carries raw milk
(whole or skim), butter,
downtown and to the botanic center,” cream, half and half, and
said Haybert, whose milk is also eggs. It’s a good idea to
available at the Trolley Stop and the message ahead of delivery
Tsunami Winter Market in Midtown. so the truck is stocked with
Recently, the Hayberts have put a your order.
new spin on old-time milk delivery. You can also find
On Wednesdays the family truck Evergreen’s dairy products in
delivers to several locations in the town at Trolley Stop Market
at 704 Madison open 7 days
area. a week and and Tsunami
“We would like to get a herd of 30 Winter Market at 928 S
to 40 milking on a daily basis if we Cooper on Saturdays from 10
can distribute to groceries and a.m. to 1 p.m.
restaurants on a daily basis,” Haybert
said, with an eye on the future.
LOCAL NEWS
Recycling to the rescue

Reusing donated items help groups care for homeless pets
Save1pet.org co- By Suzanne Thompson

founder Denise Novak Special to Going Green
(center) speaks with
Ken Robinson during a Animal rescue groups turn rags to riches by reusing
pet adoption and donated items to help care for homeless pets.
recycled material They use recyclable items ranging from cans to baby
drive in front of bottles and old towels to keep their operations running.
PetSmart on In 2008, the Humane Society of Memphis and Shel-
Winchester Road. by County started a can recycling program and has
Brandon Dill/Special to taken in tons of cans — with the proceeds used to
The Commercial Appeal purchase food.
“We try to make it real to people Donation drop-off locations

because 33 cans will feed a medium-size
dog for four days,” said Kerry Sneed, FRIENDS OF THE MEMPHIS
ANIMAL SHELTER
adoption counselor.
When the trailer that sits out in front Hollywood Feed: 4864 Poplar and Erin
of the Humane Society facility on Farm in East Memphis
Road becomes full, it is taken to an 1001 N. Germantown Pkwy. in
aluminum recycling center. Cordova
A trailer full of cans usually provides 7685 Farmington Blvd. in
about $700, depending on the price of Germantown
aluminum.
Pittman Glass Co.: 3742 Summer Ave.
During the first year the Humane So-
ciety began its can recycling program, it Kohn Painting & Decorating: 6699
collected 30,000 pounds of cans. Fletcher Creek Cove, Suite 102
In 2009 and 2010, 45,000 pounds of MEMPHIS ANIMAL SHELTER
aluminum were recycled through the Behind volunteer desk
program, which continues to grow.
The Humane Society also accepts
newspapers, which are used to line the
animals’ cages.
And if an individual loses a pet, the fered to provide food for the dog.
society will gladly accept donations of “I can handle the food, but I can’t
unused medication, food, heartworm afford heartworm preventative and vac-
preventative and other items. cinations,” the woman told her.
Denise Novak, founder of Save1Pet, a Novak was able to provide the woman
grass-roots rescue operation in Olive with six months’ worth of heartworm
Branch, said she is always grateful for medication that was donated by an own-
such donations. er whose pet had died, so the woman’s
“That’s another way of recycling and dog could stay in her home.
not letting those things go to waste.” “It was so rewarding to me even
Just before Christmas, Novak said she though it’s just one dog. I was thrilled,”
learned of a woman who was about to she said.
surrender her dog. Save1Pet, like most rescue opera-
She approached the woman and of- tions, is always in need of bedding and
“It was so rewarding to me even though it’s just one dog.

I was thrilled.”
DENISE NOVAK, FOUNDER OF SAVE1PET, ABOUT HELPING A PET OWNER WITH DONATED SUPPLIES
Alan Spearman/The Commercial Appeal

Eleanor Gipson (left) and Jeanne Chancellor of Friends of the Memphis Animal
Shelter retrieve pet goods that were donated for recycling at a Hollywood Pet
Feed store. The two will find uses for all the donated material.
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
used to help owners keep pets

they otherwise could not care 5 things to know about catnip
for. Everyone has a weakness. For me, it’s salted
“If we have the resources to caramel ice cream. For my dog, Lulu, it’s
do so, we will provide them with expensive shoes. For most cats, it’s catnip. Here
those resources,” Pepper said. are five things every cat lover should know about
An example of something that this mysterious product that drives cats batty.
might be given to an owner is a 1. Catnip is an actual plant. A member of the
mint family, Nepeta cataria L. (aka catnip) grows
dog house, particularly in the throughout the United States. The plant features
winter. small, lavender flowers and jagged, heart-shaped
Used dog houses are always in leaves that smell faintly of mint.
demand, and a nonprofit group, 2. It’s easy to grow. Cat lovers who possess a
Friends of the Memphis Animal green thumb can grow catnip from seed after the
Shelter, accepts donations in lo- last hard frost of the season. As a perennial, this
cations all around the city. herbaceous flowering plant will return each year
with proper care. Keep in mind that catnip
In January, more than 10 dog requires plenty of room to grow and flourish,
houses were distributed to peo- much like most felines.
ple in an effort to help them 3. Most cats love it. Catnip leaves and flowers
keep their pets, she said. can trigger chemicals in a cat’s brain that lead to
“We are always in critical need bouts of energetic euphoria or laid-back laziness.
of dog houses,” said Jeanne For that reason, dried catnip and catnip-laced
Chancellor, president of the or- toys make regular appearances on pet store
shelves. Mary Ellen Burgoon of Park Pet Supply in
ganization. Atlanta advises cat owners to sprinkle dried
Friends of the Memphis An- catnip leaves on scratching posts as a training
imal Shelter rarely buys new tool. Pinch the leaves first to release essential
items, and accepts some used oils, and a little goes a long way.
items people might not neces- 4. Use with care. Once cats get a whiff of catnip,
sary associate with pets. it’s best to leave them alone until they’ve lost that
“Larger breed puppies can be loving feeling. Catnip also can cause excessive
drooling, so you may want to retrieve those cat
fed with used baby bottles,” toys after use. Burgoon also suggests storing
Chancellor said. “Used baby re- catnip and catnip-laced toys in an airtight container
ceiving blankets, we use those.” or a cat-proof area.
Other used items, like collars, 5. People like catnip,
leashes, litter boxes and wire too. Catnip also can be
cages, are reused, and also pro- used for tea. The
vided to owners the shelter presence of a chemical
called nepetalactone
works with to help them keep produces sedative-like
their pets at home. affects in humans,
“Recycled materials and prod- making it a popular home
ucts are always beneficial to us,” remedy for headaches as
Pepper said. “We do rely on well as insomnia.
those donations to help and it is Morieka Johnson,
beneficial to the community.” Mother Nature Network
California releases first ever

state-approved K-12
environmental curriculum
Rhodes is
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. — At Searles
Elementary School in Union City, fifth-
grade students recently shared what they
learned during a pilot run of the nation’s
greening up
its majors
first state-approved K-12 environmental
curriculum.
Instead of generic chemistry lectures,
students will learn how chlorine-
containing molecules from products such
as aerosol cans and refrigerators chew By Dionne Chalmers
away the protective ozone layer over the Special to Going Green
Earth’s poles. They learn how
atmospheric carbon dioxide keeps the
planet warm through the “greenhouse Rhodes College has created two new
effect.” major courses of study, a Bachelor of
Kindergartners will learn to draw the Arts degree in Environmental Studies
state’s five major ecosystems, complete and a Bachelor of Science degree in
with its largest rivers. In high school Environmental Sciences.
economics, students can learn about the The programs are designed to
fisheries industry and how ecosystem approach environmental questions from
health affects business..
“It’s grooming the leaders of many perspectives. Students in the new
tomorrow,” said Mindy Fox, director of the majors will be able to take courses in 12
office of education and the environment academic departments, including
at Cal-EPA. “By that I mean it strengthens history, international studies, biology,
critical thinking and sound decision- chemistry, philosophy, anthropology,
making. And all of these kids are going to economics and English.
become the consumers of tomorrow.” All students in the new majors take a
In a show of their knowledge, several core course “Environment and Society,”
Searles Elementary students quickly built a
“food web” using empty milk cartons which addresses environmental issues
pasted with images of microbes, insects, past and present, including over-
plants and animals. They explained how population pressures, climate change,
each life form depends upon the others, and energy consumption and sustainability
how when one declines, the others are practices. Students can also take
threatened. courses on topics such as ecology,
“It’s a good experience,” said Romy global ecopolitics, environmental
Mastel, 10. “I’m glad we had a chance to
learn it. Otherwise, we’d be just throwing
hydrogeology, nature and war, field
things away.” study in Namibia and environmental
anthropology. Majors must also
Suzanne Bohan, McClatchy-Tribune
participate in experiential learning by
The curriculum is available online for completing an internship or other off-
free at www.calepa.ca.gov/education/eei
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.
campus project. “These new majors will help to make

“The addition of two environmentally Rhodes students competitive for jobs
focused majors is a significant milestone and graduate programs in
for Rhodes College,” says Jeffrey H. environmental studies and sciences,”
Jackson, associate professor of history Jackson notes, “and help contribute to
and director of the environmental our growing understanding of
studies and sciences program. “Rhodes environmental issues.”
students will be able to investigate some For more information on the majors,
of the world’s most pressing challenges, visit the Environmental Studies and
conduct research, and do community Sciences website at rhodes.edu/ess.
service geared toward environmental Dionne Chalmers is with the
questions.” Communications Office of Rhodes College.
Got
Junk?
One man’s trash is
another’s business
By Suzanne Thompson
Special to Going Green
While operating a compa-

ny that collects garbage may
not seem like a way to help
the environment, that’s ex-
actly what Chris Gammill,
co-owner of the local 1-800-
GOT-JUNK? franchise, be-
lieves their mission is.
Gammill and his wife
bought a franchise in the
Canada-based company
eight years ago.
Currently, 1-800-GOT-
Dave Darnell / The Commercial Appeal JUNK? operates in 43 U.S.
states and nine Canadian
provinces.
“We’re both environmentalists. This The corporate philosophy
is to donate and recycle as
is not only a business, but a hobby. ” much of what they collect as
CHRIS GAMMILL, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? CO-OWNER
possible.
Gammill said it was their
Matt Botawan, left, and Gammill unload metal recycle materials commitment to conservation
at River City Metal Recycling at 415 East Brooks Road. that drew him and his wife
to the company.
“We’re both environmentalists,” he FAQs from 1-800-GOT-JUNK?

said. “This is not only a business, but What happens to my junk?
a hobby.” A: We recycle as much of the junk we
The hobby part comes into play as collect as possible. We also donate
they try to see how much they can reusable household or commercial items
keep out of landfills. to local charities.
The company does not have a sort- Q: What do you recycle?
ing facility, so it’s up to the drivers to A: Our junk removal teams are able to
recycle many items including: yard waste;
deliver the recyclables to different lo- household items; construction/demolition
cations around town. debris; ferrous and non-ferrous metals;
Drivers have instructions to do one glass; plastic; paper and paperboard; tires;
of three things with the items they col- computer equipment, electronics,
lect: donate them, recycle them or, as a fluorescent tubes, batteries and aerosol
last measure, take them to a landfill. cans; appliances.
“We do a lot of training here and we Q: Which charitable organizations do
you work with?
want people to be thinking about how A: Whenever possible, we donate
they can divert things from landfills,” reusable items to local charities. Our
Gammill said. franchises work with a number of
This means that 1-800-GOT-JUNK? is community-based charities as well as local
very selective about the drivers it hires. branches of national charitable
Most drivers have at least two years organizations, including the Salvation
of college. Army, Goodwill, and Habitat for Humanity.
“We are always looking for those Q: How do you track where my junk
goes?
select few,” he said. A: We conduct environmental audits
Currently the company has six full- regionally in North America. Our franchises
time drivers. At the end of their shifts track what they collect locally and where
they fill out a report which categorizes the junk goes, whether it’s recycled,
how much has been recycled into one reclaimed, reused, converted to energy, or
of 11 possible categories. goes to the landfill.
“They know there is accountability,” Q: Why are you concerned with
environmental impact?
Gammill said. A: We believe that what we do today -
The report, called a Junk Type Es- right now - has a cumulative effect on all of
timation Sheet, lists various categories our tomorrows. Our corporate obligations
of items, such as glass, plastics, tires include any aspects of our business that
and household items. impact society, the environment, and our
Drivers must indicate on the sheet people - customers, Franchise Partners,
how much and what has been recycled and employees.
for each pickup they make. Q: Does 1-800-GOT-JUNK? index its
environmental performance data?
A licensed garbage collection com- A: We use Global Reporting Initiative
pany, what’s different about 1-800- (GRI), environmental performance data
GOT-JUNK? is that they provide a covering greenhouse gas emissions and
labor force to remove items from all waste production.
parts of a client’s property. Source: 1800gotjunk.com
“We take away a lot of couches and

household appliances,” he said.
They will even disassemble an old
swing set or play yard and take the
pieces away.
One item they see a lot of is bikes,
Gammill said, which they donate to
Revolutions — an organization that
takes old bicycle parts and teaches peo-
ple who have no other transportation
how to rebuild their own bicycles.
The business also partners with
Goodwill and the Salvation Army.
Since he bought the franchise, Gam-
mill estimates it has experienced a 310
percent growth and is expecting the
operation to grow an additional 10 to
20 percent in 2011.
Fees for the service depend on the
size of the load.
“We are an on-demand service and we
only charge by the space in the truck
the load occupies,” Gammill said.
Gammill has done work for a variety
of clientele around the city — from in-
Source: 1800gotjunk.com
dividuals to the Greater Memphis Cham-
ber to companies such as Baker, Donel-
son, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz.
Cathie Hall, assistant to the admin- ious activities around the community,
istrator at the law firm, said it has used such as Youth Villages, where he goes to
Gammill’s company since 2006 and talk to young people about the benefits
found the recycling aspect of his com- of recycling. He also removed the re-
pany to be very attractive. cycling and trash from Youth Villages’
Baker, Donelson occupies eight sto- annual Soup Sunday fundraiser.
ries in the First Tennessee Bank build- Gammill is involved with a Cordova
ing Downtown and recently completed group, People Removing Eyesores Ev-
a renovation of its offices. erywhere, and takes care of all recycling
“We had lots of furniture that needed for that group.
to be donated, so when I checked with In 2010, Gammill estimates that he
Chris, to find out what he does with collected at least one ton of recyclables.
those items, he told me they donate to “We want to be known as the al-
different places like Goodwill,” Hall said. ternate provider when the city will not
Gammill’s company is involved in var- pick something up,” Gammill said.
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.
Hospital sharpens waste program

Baptist Memorial’s switch to During the past few years, hospitals
reusable container system pays have been able to switch to reusable
containers because of a service provided
By Suzanne Thompson by Stericycle.
Special to Going Green Demand for the Stericycle Sharps
Management Service continues to grow.
Most everyone who has ever been to “It’s been growing by leaps and
a hospital has seen them. bounds every year,” said Debra
Plastic containers mounted on the wall Gillmeister, director of health care ser-
in every room as a place to put bio-haz- vices for Stericycle.
ardous materials such as used syringes. Average cost savings for hospitals is
Known as Sharps containers, for between 20 and 25 percent, depending
years they were regularly disposed of on the hospital size.
and replaced with new containers. “With the use of the bio-systems
pital staff to try to fill them to capacity,

increasing the chance of needle sticks.
It was the safety element that first
attracted Nick Lewis to the reusable
container service.
“We’ve seen a reduction in our needle
sticks because of the containers they
use,” said Lewis, director of safety and
assistant director of patient services at
Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp.
The Illinois-based company was
founded in 1989, so Stericycle had pro-
vided bio-hazardous waste disposal for
Baptist for years, Lewis said.
When the company introduced the
Sharps Management Service nationally,
Baptist started using it.
Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare be-
gan using the Stericycle Sharps Man-
agement Service in 2006, according to
Trina Jones, director of sustainability.
“We’ve been seeing a three-fold ben-
Kyle Kurlick/Special to The Commercial Appeal efit. Number one is the environmental
Nick Lewis, top, director of safety and impact being lessened,” Jones said.
assistant director of patient services Because each container is reused 600
at Baptist Memorial Health Care times, hundreds of thousands of con-
Corporation heads up the hospital's tainers are kept out of landfills each year.
biowaste reusable container service According to figures from Methodist
offered by Stericycle. Special LeBonheur Healthcare, during the last
containers keep pharmaceutical waste 12 months, use of the Stericycle system
until it can be properly disposed. has kept 70 tons of plastic out of landfills.
“Another way that it helped us was
associate safety. We noticed needle
reusable containers, we are able to de- sticks were reduced,” Jones said. “We
crease the regulated medical waste, be- also saw that we were seeing some
cause, of course, you don’t have the savings in terms of what we pay for
containers,” Gillmeister said. waste being hauled.”
The service also provides personnel To demonstrate the impact on the
to remove the containers, which hos- environment, Stericycle’s website dis-
pital administrators agree translates to plays a running total of the number of
increased safety for hospital staff. plastic containers kept out of landfills.
That’s because when containers are pur- At the end of 2010, that number was
chased new, there’s a tendency for hos- 8.5 million and counting.
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
STORY BY TOM BAILEY JR. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALAN SPEARMAN

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-
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.
THE BIZ PAGE
Memphis-based
Kronos Energy
readies to ship
its first
residential
turbines
A mighty wind
By Toby Sells / sells@commercialappeal.com
IF JOHN BOGENSBERGER HAS HIS WAY, an ancient device

will support America’s energy future.
“That is a pantanemone and it’s been around since about
600 B.C., “ shouted Bogensberger, pointing to a shiny, 4-foot
cylinder effortlessly whirling at the business end of a high-
humming wind tunnel.
Bogensberger’s pantanemone, the “Eureka, “ is his
company’s first product. The company, Memphis-based Kronos
Energy Solutions, is preparing to ship its first orders of the
residential wind turbine in April.
The Eureka turbines are to be power production are under

installed on the roofs of houses and construction in America right now.
supplement about 25 percent of a The wind association’s CEO,
home’s energy needs. They are not Denise Bode, said wind energy
meant to allow users to drop off the remained the fastest-growing
energy grid, Bogensberger said, and manufacturing sector in America
won’t be sold in Memphis. There’s last year and that it employed 85,000
simply not enough wind here, he said. through the gut of the recession.
“I hate saying that but if we do “When you add new factories and
your wind profile and you don’t to the supply chain in the U.S., you
have an average daily wind of six reduce the cost of wind generation,”
miles per hour, I’ll say thank you for Bode said. “So, we are becoming so
your inquiry and may I put you in cost-competitive as an industry that
touch with someone who supplies I think we have a good story to tell.”
solar energy, “ Bogensberger said. Wind power is now the leading
“I’m not going to sell it to you for source of alternative energy in
the sake of the sale.” Tennessee, according to the
Altruistic breathing room like Tennessee Valley Authority. From
that is rare air in business, October 2009 to September 2010,
especially for a start-up. wind generated 42,212 megawatts
But Bogensberger’s stance is of power. Solar generated 2,117
backed by the Kronos mission megawatts and methane gas
statement to put people over produced 7,507.
profits. It’s also backed by national Nearly all of Tennessee’s wind
data that suggests the wind energy power is generated at the sprawling
industry is about to hit full sail. Buffalo Mountain Wind Park outside
Wind energy capacity doubled in of Oak Ridge in East Tennessee. The
Tennessee in 2008 and nearly half of park has 15 windmills that stand 260
all new electric power installations in feet tall with blades 135 feet long
the state were wind-based, according and were installed in 2004. The
to the U.S. Department of Energy. original three windmills installed
Bogensberger said the industry is there in 2000 stand 213 feet tall.
set to grow 40-fold in the next eight
years, compared the market to a
“gold rush”.
More than 5,000 megawatts of The Eureka vertical axis
wind-energy capacity were built in wind turbine
the U.S. in 2010, according to the Weight: 127 pounds
American Wind Energy Association,
DC unit: $3,850
but that capacity was less than half
of what was built in 2009. But more AC unit: $4,800-$5,200
than 5,600 megawatts of wind- Online: kronosenergysolutions.com
Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal

Kronos Energy Solutions founder John Bogensberger explains the benefits of
his company's vertical-axis wind turbines next to a working model inside a
custom-built wind tunnel.
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
MY GREEN BIZ
Huey’s gets the ‘green fork’
By Emily Adams Keplinger Ashley Boggs

keplinger@commercialappeal.com Williams, VP of
operations for
Being “green” is certifiably becoming mainstream. Huey's,
No longer the domain of woodsy environmentalists discusses
and disciplined vegetarians, the green movement is Huey's new
sweeping into the everyday lives of people. Project Green
Case in point — Huey’s Midtown. Fork initiatives.
Huey’s, a Memphis dining tradition, celebrated its
40th anniversary in April of 2010. And this restaurant Alan Spearman
has just reached another milestone — Huey’s, with The Commercial
Appeal
the slogan “Blues, Brews and the Best Burger in
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.
Alan Spearman/The Commercial Appeal

Town,” has just been certified “green.”
Huey’s ditched the polystyrene bowls,
Huey’s has earned the Project Green
plates and take away boxes in favor of
Fork designation.
sustainable products.
Since its founding in 1970, Huey’s has
been very involved in the community. Its
employees donate hundreds of hours to with non-toxic ones (The dishwashers at
various non-profit organizations, and the Huey’s were already being serviced by
company gives support to many worthy Auto-Chlor, so the restaurant simply
area causes. To date, over $45,000 have switched to using Auto-Chlor’s line of
been donated to The Memphis Zoo from Green Kleen products).
proceeds of the annual frill pick contest. A complete energy audit has been
So it comes as no surprise that the conducted and the steps have been taken
folks at Huey’s would be taking up the to reduce energy and water consumption
“green cause” as a means to contribute to (as light bulbs need to be replaced, all
the sustainability of the Memphis area. bulbs are being switched to LED lighting).
Project Green Fork helps The restaurant has taken steps to
sustainability efforts by reducing the reduce pollution (Huey’s was already a
environmental impact of restaurants. non-smoking restaurant, but continues
When a restaurant receives certification, to offer an outside location away from
it means that they have the following: the diners for those who do smoke).
Sustainable products are in place Ashley Williams, co-owner and vice
(for Huey’s, this meant getting rid of president of operations for Huey’s
styrofoam; bowls, plates and to go boxes explained their choice to seeking the
and cups). Project Greek Fork designation saying,
A recycling program has been “We knew ‘going green’ was the right
established (at Huey’s Midtown there thing to do. Project Green Fork offered
are recycling containers next to trash clear guidelines to help us reach that
cans for the wait staff). goal. And we knew it was the right thing
The kitchen is composting (Huey’s to do for our customers, our children,
is composting kitchen prep leftovers - and the environment. We also knew our
fruits, vegetables, but no meats). employees in Midtown would readily
Toxic cleaners have been replaced buy into it.”
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
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
TRANSPORTATION
Terry McAuliffe, chairman of Greentech Automotive, sits in a MyCar -

deemed a “neighborhood” electric vehicle - that will be manufactured at a
new facility in Tunica.
By Suzanne Thompson
Sitting Special to Going Green
So it’s a car that looks like a roller
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.
The Greentech Automotive production facility in Tunica will ramp up production

of the MyCar starting later this year.
Democratic leader Terry McAuliffe, production facility is currently under

chief executive officer of GTA, believes construction in nearby Tunica, Miss.
renewable energy autos are the wave of Though the exact location of the Ten-
the future. nessee logistics center has not yet been
McAuliffe acquired EuAuto Technol- disclosed, says McAuliffe, it will mean
ogy, the company that manufactured the big business for the Volunteer State.
MyCar, in May. “We plan to establish GTA’s new Glob-
McAuliffe said there is a good reason al Logistics Center in Tennessee and are
he decided to put his political career in now simply awaiting final federal ap-
park and concentrate on green energy. provals. We have the funds and are ready
“The growth we saw with the explo- to create hundreds of new Tennessee
sion of the Internet in the ’90s is what jobs. As soon as we get the government’s
green technology can be for this decade.” sign-off, we’re ready to go,” he said.
MyCar will be driving into the Mid- “And because the automotive man-
South as local production of the car is ufacturing is a multiplier industry, our
expected to start later this year. new jobs will in turn lead to additional
“We are excited about the positive jobs for related manufacturing and ven-
economic impact,” he said. dor needs,” McAuliffe said.
McAuliffe chose Tennessee as a site The creation of new jobs through green
for the company’s global logistics center technology is very important to him.
and a 380,000-square-foot assembly line “My commitment to creating new
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.
Memphis to get
install electric
vehicle plug-ins
By Daniel Connolly
and Wayne Risher
connolly@commercialappeal.com
risher@commercialappeal.com
A few days ago, Herb Zeman signed up

to buy the Nissan Leaf, a battery-powered
sedan.
On Tuesday, he got a pleasant surprise:
A pilot project can cover the cost of pur-
chasing a vehicle charger for his home as
well as additional equipment that allows
for rapid charging. The total savings is
roughly $3,000.
“I’m just blown away. That’s a wonderful
opportunity,” he said.
Zeman was present Tuesday morning at
The Peabody for an announcement that
Memphis will be included in the EV Pro-
ject, a federally backed effort to build
charging stations for electric vehicles.
Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division
CEO Jerry Collins Jr. said the new charg-
ing stations would be installed by Septem-
ber, and that the utility may have its own
Dave Darnell/ The Commercial Appeal

Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment will
provide Level 2 charging (240 volt AC
input) for electric cars.
troubleshooting vehicle to help Electric vehicles: How we get there

electric car owners who run out of During the State of the Union address,
juice. President Barack Obama reiterated a goal that
“We’re going to make the use of surely set the hearts of electric car makers
electric vehicles as simple and revving.
easy as we can possibly make it,” “With more research and incentives, we can
he said. break our dependence on oil with biofuels, and
Plans for the EV Project an- become the first country to have a million
electric vehicles on the road by 2015,” he said.
nounced last year included Chat- Putting that many on the road would reduce
tanooga, Nashville and Knoxville, dependence on foreign oil and lead to a reduction
but not Memphis. Stories about in oil consumption of about 750 million barrels
the city’s omission in The Com- through 2030, the administration has said.
mercial Appeal prompted local How to reach that goal? The Philadelphia
leaders, including Collins and Auto Show had three of the answers: the Chevy
Memphis Mayor A C Wharton, to Volt, the Nissan Leaf and the Mitsubishi 2012
“i.” And then a passel of hybrids and other
ask project organizers to add “green technology” cars to boot.
Memphis. So how do we get there? The day after
Stephanie Cox of ECOtotality, Obama’s address, Vice President Joe Biden
the San Francisco-based contrac- went to Greenfield, Ind., where he toured the
tor managing the EV Project, said Ener1, Inc., factory, which produces advanced
the strong push from Memphis lithium-ion battery systems for electric vehicles,
persuaded organizers to change grid energy storage and industrial electronics.
their plans. About 40 public The company was awarded a $118.5 million
grant from the Department of Energy to expand
chargers initially will be installed its production. Employment at its Indianapolis
in Memphis. facilities will go from 336 to more than 1,000 by
MLGW said the number does 2013.
not include private charging sta- Biden also outlined the president’s three-part
tions at companies or homes. plan to reach the goal. It would include
Wharton was among speakers transforming the existing $7,500 tax credit to a
celebrating the program Tuesday. rebate. In his budget, the president proposes
dedicating research and development funds for
“There’s no reason why Mem- electric drive, batteries and energy storage
phis cannot lead the way in this technologies.
effort,” he said. Finally, to provide an incentive for communities
Memphis will be the 18th city to invest in EV infrastructure and remove
nationwide to take part in the EV regulatory barriers, the president is proposing to
Project, which is meant to gather provide grants up to $10 million each to as many
data in order to help planners as 30 communities that are prioritizing advanced
build infrastructure for electric ve- technology vehicle deployment. This could be
through regulatory streamlining, infrastructure
hicles throughout the country. investments, vehicle fleet conversions,
Other cities involved include Dal- deployment of EV incentives (e.g., parking, HOV
las, San Diego and Seattle. access) partnerships with major
The Department of Energy has employers/retailers, and work force training.
provided $114.8 million in federal Sandy Bauers, McClatchy-Tribune Newspapers
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
FAITH
CrossRoads Church member Jairus Durnett examines the walls of the

living room on the first work day for the project.
Faith in action
Team creates By Cathi Johnson / Special to My Life
a home: From a small, gray shell of a building, with windows and

doors boarded up, to a family home — that’s the story of
Jacob's faith that is created by Jacob’s Ladder.
Jacob’s Ladder is a community development corporation
Ladder affiliated with the United Methodist Church, located in the
Beltline/Orange Mound area of Memphis, directed by Rev.
draws from Bill Marler of the Memphis Annual Conference.
mixed faiths A mother and her three children (ages 5, 11 and 12) were able
to move into a house that had been transformed from derelict to
for project delightful. Gone were the rotted floors and dirty patches of
plaster, and in their place are new floors

and walls that are insulated, drywalled
and newly painted. The house now fea-
tures a new roof and driveway, as well as
monkey grass in the front lawn and a gar-
den of greens planted in the back.
Every room is furnished, every bed
made. Hand-sewn curtains hang over
the new energy-efficient windows. Pic-
tures and mirrors adorn the walls.
There are toothbrushes in the new bath-
room vanity, and both a kitchen pantry
and linen closet are fully stocked. After removing the wall between the
Such is the result of an ecumenical kitchen and living room to improve
project led by Jacob’s Ladder. Volun- the layout, the sad state of the
teers from CrossRoads, Emmanuel and kitchen became clear.
Germantown United Methodist church-
es; students from CBU, Americorp Vista
and Murray State; carpenters, an elec-
trical contractor, roofers, concrete lay-
ers, cabinet installers and neighbors of
several faith backgrounds all came to-
gether over a four-month period to
transform rather than destroy.
“It started out to be a one-day service
project, “ said the Rev. Don Park of
CrossRoads UMC, the church that played
the lead role in this project. “But after
seeing the house and hearing Bill Mar-
ler’s dreams of its transformation, the Rotted wood was replaced in the
folks of CrossRoads decided to make this kitchen before installing a new ceiling,
a long-term project that would involve and a breakfast bar was built for the
every member of the congregation.” children's study area.
But the giving went beyond skilled
carpenters and painters. Others at
CrossRoads volunteered to lead specific Company owners supplied roofers, con-
projects, while still others gave money crete, kitchen countertops and a bath-
and donations of furniture and acces- room vanity. The UMW provided sta-
sories. An interior decorator from the ples for the food pantry. Folks donated
church measured the house, drew up the pots and pans, dishes, glassware, cut-
plans and organized furniture procure- lery — everything a cook will need.
ment and placement. Folks dug monkey Young and old showed up the day the
grass from their yards to re-plant here. interior was painted and on the final
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.
FOOD
Enjoy flavors, nutrients of winter's bounty
MOM SAID IT, dietitians say it, heck, you
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
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
HOME & GARDEN
Classic décor evokes

memories, makes unique
personal statement
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.
By Stacey Wiedower
Special to The Commercial Appeal
It all started with a game of dress-

up.
When Memphian Anna Avant
was a little girl, she’d raid her
grandmother’s closet and come out
draped in her clothes, her jewelry,
her bags — stylish then, in their
first incarnation, and stylish still.
So when it came to putting
together her own adult style, Avant
drew on those childhood memories
to create an aesthetic that embraces
her love of all things vintage.
“I like classic things and I like
things that have meaning,” said
Avant, who owns Hoot+Louise, a
Downtown boutique that sells
vintage and vintage-inspired
clothing and housewares.
In her East Memphis home,
Avant is surrounded by items
gleaned from a different era, many
of them passed
down through generations of family
members. Placed in their new
context — the casual-contemporary Photos by Dave Darnell/The Commercial Appeal
house of a young family in 2011 —
the pieces have a vibe that’s retro- “I like classic things and I
cool.
It’s a look that’s huge among the like things that have
young urban set. Green without meaning.”
being faddish and current without
being conventional, vintage décor ANNA AVANT, OWNER OF HOOT+LOUISE
offers a look that’s personal but
whimsical, at once high-style and
budget-friendly.
Vintage aficionado Erin Austen
Abbott lovingly refers to the style of
her Water Valley, Miss., house as
“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
Ben Avant rocks overwhelming, especially for the uninitiated.

son, Finch, in a When Abbott finds a piece she loves but doesn’t
rocking chair that immediately know where to put it, she tries to part with an
was Anna's older item, one she’s tired of, to make room for the
grandfather's. Her addition.
grandmother
recovered it for “You don’t want your house to become cluttered,” said
them when they Abbott, who owns Amelia, a specialty gift store on the
moved to Oxford, Miss., square. “Keep that in mind, and be willing to
Memphis nine part with things and keep only the things you absolutely
years ago. love. You don’t have to have it all.”
She learned the art of buying and editing from her boss
at a vintage store where she worked in college.
“Just because something’s $1 or $10 doesn’t mean you
have to have it,” she said. “It’s about looking at the big
picture instead of the in-the-moment, ‘Oh, my gosh, I need
to have this!’ ” is rebuilding himself, are a 1930s

Still, when much of your shopping glass cabinet with hand-painted
takes place in vintage, thrift and rosettes and an old iron mantelpiece
antiques stores, it’s not necessarily Caleb is reinventing as a bar.
easy to shop with a list. When Avant Abbott loves having things around
shops for vintage finds, she usually her that have a history, that have a
lets her instincts guide the way. But story, that have stood the test of
she’s always on the lookout for items time.
she or members of her family — she “I like to think about where it’s
got her love of vintage shopping been and who had it and who cared
from her mom and grandmother — for it that it’s still in such good
collect. shape,” she said. “(My)
In her mom’s case, it’s milk glass. grandparents were raised during the
In her case, it’s bud vases, vintage Depression and took such good care
lamps and ’50s-era accessories. of things, and things back then
“We all pass things around lasted so much longer and were
between each other,” she said. made so much better. It’s like,
East Memphis resident Shannon they’re in such good shape that I
Carden gravitates to ’40s and ’50s want to carry that on.”
vintage items that fit with the style — When Avant walks through her
and scale — of her postwar-era house. house, she walks past the chair her
One of the things she likes best about grandfather sat in throughout her
vintage shopping is that if she sees childhood, his wood carvings and an
something she likes and can envision old sewing stool with a hidden
a place for it in her home, it doesn’t compartment that stores a collection
matter if it’s not in perfect shape. of her grandmother’s silk scarves.
“You can find a lot of good stuff at She rocks her infant son to sleep in
thrift stores, and it’s so cheap,” she his nursery in an old wooden rocker
said. “And if you don’t like the way it where her grandmother rocked her
looks but you like the bones of it, mother and where her mother
you can fix it up.” rocked her and her brother.
It’s that thrill of the hunt — and “I grew up with my mom taking
thrill of the bargain — that inspires great pride in her house and her
Sweazy and her husband, Caleb, in antique things and things passed
their quest to pair the contemporary down to her through the family,” she
with the classic. said. “When I got older and I got my
“We share that excitement of not own house, I got things passed down
being afraid to dive in and see what to me, and so I just keep collecting.”
you can find,” she said.
Stacey Wiedower is a home and design
Among the vintage pieces they’re writer and residential interior designer.
using in their newly revamped Read more from her at
Midtown carriage house, which Caleb designinsider.blogspot.com.
Dave Darnell/The Commercial Appeal files

A hatful of tomatoes includes Yellow Bell, Goliath, Heriloom and Better Boy.
Vegetables, herb gardens on rise

Because of changing social trends. Recently, I was privy to
habits coupled with a deep some insights thrown out by
recession, gardening is Bruce Butterfield, research
trending in some interesting, director for the National
yet not-so-surprising ways Gardening Association.
these days. And new gardeners For more than 30 years,
FELDER need help. garden writers and
RUSHING While participating in professionals in the “green”
national gardening conferences, industry have pored over the
The Southern I’m exposed to movement in thorough findings of the NGA
Gardener current and projected garden (found online at garden.org );
Sunflowers and zinnias are not only pretty additions to a vegetable garden,
they attract necessary pollinators such as bees, butterflies and birds.
the intense surveys delve into dependence on chemicals and

minute details of who gardens how, fertilizers.
where, when, why and how much. They want outdoor sanctuaries
Not surprisingly, current studies where they can relax and entertain,
show that professional landscape places where they can retreat from the
maintenance companies are losing pressures of work and life in general,
up to a third of their work as do-it- grow at least a little fresh food or
yourself garden and lawn work healthful herbs in pots or small kitchen
ramps up; more gardeners are gardens and have less structure with
cutting back on landscaping and more informal design and plants that
lawn care products while getting don’t require tedious pruning.
into growing vegetables and herbs, They want to see birds, hear
especially in containers. And there is crickets, smell roses, feel softness,
a distinct trend toward native plants and taste goodness. As Butterfield
and water conservation. notes, people want to “balance their
More people are cherishing more high-tech lives with high-touch
colorful, year-round landscapes with gardens.”
less work and input, fewer gimmicks Trouble is, expanding a foundation
and gadgets, and little or no planting into a full-fledged garden is
GREATER MEMPHIS GARDENER
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,
but everyone got a little tired of

corn — it is amazing how many
ways corn can be eaten.
Favorite gardening project: I
love the lettuce and turnips in the
fall and spring. I just wish that
someone would figure out how to
grow tomatoes and lettuce at the
same time for salads.
What are your favorite
gardening experiences? Getting
the first tomato of the season
ranks right up there at the top of
my list.
What type of gardening
project would you like to try in
the future? I started strawberries
last year, so I am excited to see
how well they will do this spring.
What advice would you give
to someone interested in
gardening? It is very rewarding
and worth the effort. Don’t forget
to water, and plant so you can
easily get water to your garden.
What else do you do when
you are not being a gardener? I
love to ride horses, fox hunt, and
all other hunting and fishing. I am
a “Swamp Witch” — meaning I’m
a member of a group of six
women, mainly from Mississippi,
who hunt together. We recently
made the cover of a Jackson,
Miss. magazine and we have been
in the New York Times.
I also have two sons who are
After inspecting how her new bed of very involved in football. So on
strawberries (in foreground) fared in the Friday nights in the fall, my
recent snow, Kate Morrison and her dog, husband and I can always be
Rosie, take a break from gardening during
found at a football game.
the winter months. Morrison gardens on her
family’s farm just outside Batesville, Miss. — Compiled by Emily Adams
Keplinger

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2 GOING GREEN | March 2011 commercialappeal.

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What’s in this issue ...

BUSINESS TRANSPORTATION HOME

Melissa Bridgman’s Terry McAuliffe, CEO Couple’s classic

On the cover: Artwork by Jorge Arrieta

The art of UPCYCLING

Setting the course

Events Nature walk

Programs JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Beware of toxic mercury inside

Lowe’s (left) and Home Depot have

Regional sourcing is as close

Three Kings Salad

STORY BY JIM COLEMAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL MCMULLAN

which stresses the benefits of unpasteurized milk.

take them back out (to pasture). Our process is a

Mike Maple/The Commercial Appeal

contaminated milk outbreaks are

Recycling to the rescue

Save1pet.org co- By Suzanne Thompson

“We try to make it real to people Donation drop-off locations

“It was so rewarding to me even though it’s just one dog.

Alan Spearman/The Commercial Appeal

used to help owners keep pets

California releases first ever

campus project. “These new majors will help to make

While operating a compa-

“We’re both environmentalists,” he FAQs from 1-800-GOT-JUNK?

“We take away a lot of couches and

Hospital sharpens waste program

pital staff to try to fill them to capacity,

STORY BY TOM BAILEY JR. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALAN SPEARMAN

THE BIZ PAGE

IF JOHN BOGENSBERGER HAS HIS WAY, an ancient device

The Eureka turbines are to be power production are under

Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal

Huey’s gets the ‘green fork’

By Emily Adams Keplinger Ashley Boggs

Alan Spearman/The Commercial Appeal

Terry McAuliffe, chairman of Greentech Automotive, sits in a MyCar -

Sitting Special to Going Green

So it’s a car that looks like a roller

The Greentech Automotive production facility in Tunica will ramp up production

Democratic leader Terry McAuliffe, production facility is currently under

A few days ago, Herb Zeman signed up

Dave Darnell/ The Commercial Appeal

troubleshooting vehicle to help Electric vehicles: How we get there

CrossRoads Church member Jairus Durnett examines the walls of the

a home: From a small, gray shell of a building, with windows and

plaster, and in their place are new floors

Enjoy flavors, nutrients of winter's bounty

MOM SAID IT, dietitians say it, heck, you

HOME & GARDEN

Classic décor evokes

It all started with a game of dress-

Ben Avant rocks overwhelming, especially for the uninitiated.

to have this!’ ” is rebuilding himself, are a 1930s

Dave Darnell/The Commercial Appeal files

Vegetables, herb gardens on rise

the intense surveys delve into dependence on chemicals and

GREATER MEMPHIS GARDENER

but everyone got a little tired of

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