Green Living

In Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Barbara Kingsolver celebrates Thanksgiving with a feast almost entirely raised by her and her family—the homegrown celery, chestnuts from their chestnut tree, pumpkins, corn (frozen from summer), and all the rest. Even the turkeys were bred and harvested by her own two hands. It may be, okay it is, unrealistic to think we’re all ready for Thanksgiving dinner with our own bounty to bake, but there are practices we can adopt to put green and meaning in this fall’s holiday meal all the same.

Here are some meaningful, green practices to consider:

*The Turkey. If you’re cooking a bird, a heritage turkey is probably the best way to go—that’s a historic breed from before the well-known factory farmed Broad-Breasted White took over. It may be too late to snag one from a small farmer at this point, but you can still opt for a pasture-raised organic bird from a natural foods store near you or these farmer selections at Local Harvest. And get the full scoop on better turkeys from Robin Shreeves at Mother Nature Network.

*Turkeyless. If you skip the poultry because you’re vegan/vegetarian, or just want to buck convention, check out some creative meatless recipes, sans meat version of old standards, or create your own. Personally, at the next T-day I host, I’m planning on whipping up soba noodle bowls with veggies from the farmers’ market.

*The Fixins. Get as many ingredients as you can from a farm or farmers’ market near you (which helps support local, sustainable food and minimizes nasty packaging). You can even go the distance and make yours a 100 mile Thanksgiving, getting all your savories from 100 miles or fewer away. For the vino, TIME Magazine has a gallery of wines produced in California (and every other state), here’s a list of organic and biodynamic wineries and finally, Silver Lake Wine’s CA picks. For other eco-considerations beyond local, there’s Ideal Bite’s Wine Guide.

*The Leftovers. The fourth Thursday in November is our big food feast of the year. Unfortunately, every day of the year we waste between a quarter to half of our food. So take steps to waste not and want not: make sure to freeze or share your leftovers to keep the landfill light. For the rest, there’s the compost bin.

*The Table. For a gold star, make your table settings the real deal: real silverware, glasses made of glass, fabric napkins, the kind of plates you use forever and ever. If you don’t have enough, I think it’s a wise idea to ask guests to bring their own! Why not, right? Plus they can take them home and you’ll have fewer wares to wash. For décor, see the whole DIY lineup at Design Sponge like these felt leaf napkin rings.

*The Memories. I like holiday events where the gathered make, do or share something together. Some of the resources from which I’ve gotten inspiration:

Learning to Love You More

HopeRevo

Imagine Peace Wish Trees

And then there’s always going around the table and sharing something you’re thankful for over dessert.

Tags: Barbara Kingsolver, green holiday, green holiday tips, green thanksgiving, heritage turkeys, holiday crafts, organic turkeys, Sustainable Food, sustainable turkeys