Category: Organic

Climate Dads: Creating a Better Future with Ben Block and Jason Sandman

If we collaborate, exchange ideas, share experiences and create new tools, I predict that more families will make small but important changes that help combat climate change,”  Climate Dads founder Ben Block.

Here’s the reality: Climate change is not some distant problem. It’s already impacting our lives, from hotter summers to extreme storms, to warmer oceans and to rising food costs. Parents have a dual responsibility—not just to protect their kids but also to empower them to be part of the solution. Parenting and climate action go hand in hand. Today we have two eco-conscious parents, Ben Block and Jason Sandman. Ben and Jason started the group Climate Dads out of concern for their children and the planet. Ben is a founder of Climate Dads, a group of male caregivers who give a damn about protecting future generations from the climate crisis. He is the father of two young boys, Corey and Noah. Ben and his wife live in Philly where he can be seen riding with his kids on their cargo bike, hiking the trails in their urban oasis, and eating lots of vegan cheesesteak. Jason Sandman is a Founding Partner of Climate Dads and resides in Philadelphia, PA with his wife and children. Originally from Buffalo, NY (Go Bills!), he is often comparing weather forecasts between the two cities and is reminded he made the right choice. He also has formed an enduring relationship with hoagies. Which is the best cheesesteaks in Philly-Gino’s or Pat’s?  What is in a Vegan Hoagie? Follow @climatedads on social media to get more info. Also check out Dear Tomorrow (deartomorrrow.org) to collect first-person accounts from dads, describing their thoughts/emotions about climate change, sharing a message to future generations about what the future will hold/what they’re doing to try and create a better future.

To listen to past TMSOG shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Follow The Many Shades of Green on Facebook, Instagram and Threads @tmshadesofgreen and on Blue Sky at tmshadesofgreen.bsky.social. Listen to TMSOG podcasts on all major podcast apps. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

TMSOG is on Feedspot’s list of the 50 Best Environmental Podcasts to follow in 2024 and beyond!

The Woolly Bear Caterpillar and other Winter Wildlife with Victoria Alzapiedi, Co-Founder of New Castle Healthy Yards (S12 E1)

Bears have tucked themselves away as winter is upon us. When the weather outside is frightful, most of us choose to spend most of our time indoors. Animals, however, don’t exactly have a choice. So what do our furry and non-furry friends do when it is frigid and snowy? Some animals migrate to warmer climates, particularly birds, while others have to adapt and get through the bad weather. Some animals, like Da bears, hibernate, and go into a very  deep sleep.  Other animals like Chipmunks (ALVIN!) eat a lot in the fall to store fat in their bodies and intermittently slow down their breathing. Survival is not easy, but many animals adapt and manage to get through the frigid winter months (chipmunks, bears and skunks). Then there is the Woolly Bear Caterpillar, which has even been known to survive an entire winter completely frozen in an ice cube. As far as the woolly bear caterpillar’s travel goes, they are simply moving about in search for that perfect spot to curl up and spend the winter. With climate change and warmer temperatures, animals will have to readjust, adapt and create new habits and habitats. We need to be proactive in creating habitats in our own backyards to support the needs of wildlife.  Victoria Alzapiedi our resident garden, wildlife and healthy yards guru gives us great info about winter wildlife and what we can do to preserve ecosystems in the winter. Victoria is a co-founder of New Castle Healthy Yards, and is a member of Friends of Buttonhook, which is working to save a 20.3 acre forrest in the Town of New Castle. She is also the founder of My Native Garden Oasis which provides ecosystem garden coaching and consulting to create habitat for pollinators, birds and wildlife. Follow New Castle Healthy Yards and My Native Garden Oasis on Facebook. For more TMSOG podcasts go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Subscribe to TMSOG on all major podcast apps, and check us out on Facebook, Instagram and Threads @tmshadesofgreen. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Farm Aid 2023, Support Local Farms, Help Our Farmers with Allison Turcan Founder of DIG Farm and host of the podcast Getting Dirty

“Family farmers have the solutions to some of our toughest challenges. As we face a changing climate, farmers in Indiana, across the Midwest and all over the country are farming in ways that create more resilient farms to build healthy soils and protect our water.” — Willie Nelson Farm Aid

The development of agricultural took place about 12,000 years ago and changed the way humans lived. The nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle switched to permanent settlements and farming. The earliest farmers lived in the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East (near what is now Turkey) and grew crops like peas, lentils and barley. As humans learned to control their sources of food, they no longer had to be nomads, as they could settle in one place.  Forward to 2023, and there are 2 million farms in America, 98% of which are operated by families, family partnerships or family corporations. Farmers are the backbone of America, as they provide food for the citizens of the US and the globe. But more than 9,000 farms were lost between 2021 and 2022.  Data from USDA’s Economic Research Service indicates that Michigan led the list with 1,700 fewer farms, Texas lost a thousand, and Kansas fell 900. California, Kentucky, and New Mexico each lost 600 farms, and there were 500 fewer farms in Nebraska. Farmers play an integral role in feeding the populous, and many need economic assistance to keep afloat. Small farms are an important part of the agricultural system, as they promote locally grown food which brings communities together. Our guest on this episode is Allison Turcan, a Farmer and the Founder of DIG Farm, a local farm in North Salem, NY. Allison recently attended the Farm Aid event in Noblesville, Indiana and met with farmers, organizers and some legendary music artists. She is the host and producer of the podcast Getting Dirty on HRR, and she works with Westchester Land Trust as the farmer for their food bank garden. I am proud to call her my friend:) For more info go to farmaid.org, Digfarm.org, Homegrown.org. For more shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. TMSOG is available on all major podcast apps (Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeart, Spreaker.com and more). Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @tmshadesofgreen #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

A Big Green Office Plant, plus Rotational Grazing, Regenerative Farming and some Sexy Astrology with Charlotte Ghiorse

From office plants to meadows to farming, we must work to be resilient and sustainable and help things grow in a more environmentally friendly manner. There is a newer method of farming called Regenerative farming, which is an approach to agriculture that focuses on restoring and improving the health of the soil, enhancing biodiversity, and promoting long-term sustainability. It is often considered a holistic and ecological approach to farming. The movie Biggest Little Farm and GrassRoots Farmers Co-op give insight into the practice of regenerative farming as a more sustainable way to grow produce, raise animals and be better stewards of the land. Regenerative farming involves agricultural methods that are more sustainable and work to heal the land and soil. Farmers and ranchers grow a diversity of plants and trees, establish cover crops and use no-till methods for planting, and incorporate grazing animals that naturally produce compost. We talk with our resident artist, eco-activist, Sexy astrologist Charlotte Ghiorse about the rotational and regenerative farming and agriculture practices that are used on some farms and ranches to bring more sustainability to the land. We also chat about a famous office green plant and play Mitch Margo’s tune ‘Green Plant’ (#TheTokens) plus July’s astrology chart and Charlotte’s upcoming art projects/shows. For more info go to https://www.houseofchoclet.com/ and check out Charlotte’s Facebook and Youtube pages Sexy Astrology. For past shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Follow TMSOG on Instagram and Threads @tmshadesofgreen. Subscribe to The Many Shades of Green podcast on all major podcast apps. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

The Dangers of Lawn Pesticides

“A Who’s Who of pesticides is therefore of concern to us all. If we are going to live so intimately with these chemicals eating and drinking them, taking them into the very marrow of our bones — we had better know something about their nature and their power.” Rachel Carson

Rachel Carson is known as the woman who challenged the notion that humans could obtain mastery over nature by using chemicals. Her sensational book Silent Spring (1962) warned of the dangers to all natural systems from the misuse of chemical pesticides such as DDT, and questioned the scope and direction of modern science, which would lead to the initiation of the contemporary environmental movement. I don’t think that Rachel would be happy with today’s overuse of pesticide chemicals in lawn treatment, which threaten native flowers and grasses by harming beneficial pollinating insects as well as wildlife, our dogs and cats and yes, us humans. Of 40 most commonly used lawn pesticides, 26 are linked with cancer or carcinogenicity, 12 are linked with birth defects, 21 with reproductive effects, 32 with liver or kidney damage, 24 with neurotoxicity, and 24 with disruption of the endocrine (hormonal) system. Of those same 40 lawn pesticides, 21 are detected in groundwater, 24 have the ability to leach into drinking water sources, 39 are toxic to fish and other aquatic organisms vital to our ecosystem, 33 are toxic to bees, 18 are toxic to mammals, and 28 are toxic to birds. With numbers like this, the only logical question becomes: is this really necessary and what can we do to stop or prevent this kind of contamination, and what are the alternatives? Our resident wildlife, garden and habitat guru, Victoria Alzapiedi, co-founder of New Castle Healthy Yards, gives us some great info about pesticides and why we need to talk more about the risks of chemical use on our property. For more info go to beyondpesticides.org and follow New Castle Healthy Yards on Facebook. For past shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Please subscribe to TMSOG on all major podcast apps. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

A Blue print for Spring to protect Mother Nature.

Spring is upon us and we need to form a blue print to protect Mother Nature. It’s time to plant native, reduce your lawn by growing a meadow, and take steps to get away from the mow, blow and spraying harmful chemicals mindset. We need to live in balance with our wildlife, and like the Lorax, we must protect the trees, as each tree is an ecosystem unto itself.

 All flora and fauna need space to thrive and grow. Humans must work in a symbiotic relationship with all living organisms. Let’s start to change our ways a bit, and let nature take its course. Our resident wildlife and habitat guru, Victoria Alzapiedi guides us and gives some great info about how to work within your landscape to become more adaptive to the needs of the wildlife, insects, trees and shrubs, so that we can all be more resilient. Victoria is the co-founder of New Castle Healthy Yards, the New Castle Pollinator Pathways Coalition, and she started the Facebook group “The Nature of Westchester” an active community of nature lovers which now has more than 4000 members. Follow NCHY on Facebook and please subscribe to TMSOG on your favorite podcast app. For past shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and malcolmpresents.com #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness and help save a Forest: go to preservebuttonhook.org

New Castle Healthy Yards Native Plants with Rene Artale and Karen Bazik

 Our guests this week  Rene Artale, Karen Bazik  Leadership Team Members at NC Healthy Yards on Native Plants are forging the movement for more gardens, meadows, native plants and trees, and less lawn.  We talk about the importance of native plants, one of which is poison ivy, which is beneficial to the ecosystem, but not to humans… think rash. There are other wonderful native plants that can make your land both beautiful and eco friendly (Summersweet; highbush blueberry, packera auera, coral honeysuckle   Leucothoe – provides 4 season appeal, Fringe Tree, and Oak trees to name a few. Other tips, don’t use leaf blowers or pesticides and plant original species that keep your land sustainable. Gardens and Meadows are beautiful and are more beneficial to Earth’s creatures and they create pollinator pathways. For more info follow New Castle Healthy Yards on FaceBook and email them at [email protected]. For past shows go to hudsonriverradio.com, malcolmpresents.com. Subscribe to The Many Shades of Green Podcast and tune in on Spotify, Apple, Google Play Spreaker, and ask Siri or Alexa to play our podcast. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Listen to “Rene Artale and Karen Bazik, Leadership Team Members at New Castle Healthy Yards” on Spreaker.

Sustainable Swag with Gia Machlin founder of EcoPlum

Swag is a slang word that generally means to have or do something that is “cool”.  This term is often used to describe a person, but S.W.A.G also stands for Stuff We All Get, and generally describes give-aways such as samples or promotional items provided by companies at conventions or events. The ultimate SWAG is most likely the gift bag presented at the Oscars, which in 2018 exceeded $100,000. So let’s figure that we need to change the opulence of some swag, and provide companies who want to promote themselves or their products, with environmentally sourced, and eco-friendly manufactured products. Enter our guest this week, Gia Machlin, who started the company EcoPlum, which is paving the way to sustainable swag, and sells eco friendly promotional products to companies, universities and organizations. Gia  also started a non-profit called Sustainable Sisters, which connects women business owners with projects that help women and girls affected by climate change. For more info check out ecoplum.com. Tweet us @tmshadesofgreen, and check out more shows on hudsonriverradio.com and malcolmpresents.com, as well as thegreendivas.com.

Courtney on Health Where is the Sugar in Your Food Hiding?

Sugar, Honey, Honey,You are my candy girl and you got me wanting you!

That is part of the lyric to the tune Sugar, Sugar by the Archies. Yep, people sing about sugar, people crave sugar, because everyone has a sweet tooth. We eat many foods that contain sugar, but we don’t realize it, as sugars go by different names. Fructose, Galactose(sounds like a city in Star Wars), Maltose and Sucrose are different names for sugar. We need to be aware of what kinds of sugars are in certain foods, especially processed food, so we know what we are taking into our bodies. Courtney gives us great information about sugar, the good, the bad, and the facts. Follow Courtney on Instagram @clgwellness and on FaceBook. Tweet us @tmshadesofgreen and go to malcolmpresents.com for past shows.

IF WE ARE WHAT WE EAT, WE WOULD ALL BE SWEET!  

Courtney on Health how food affects our mood

In this episode, Courtney explains how food affects our mind, our mood and our well being. Mind and body connect through what we eat. Find out how vitamins, herbs and minerals can help improve sleep and reduce stress. Also, there are good carbs that we can eat without guilt, as they do have a place in our diet. We need to include magnesium (pumpkin seed are a good source), as well as selenium, Omega 3FA, Kava root and more. Courtney touches on CBD, and explains how to decipher what foods and supplements are good. Here’s a question, why does James Bond like oysters? Tune in to find out. For more info check out Courtney on Instagram @clgwellness, tweet us @tmshadesofgreen, and listen and view more shows via malcolmpresents.com.

Courtney on Health Functional Foods

2021 IS HERE, AND GOOD RIDDANCE TO 2020. WE ARE STILL IN COVID TIMES, SO WHAT WE EAT TO BUILD OUR IMMUNITY IS IMPORTANT. A GOOD PLACE TO START IS WITH THE TOPIC OF FUNCTIONAL FOODS. WE NEED TO THINK OF FOODS AND DIETS THAT HAVE A PURPOSE, AND THEREFORE SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT FOODS GIVE US BETTER IMMUNITY. MY MOM WOULD ALWAYS SAY “EAT YOUR VEGGIES AND DRINK YOUR FRESH ORANGE JUICE.” SHE WAS SO RIGHT. WE MUST LOOK AT THE INGREDIENTS IN OUR FOOD,  AND KNOW THE ORIGIN AND WHO IS GROWING WHAT WE EAT. SO WE NEED TO EAT FOODS WITH PURPOSE and FUNCTION. COURTNEY GIVES US IMPORTANT INFO ON FUNCTIONAL FOODS, WHAT IS GOOD FOR US, WHAT IS TRENDING. TAKE A LISTEN. FOR MORE INFO CHECK OUT @CLGWELLNESS ON INSTAGRAM AND MALCOLMPRESENTS.COM. TWEET ME @TMSHADESOFGREEN

Courtney on Health, let’s bring in some Holiday Cheer with yes, immune boosting foods, plus naughty foods that are good for you, and perhaps a holiday cocktail or two…

’Tis the Season to be Jolly, even though we are gathering in smaller groups of mostly our immediate families. It’s important that we eat immunity building foods, as we are in COVID times. It is also important to have some fun, and we can eat foods that give us comfort and joy, and maybe we can even sip some holiday cocktails to get us through the shorter days and longer nights, as we follow Santa on zoom, and sit by the fireplace, or your big screen TV with a video loop of a roaring fire. Courtney talks about immune boosting foods, holiday treats (yes, chocolate!) and a fun holiday cocktail, The Poinsettia. Have a Happy, Healthy Holiday!