Sustainable Seasons

On the daily commute to work yesterday, I realized something. The morning air was crisp—not bitter cold—but it definitely had a chill to it. As I looked around, I noticed the leaves had tips of orange, yellow, and red … just beginning their process of changing and falling. Autumn is here, and a certain amount of preparation can take place for the change of season, and also to be sustainable all year long. One way to remain eco-friendly throughout the autumn is to preserve your own locally grown food for winter. Peaches, pears, tomatoes, green beans, and various berries can be canned in the beginning of fall and used in pies, on top of oatmeal, or eaten as a side throughout the winter. Apple sauce and salsa are two great ways to use up your last summer tomatoes and apples. Great recipes for each of these can be found in a many cookbooks, and there is much as satisfying as home-canned apple sauce in the dead of winter. Other methods of food preservation include drying and freezing. Apples are easily dried, and can be a healthy snack anytime. If you grow zucchini, there is a great chance that you overgrow zucchini! To prevent waste, you can grate zucchini and pre-measure it into plastic freezer containers for later use in breads and sweets throughout the cold season. Also try keeping your indoor herb garden going through the down seasons. While you will not have the thriving organic garden you perhaps had during the summer, you can grow a few things to augment meals and season holiday dishes right in your kitchen. While you maintain this small garden indoors, you should also winterize your outdoor garden. You can use dead, fallen leaves mixed with compost to “put the beds to bed” for the year. A final fall consideration that you should take into account is driving. Carpooling becomes increasingly important during the fall and winter months. During the summer it may be possible to bike to work, but in the cold, snow, and ice, that is not only uncomfortable, but dangerous for most of us. Using four-wheel drive will also increase your fuel consumption, so it is extra important to carpool to offset your increase in consumption. Remaining sustainable through the fall and winter can definitely be more of a challenge than in the summer months. But you can prepare ahead of time, and at the onset of the crisping leaves, take a moment to figure out what you need to do to get everything in order for the coming seasons.