Share & Voice: Venison Recipes

Image Courtesy of Google Images

Since both the Wisconsin and Minnesota gun deer hunting seasons have come to a close, I decided that it would be a good time to share a pretty neat website (Broken Arrow Ranch) I found containing a lot of ideas for healthy ways to prepare venison.  This website is not only limited to venison recipes however, it also contains numerous recipes for antelope, wild boar, and even exotic wild game.  I understand that we all may not hunt nor enjoy hunting, or even consume meat for that matter; but I am an avid outdoorsman and hunting is one of my passions so I figured I would share these interesting recipes with everyone.

Eye Opener: Photo Essay

Triple Valley Farms

For my photo essay I have choose to share some photos I had taken this fall on my grandparents farm.  Since we have already discussed organic farming and the issues surrounding farming in general, I thought it would pertain to this class very well.

All of the crops on the farm are raised and harvested organically, and maintained independently by my grandfather and other family members.

The farm covers between about 400 acres, and is located just outside Pigeon Falls, Wisconsin.

The acreage on this farm does not only include crop land, it is also plus in hardwoods and provides an excellent for wildlife.

All of the crops harvested are fertilized by the cattle on the farm, these cattle are raised from birth on the farm and fed only a natural diet containing zero hormonally enhanced food.

The farm has been in the family for well over 100 years and has been the livelihood for my grandparents and their parents before them.  A majority of my childhood has been spent here as well, whether it was hunting, family gatherings, or just helping out.  The farm is without a doubt my favorite place to be, and I consider it my own little getaway.

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 3: Weekly Update

1. What was your SMART goal? How did you do in achieving your SMART goal?

• My SMART goal: I will eat at least 4 servings (1/2 cup) of fruits or vegetables (or a mix) every day for the next 10 weeks.
• I once again fell short of my goal for this week, however I have not been eating unhealthy snacks I just haven’t been eating as many fruits and vegetables

2. Address successes & challenges. What strategies helped you to be successful? What challenges did you face? How did you deal with them?

• I have been back home since Friday and I am limited to what is here at my parent’s house and at my grandparent’s farm. Since I have been deer hunting for the past 5 days I really don’t spend much time at home and kind of disregard what I have been eating.
• I have been trying to bring fruits and vegetables with me hunting and keeping them in the car, however I have still fallen short of my goal 3 days.

3. What feelings did you experience? When did you feel them?

• I really haven’t felt any different this week; other than being tired all of the time. Feeling tired isn’t a result of my diet change it is due to my sleep schedule.

4. What did you learn this week?

• I learned that this goal is still attainable, I just need to make a better attempt to eat fruits and vegetables. I feel like I have been a bit lazy over this week in trying to make this gal a reality.

5. What are your plans for next week? Will you continue with the change as is? Will you modify to make it more achievable or more challenging?

• My challenges for this upcoming week continues to be the fact that I will be deer hunting until Sunday. Also with thanksgiving approaching fast I will have the temptations of a plethora of tasty deserts and snacks. It will be interesting to see how this next week plays out, but all in all I need to become more responsible for attaining this goal.

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 3 hosted by Amy@Amy in the Rain

Advocacy Project: Issue Overview

Introduction

• What is the issue/problem?
• Increase use of alternative modes of transportation to reduce motor vehicle emissions and improve the Nation’s air quality (trips made by walking). 
• What current legislation has been proposed to address this? (Identify bill # and name)
• H.R.2724 National Transportation Objectives Act of 2009

Who is affected by the issue?

• Who is affected the most?
• Individuals who work in the automobile industry and the oil industry
• Who loses, and what do they lose?
• People in the automotive industry stand to lose hours at work and potentially their jobs if cars are not at as high of a demand as usual. And individuals within the oil industry stand to lose incredible amounts of money from the decline in gas consumed by Americans.
• Who gains, and what do they gain?
• People living in metropolitan areas stand to gain the most from this because the air they breathe will be cleaner as well as they will be saving money on fuel and other driving related costs.

What are the consequences of the issue?

• For the individuals mostly affected?
• The consequences of this issue would be effects to our economy by the reduction of automobiles being produced and the amount of oil being used. Also as a result we could end up with more individuals jobless and living in less fortunate conditions.
• For their families?
• People who work in the automobile industry could become jobless and their families would then suffer because they would be forced to transition into a different lifestyle.
• For society?
• Our society would be impacted by more unemployed individuals and have to find a means to provide these people with what they need.

What is the economic impact of the issue?

• What are the economic costs of the issue, and who bears these costs?
• The economic costs of providing for more unemployed individuals would be directed upon those who remain employed and pay taxes.
• What are the economic benefits of the issue, and who benefits?
• The economic benefits include, less money to be put into roads since they will be traveled less, and also by people walking we could see lower health care costs because individuals will be participating in more exercise. Also with people consuming less oil, fuel prices may decline and in turn when driving is absolutely necessary it will not be such a burden because of gas prices.

What is the social impact of the issue?

• What are the social costs of the issue, and who bears these costs?
• The social costs of this will be reflected on taxpayers because they will have to pay to support more individuals who are jobless and seeking employment.
• What are the social benefits of the issue, and who benefits?
• The benefits of this issue are that people will be interacting in more physical activity and in turn more likely to seek other forms of physical activity, resulting in group exercise increasing in popularity.

What are the barriers?

• What are the barriers to addressing this issue?
• The barriers of this are that the automobile industry will fight until its last breath I order to not loose its profit from car sales. Not only is the sales of automobiles important to the industry, it is the lively hood for many individuals.
• How can they be overcome?
• Individuals my have to resort to more manual labor jobs to maintain the size of a workforce and lesson machine use. With less automobiles being created there will be less need for individual workers within the industry.

What are the resources?

• What resources will we need to address this issue?
• Individuals who strongly support air quality and environmental health are very strong resources who will support this issue, such as the EPA.
• Where and how can they be tapped?
• Strong evidence based data will need to be provided to insure that theses resources are not just jumping into the situation blind, and they will also need a lot of support within specific communities.

What is the history of this issue?

• What is the history of the issue in the community?
• Air quality has been steadily decreasing for a number of years, and the amount to pollution linked to automobiles continues to increase rapidly.
• What past efforts were made to address it?
• The EPA has started multiple campaigns to address this issue and increase the number of individuals who resort to walking and only drive when necessary.
• What were the results?
• Results are pretty minimal, but continue to improve and progress. The busy hustle-and-bustle lifestyle we as Americans life makes it inconvenient to walk somewhere because it takes time and we feel like that is something we don’t have.

Allies & Opponents

• Who would support this issue?
• Groups and organizations that strongly support environmental health and increasing air quality.
• Who would oppose this issue?
• People who work within the automobile industry and individuals who work in the oil industry will strongly oppose this issue because it is a means of living for them and their families
• How can you involve allies and opponents in advocacy efforts? (What common ground can you share? How can you create a win-win for your allies and your opponents?)
• They can find a common ground on building a healthier, cleaner environment for us all to live in. They can also involve efforts toward supporting fuel-efficient and eco-friendly cars.

Your Recommendation

• How do you want policy-makers to vote on this proposed policy?
• I recommend that policy makers vote yes to this specific policy. Not only does it lower emissions and improve air quality, but it also increased the amount of physical activity people participate in. To me this policy has noting but an up side, it may result in the automobile industry taking a hit, but in the long run we are preserving our plant. Our generations will not be directly impacted by this change but it is about preserving our planet for generations to come.

Share & Voice: Green Uses for Vodka

Image from thedailygreen.com

I was poking around this Daily Green website to find some interesting recipes for green cleaning products and stumbled upon a heading that read "10 Weird Uses for Vodka" so I had to check it out.  I found it really interesting and useful, although very random, and it brought to my attention a few easier ways to live a greener lifestyle.

Here are the 10 Uses (in no particular order)

Treat Poison Ivy
Freshen Laundry
Shine Your Fixtures
Preserve Flowers
Repel Insects
Soothe Jellyfish Stings
Get Great Shiny Hair
Clean Away Mold
Make a Soothing Lavender Tincture
Ease a Toothache

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2: Weekly Update

1. What was your SMART goal? How did you do in achieving your SMART goal?

• My SMART goal: I will eat at least 4 servings (1/2 cup) of fruits or vegetables (or a mix) every day for the next 10 weeks. 
• I nearly achieved my goal throughout the first week, I managed to hit a couple of snags throughout the weekend.

2. Address successes & challenges. What strategies helped you to be successful? What challenges did you face? How did you deal with them?

• At the beginning of the week I went grocery shopping and purchased a good amount of fresh fruits and vegetables so I would have them readily accessible throughout the week.
• I varied the different types of fruits and vegetables I ate throughout the week so I would not be overwhelmed with one thing so early on in my change.
• Challenges: This weekend I ran out of fruit and with my girlfriend being up for the weekend I never made an attempt to run and get more.  So Saturday and Sunday I fell about 2 servings short of my goal.

3. What feelings did you experience? When did you feel them?

• I felt a lot better after only a few days of eating fresh fruits and vegetables.  I felt less full throughout the day, I found myself with less of an urge to snack, and I had more energy.

4. What did you learn this week?

• I learned that this goal is very attainable for myself, I just have to stick to my plan and be committed.  I cannot find myself falling outside of the pattern I have developed and by making fruits and vegetables easily available when I am at home will make this goal much more attainable.

5. What are your plans for next week? Will you continue with the change as is? Will you modify to make it more achievable or more challenging?

• My challenges for this upcoming week will be about the same as the last.  I will be going home for Wisconsin gun hunting, so I will have fruits and vegetables easily available  at my parents house.  The one problem that I might run into is the amount of time I will be spending in the woods and short amount of time I will have for meals.  I am going to pack fruits in my vehicle and make those my first priority of a snack through the nine day deer hunting season ahead.

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2 hosted by Amy@Amy in the Rain

Share & Voice: Obey Clothing

Image from Google Images

I was looking at the tags of some clothing I purchased the other day and I came across something really neat.  I have purchased Obey Clothing for quite a while and never realized that proceeds from the clothing go directly to the Obey Awareness program.  This program supports emerging issues and all profits generated from the item sold go directly to supporting these causes.  Some of the causes supported include: Surfrider, Haiti, Adopt-a-Pet, Hope Campaign, 180 degrees South, 11th Hour, and Rock the Vote.