Cheers!
Impress your guests when you entertain with fresh, organic beverages.
By Michael Green
This year, many of us will make sustainable choices when it comes to holiday celebrations: ethically raised meats, organic vegetables and fresh local ingredients. But what about organic drinks? Although rich, extravagant foods are the focal point of holiday parties, there is a wide range of organic and sustainable beverages available to elevate your next event.
Many savvy retailers now feature organic beer along with organic, sustainable and biodynamic (a version of organic farming based on the lunar cycle) wines. Domestically, environmentally friendly vineyards are on the rise, and they are expanding their commitments to include solar power and composting. American organic brews have surged over the past few years—making beer one of the fastest-growing categories in the organic beverage market. What started as a  trend among local microbreweries has made it’s way to national labels. In addition, various breweries in Belgium and England, along with many old-world wineries, use sustainable farming practices, and their beers and wines are essentially organic even if they don't carry a certification.
- Read more of this article |
Volunteer. Assist at a soup kitchen, children’s hospital or animal shelter. Search for family-friendly volunteer locations at www.thevolunteerfamily.org. Get a state listing of soup kitchens from 4homeless.hypermart.net/soup_kitchens.html. Find animal shelters on www.petfinders.com.
“People often believe that you have to be rich to live green, but that’s just not the case,” says David Bach, author of the new book Go Green, Live Rich. “The truth is that families can save thousands of dollars a year by making some very small changes that are good for the planet.”
