Free 2013
& s u s ta i n a b i l i t y G u i d e
B r o u g h t t o y o u b y t h e T e t o n Va l l e y N e w s
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Table of contents
4 6 8
Ditch the car Making a difference in the built environment Recycling 101
10 12 14
Let the Sun Shine: Preserving nature the Boy Scout way Are you ready?
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15 16 18 19 23
GMOs Journey of a spud What a dump composing Tips Energy use by the numbers
Ditch the car funding includes purchasing The city of land for, and building, a Save money, reduce Driggs is poised Park and Ride lot, and the vehicle emissions and take to pick up some passenger facility within care of yourself by finding of the slack in public the city center. other means of transportransportation facilities The facility will be tation than driving your with a new transit built along with other personal vehicle in and facility on the north projects to reconfigure around Teton Valley. end of the city the city center, including Whether you take the center. a Scenic Byway Center, a bus or use your feet, bicycle, plaza with art and other snowmobile or skis, transporexhibits, such as hardscaping, tation opportunities abound and and a recreation center featuring sports are en route to grow throughout the and other programs in a multi-use area. valley and the region. The transit facility is planned to be Transit Center adjacent to the visitor center, said Doug The city of Driggs is poised to pick up Self, Driggs community development some of the slack in public transportation director. facilities with a new transit facility on the “There will be a lot of cross access north end of the city center. between the transit center and visitor The transit center, paid for with an center,” said Self. $830,000 Federal Transit Administration The transit facility, he said, will serve grant, will be a 1,500 square-foot passen- the Grand Targhee shuttle, START ger facility with a canopy to protect those (Southern Teton Area Regional Transit) waiting for buses from the elements. The bus, TRPTA’s (Targhee Regional Public Ken Levy / Earth Living staff
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Transportation Authority) on-demand service and possibly other providers such as Alltrans and Salt Lake Shuttle Express. All of these services are members of the Linx transportation system, which links numerous public transportation services in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Utah. Visit linx.coop/maps-schedules.html for details.
TRPTA
TRPTA offers demand response doorto-door service as well as routes running twice a day to Rexburg from the Driggs Senior Center. To make reservations, call (208) 529-1489 for all locations, or (208) 356-9033 for the Rexburg-Driggs run. The system also runs numerous fixed routes within Idaho Falls. Visit trpta.org.
START
START Bus runs routes within Jackson, between Jackson and Teton Village and commuter routes from Star Valley, WY and Teton County, ID. Passengers can Ditch the Car continued on next page
Ditch the car continued from previous page
catch the bus at the Driggs City Center and ride the route that stops in Wilson and numerous points in Jackson, including its terminus at Snow King Mountain. Visit startbus. com for schedules, routes, stops and fare information.
Alltrans
Alltrans runs routes to Grand Targhee and Jackson, including the Grand Targhee Airport Shuttle from Jackson Airport to the Alta, Wyo. ski resort. It also runs numerous routes in the Jackson area including shuttles from the airport to the national parks, runs from Jackson to Salt Lake City with many stops in between, as well as tours
in the national parks. Visit jacksonholealltrans.com.
Grand Targhee Shuttle
Grand Targhee Resort offers shuttle service from downtown Driggs to the mountain resort. Visit tinyurl. com/a2p3yzc for schedules and details.
Salt Lake Express
Salt Lake Express runs numerous routes, including some from Jackson with links up to West Yellowstone and down to Salt Lake City. It stops in Swan Valley, goes to the Boise Airport, Rexburg and many other destinations, depending on schedule and
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Ditch the Car continued on page 21
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Red lines on the map show the Driggs North-South Pathway project and the gaps in it.
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Making a difference
in the built environment By Rachael Horne / Earth Living staff
T
hough there have been a few lean years in the construction and building industry of the Valley lately, Adam Riley and his team at Teton Timberframe have been able to endure. Of course the homes and buildings they construct look beautiful, but the company’s business practices have helped set them apart. Riley explained Teton Timber-
frame is trying to make a difference in the built environment by designing and building beautiful, durable, energy efficient homes and public buildings. “If were’ going to build something to last for generations it has to be beautiful, livable, easy to maintain and affordable to heat and cool in order for future owners to preserve it,” he said. Built continued on next page
The crew at Teton Timberframe several years ago with founding partner Bryce Broughton.
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Photo courtesy Teton Timberframe
Built continued on previous page
Since becoming an owner of the Driggs-based business in 2005, Riley has used green building, social responsibility and environmental stewardship to govern their business decisions. “It’s clear that people’s choices affect the world around us, often in damaging ways,” said Riley. “I think it’s important for everyone to do what he or she can to make the world a better place, so I’ve chosen a profession where there is lots of room for improvement over the minimum requirements of building codes and accepted construction practices.” But what is Timberframe and why is that consistent with social responsibility? Timber framing is an age-old structural system utilizing braced-framed post and beam construction. Key to its sustainability aspect is
Photo courtesy Teton Timberframe
The beginnings of a Teton Timberframe home below the Teton Range.
looking at timber framing as a holistic process. While wood is a natural, renewable resource, Teton Timberframe only uses reclaimed or Forest Stewardship Council—certified timber. The construction lends itself to using insulation that requires less energy.
They use Structural Insulated Panels, (SIPS), straw bales and clay-straw walls. Timber frame homes also last. Proven by historical precedent, the structures can be deconstructed and then re-used over the centuries. But can building really make the world a better place?
A current project has the Timberframe team building a 9000 square foot home in Wilson. “I wrestle with that,” said Riley. “I wish it was a museum or school, but I’ve realized we can still make a difference.” Besides the timber frame structure, they are utilizing triple glazed windows, geothermal heat pumps for heating and cooling that uses water on the property and the timber frame was cut from reclaimed Douglas fir timbers. Though the house is large, overall it will still have a smaller energy footprint than going a more traditional route. And that’s a start. If the building is going to go up anyway, in Riley’s eyes, why not build it with an environmental consciousness? Riley explained what they get to build is driven as much by their clients’ vision as by Built continued on page 20
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Recycling 101:
Your recycling questions answered!
Tanya Anderson / Special to Earth Living
R
ecycling in Teton Valley is up and running. However, it can be confusing to navigate what can be recycled, where, and how. Here are the answers to the most common recycling questions.
What can I recycle in Teton Valley? Teton County recycles cardboard, aluminum cans, tin cans, glass, mixed paper (office paper, newspaper, magazines, and phone books), and No. 1 and No. 2 plastic bottles. Residents and visitors can either drop off recyclables at the Transfer Station or pay for curbside pickup through the RAD Recyclers. Teton County Solid Waste and Recycling also accepts a number of non-traditional recyclables. Batteries, inkjet cartridges, cell phones and electronic waste can be dropped off at the scale house. Scrap metal, wire, wood, brush, inert fill and manure goes in the piles to the east of the scale house. Used motor oil is collected at the north end of the white recycling
DID YOU KNOW
you can recycle these items in Teton Valley?
ALUMINUM CANS CORRUGATED CARDBOARD GLASS BOTTLES AND JARS MAGAZINES, NEWSPAPERS, AND MIXED OFFICE PAPER #1 AND #2 PLASTIC BOTTLES STEEL/ TIN CANS BATTERIES SCRAP METAL ELECTRONIC WASTE AND CELL PHONES PRINTER CARTRIDGES TIRES WOOD AND BRUSH USED MOTOR OIL AND MANY MORE!!! For more information about where or how to recycle, visit our website at tetonrecycling.org, or call 208-354-2800.
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tent. In addition, Broulim’s collects and recycles plastic bags, and the Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative accepts compact fluorescent light bulbs.
Where do my recyclables go?
At Teton County Solid Waste and Recycling, glass is crushed, mixed with road aggregate, and used as road base in Transfer Station projects. Cardboard and paper have been going to Georgia Pacific in Toledo, Oregon, where they are made into recycled products and sold. Aluminum and tin cans were recently sold to Millcreek Recycling in Blackfoot. The county searches for the best prices for recyclables before selling, so final destinations may change over time.
Do I really need to rinse my recyclables?
Yes. Excessive food contamination can lead to lower prices for recyclables or even rejection of loads. Recyclables with food in them also attract vermin to the recycling center. Rinsing recyclables reduces the risk of exposing county staff to disease vectors and creates a more pleasant
work environment. Can you imagine working in a tent that smells like three-week old milk? Please rinse.
Why do I have to wait in line to recycle? The recycling bins at the transfer station are currently positioned in a place that workers can easily monitor, minimizing contamination of materials. On May 18, Spring Cleanup Day, a separate entrance for recyclables will be given a test run. Recyclers will go to the north side of the transfer station, while trash haulers will use the main entrance. The success of this experiment will determine whether or not a more permanent separate entrance is possible. To help reduce wait time, Teton County Solid Waste and Recycling will be switching to summer hours. From May 23 to Sept. 18, the transfer station will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursdays, allowing more accessible hours to recycle. Other weekday and weekend hours will remain the same.
SLow Food
tetons
Where can I learn more about recycling? Teton Valley Community Recycling’s website, tetonrecycling.org, is a great place to start. Questions can be emailed directly to tetonrecycling@gmail.com. Better yet, attend one of TVCR’s free workshops, such as the Teton Basin Workshop on Wednesday, April 24, 4-8 p.m., at Alta Elementary School. Bring your questions, your kids, and your appetite.
connEcting
dELiciouS
Fun
Local Food Guide Vertical Harvest
Taste Workshops Community Potlucks
Cooking Classes Sustainability Workshops
EducationaL
LocaL
Full Circle Education School Lunch School Garden
Locavore’s Night Out (April 19, Wildwood Room) Local Fest People’s Market Harvest Fest
Find out more • Donate • Join • Volunteer email: tetonslowfood@gmail.com PO Box 161 Victor, ID 83455 Look for us on FACEBOOK
Tanya Anderson is the executive director of Teton Valley Community Recycling. ■
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SUN shine
Let the
Victor home runs on alternative energy Ken Levy / Earth Living staff
Solar heat. Passive solar heat. Solar thermal and radiant floor heat. Wind. Peter Mackay of Victor combines them all to power his Victor house, which he occupies with wife Jane. Mackay runs his home on 6 kilowatts of photovoltaic, or solar energy, with rooftop solar thermal to heat his water, a radiant floor and a Skystream 3.7 Wind Generator. The 4 x 10-foot rooftop solar panel has fluid inside that circulates from an outdoor pump attached to a tank through, up and back, “so it’s always heating up there in a black collector,” he said. The water from the well starts at roughly 46 degrees and is warmed to about 130-140 degrees in an 80-gallon preheated tank. “Whenever I need water for hot water or the thermal radiant floor heating it’ll go into the water heater,” he said. Working with solar, wind or solar thermal is helping, by doing his part, he said. “I’m producing my own energy,” said Mackay. “I’m using it so I’m not using electricity or gas. But
Earth Living Photo/Ken Levy
Peter Mackay stands by a photovoltaic (solar) array used to help power his home. Mackay intends to add yet more solar panels and is selling his wind generator to make room for them.
I do have all of that as backup.” He stores no power in batteries or other systems, but is gridtied to Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative lines. Grid tie is less expensive and a lot easier to use than battery storage, he said. “It’s all going back into the grid right now,” he said, of his electrical production. “Fall River is like a battery backup to me.” An electrician helped him install the solar equipment. He was connected to solar in Jackson in the early 90s and learned more about the technology, and “put a couple of kilowatts on my house in Wilson. I had it on battery backup.” Until November, he’s financially neutral with the company, because whatever he makes and whatever
he uses comes out even, except for the coop’s standard service fee of about $36 a month. The electric company required inspections to ensure compliance with their system. He has automatic switches on his systems that shut him down in case of a power failure so he’s not putting power out into the company’s lines during those occasions. One of his two electric meters records the solar energy he makes, and the other records his usage from Fall River. Mackay is selling his windgenerating system so he can install yet more solar capacity. He doesn’t get consistent enough wind to make wind power as viable as solar on his property. He’s planning to switch to all Sun shine continued on next page
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Sun shine continued from previous page
solar. The wind-generator Mackay said he’d have to package, comprised of a dig through his driveway to Windpower Skystream 3.7, run power out to the new 1.8kW Residential Wind solar array, and he doesn’t Power system with a 33-foot want to cut through the tower, was advertised for pavement. Instead, he’ll $5,000 at press time. use the lines to the wind “I’m not in the windiest spot generator and sell the in the valley,” Mackay said. equipment. Earth Living Photos/Ken Levy “Some places, that’s all it does “The lines are there. Solar thermal panels heat water for is blow out there. Victor really I’ll have more power with Above: radiant heating and hot water. Right: Mackay gets a lot more wind than I get. solar than wind,” he said. with his solar powered water heater. I’m pretty sunny here instead.” He can generate about The wind generator is a great 25kW on a partiallything to have, he said, sunny day. Average home was at 72 degrees “because when it’s household use in the during a mid-March visit. It’s “If I can get any money out storming it’s valley is about 300 really blowing kW a month, he of that wind generator and all going here. But I said, which is give it to somebody that can back into the grid want to put about what he use it, that’s why it’s for sale.” Disadvantages to the right now. Fall River another solar can produce. photovoltaic system, up. Power If he produces is like a battery has to be out more than he besides the obvious whims backup to me. there and come uses, his bill is of weather, are initial capital outlays for solar equipment, back to me. My credited. systems out there His house, at 2,800 installation and related costs. create DC power coming square feet of living space, Mackay said he budgeted for back to me inverted into AC is well insulated and is also the system here after selling power. I have to have power to heated by passive solar heat. his Wilson house. “It’s a 10-year investment,” put my solar out there.” Using no power at all, his
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he said. Solar panels and related costs are dramatically less than when he first installed them about seven years ago. Costs back then ran about $35,000. Today’s cost can be less than half that. There is virtually no cost once it’s in, however. ■
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Earth Living graphic / Amy Birch
Preserving
nature The Boy Scout Way Bridget Ryder / Earth Living staff
F
or obvious reasons, not everyone can be a Boy Scout, but any interested person could read the Boy Scout Handbook. In twelve editions published over 100 years, the organization has been teaching America’s boys how to love and preserve nature. But anyone can apply the Boy Scout way to keeping the world going. Conservation starts with respect, which the Boy Scouts have been teaching since 1911. The original handbook encouraged the first scouts to outgrow boyish recklessness and instead care for tiny creatures. A section titled “BIRDCRAFT” and written by the National Association of Audubon Societies is dedicated to the theme of wildlife protection: “Many a boy thinks that just because a bird is alive and moves it is a proper target for his air rifle or his sling shot. Let us be thankful that there has now arisen a new class of boys, the scouts, who, like the knights of old, are champions of the 12
defenseless, even the birds. Scouts are the birds’ police, and wo betide the lad who is caught with a nest and eggs, or the limp corpse of some feathered songster that he has slaughtered. Scouts know that there is no value in birds that are shot, except a few scientific specimens collected by trained museum experts.” Today’s anglers will more than ever appreciate the call for responsible fishing that the scouts issued to boys over 100 years ago: “It should be the invariable practice of anglers to return to the water all uninjured fish that are not needed for food or study. It is not all of fishing to fish, and no thoughtful boy who has the interests of the country at heart, and no lover of nature, will go fishing merely for the purpose of catching the longest possible string of fish, thus placing himself in the class of anglers properly known as fish hogs,” the organization Scouts continued on next page
Scouts continued from previous page
officially instructed.
T
he 1979 edition also has a few tips for backyard conservation. “In the fall put out feeding stations for birds keep them stocked the entire winter.” “Put up brush piles as shelter for mall animals where no cover exists.” By the last half of the century, water had also become a concern. Even in 2013, these Boy Scout practices from the 1979 handbook can be used at home. “Protect a low stream bank from erosion by planting willow cuttings. If planted in Spring or early summer, the cuttings will soon sprout roots to hold the soil.” “For dishwashing and laundering in camp, use soap and not detergent. Soap breaks down in nature and disappears.” “Cut a half gallon plastic bottle in two. Place the lower part in the bottom of the toilet tank. In a family of four, the water
you save will amount to 135-gallons a month.” “Shower the water-saving way: Wet yourself. Turn off the water. Lather up. Then rinse, first in warm water, then in cooler water.” “If you have a garden to water, water in the late afternoon or evening so that the evaporation will not waste water. The plants will have the whole night to benefit.”
T
he Boy Scouts have also taught forest foraging. The 1979 section on edible greens gives some suggestions for a serving of vegetables right out of the woods: “Of all the wild salad greens, watercress is king, Young sprigs of the leaves of dandelion, chicory, and lamb’s quarters come next. Sprigs of purslane and chickweed follow. Young sprouts on the tips of cattail rootstocks can be eaten raw from fall to early spring. Leaves of sheep sorrel add a tangy taste to your
salad.” “In the spring cut the shoots of common milkweed when they are just a few inches long. Boil them in enough water to cover. When almost done, pour off the boiling water, pour on the fresh water. Boil until tender .Serve like asparagus.” “You can get plenty of nourishment from the roots or tubers of arrowhead, cattail, prairie turnip, groundnut, hog peanut, Jerusalem artichoke, day lily, and the first year roots of common burdock.” “In a pinch these roots and tubers can be peeled and eaten raw, but they are better boiled or roasted in the coals of your fire. For roasting, first wrap the roots in several layers of large leaves that have been dipped in water. The wet leaves will first steam the roots; then, as the leaves dry the roots will be roasted. The roots of dandelion and chicory can be used as coffee “stretchers” or substitutes. Dry them first. Then chop then up. Roast the chips on a pan to a dark brown. Then grind hem between stones or in the a coffee grinder.” ■
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his is an event to help our community be more prepared for times of natural disasters, first-aid emergencies,on Saturday, May 11 at the Driggs LDS Stake Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and to learn to be selfsufficient in hard, economic times, etc. There will be approximately 22 booths set up with displays of ways to do many things, such as tunnel gardening; making soups from scratch; how to turn off gas and water; canning seeds; alternative ways of cooking without electricity or gas; pandemic preparedness, and more. Also, there will be 50-minute workshops that community members may attend covering topics such as, • Financial preparedness • High altitude gardening • Making basic bread dough • Family disaster plans • Community disaster plans
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• Dry pack canning • Backcountry preparedness • Learning to build an emergency water pump, and the list goes on The first event took place several years ago and was well attended. Make plans to be a part of it, again, this year. More details coming soon. A flyer will be available with more details in the near future. Please pass on this information to all venues and persons throughout Teton Valley. This event is free of charge. Donations of canned food for our community food bank will be accepted at the event. ■
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GMOs
GMOs, or “genetically modified organisms,” are plants or animals created through the gene splicing techniques of biotechnology (also called genetic engineering, or GE). This experimental technology merges DNA from different species, creating unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and viral genes that cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding.
(genetically modified organisms)
(nongmoproject.org)
Why GMOs Labeling
Seed producers modify their seed to make it resistant to their brand of herbicide.
According to a CBS News Poll,
(dissidentvoice.org)
87%
of respondents want GMOs labeled
USDA has approved 81 GE crops 22 applications are pending
The US and Canada do not require labeling GMO foods. In Europe, Australia and Japan, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production of GMOs because they are not considered proven safe.
The USDA appears close to approving GMO salmon from Massachusetts-based AquaBounty Technologies. The salmon would be the first genetically engineered animal to enter this country’s human food supply. (HuffingtonPost)
(USDA)
The vast majority of soy, corn, cotton and canola seed is genetically engineered.
Mice fed GM pesticide producing corn over four generations showed abnormal structural and chemical changes to various organs and significantly reduced fertility.
Whole Foods Market Inc, Trader Joe’s and other food retailers representing more than 2,000 U.S. stores have vowed not to sell genetically engineered seafood if it is approved in the United States.
Organics To meet the legal definition of organic, crops must be raised without chemical pesticides and fertilizers, irradiation or genetic modification. (Washingtonpost.org)
Foods made from GE crops are not labeled, but the typical American consumes them regularly because most processed
products contain ingredients made from modified soy, corn, canola and sugar beets. (Washington Post)
The United States already is the world’s largest market for foods made with genetically altered plant ingredients.
Organics represent just
3.7%
of the food sold in this country according to the Organic Trade Association.
(HuffingtonPost)
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Earth Living Infographic / Amy Birch
The modern eating system through the journey of a
spud
Santa Maria onto the shores of what Frank Muir, CEO of the Idaho Potato is now the Dominican Republic and in Commission has traveled to over thirty that moment, according to Charles C. countries. Everywhere he goes he finds his Mann’s 2011 Orion article “Birth of the home state synonymous with one word. Homogenocene,” he changed the course “I say Idaho and they say potatoes,” of history not only for humanity, but also for the natural world in which it lives. he said. Mann pinpoints Columbus’s landing A deeper look at the root in the Caribbean as globalization’s vegetable reveals globalizabirthday. tion by way of the fork. What An Irish dinner without Without the food system potatoes seems impossible. would as we know it—for better Potato pancakes are a basic of or for worse—the way an American German faire. What would an we live as we know it American hamburger be without hamburger wouldn’t exist. But it cuts French fries? But no one in both ways. World events be without Europe was making mashed po also contributed to our tatoes in 1491 and unlike corn, French fries? Americans modern eating system. didn’t learn to plant In 1492, Christopher potatoes from Squanto. Without Columbus stepped off the Bridget Ryder / Earth Living staff
Columbus potatoes may never have made it out of South America. From the Caribbean, Spanish explorers and Conquistadors made their way to Peru, tasted the potatoes the Incas were already growing and took specimens back to the Spanish court. From there, spuds slowly spread through the rest of Europe. “Before the end of the sixteenth century, families of Basque sailors began to cultivate potatoes along the Biscay coast of northern Spain,” the United States Potato Board recounts on its website. Sir Walter Raleigh then got the Irish to plant 40,000 acres of spuds in 1589. Continental Europeans eventually discovered that potatoes were easier to cultivate, fed more people per acre, and provided more nutrition than the wheat and oats they had been growing. The new food also allowed Spud continued on next page
Potatoes were cultivated in Peru 3,000 to 7,000 years ago
From the Caribbean, Spanish explorers and Conquistadors made their way to Peru, tasted the potatoes the Incas were already growing and took specimens back to the Spanish court. From there, spuds slowly spread through the rest of Europe.
1492
Christopher Columbus changed the course of history not only for humanity, but also for the natural world.
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End of 16th Century
Families of Basque sailors began to cultivate potatoes along the Biscay coast of northern Spain.
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Earth Living Photos/Ken Levy
A potato digger shoots potatoes into its companion truck during seed potato harvest at Arnold Potato Farm in Felt.
Smar t Home S olutions
Spud continued from previous page
farmers to rotate crops and keep the soil producing food every year instead of letting fields sit fallow. In another 2011 article in Smithsonia magazine, Mann also explained the cultivation of potatoes as the first fertilizer reliant monoculture. The potatoes grown in Europe descended from a few spuds imported from Peru. Since potatoes sprout from the cuts of other potatoes they are true clones and the crops of Europe lacked the genetic variety of their Peruvian cousins. Along with potatoes, the Spaniards discovered guano—the semi solid urine of the Peruvian Pelican. The nitrogen rich poop became an essential ingredient in the feeding vast numbers of people with potatoes. By the 1700’s the potato had become a staple throughout Europe, its productivity dramatically increased by with the help of intense fertilization
1589 Walter Raleigh then got the Irish to plant 40,000 acres of spuds
to the delight of humanity. “Before the potato (and corn), before intensive fertilization, European living standards were roughly equivalent to those in Cameroon and Bangladesh today. On average, European peasants ate less per day than huntingand-gathering societies in Africa or the Amazon. Industrial monoculture allowed billions of people—in Europe first, and then in much of the rest of the world—to escape poverty. The revolution begun by potatoes, corn and guano has allowed living standards to double or triple worldwide even as human numbers climbed from fewer than one billion in 1700 to some seven billion today,” Mann wrote. According to Mann, potatoes were the sustenance of imperialism. Colonists started cultivating potatoes in the United States in the 1600s. Two hundred
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Spud continued on page 14
1700s The potato had become a staple throughout Europe.
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1836
Idaho began growing potatoes and became the presentday largest producer of potatoes.
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1952 Mr. Potato Head hits toy shelves.
Earth Living Timeline / Amy Birch
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Built continued from page 6
their desire to build green. He said they do their best to educate their clients, but don’t impose their values on anyone. You might recognize their work if you went to Music on Main last summer. The stage was the work of Teton Timberframe and was done is just a few short weeks. But the business is more than just construction. Riley said the project he’s most proud of is building Wyoming’s first EcoNest home in Moose. EcoNest specializes is super healthy and sustainable homes. Teton Timberframe is an affiliate builder. That’s something Riley is passionate about and wants to do more of. He thinks he’ll get the chance. “Many people vote with their dollars and will choose to do business with a company that delivers a superior product in socially responsible ways,” he said. He points to companies like Patagonia and Interfaceflor as models. Like those companies, Riley feels a sense of responsibility that is larger than the product they sell. The Teton Timberframe team also works to carry out the legacy and history of the business. Founder Bryce Broughton started building timber frames when
he was 14, helping his dad who built and sold post and beam homes beginning in the early 1980’s. When the family moved out west in 1994 Bryce took over the timber framing business and started Teton Timberframe, their website said. “He was a gifted business man and creative entreprePhoto courtesy Teton Timberframe neur. He had an eye A Teton Timberframe home in Driggs. for perfection, as well as a good conscioustion of timber framing with the additional ness for the environment, which led him in the direction of touch of natural, locally produced matericrafting frames out of recycled materials. als. Although Bryce, who died in 2007, is Despite the expense of using recycled/ sorely missed, “ ‘we know he’s with the reclaimed timbers, he made it work for business in spirit.’ ” Maybe that’s part of the reason Riley the business and his clients.” “His best wish would be that more believes education is also an important customers would go the extra step to aspect to the business. Teton Timberbuild environmentally conscious and frame is a member of the Timber Framers energy efficient homes. The extra Guild and has an apprentice program. expense up front will pay off in the long Riley is a journeyman and said they’ve pull. Present owner Adam Riley will attest made a commitment to pass along their to that as he continues the age-old tradi- business model though the generations. ■
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Ditch the Car from page 4
route. Visit saltlakeexpress.com For other public transportation options, including taxis, visit tinyurl. com/a9ooeou.
On your feet...
In Driggs, new trails include a planned northern route from the recently-repaved 1000 N. to the Valley Centre Subdivision in 2014. In 2015, look for plans to solidify for a trail that ties Huntsman Springs’ trails into the new pathway, allowing walkers or bicyclists to travel to downtown or the middle and high schools. In 2015, the county will apply through the Recreation Trails Program for land acquisition for a trail from Driggs to Tetonia, which would connect the Ashton to Tetonia Trail. That gravel Rail Trail runs about 30 miles and is ideal for equestrians, walkers, mountain bikers, snowmobilers and crosscountry skiers. Eventually, users will be able to link from Victor to Ashton, with “a little skip to the Warm Springs/West Yellowstone” path, said Self. The trails follows old railroad routes and link the Backcountry Rails to Trails system that’s seen as the Grand Teton/Yellowstone bike hike horse trail and paths system. When all is connected, walkers and others could journey from Victor to West Yellowstone, MT with a rough estimate of under 100 miles of pathway. Concept plans are in the work for improvements to West Little Avenue to the west edge of the city. The plans include sidewalks up to the Huntsman Springs pathway to connect infrastructure there. With the Transit Center and Park and Ride lots close by, walkers can kick over to west Little, walk to the Huntsman Springs pathways and link with the Driggs to Tetonia Rail Trail system. Victor is mile zero of the Victor to Driggs Rail Trail because the city was a stop for the Union Pacific Railroad. The asphalt trail runs about eight miles and is accessible to bikes, walkers, wheelchairs and skaters. Victor is a partner in an application with Teton Valley Trails and Pathways for Federal Lands Access Program funds to help extend the trail from the Old Jackson Highway from its terminus to the state line, said Bill Night, Victor planning and zoning director. Attempts continue to find funding to
improve Highway 31 over Pine Creek Pass with some consideration for reasonable bicycle access, he said. Driggs and Teton County are looking at trails along Teton Creek between Driggs and Stateline Road. Some subdivisions
Linking up Ken Levy / Earth Living staff
Although currently just for national park employees, links to bus runs into Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks will soon be readily available to the public through the Linx Transportation Coop. Through a pilot project underway with Linx and many of its providers, regional connections from various locations throughout the Linx network will bring travelers from diverse locations in several states to hook up with
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such as Targhee Hill Estates and The Willows are offering easements to the trail, and “most of the pieces of the puzzle” are coming together. Negotiations with additional landowners are forthcoming. ■
the Link Bus in Yellowstone. Linx Bus in Yellowstone serves major destinations within Yellowstone National Park, with connections to the par’s gateway locations, according to the Linx.coop web site. “The core of Linx Bus in Yellowstone is the southern loop in Yellowstone National Park, with both clock-wise and counter-clockwise routes,” according to the site. Salt Lake Express has confirmed it will run with stops
in both national parks, including the Jackson Hole Airport, with transfers available to Cody, Wyo. and Gardiner, Mont., according to Collette Rinehart, spokesperson for Linx. “We hope that the system will hook up to the Alltrans routes,” she said. Alltrans also operates the Grand Teton shuttle, she said. Currently, the Linx bus in Yellowstone and gateway connections project is in a pilot demonstration phase.
years later they made it to Idaho. “Idaho, the present-day largest producer of potatoes, actually did not begin growing potatoes until 1836… However, it wasn’t until 1872 when the Russet Burbank variety was developed, that the Idaho potato industry began to flourish,” the US Potato Board writes. McDonalds turns Russett Burbank into their French fries and thus the postmodern food revolution—the move to processed foods—proved a boon to potato growers who live off of their sales. Potatoes are the leading vegetable crop in United States according to the US Department of Agriculture. About half of the country’s potatoes become French fries, chips, frozen hash browns, and other forms from a bag or box. Most of the potatoes that enter the global market as exports do so as processed spuds. If potatoes revolutionized the standard of living in Europe, it could be said that processed potatoes sustain the modern pace of life. How many children are fed from a bag of MacDonald’s fries, eat frozen hash browns in the school cafeteria, or sit down to a diner of mashed potatoes made from dehydrated flakes? Reheating precooked food, including potatoes, allows moderns to take time spent in the kitchen and put it into their commute to and from work, going to the gym, overtime hours at the office, or any other of a number of activities. Today, the globalization continues and food has new politics. The United States has been trying to overcome the resistance of Mexican potato growers to more imports of American spuds. Despite free trade agreements, the Mexican government has only allowed fresh American
Potato nutrition
Spud continued from page 11
potatoes to reach 26 kilometers inside the border, Muir said. Mexican growers lobby against more American imports because Americans can produce potatoes as a lower cost then Mexicans can. “It really does come down to, in our opinion, protecting a market from fair competition,” Muir said. In the last eight years, Idaho has expanded fresh potato exports into markets as far away as Singapore, Muir said. Local farmers have also engaged in international travel and made sales of their seed potatoes in places as far as away as Maricius, an island off he West Coast of Africa. For these reasons. Idaho also has to protect its branding. When it came to the attention of the Idaho Potato Commission that food producers in Turkey hijacked “IDAHO” and slapped it on
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certain agricultural products they solicited the help of Governor Butch Otter and the Idaho legislature in requesting that the Turkish use a different label. “We have a world wide known brand,” Muir said. Globally, the Idaho label indicates quality in the minds of consumers, Muir said. Muir protects the power of the marketing by ensuring that it only applies to products truly grown in Idaho. Even as Idaho potatoes make a circle both global and historic, the locavore can rest assured that the potatoes bought in Broulim’s have traveled a much smaller circumference. Wyatt Penfold manages the family’s farm in Victor, one of the oldest operational seed potato farms in the Valley. He ships his seed potatoes as far away as Washington state and as close as the Arnold seed potato farm at the north end of Teton Valley. However, he is certain that some clones from his seed potatoes make it back to Teton Valley in one form or another. What globalization means is debatable. Mann even offers two different opinions. In “The Birth of the Homogenocene,” he claims the process begun in 1492 on markedly changing the landscape and vegetation of places such as the Dominican Republic. In Smithsonian he compares growing potatoes on both sides of the Atlantic to reuniting Pangaea. As far as Muir is concerned, Idahoans need not be afraid of the around-theworld popularity of its potatoes. “The folks in Idaho should really be proud,” he said. ■
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Energy use
by the numbers Using Energy
Home heating & cooling
2.3 million
Commuting
19,061 trillion Btu
Estimated number of occupied housing units across the country heated by wood in 2011, which is more than 2.0 percent of all homes.
40,063 Estimated number
of occupied housing units across the country totally heated by solar energy in 2011.
57.0 million
Estimated number of occupied housing units across the country heated by utility gas in 2011, which is about half of all homes. Source: 2007-2011 American Community Survey five-year estimates,
88% Estimated percent
of newly built single-family homes across the country with air-conditioning in 2011. In 1974, it was 48 percent.
Compiled by Rachael Horne
-46%
25.5
Estimated average time for workers age 16 and older across the country spent getting to work in 2011, up from 25.1 minutes in 2009 and 25.3 minutes in 2010.
minutes
The drop in the consumption of residual fuel oil in the U.S. manufacturing sector in 2010, going from 314 trillion Btu in 2006 down to 170 trillion Btu consumed in 2010.
The energy consumption in the U.S. manufacturing sector in 2010, down almost 10 percent from the 21,098 trillion Btu (British thermal units) consumed in 2006.
Source: 2010 Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey preliminary estimates
32.2 minutes
Estimated average time for workers age 16 and older in Maryland spent getting to work in 2011, the longest commute time in the nation. That’s up from 31.8 minutes in 2010.
Watching Nature’s Fury
37.3 million The July 1, 2011,
population of the coastal portion of states stretching from North Carolina to Texas the area most threatened by Atlantic hurricanes. Approximately 12 percent of the nation’s population live in these areas.
16.9 minutes Estimated
average time workers age 16 and older in North Dakota and South Dakota spent getting to work in 2011, tied for the shortest one-way commute time in the nation.
Source: 2011 Characteristics of New Housing Source: 2011 American Community Survey
Building a House 2,480 square feet
The average size of a single-family house built in 2011.
$267,900 The average sales price of
a new single-family home in 2011. In 2008, the average sales price was $292,600.
Source: 2011 Population Estimates
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The number of hurricanes to hit Florida’s Monroe County from 1960 to 2008, the most in the country. The estimated population on July 1, 2011, of 73,873 is up 1.1 percent from the 73,090 counted on the last Census Day (April 1, 2010). Lafourche Parish in Louisiana and Carteret County in North Carolina have each seen 14 hurricanes from 1960 to 2008. Lafourche’s 2011 estimated population 96,666 and has risen 0.4 percent since the 2010 Census. Carteret’s 2011 estimated population of 67,373 has risen 1.4 percent. Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Coastal Services
Source: 2011 Characteristics of New Housing
Earth Living Infographic / Amy Birch
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Editor’s note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Profile America Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines.
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