greenmatters'11

/ B Y I N S TA F F

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day and our 2011 Annual Green Matters! Issue, we wanted to give you, our conscientious readers, a few helpful pointers on going “green”—not the feasting, imbibery and debauchery part (though we are huge fans of any holiday that encourages beer consumption)—We’re talking about the other kind of green: recycling, sustainability and organics. The good-for-Mother-Earth kind of green.

You don’t have to go vegan, drive a hybrid or convert your home to solar power (though, of course, this wouldn’t hurt). Even small changes in habit, diet and lifestyle can make a big impact on the world around you.

The individuals and organizations we’ve covered in this year’s Green Matters! Issue each play a different role in our movement toward “green” living, but all of them deserve kudos for their efforts.

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CLEAN WATER is all of our RESPONSIBILITIES

St. Patrick’s Day is generally associated with beer, bars and kissing. Not that anyone’s complaining, but doesn’t it make sense that St. Patrick’s Day would make the perfect opportunity to kick-off a “Green” streak in your life? After all, you’re already wearing it, why not be it. Luckily, ways of going about this are easier than you’d think (you can even go “Green” and still drink on the big day) with many local businesses leading the way.

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The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization estimates that the meat industry generates one-fifth of the world's man-made greenhouse gas emissions.

Not to mention the grain it takes to feed the livestock— currently enough to feed 2 billion people—or the health benefits linked to a meat-free diet.

So maybe this St. Patrick’s Day we should all try to go meat-free. Don’t fret, you don’t have to go vegetarian.

Think “Flexitarian”, or people who dabble in vegetarianism.

After all, if every American cut out meat one day a week, or on (cough) St. Patrick’s Day, the combined effort would have staggering benefits.

But it seems many Pensacolians are already

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hip to this: “Who would have thought a vegan restaurant would be supported in Pensacola?” Jen Knight, owner of End of the Line Cafe, tells me.

“At first we got mostly younger kids, but now we get from six to 80 years old.

From those who are simply being health conscious to those who are curious and want to try something new.” On Thursday nights (St. Patrick’s Day) they do 100-percent vegan three-course dinners. Past hits have included pumpkin soup with caramelized mashed potatoes and mushroom steaks. Their everyday lunch menu also offers an ever-changing array of vegetarian items. “Our menu changes weekly, so people can try new things out and not get bored. And of course, we always have seasonal favorites, like vegan versions of mashed sweet potatoes, because there’s no need to lose that comfort and joy that comes with traditional foods.”

And for those cooking at home, remember, the Boxty is vegetarian!

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This year, instead of putting food dye in your drinks, literally drink “green” by buying organic. Why? Organic products don’t use harmful pesticides or fertilizers that runoff from farmlands and wash into rivers, lakes and streams—contaminating waterways and destroying habitat. They are also statistically more nutritious (well, if beer can be “more” nutritious).

For guilt-free imbibing, check-out Ever’man Natural Foods and Richies organic beer and wine selection.

Richies’ current organic wine selection includes Bonterra, which was one of California’s first vineyards to commit to organic and sustainable wine-growing practices.

Wine is good and all, but St. Patty’s just isn’t the same without the beer, and luckily Richies carries a variety of Peak Organic Beer, too. Be sure to check out their seasonal that’s made with organic Maine oats and Vermont maple syrup. Now if we could only talk Guinness into getting on the organic bandwagon.

If your guilt-free drinks made you over-indulge, than nurse that hangover with some body-loving food or headache-calming coffee at the local restaurants that are hip to your organic loving-self. End of the Line Cafe plans on being completely organic by summer—currently they are 80 percent organic. The Leisure Club also contributes to the cause by selecting Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea brand for their house coffee. Denise Berry, co-owner, explains that their decision was “due to its high quality…and (their) commitment to sustainable farming and direct trade across the world...All of their coffees are fair trade, many organic, with Intelligentsia paying 30- 40 percent above fair trade for most.”

Just remember, supporting organic companies means more four-leaf clovers for everyone.

END OF THE LINE CAFE 610 E. Wright St. 429-0336 eotlcafe.com

EVER’MAN NATURAL FOODS 315 W. Garden St. 438-0402 everman.org

THE FISH HOUSE 600 S. Barracks St. 470-0003 fishhouse.goodgrits.com

St. Patrick’s Day is perhaps so much fun because of the sense of community it creates. For one great day, we’re all Irish. So, how ‘bout, every day we unite for our community?

What better way to show this than by supporting local businesses that support us back. The Fish House was recently recognized by the National Restaurant Association as a recipient on the state level for the Restaurant Neighbor Award.

Doug Wolbert and Alyce Birchenough / Sweet Home Cheese Farm / photo by Ashley Hardaway

The Fish House’s Moma salad They received the award for outstanding community service, mobilizing over 2,000 volunteer hours toward the construction of homes for low-income families in the Pensacola area with Habitat for Humanity. The Fish House also supports local businesses, highlighting local produce in their “Farm to Table” specials and using local farms like Elberta’s Sweet Home Cheese Farm’s products regularly in their dishes. The Fish House, and local business like it, should be like the moose from McGuire’s: a local treasure.

For those of you who like to cozy up to the farmers yourselves, than make your way over to Port City Market to plan your meal as the Irish do: whatever’s in season is what’s for dinner.

So this St. Patrick’s Day let’s try to make more than your clothes green.

After all, if St. Patrick saw the effects our current habits are having on the environment, snakes wouldn’t have been the only thing cast out of Ireland.

Self-control is often lost in the twilight hours of St. Patrick’s, but let’s not make the environment suffer for our poor judgments. This year, let’s try to separate out everything into two bins—the city picks

THE LEISURE CLUB 126 S. Palafox 912-4229 tlcdowntown.com

PORT CITY MARKET

up recycling now, so there’s literally no excuse for throwing away that Coke can. And if there are things that can’t be recycled, remember there are other options. Take a page from End of the Line Café, which composts all their food scraps so that a local Manna Food Community Garden can use them; or Cactus Flower Café, which uses biodegradable to-go containers; and The Leisure Club, which uses compostable to-go boxes that are made from sugarcane, to-go cutlery made from plant starch, and disposable cups made from 50 percent recycled plastic bottles.

St. Patrick’s Day just got a little classier.

SE Corner of Palafox and Main streets Saturday Mornings portcitymarket.com

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SWEET HOME CHEESE FARM 27107 Schoen Road, Elberta, Ala. (251) 986-5663 southerncheese.com

Simple and reliable has always been a good way to go.

At Regions, we know our customers want a banking experience that’s personal, helpful and secure. And when you bank with us, that’s exactly what you’ll get. We’re dedicated to sound banking practices that are effective in any environment – so you can reach for your goals with more peace of mind. Most of all, we’re dedicated to putting you first. Come see what over 8 million customers across 16 states have already discovered – with Regions, it’s time to expect more.

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© 2011 Regions Bank.

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LOCAL "GREEN" ALL STARS THAT ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE / BY J E S S I C A F O R B E S

The 2011 IN “Green Team” consists of groups and individuals who are working to promote and support green practices in our community. They approach sustainability from a variety of angles, including greener business, food production and building practices. All are focused on demonstrating the viability of green living, and the huge impact even small changes in our daily choices can have. From organizing farmer’s markets to consulting in sustainability marketing, each of the featured team members is committed to bringing healthier and more environmentally-friendly alternatives to Pensacola and beyond.

SARAH BOSSA Garden Coordinator, Manna Food Pantries/Manna Food Gardens Sarah Bossa began volunteering with the gardens program at Manna Food Pantries almost three years ago. After volunteering for six months, she was hired on as a part-time employee. From there, Bossa has become the full-time manager of Manna Food Gardens, coordinating the pantry, community and school gardens programs.

Bossa’s path to Manna began with an interest in nutrition. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance, Bossa lived on a small farm in South Alabama for sixth months and learned a great deal about farming and local crops. After returning to Pensacola, she began working with Manna in order to continue her own education about healthful food production.

Manna Food Gardens was established five years ago with funds from an Impact 100 grant. The food grown in the Manna Pantry Gardens is distributed with the canned food donations to clients. The overall aim of the program is to keep farming skills alive, with a focus on sustainable, chemical-free growing methods.

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In addition to managing the pantry garden, Bossa conducts community outreach and education programs. For the school and community gardens programs, Bossa consults with interested parties to set up teams for each garden’s care, then conducts site assessments and aids with design concepts and the acquisition of materials to build the garden beds.

Currently there are 18 school gardens and five community gardens in place in Escambia and Santa Rosa County schools.

Last year, Manna grew over 1,700 pounds of food on the pantry garden, and over 700 in the community gardens.

As Bossa stated, garden produce provides people with something to replace the less healthy food in their diets. In striving to create a stronger network of community gardeners, Bossa is hoping to give people the tools they need to increase their personal health and the vitality of their communities.

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HILARY GILES Palafox Market Manager, Pensacola Downtown Improvement Board This May, the Palafox Market in Downtown Pensacola will begin its fourth

season. After three successful seasons of events in the arts community on the side. bringing the community and local farmers Her experience managing and promoting and artists together, the market is extendgallery nights, benefits, and art shows ing its operation this year to eight months, made managing the market a good fit running from May 7 through Dec. 17. for Giles, whose event management and Each Saturday of the season, an promotion experience is essential to her average of 45 vendors selling locallyrole as Market Manager. produced produce, meat, cheeses, baked Giles is an employee of the city’s goods, art, plants and antiques set up to Downtown Improvement Board, which sell their goods along the Martin Luther operates the market. The availability of King Jr. Memorial Plaza on the first block fresh, local food is important to Giles, who of North Palafox Street. appreciates the farm vendors who produce The person coordinating all the activwithin a 100-mile radius of downtown. ity surrounding the market is Hilary Giles. Giles was hired on to manage the market during its second season and is responsible for the market’s advertising, permitting and general operation.

Originally from the greater New York/New Jersey area, Giles has a B.A. in economics and previously ran a pet-sitting business for 10 years, while organizing Palafox Market vendor / photo by Samantha Crooke

ANDREA SUTRICK

This season, Giles is hoping to recruit additional volunteers to assist farmers with booth set-up. Volunteers also man the market’s information table, where they answer questions about the market and provide maps of the downtown area, so market visitors can enjoy downtown shops, museums and restaurants.

Visit the Palafox Market each Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. beginning May 17.

LEADERSHIP PENSACOLA CLASS OF 2011 “Let ’s Grow” Project The “Let’s Grow” project is the brainchild of the Leadership Pensacola Class of 2011. The project was initiated to address Escambia County’s alarming 37-percent obesity rate—a statistic 20 percent higher than the national average—and aims to “provide children an opportunity to cultivate healthy foods through school gardens and gain real world knowledge about nutrition to achieve greater health and wellness.”

In all, the LeaP class has built the framework for school gardens at six Escambia County schools: Blue Angels Elementary School, Ferry Pass Middle School, Escambia Westgate, Workman Middle School, OJ Semmes Elementary School and Bellview Middle School.

The gardens—6 at each location—will contain edible vegetables based on the harvest schedule of each school and include broccoli, various types of

LeaP's "Let's Grow" Project greens, green beans, radishes, carrots and tomatoes.

Students are involved in both the planting and gardening, the level of the involvement varying based on the curriculum developed by each school.

The aim of the project is not only to encourage nutritious eating habits among students, but also to teach them about gardening and growing food for themselves using techniques that are environmentally friendly, such as using compost piles, rain barrels, mushroom composts, soils and natural seeds. The gardens are simply made and can be built at home as well, which can promote healthy eating at the house.

Although the 2011 LeaP Class will graduate in May, “Let’s Grow” project

co-chair Shawn Hutcherson assures the IN that sustainment plans are being developed now to ensure current gardens are kept up. Teachers for each school have expressed interest and committed to the sustainment of the gardens. Each school will develop their own unique curriculum for the gardens, and the best practices will be taken from each school and compiled into notebooks for schools who decide to plant gardens at a future date. According to Hutcherson, community partnerships will be key in the sustainment of the gardens, and those partnerships are being developed now.

For more information on the “Let’s Grow” project, email letsgrowinfo@gmail.com or visit the “Let’s Grow” Facebook page.

Marketing Coordinator, Panhandle Fresh Marketing Association During the 10 years Andrea Sutrick worked in the Sales and Marketing Division of Kraft Foods, she gained valuable perspective and experience she is now applying in her position at Panhandle Fresh Marketing Association, based in her native Santa Rosa County.

Panhandle Fresh’s primary goal is to increase the profitability of agriculture throughout the Panhandle region.

By assisting farmers with accounting, obtaining liability insurance, and handling the marketing and distribution of their crops, Sutrick, through Panhandle Fresh, gives participating farmers the ability to concentrate on farming, with the assurance that their products will reach multiple local markets.

Team Santa Rosa launched Panhandle Fresh in November 2007, and it began with six producers in Santa Rosa County.

The program quickly grew to include farmers in counties in South Alabama and throughout the Panhandle.

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Currently in her third year with Panhandle Fresh, Sutrick works to get farmers’ produce to more markets, namely supermarkets. By grouping together the farmers’ products to sell larger inventories to local stores, Panhandle Fresh is able to meet the inventory needs of local WalMart outlets and 20 local grocery stores in the Food World and Bruno’s family.

Last year, Panhandle Fresh launched its Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, which Sutrick coordinates.

CSA customers receive a box of produce each week containing a variety of locally grown, seasonal produce. Sutrick sends customers e-mails each week announcing the contents of that week’s box, along with recipes, tips and information about the farms on which the contents are grown.

While the CSA did not break even in its pilot season, the financial issue is a hurdle the organization believes it can overcome with slight adjustments to the program. Sutrick is currently preparing for the upcoming CSA season, set to begin in early June. For more information, visit panhandlefresh.com.

DR. GREGORY TOMSO Associate Professor and Associate Director of University Honors, University of West Florida Dr. Gregory Tomso has developed his passion for whole and sustainably grown foods into both an academic course and a local public education campaign. Having recently co-organized the recent Community Gardening Day, Tomso regularly advocates awareness of our food production systems as a university educator.

While food was central to his Midwestern family, Tomso’s focus on nutrition and sustainable food practices intensified three years ago, when he was diagnosed as pre-diabetic and hypertensive.

Learning that both conditions are largely a result of one’s diet, he eliminated processed foods and refined sugar from his diet, and simultaneously eliminated his medical problems while losing 26 pounds in the process.

Dr. Tomso, who holds a Ph.D. in English, is in his sixth year of teaching at

UWF. Having personally experienced the transformative power of eating whole foods, Tomso’s research into nutrition and food production attuned him to the broader human and environmental cost of current food system.

Wanting to use his position as an educator to raise awareness of these issues, Tomso developed the curriculum for the seminar “Politics of Food” from a multidisciplinary perspective, covering nutrition, food production and the local vs. organic debate among other topics.

The course also requires students to visit local farms and complete community service related to the subject, reaching back into the community.

Recently, the National Collegiate Honors Council awarded Tomso a Portz Grant for use on a community-based project, which he used to finance a large part of the recent Community Gardening Day and a garden at Brown Barge Middle School.

Tomso is encouraged by the growing synergy between farmers and the public in Pensacola, stating that our access to farmers and fresh produce provides people in this area with everything we need to change how we eat.

NATALIE TREDWAY Founder and Manager, Port City Farmer’s Market A little over two years ago, Natalie Tredway established the Port City Farmer’s Market held in downtown Pensacola. As an avid proponent and consumer of local produce, Tredway decided to hold the market during the Palafox Market’s offseason (then November to April) to provide area residents with access to locally-produced food and goods year-round.

At the time she formed the market, Tredway was working as a dental hygienist. Using her savings and free time, Tredway had about three months to find a location, recruit vendors for the market and publicize its opening.

The Community Redevelopment Agency put Tredway in touch with Brian Spencer, now a City Councilman for District 6, who owns the property at the southeast corner of Palafox and Main streets and agreed to host the market at that location. To recruit vendors, Tredway contacted participants in the Palafox Farmer’s Market, and called extension offices and feed and seed stores from Mobile to Apalachicola.

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Port City Farmer's Market / photo by Samantha Crooke At the beginning, the market only had two or three participating farmers and crafters, but in its third season it has grown to include almost 30 vendors who pay a flat fee of $75 per season to participate. Tredway enjoys having access to local and organic food throughout the region’s year-round growing season, and giving local food producers and artisans a venue to reach the community. Most food vendors at the market are chemicalfree growers.

Tredway is relocating to Colorado in June and is hoping to establish a board to take over the market’s operation. She’d like to create a board consisting of farmers, crafters and patrons. Currently open each Saturday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., the market is also considering adding a Thursday night market in its next season.

CHRISTIAN WAGLEY Produce Manager, Ever’man Natural Foods Principal, Sustainable Town Concepts Christian Wagley was interested in health food from an early age. Dur-

ing his first tenure at Ever’man Natural Foods from 1996 to 1998, Wagley learned a great deal from customers about the benefits of eating a plantbased diet and continued to educate himself on the subject.

After relocating to Pensacola in 2009 from Fort Walton Beach, he began working at Ever’man again, where he oversees a department that stocks 99 percent organic or organically produced fruits and vegetables.

Wagley’s enthusiasm for organic food stems from his background in environmental science and understanding of how human activities affect the environment. With an M.S. in biology, Wagley has worked in environmental consulting for 15 years and sees food production as a hugely important factor in how human beings impact the land.

Not all of the produce Ever’man carries is USDA-certified organic, but if not, it is produced organically, with chemical-free methods and labeled as such. Ever’man buys locally as much as they can, but due to seasonal production restrictions, must extend beyond the Central Florida to South Georgia growing area to meet customer demands.

In addition to his position at Ever’man, Wagley works as a consultant with his green design-focused firm, Sustainable Town Concepts, and currently serves as the Chair of Advocacy for the Northern Gulf Coast Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, and sits on multiple local development review boards.

Wagley’s position at Ever’man is one facet of his work to promote healthier individuals and communities. Citing environmental studies that point to food production as one of the top three daily human activities that most impact the environment, Wagley states that he feels good about helping other people participate in a renewable, more sustainable food system through Ever’man.

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BY H A N A F R E N E T T E Upcycling has been around for hundreds of years, or at least as long as people have needed to save money or felt the need to get crafty. The term simply defines the act of taking a semi-useless item and making it into something else.

Reusing materials also cuts down on the pollution and cost that it takes to create new products or new materials. So it not only looks cool and saves money, it helps the environment.

Upcycling became increasingly popular with the introduction of Etsy in 2005. Etsy.com is a website where only handmade or vintage items can be sold. Many of the handcrafted items are made from old materials, and the furniture has often been redone a bit. Etsy has over 10 million registered buyers and has sold over $300 million worth of handmade and vintage upcycled items.

Those are some crafty folks.

Project #1 / photo by Hana Frenette

Endeavors in Crafting

With so many people jumping on the upcycling bandwagon, I thought I might try to make some creations of my own. I’d seen many things that I liked made from reused materials; I just never really considered the process behind them. I came up with three project ideas that seemed doable, despite the fact that one required a drill, and I’m not usually wielding a power tool of any kind.

Books made from soda, beer or water bottle boxes This project is fairly simple and requires a stapler, scissors, paper and an X-acto Knife. Take a cardboard box and cut out a rectangle the size you’d like the book to be once it’s been folded in half. Then, you’ll take whatever paper you have (lined, construction, computer paper, etc.) and cut several sheets down to the same size as the rectangle. Center

This was by far the easiest and simplest project I tried. A friend of mine had a pair of worn leather dress shoes lying around his house that already looked like they’d survived a night or two outdoors.

The shoes were already about to be thrown away, so I snagged them for the project.

I wanted to plant some flowers in the shoes and put them in my flowerbed. I bought a small bag of planting soil and a

the paper and the box and staple the two together in the crease, once near the top, and once near the bottom.

Then, fold the book closed.

Take out the X-Acto Knife and make a clean sweep down the side opposite the spine of the book to clean up any paper that may not have lined up exactly. Done.

This project is super easy, and the books look really good. The only drawback is that you can’t put a ton of paper in the books since you’re stapling them together.

Project #2

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few 96-cent pots of pansies.

I filled the shoes with the soil, took the plants out of their pots, and repotted them in the shoe. The shoes are really shallow, so I would suggest not planting anything in them that you’d want to have around for longer than a season.

Basically, I just put the plant in the soil-filled shoe, put it in my garden and liked how it looked. Done. And I recycled a pair of shoes in the process.

d n a g in rv e s re P in ip h rs e Lead t n e m n o ir v n E r u o g n ti c Prote As the provider of water, sanitation and wastewater treatment services to nearly 250,000 Escambia County residents, ECUA is significantly involved in citizens’ lives and the environmental health of our community. Our 550 employees work diligently to address our area’s growing needs. It is a responsibility we take seriously.

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Water Resource Management Protection and management of the Sand-and-Gravel Aquifer – our sole source of drinking water.

Central Water Reclamation Facility Under budget and in record time. In December 2010, the ECUA opened the new Central Water Reclamation Facility (CWRF) – our present to the future.

Hybrid Technology It’s the future of Eco Sanitation. The ECUA has introduced “Green Technology” in the form of a Peterbilt Hydraulic Launch Assist Hybrid sanitation truck.

Cooking Oil Disposal Stations Down the Drain, No More. ECUA's Cooking Oil Disposal Program allows customers to capture and dispose of cooking oil in an environmentally safe and clean manner at nine drop-off stations in Escambia County.

Recycling Program The future of recycled waste flow has arrived. The ECUA Recycling Program is offered as part of the regular residential sanitation service.

Household Hazardous Waste Program A trip to the landfill has become a thing of the past – this is literally “service at your doorstep.”

Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) Program It’s our community’s environmental watchdog – The ECUA Fats, Oil, and Grease (FOG) Program, is a grease control initiative.

Water Reuse on Pensacola Beach The ECUA’s Pensacola Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant has made reclaimed water available to the Santa Rosa Island Authority for irrigation use.

For more information about these ECUA programs, point your browser to www.ecua.org.

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SPOON WIND CHIMES

This was by far the most challenging of all the projects, but I had seen a spoon wind chime in front of a house a few weeks ago and really wanted to make one instead of paying $50 for one on Ebay or Etsy.

You’ll need several spoons, some lace or string, and something to hang the spoons from that is basically flat, like the lid to a jar. You can find a power drill at pretty much any hardware store. However, in true upcycling fashion, I borrowed one from a friend. Using the smallest drill-bit (about a 7/32), drill a small hole at the bottom of the handle. Then, drill holes around the outer edge of Project #3 whatever you choose to hang the spoon from, and one in the middle.

I drilled them in the lid of a spaghetti of the jar lid, so you will have a way to sauce jar. Once you have all the holes hang the chime. Done. drilled, get out the lace or the string The only downfall to this project and tie the spoons on however you is that spoon on spoon clanking like. You can hang several together or doesn’t exactly sound chime-like. one apiece. Then, using the string or However, they look wonderful. lace again, loop it through the middle

My endeavors were less daunting and time consuming than I had originally thought they’d be. And in the process, I saved a pair of shoes, a few beer boxes and some old spoons from the trash.

Although I was happy with the way the projects turned out, it’s comforting to know that there are people out there who could craft in their sleep—People who can use saws, welding tools and sewing machines without a single bout of nervousness or hesitation.

UP AND COMING UPCYCLERS RECYCLED SAINTS recycledsaints.etsy.com Price range: $10-$200 Geoff Peck, founder of Recycled Saints, has been helping his grandfather fix things since he was a child.

“My grandfather, he’s the brightest guy I know, and looking back on it, helping him was definitely beneficial,” Peck said.

Recycled Saints is the name of Peck’s company that restores and reworks old

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Hand sewn ribbon sash, $8, by Lacey Berry furniture, lamps and random finds, like projector screens.

“I was in church, and a guest pastor was talking about recycling saints, and just preaching the same message over and over, but in different ways,” Peck said. “I thought that was clever and felt like I’m kind of doing the same thing by taking perfectly good furniture that people don’t want, and making it good again.”

Peck has only been refurnishing and selling for three or four months, but so far the response has been good.

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“The first batch of stuff that went up sold immediately,” Peck said.

Peck has been listing everything he’s redone on Facebook with the help of his girlfriend, Jennifer Lynn Morgan.

Many of the pieces Peck restores just need a little touching up, while others have new legs or structures built for them, or require sanding, smoothing and repainting.

“It’s all stuff that other people can do, if they just read the blogs,” Peck said.

RIBBONS AND RECORDS etsy.com/shop/laceyb2188 Price range: $8-$30 There are times when a piece of clothing deserves to be donated to Goodwill.

Shoulder pads, sequins and excess ribbon. All of these culprits line the racks at the local thrift stores. Chances are, Lacey Berry’s made something Geoff Peck / photo by Hana Frenette adorable from one of the aforementioned pieces.

“Most ideas just come from finding a fabric,” Berry said. “I guess just whereever the thrift stores take me.”

Berry makes headbands, some with big bows and lace and others resembling bird nests, as well as hand-beaded sashes made out of ribbon.

“I recently found some of my grandma’s old ribbon, the kind that’s still on the paper spool, and I’ve been using that,” Berry said.

Several of the sashes Berry offers have unique detailing, like hand-beading and ribbon detailing.

Berry recently started listing items on Etsy, as well as selling locally.

“I think that Geoff (Peck) and I might actually get a booth at the farmer’s market soon,” Berry said.

Saturday’s Palafox Market is the perfect place to pick up some handmade, upcycled crafts and check out the latest environmental creativity from Pensacola.

“It’s all stuff that other people can do, if they just read the blogs” Peck

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Chair redone by Peck / photo by Hana Frenette