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Work toward a green future for Sheridan BY DAVE KINSKEY SHERIDAN MAYOR
SHERIDAN — Forty-three years have passed since the first Earth Day when millions of people joined together to show their support for the protection of our environment. One of the highlights of Earth Day is taking stock of the great progress that’s been made. That progress is real. But our job is not done. As the proverb goes; “The Earth was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children.” I think that sentiment has particular resonance on Earth Day —when people around the globe make an extra effort to conserve COURTESY PHOTO and promote our natural resources. That proverb has also been a driving force beSheridan mayor Dave hind our efforts to ensure a future for a brighter, Kinskey says preserving healthier and more economically prosperous city open space and developing — a Sheridan that we want to “return” to our chil- parks and pathways are vital dren, as magnificent as it can be. for the city. The citizens of Sheridan are good stewards of the environment. Our recycling program has been embraced and is one of the most successful recycling programs in the region. Since its inception, the recycling program has grown by 424 percent. Last year 2,910 tons of recyclable materials were kept out of the landfill, which is significant. Landfills are very expensive to operate so the more we can ship off to be repurposed, the better it is for the community and the environment as a whole. In the same spirit of the pioneers who founded Sheridan, we remain focused on promoting the right kind of economic development for our community. We have identified the work to be done, we have a plan and we are following through with the plan. We have accomplished much, but much remains to be done. Preserving open space, developing parks and pathways, restoring the Goose Creeks to their natural grandeur are all vital aspects of creating the Sheridan we will be proud to leave to our children and grandchildren. This year we’re excited to combine the Earth Day celebration with the Sheridan Local Foods Expo. Gardening and raising your own food is making a From the Downtown Sheridan resurgence all across the Association country. It’s good to know Let’s be practical. Everybody can’t realistically where your food comes say they are going to completely stop shopping at from and of course the national chain stores and only utilize local busifresher it is, the better. Loness. If you can, we applaud you. It’s understandcally grown food is good for able that these stores may offer products that are us and good for the enviotherwise not available locally. But if we can ronment. The Sheridan identify what we don’t have to buy at national Local Foods Expo & Earth chains and purchase these goods locally, our local Day Festival will include economy will benefit tremendously. educational speakers, music, children’s activities If during the month of May, each of Sheridan and local vendors providCounty’s 13,949 households (US Census, 2011) ing locally grown foods, spends $50 of their planned expenditures in indeservices and products cenpendent local businesses, $697,450 would circulate tered around sustainable within our community. When those businesses in and “green” living in turn spend those dollars again within the commuSheridan. nity, that amount is multiplied. In all, that spendThank you for joining us ing would generate somewhere between $3.5 and in celebrating Earth Day. $4.9 million dollars in sales.
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Keep labeling law strong BILL BENSEL POWDER RIVER BASIN RESOURCE COUNCIL ORGANIZER
SHERIDAN — A new rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture will improve the consumer information provided for meats. The Country of Origin Labeling Law was passed by Congress in 2008 as part of the Farm Bill. Current provisions require muscle cuts of meat to be labeled for the country of origin of these products, such as “Product of USA.” The World Trade Organization took action against the COOL labeling law on behalf of their international trading allies, stating that the source labeling requirement violates WTO agreements and amounts to trade barriers against Canada and Mexico. In response, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released proposed changes to the COOL law on March 11, 2013, that actually would give consumers more information about the origins of their meats in making retail purchase decisions. Under this proposed rule, origin designations for musclecut covered commodities derived from animals would be required to specify the production steps of birth, raising and slaughter of the animal from which the meat is derived that took place in each country listed on the origin designation. In addition, this proposed rule would eliminate the allowance for any commingling of muscle-cut covered commodities of different origins. These changes will provide consumers with more specific information about muscle-cut covered commodities. L.J. Turner, Campbell County rancher and member of the Powder River Basin Resource Council put it succinctly, “Country of origin labeling is a no brainer, it rewards American ranchers for their high quality beef and offers consumers the opportunity to choose the best product.” U.S. Senators Jon Tester, D–Mont., Tim Johnson, D-S.D., and Mike Enzi, RWyo., have applauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture for issuing the proposed rule to revise the United States’ COOL program. However, this consumer-friendly rule is already being challenged by its historic detractors among the giants in the multi-national foods corporations and various big-business friendly organizations. Consumers and producers are being urged to file their comments with the USDA in order to keep their right to know where their food comes from. The public is being encouraged to continue following this issue even after the close of the comment period. Further efforts to influence this consumer-friendly rule may be forthcoming from governmental entities and international interests. Comments on this proposed rule had to be received by April 11 and were submitted electronically at www.regulations.gov., but future changes to COOL can also be followed through this portal. For more information on COOL, local foods production and other issues critical to Wyoming, please contact Powder River Basin Resource Council at 6725809 or visit www.powderriverbasin.org.
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Sustainability an exercise in mindfulness BY AMY STEEL HEALTH COACH, JOURNEYS CENTER OF WELL BEING
SHERIDAN — In considering sustainability and wellness we must view it two ways. Through one lens, we understand that our practices must be sustained over time if we are to benefit from them. We must eat well, exercise, sleep, relax, pray…etc. with some regularity over time to truly create our healthiest selves. Through another lens, the healthiest version of our environment must be sustained for us to optimize our individual health. Our systems operate best with clean air, clean water and clean food. Our environment can support or hinder our wellbeing. An optimal environment is often one with the healthiest natural elements. It offers water, sun, plants, earth, vegetation and views ... exactly what we as humans need to live. Every day we are presented with choices to show our dedication to sustainability of both our environment and our own individual wellness. Ultimately, sustainability is an exercise in mindfulness. Consider these questions in your own daily practices: • When you’re exercising, do you enjoy the environment you’re in? Do you choose activities you truly enjoy? Might you incorporate a contribution to your community through your exercise program? Example: Pick up trash along your walk or participate in a fundraising race. • When you’re eating, do you choose foods that taste good and nourish you? Do you share meals with people you enjoy in an environment that feels healthy? Might you make an effort to choose food vendors whose growth, delivery, and service practices you admire? Example: Seek out Earth friendly restaurants or purchase local and organic when you can. • When relieving stress, do you consider the nature and effects of any chemi-
cals and/or substances on your health? Do you find time and places which refresh and relax you? Might you discover ways to involve appreciation for your environment in stress relief ? Example: Take 10 deeps breaths of our clean mountain air every day. Every choice we make impacts someone, something, or some place. Every choice is an opportunity to be mindful of our impact. Every little step toward sustainability is a step toward wellness for our environment, our community, our family and ourselves as individuals.
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Try something a little bit different BY JANELLE GRAY LANDON’S GREENHOUSE
SHERIDAN — You definitely get the feeling that the breeder ran out of naming ideas when he got to this grotesque, reddish-orange, bumpy but delicious squash — it’s called Red Warty Thing. I brought it in on a whim one spring and then had customers begging me to continue to carry it. It is just one of the slightly off-beat edibles that will bring fun back into your garden. Unexpected Shapes Try something with an unexpected look to it. Armenian cucumbers are very long, with pale green flesh. They are actually an immature melon. When trained on a trellis, they will grow straight, but left to vine along the ground, they will twist into unusual shapes. Either way, they’ll be impressive. Lemon cucumbers look nothing like the cucs you’re used to: they are round and yellow, great for slicing. Then there’s the round zucchini, eight ball. People who grew it by mistake loved the flavor so much that they now plant it every year. Malabar spinach looks nothing like you’d expect — it climbs. It is slower to bolt than typical varieties, and because of its habit, will take up less space in the garden. Parisian carrots (from seed) are short, round and ideal for containers. Color It took me a long time to get up the nerve to try some of the nonred tomatoes; it just seemed wrong somehow! But now I’m hooked. I love lemon boy, a yellow tomato, which is a sweet, low-acid slicer. I am also very fond of orange tomatoes and will be trying the heirloom, Nebraska wedding, this year. Sunsugar is another heirloom. The vines are prolific and bear a thinnerskinned, orange-yellow cherry which is great on salads. Black cherry is a tasty treat that is such a deep purple that it appears black. Black krim, also an heirloom, is a juicy, flavorful slicing tomato with that same deep-purple color.
Black must be the new red, because there is even a black radish, called black Spanish round. Cauliflower is not just white anymore. The variety “cheddar” is deep orange and contains 25 percent more beta carotene than normal cauliflower. Violet queen is deep purple, even when cooked. Crosses to crow about Grafted tomatoes are one of the most exciting new developments in tomatoes in years. Heirloom or hybrid types are grafted onto hardy root and stem stock. The result is the tomato you love but with higher productivity and beefed-up disease resistance. This can really be beneficial in the case of heirlooms, which are susceptible to almost all of the serious viruses. The tomaccio tomato produces cherry tomatoes that can be left on the plant to dry. Voila—you have sun-dried tomatoes on the vine! Josta berry is a cross between currant and gooseberry. It is a hardy shrub good for our zone. Canby raspberry is a new introduction that features thornless canes. Other plants of note Bhut Jolokia Red — or the so-called Ghost Pepper — has a Scoville rating (which rates the heat of chili peppers) of between 855,000 and 1,400,000 units, just slightly less hot that the pepper spray that police use. Its closest Scoville cousin is the Caribbean red hot (Red habanero) at 400,000 Scoville units. It is a 160 day pepper, so it is best to buy it as a seedling. Borage is an annual herb that can be grown from seed planted in the garden in late May. It produces a star-shaped, deep blue flower, but best of all, it attracts bees while simultaneously repelling tomato horn worms, the scourge of our plants in late summer. The carmine sweet cherry is a new, hardy prunus variety that produces a sweet fruit for snacking. Prior to its arrival, we’ve only been able to grow sour, or pie, cherries here. Now that’s ending on a sweet note!
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Go grass-fed for meat CHRISTY LOHOFF CATTLE PRODUCER, LOHOF GRASS FINISHED BEEF
What are grass-finished meats? Most people envision grazing animals grazing. That is what makes for grassfed, pastured, grass-finished meats, and Sheridan is graced with lots of grazing land and animals. Grazing animals are ruminants such as cattle, sheep and goats as well as elk, deer and moose. Their digestive system is uniquely designed to meet their nutritional needs by converting grasses, forbs (i.e. clover, weeds, flowers) and even browse (i.e. sagebrush, chokecherries, buckbrush) into meat. Grass-finished meats are unique in that they are produced entirely on these grasses, forbs and browse. Growing ruminants fat enough to slaughter requires time. Thus most domesticated ruminants in the United States are converted to a higher protein grain diet for faster, less costly finishing. Chickens and pigs do not have the long, multi-section digestive tract of ruminants and must have additional feeds such as insects, grain, dairy products, etc. to meet all of their nutritional requirements. Why grass-finished meats? • Grass-finished meat tastes good. The meat from ruminants eating a highly varied range diet has lots of flavor. Our visitors from other parts of the country often wonder what we use to season our burgers and steaks. The answer is often nothing and always nothing fancy! • Grass-finished meat is good for you. Not only do cattle on open rangeland eating 100 percent forage tend to be healthier, but their meat is healthier. Subtle changes in how food is produced can have dramatic effects on health over the long term. Grass-fed and finished beef has lower total fat and saturated fat levels and higher levels of omega 3 fatty acid, conjugated linoleic acid, ALA, vitamin E, B-vitamins, calcium, magnesium, potassium and Beta-carotene than grain-fed beef. These “good fats,” minerals and vitamins contribute to healthy cardiovascular function and a growing number of overall health benefits. • Grazing is good for the animals. Pastured animals are rarely sick and thus the need for most of the vaccines, drugs, and dewormers is greatly reduced. Wyoming and Montana have highly desirable grazing land. The cattle drives of the 1800s headed north from Texas because the cattle thrived on this vegetation. Much of that same native rangeland, richly diverse in forbs, grasses and brush, remains and ruminants thrive on it every bit as much. The arid climate results in nutrient dense vegetation and the “terroir” is found in the meat. • Grazing is good for the range. Just as the animals flourish on this range, the range flourishes with grazing. Grasses are designed to be eaten, trampled, mixed with manure making compost, and then rested. Ungrazed landscapes get lodged in old growth, halting the nutrient cycling in the soil and choking out new growth. • Grass-finished meats are good for producers. I would venture to guess most of us take great pleasure is seeing our animals healthy. The fresh air and generally enjoyable work of ranching is rewarding to man and animal. There is something meaningful in completing the circle of life for these animals that have been part of the rangeland with us. We take pleasure in feeding families meat which we know is healthy and safe and raised in as natural an environment as possible. How are grass-finished meats raised? No doubt a dozen farmers and ranchers would answer this question a dozen different ways and probably differently every year! In general, we do our best to keep land, livestock and people healthy by keeping cattle, goats and sheep rotating through pastures year round, by providing access to water and to organic trace mineral salts and kelp, and by not confining the herd in corrals. We do not use medications, antibiotics, hormones, dewormer, pesticides, or herbicides on the animals we harvest or the pastures they graze. Our calves are born on their own in open pastures on the late spring grass. The mother cows clean their calves and the calves get busy nursing and learning to graze all the grasses and forbs. At a couple months of age, the calves are branded and castrated, and the bulls are turned out to rebreed the cows. In the late fall or early winter, when the calves are about 6 months old, they are weaned from their mothers. SEE GRASS, PAGE 13
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GRASS: After slaughter, beef is dry-aged FROM 12
Within days the calves are grazing independently, and we move them to fresh pasture. Through the winter the calves usually receive supplemental hay or alfalfa cubes in addition to pasture. As soon as the spring grass appears, the “calves” are yearlings and are on their own again until winter hay is necessary. The yearlings rejoin the mother cows, which are busy raising a new calf. This multi-aged herd improves pasture utilization patterns. The cycle continues until the third summer, during which the “calves” are then over 1,000 pound 2-year-olds and fat enough to be slaughtered. After slaughter, the meat is dry-aged in refrigeration. This dry-aging process allows excess water to evaporate and the flavor of the meat to condense. Finally, the meat is custom cut, cryovac packaged, frozen, and delivered. Meanwhile, our small herd of goats and sheep are used to spot graze portions of the pasture that have plants undesirable to cattle, such as leafy spurge. The sheep and goats, lamb and kids in April and are moved with electric netting and guard dogs for protection from predators. By autumn, the lambs and kids are fat and ready to be slaughtered. Some of the best meat in the country is raised in the Sheridan area. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to eat well, to support local ranching, and to keep the range healthy. Enjoy grass!
Top 10 reasons to buy locally FROM THE DOWNTOWN SHERIDAN ASSOCIATION
Stimulate local economy— Buying local recirculates more money back into our community, boosting local economy. Better job creation — Small local businesses are the largest employers and account for the greatest amount of job growth in the country. Small businesses typically create jobs with higher wages than national chains. Local character — The unique character of local businesses plays a distinct role in defining Wyoming. Environmental impact and sustainability — Local businesses often purchase goods from other local businesses and suppliers reducing pollution associated with transportation. They also sustain walkable town centers rather than developing on the outskirts of the community, reducing urban sprawl, natural habitat loss and pollution from vehicles. Support for local nonprofits — Studies show that local nonprofit organizations receive far greater contributions, sometimes as much as 350 percent, from locally-owned businesses. Local business invests in our community — Local business owners are invested in their business, which provides them a natural interest in the longterm health of our community. Local business builds civic unity by sustaining community relations and linking citizens. Product diversity and competition — A multitude of local shops will have a better selection of goods that are based on local interests instead of national sales plans. A marketplace filled with small businesses promotes increased competition that ensures innovation and low prices over the long term. Local taxes well spent — Local businesses in town centers require less infrastructure and make more efficient use of tax-supported public services and amenities. Customer service — Local businesses often provide better customer care and service and hire employees with specific product expertise. Our community matters — Our community is more important than a cheap pair of underwear.
http://sustainable-wyoming.blogspot.com/
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In consideration of the honeybee BY BONNIE GREGORY ASPIRING BEE KEEPER
SHERIDAN — Admittedly, I have largely taken bees for granted for most of my life. It wasn’t blatant disregard; I just never considered them much past the fleeting seconds when our paths crossed. I remember watching them on lazy summer days in my grandmother’s garden, walking through an alfalfa field among thousands with an overwhelming buzz and once taking a seat and becoming painfully aware, but our relationship was built on more of a, “I’ll leave you alone if you leave me alone” type theory. It wasn’t until I became a gardener myself, that I finally took the time to not just look, but to actually see these amazing little creatures and have an understanding of the important role they play in our history and our future. From the first beekeepers in the Stone Age, to the beekeepers of ancient Egypt, honeybees have always held a sacred significance to mankind. They are the perfect example of thrift, industry, harmony and loyalty. More than this, more than one-third of our nation’s food crops are dependent on the most important job that they do; pollination. Crops that must be pollinated for reproduction include almonds, broccoli, cherries, squash, strawberries, cucumbers and watermelons, to name a few. With the inclusion of honey, honeybees contribute an estimated $14 billion a year to the American economy. Sadly, Colony Collapse Disorder has been drastically killing our honeybees en masse for several years and has expanded exponentially in the last year, wiping out 40-50 percent of the commercial hives that are needed to sustain our food supply. As I have been mulling over this article for the last month, CCD has garnered some national media attention, from CBS News, with its airing of, “Deepening Honey Bee Crisis Creates Worry over Food Supply” and also on the cover of The New York Times. Montana beekeepers are featured for their losses. CCD is in our backyard. Scientists studying CCD, do not have a conclusive explanation for this malady. But a growing number of researchers and beekeepers say that there is mounting evidence that neonicotinoids (a powerful pesticide that is incorporated into seeds themselves), fungicides, pesticides and the increase in herbicides used on crops that are genetically modified, are to blame. While each of these substances has been certified safe to use, no one has researched the toxic residual soup that they make when combined. Recently, a coalition of beekeepers and consumer and environmental groups are suing the Environmental Protection Agency saying that it has exceeded its authority by conditionally approving some neonicotinoids. European countries have already implicated their use in bee deaths. While the EPA has begun an “accelerated” review on their impact on bees and other wildlife, there are a few things you can do to help the honeybees now. 1) Become a backyard beekeeper — Beekeeping is a fascinating and interesting hobby. If you can grow a garden, you can keep bees. When kept properly, they are great neighbors and only sting when provoked. It can also strengthen the bee gene pool by adding healthy local bees to the mix. A few things to consider: Space — Do you have a large enough lot? One-tenth of an acre can adequately hold a hive. Zoning regulations — Beekeeping is allowed in the Sheridan city limits . Allergies — Does anyone in your family have a bee allergy? Neighbors — Visit with your neighbors and let them know that you will be keeping bees. People can be afraid of what they don’t know, so take the time to educate them on the benefits of bees. Share the honey and watch any doubt fade away! 2) Plant a garden — Cultivate plants that will attract bees. Willow and fruit trees, flowering veggies and large patches of flowers that bloom over the spring, summer and fall are your best choices (mints, all beans except French beans and flowering herbs, asters, sunflowers, hollyhocks, larkspur and foxgloves). Consider building a small bee house in you garden for wild pollinators, if you can’t envision yourself in a beekeeping suit. 3) Keep your yard and garden pesticide free — Some pesticides can kill a bee before it makes it back to its hive. Others get carried back and can harm the rest of the hive. 4) Support local bee keepers — Make an effort to purchase locally made, responsibly produced honey. 5) Bee the voice — Write your city officials, senators and representatives in Congress about funding honeybee research. There are many great resources
online for bee activism!
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Gardening can provide numerous benefits BY BONNIE GREGORY
SHERIDAN — Youth-gardens offer unique opportunities to teach youth about, where food comes from, practical math skills, basic business principles, the importance of community and stewardship, issues of environmental sustainability and job and life skills. Gardening is a healthy, inexpensive activity for youth that can bring them closer to nature and allow them to interact with each other in a socially meaningful and physically productive way. Health studies have shown that gardeners and their children eat healthier diets than do nongardening families. Eating locally produced food reduces asthma rates, because children are able to consume manageable amounts of local pollen and develop immunities. Exposure to green space reduces stress and increases a sense of wellness and belonging. Increasing the consumption of fresh local produce is one of the best way to address childhood obesity. Green space gardens add beauty to the community and heighten people's awareness and appreciation for living things. Gardens filter rainwater, helping to keep lakes, rivers and groundwater clean. Gardens restore oxygen to the air and help to reduce air pollution. Gardens recycle huge volumes of tree trimmings, leaves, grass clippings and other organic wastes back into the soil. Gardens provide a place to retreat from the noise and commotion of urban environments. Gardens provide much needed green space in lower-income neighborhoods which typically have access to less green space than do other parts of the community. Development and maintenance of garden space is less expensive than that of parkland. Scientific studies show that crime decreases in neighborhoods as the amount of green space increases. Community gardens have been shown to actually increase property values in the immediate vicinity where they are located. Food production — Many community gardeners, take advantage of food
production in community gardens to provide a significant source of food and/or income. Gardens provide access to nutritionally rich foods that may otherwise be unavailable to low-income families and individuals. Community gardens allow families and individuals without land of their own the opportunity to produce food. Urban agriculture is three to five times more productive per acre than traditional large-scale farming! Community gardens donate thousands of pounds of fresh produce to food pantries and involve people in processes that provide food security and alleviate hunger. Community organizing — Community gardens increase a sense of community ownership and stewardship. Community gardens foster the development of a community identity and spirit. Community gardens bring people together from a wide variety of backgrounds (age, race, culture, social class). Community gardens build community leaders. Community gardens offer a focal point for community organizing and can lead to community-based efforts to deal with other social concerns.
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Sagebrush Community Garden provides opportunities for food, exercise, fun and friends.