Photo Friday

Happy friday everyone! Our forecast includes some warmer weather this weekend so far- so we're excited for that! Today's photo includes our dredging work!

Featured Article: Late October Stars (In the garden)

Today's featured article is a blog post from A Way To Garden. On Monday we talked about indoor plants for the cooler months, but this blog features a great selection of photos of plants that flourish in late October. She's posted a lot of very beautiful photos of her favorite fall foliage.

In Iowa it's pretty difficult for plants to hold a candle to the changing trees, but these photos show a more diverse selection of different plants in bloom. Check it out and share links to pictures of your favorites from your fall garden in the comments!

See the original post here.

Our 5 Favorite Indoor Plants for Winter

As the fall arrives we are often so lost in the swirl of colorful leaves we don't truly notice that our favorite spring and summer blooms are going dormant for the winter. When the cold weather hits and the beautiful red, oranges, and yellows have turned into crackly brown leaves on the ground, these plants will brighten up your house and remind you through the winter that spring is on it's way. Here are our top 5 indoor winter plants.

Amaryllis

Amaryllis bulbs have become a popular gift, you can buy them in beautiful pots from most stores these days around the holidays. These cheerful flowers are a type of Lily, and are sure to give your home a pop of color through the winter months. In the spring you can choose to transplant the flower to the ground so that it can liven up your garden as well. Make sure this flower gets plenty of sunlight and water.

Crocus

Crocus is another colorful bloom that can also flourish indoors. Make sure that your Crocus plant's pot has a good drainage system. This plant also works best with compost mixed into it's soil, so make sure you give it those added nutrients. After you plant the bulbs plant them in a dark place with an average temperature between 35-45 degrees. Once they sprout move the plant back into the (indirect) sunlight and water regularly.

Orchids

Orchids are beautiful, with a large variety of colors to fit any home decor. Make sure your orchid gets strong, indirect light. If possible, place your orchid somewhere that will give it a little humidity. This plant is another one that you can buy from a lot of different stores when the holiday's approach, since they are a popular gift flower.

Jasmine

Jasmine won't just look pretty, it is also a very fragrant plant. This plant is a bit of a crawler, so give it a trellis to crawl on if you like the look. Jasmine flourishes at 65 degrees, so if you keep your house a little cooler in the winter to save on that heating bill your Jasmine will love you. A little humidity will do Jasmine some good, and indirect sunlight is also what the plant prefers. However, if you have a dog for a family friend we urge caution with indoor Jasmine, as the plant isn't very puppy friendly.

Camellias

This last plant is a little bit trickier to keep, but is know to survive for a very long time if given the chance. It prefers cooler temperatures and large pots. While they require slower watering during the winter you should try to keep the soil moist at all times.

Do you have any other plants you love to use to brighten your home during the winter? Share them and your care plan in the comments!

Photo Friday

Happy friday everyone! This week's photo shows some high capacity equipment- our heavy hauling vehicles.

Did you snap any great photos this week? Share them in the comments!

Featured Article: 5 Ways to Start Preserving Food At Home

Once you start to look into the statistics on food waste the can be fairly alarming. In the United States over 40 percent of food produced is wasted, and the average American produces 10 time their body weight in trash a year.

When faced with statistics like that it's easy to start taking food preservation measures that will also save you some cash! That's where today's featured article comes in. This article goes over a few easy ways to start saving your food, from canning to making jam, they have some great ideas to help you get the most out of your grocery bill.

We hope this article can help you to save some much needed grocery money and some waste- but don't forget that if you do have food waste composting is a great sustainable way to take care of it.

Check out the article here.

Do you have any other smart ways to preserve your food? Share them in the comments!

Tips to Make Your Halloween a Little More Green

Halloween is a lot of fun for everyone. Costumes, candy and decoration can be fun, but they can also result in a lot of waste. However, there are a lot of fun ways to cut down on that holiday waste and still have a blast.

1) Get Natural Decorations: Decorating with pumpkins, gourds, hay and other fall farm fare isn't just local farmer friendly- a lot of it is also compostable! If you scrape out your Jack-O-Lantern like most people, you can even make a tasty snack out of your seeds.

2) Homemade Costumes: If you've had children you know they come up with some crazy stuff for halloween costumes. However, most stores don't carry Tornado costumes. This is just one reason that homemade costumes are an attractive option. Often times you can make a much nicer (and often times reusable) costume at home, and it doesn't involve masks that aren't recyclable.

3) Use Reusable Bags: Reusable bags are durable, and frankly more suited to candy collecting, especially in large neighborhoods. It also means less plastic bags flying around in the weeks following Halloween. If you need a new reusable bag for Halloween, make sure to check out our list of great tutorials here.

4) Green your Halloween Party: When you're in that stage between being the age of a trick-or-treater and having children Halloween Parties are one of the best ways to celebrate. It's important to offer snacks and drinks in large bowls with the option of smaller dinnerware that isn't disposable, whether it's compostable or your own dishes you won't be sending it to a landfill on garbage day.

5) Consider a Candy Alternative: Although it's hard to imagine Halloween without Candy, there are plenty of fun things to give out that require less wrappers and may even be healthier (or not food at all). Plenty of stores stock Halloween themed pencils and crayons, which are great, useful gifts. Pre-packaged dried fruit and pretzels often have less packaging and are, admittedly, more filling than a fun-sized candy bar. They keep a few more wrappers from entering the waste stream and they're a little healthier for the kids.

Those are just a few great ways to green your Halloween this year! What are you doing to make your Halloween a little more green? Have any great stories about the tips we did give? Share in the comments!

Photo Friday

Happy Friday everyone! Tomorrow we're forecasted to have some pretty impressive storms around central Iowa, and everyone knows that with storm cleanup comes a lot of wood from branches and trees damaged in storms. This week's photo shows our Wood Grinder hard at work.

Did you get any awesome shots this week? Make sure to share them in the comments!

Top 10 Pumpkin Recipes

We've already done one fall recipe series with apples, but with the bite of late fall already hitting us, and every coffee shop pulling out their Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Pumpkin Pies gracing the shelves of every grocery store and bakery, we felt it was time to pull out a pumpkin recipe post! Enjoy, and let us know which are your favorites in the comments!

Pumpkin Fudge

 This pumpkin flavored fudge looks positively delicious, and with a fairly easy recipe it's easy to see why this pumpkin fudge could become a fall favorite!

Perfect Pumpkin Pie

 This list wouldn't be complete without the classic pumpkin pie. However, with over 1,000 positive reviews- it's sure to become your favorite. Look through the user picture for great presentation ideas as well! We love the simple crust cutouts to give your pie a little fall flair!

Pumpkin Garlic Knots

 Everybody loves garlic bread. This playful adaptation adds undertones of pumpkin to a tried and true classic.

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Another classic with a twist,  this is a great fall version of the classic comfort food. We recommend checking out some of the reviews, as they have some pretty great ideas for making it even better!

Pumpkin Latte Coffee Cake

On chilly fall days not much can beat a warm breakfast. This coffee cake brings the fall flavor into the fall breakfast food. It's a fun twist with a delicious coffee drizzle! This one is a bit of  long recipe to cook, but if you cook it the day before and then warm it up in the morning it's a perfect wake up call!

Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Creme Sauce

Talk about a twist! These enchiladas are delicious though. A great change up to your typical dinner!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

 A favorite fall snack, this classic recipe is a nice reminder for those who are a bit out of practice. For added flavor feel free to add your own seasonings, like chili powder for a bit of spice or a dash of seasoning salt for an all around great taste!

Roast Pumpkin and Feta Risotto

 The picture above even puts the finished dish in a pumpkin! What a festive way to serve! If you like a risotto this dish is sure to be a classic.

Pumpkin Chili

 This is yet another twist on a classic, but it makes perfect sense, since chili season starts right around the time pumpkins come into season!

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

This is your classic oatmeal baked in a hollowed out pumpkin, then you can serve it out of the pumpkin. The flavor seeps into an already delicious oatmeal. You can't go wrong with this cool weather breakfast!

Featured Article: 10 Things to Recycle for Charity

Today's featured article is an interesting read. According to the article, 72 percent of the people they polled would be more likely to recycle if it benefited a charity! That's great, but if you don't know a way to do that it doesn't help much. Fear not though- this list has a list of 10 things to recycle for charity!

This article is great because it shows you directly who your recycling will benefit, and it isn't an abstract concept like the environment, it's smiling little kids, low income families, teachers, and many others. By showings us people who benefit from the action it gives people someone to relate to, and anything that leads to less waste, especially some of the waste categories on this list, is a good thing.

What do you think? Would recycling come more easily to you if it was for charity?

Read the full article here.

Featured Article: Waste Management and Recycling Infographic

Today we have a featured article... sort of. It's more of a featured infographic. Infographics are a great way to get a lot of information very quickly and this one is no exception.

While none of the facts shown are shocking to us, you might be surprised. U.S. generates a lot of food waste, however we still aren't on board with composting enough to match the waste. It will be interesting to see how these number change now that people are becoming more aware of the dangers of landfilling, especially landfilling organic waste.

Check out the infographic here. Which fact surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments!

Photo Friday

Happy Friday everyone. Hope you had a fantastic week. It's been a great week to spread compost on your garden or field, and this week's photo shows it! Have you started your fall gardening yet?

5 Tips for Meal Planning

Globally, 40 percent of all food created is wasted. This amount is huge and can greatly affect households. One easy way to limit food waste in your own home is meal planning. Meal planning allows a household to choose their meals for a week, shop for those meals and greatly reduce the amount of food they toss each week.

Food planning is easy and fun, so why not start it with your own household? Here are a few helpful tips to get your started.

1) Pick a specific day and time each week to plan your meals: Meal planning works better if it becomes a habit. Find a time that everyone has free to sit down and plan. If everyone is always free 3 p.m. on Sunday that would be a perfect time. Once you make meal planning a part of your routine it becomes second nature.

2) Include everyone who will be eating: This may sound daunting for parents with young children, but including everyone in the meal planning process can be beneficial in several ways. Picky eaters may see it as their choice to have a food they may not have previously liked, and they get to help pick other meals that they know they love. This allows everyone to have a say in the meals and learn about meal planning themselves.

3) Make an ingredient list for every dish: This may sound basic, but finding a couple meals with the same key ingredients can save a lot of wasted groceries. It’s common sense that if you have 2 recipes that call for half an onion you will use the whole onion that week, but it also makes a huge impact on eliminating food waste.

4) Pre-make meals if possible: Let’s face it, there are some nights when ordering a pizza sounds a lot better than making a home cooked meal. That is where pre-made meals come in. There are lots of recipes for meals that you stick in a casserole dish or freezer bag and then just dump and bake. These recipes can be a lifesaver after a hectic day at work. If you plan at least one of these pre-made meals a week you can adjust your schedule for whichever day you need it.

5) Be adventurous: Meal planning offers a great opportunity to try new recipes without having to make last minute after work shopping trips. Embrace the ease of this and try a new recipe! 

Last but not least, remember don't throw those left over food scraps in the garbage to get landfilled- compost them!

Photo Friday

It's friday and so that means it's time for another photo. This week's photo was taken on a worker's cell phone, and it's too gorgeous to pass up. One of our employees caught the sunrise at our site in Dodge City, you have to check it out!

Did you get any great shots this week? Make sure you share the link in our comments!

Featured Article: Walmart's Plan To Fight Hunger In The U.S.

Today's featured article is an interesting one. It's not about a new technology or fabric, but about a social good campaign being run by Walmart. Many people view Walmart as a big bad, but it's actually awesome how much social good the company has been working to provide. Currently the chain is #1 in solar energy and they compost food waste, along with many other programs that are good for the environment and the communities they are in. This social good campaign takes on the other side of the register. While Walmart has been working on making their own company good, this one helps their customers and potential customers.

The truth is Walmart is doing a real service to these communities by trying to make sure that no one goes hungry. According to Feeding America, 14.5% of household were food insecure (roughly 17.2 million households) in 2010. Families with children were more likely to be food insecure. While those numbers aren't as bad as those in 3rd world countries, it is astounding when you realize how much hunger there really is in the United States. It is especially daunting when you realize that the last couple years have only caused those numbers to grow due to the rising price of food and continued unemployment.

Given that the cost to feed a family of 4 for a month is $45 for Feeding America, the $50,000 that Walmart is donating to 40 communities could do a lot of good. The company is also encouraging their employees to volunteer at food banks.

We applaud Walmart for their efforts and we encourage our readers to get involved in feeding America's hungry in whatever way they can.

Read the article here.

Top 15 T-Shirt DIYs

With the seasons changing it is a lot easier to go through our closets and find items we no longer wear. Whether it's due to a change of taste or a change of fit, we eventually have to let go of old articles of clothing. While donating is also a great option, DIY with t-shirts is fun and can create some pretty cool things! We've compiled our top 15 t-shirt DIYs here for you!

DIY instructions

Making an old t-shirt into an iPod holder out of an old t-shirt is great for running or working out with your iPod, and it's easy to do with this simple tutorial! What a great way to encourage yourself to stay active during the winter months!

DIY instructions

Throw pillows are a great way to brighten up a room or throw some fun colors on a neutral colored couch. These throw pillows memorialize your old t-shirts while giving them a new purpose.

DIY instructions

 This cute and functional ruffle skirt looks dressy enough to be business casual, but since it's made out of your old t-shirt you know it will be very comfortable.

DIY instructions

 It can sometimes be hard to pack shoes, since you wear them on your feet they can often get dirty. This fun shoe travel bag looks cute, is machine washable and you can make it from your old t-shirts! How great!

DIY instructions

 If you simply adore an old t-shirt because of the print on it, and your home is lacking in decorations, then framing your old shirt might be the best option for you! It's a fun way to display the old shirt, and if you get a frame at the right time it can be very cheap!

DIY instructions

 This fun, cute vest is extremely simple to make and looks great on! What could be better?

Link to original

These t-shirt neck ties are great! The only bad thing is that the original article we found links to an esty account that you can send your shirt to for someone else to DIY a tie. However, there are a couple different images so we'd like to think that our crafty readers will be able to figure it out (if you can you should let us know)!

DIY instructions

Remember shag rugs? Super comfortable, shag carpeting was a staple in the 70s', but you can still find shag rugs at major stores. This tutorial shows you how to take your old t-shirts and make your own! How great is that?

DIY instructions

An old t-shirt can make a great apron, and this one even shows you how to make one with pockets!

DIY instructions

Washable diapers are coming back into popularity right now, and what better way to show Mom and Dad's style than by reusing one of your old t-shirts for the little one's diaper? This is a fun way to get a large variety of reusable diapers while still making to reuse some of your own wardrobe!

DIY instructions

 Summer tank tops are great, but if you have one that you're just not wearing anymore a new purse could be even better! This DIY takes an old tank top and makes a great new bag that you can use year round!

DIY instructions

 Scarves are great, whether they're just accessories or necessary for keeping warm. This DIY shows you how to create a fun, fashionable scarf from an old t-shirt. It's quick, and it's no-sew!

DIY instructions

This is another t-shirt turned skirt, but it's a little more casual and simple than the other skirt we have on here. It also allows a lot more room for imagination. The original poster embellished her finished skirt with some cute buttons to dress it up a little bit more.

DIY instructions

 This fun scarf offers another method of reusing the shirts without losing the images you loved from the original shirts. It would be easy to make a themed scarf from old shirts to keep warm and cozy while still remembering why you love your old shirts.

DIY instructions

 Finally, a t-shirt quilt. This is another idea that makes it easy to keep the memory of the old shirt alive while creating something new and functional. They're also very cozy, so it's great to keep warm once the winter months set in.

Do you have any other favorite t-shirt DIYs? Leave them and your thoughts on these ones in the comments!

Featured Article: Wax Walls Keep The Temperature In Your Home Comfortable, Without Using Extra Energy

We're all about the new and sustainable, but this new product could save you some serious money during the winter and summer months as well. Today's featured article comes to us from Fast Company, all about new wax walls!

When you live in the midwest it is easy to see the benefits of better insulation. Our summers are hot and our winters are cold, we get the full effect of every season, which means we like our walls well insulated. These new materials would replace current drywall and be much more efficient, because the heat and cool temperatures are stored in the walls, so that during cooler nights the heat captured during the day will be released, and vis versa.  

Imagine the impact that boards like these would have on your energy bill. Combined with some well placed windows you could be paying much less a month to heat and cool your house. 

These products are just beginning to enter the construction market, so we'll see how they do when put to the test of actual use. 

What do you think? Would you use these boards in place of traditional drywall? 

Read the full article here.