Walk to Work

One of the things I love about my job is I can walk to work!

A post shared by Bona Fide Green Goods (@bonafidegreengoods) on Feb 23, 2017 at 6:55am PST

Somethin's Brewing in Downtown Concord

Last Saturday, I swung on down the street for a pre-dinner brew from the hottest, new place in town -Concord Craft Brewing. I was thrilled to be greeted by brick walls, industrial-legged stools, and a bright red barn-style door. It's that old-world-meets-modern-convenience aesthetic; there's nothing I like more. Couple that with the shiny brewing gear out back, and these brew-masters have a recipe for success!

Naturally, I wanted to try everything. My friends and I spit a flight of the six beers they had on tap: Kapitol Kolsch, 4 Rivers Red, Town Pound Porter, NH House Session IPA, Old School IPA, and Granite State Chocolate Stout. We were impressed by how light and fresh everything tasted. The hop lovers of the group were thoroughly pleased with the balanced flavors of the Old School IPA and all agreed that the Four Rivers Red was a smooth, and delightfully easy drink. We plan to return when the double IPA goes on tap in a few weeks, if not sooner!

I caught up with Founder Dennis and he assured me that his team prioritizes local and organic ingredients. He emphasized how they use only whole grain barely malt instead of pre-processed malt extract. A home-brewing wannabe, I pushed Dennis for the inside tips and tricks so I too could make awesome beer. He stressed the importance of cleanliness throughout the process, especially when bottling.

If you aren't up to the home-brewing challenge, thats a-okay! You can bring Concord Craft beers home with you. My favorite beer container is the growler. Growlers are typically a 32-64oz glass/stainless steel/ceramic container with an air-tight lid to seal in that beery freshness. You can purchase them at most brew pubs, fill them up with beer on tap that will be good for several days, and return to re-fill them for a discounted price! It's a reusable alternative to buying one-time-use bottles or cans. You can purchase a growler from Concord Craft or bring your own (so long as it doesn't have a label*).

 *Current alcohol regulations do not allow breweries to fill growlers that are from other breweries. 

DIY: No-Sew Upcycled T-Shirt Bag

If you're anything like me, you have an abundance of old t-shirts and ten minutes to spare. So here's an easy, no-sew, DIY project that will put those old t's to good use -- the reusable t-shirt bag! Why is it important to use reusable bags you might ask? Check out this post to find out about the dangers of plastic bags.

Supplies:

• Old t-shirt
• Scissors 
• Marker
• Ruler/Yard Stick

Directions: 

1) Pick out the t-shirt you'd like to use. I chose this one because it's a lil big and I love the illustration.

2) Cut off the sleeves. Some of you may prefer to fold the t-shirt in half, aligning the sleeves, so you only need to make one cut. That's up to you. It's helpful to use sharp scissors.

3) Cut off the neckline. Now you've created the handles to your reusable bag! 

4) Lay your ruler/yard stick across the shirt about 4-6 inches from the bottom. Using a marker, draw a straight line along the measuring device. This will become the bottom of your bag.

5) Cut a series of approximately 1 inch strips from the bottom of the shirt, stopping at the line you've just drawn. Make sure you cut the front and back together because it's important the strips align.

6) Tie the front and back strips together in square knots (right over left, left over right). You're securing the bottom of the bag so you want the knots to be tight. Continue tying knots until all strips are knotted. The bottom of your bag will look fringy and beautiful! If you don't like the fringe look, tie the knots to the inside of the t-shirt and cut off any excess material.

7) Once all the knots are tied, all you have left to do is use your cute, new bag! You're basically an upcycling pro now. Remember to bring it with you when you go shopping!

Bring Your Own Bags

Yesterday, concerned NH citizens gathered at the Legislative Office Building in Concord to testify in support of HB481- a bill focused on giving municipalities the option to regulate plastic bags in their town. It is the first step taken in NH to ban plastic bags and I don't know about you all, but I'm sick of them. I did some research, and came up with these facts regarding plastic bag use in the United States:

• According to the EPA, over 280 billion plastic bags/sacks/wraps are consumed each year
• The Wall Street Journal estimates that we go through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually 
• 4 out of 5 grocery bags are plastic 
• In just 4 trips to the grocery store, the average family accumulates 60 plastic bags

Why should we care? Well, we know that plastic doesn't biodegrade. Instead, it breaks down into tiny toxic pieces. One plastic bag can take between 400-1000 years to breakdown, and as it's doing so, it contaminates our soil and water, entering into the animal food chain through accidental ingestion, among other horrific means. The sad truth: plastic bags cause over 100,000 sea turtles and other marine animal deaths every year. Here's a lil illustration from Medasset, a non-profit organization dedicated to saving marine and coastal habitats. 

[image description: plastic bags floating with jellyfish in the ocean]
[caption: "you see the difference. a turtle does not."]

Now let's not get too depressed; let's take action! Other than contacting your local government, there is one practical, daily step you can take to reduce plastic bag consumption. Think of the mantra: "bring your own!" Bring your own cloth bags to the grocery store, farmers' market, or to any retail shop. Bona Fide Green Goods in Concord carries reusable bags for general shopping as well as two options for produce: natural fiber or mesh. Think about the turtles you'll save! 

[image description: turtle about to ingest plastic bag]
[caption: "plastic bags are killing our marine life. its time to ban the bag."]

PS: If you like to get crafty, and have a bunch of old t-shirts hangin' around, you can turn those into reusable shopping bags. Follow this super easy tutorial.

(Above information was collected from the websites of Conserving Now, an organization working to educate about the environmental harms of plastic pollution, Medasset, and GreenPeace.)