Post Script

The nation's first net-zero neighborhood ...

... will not be in Milwaukee, sadly. But let's hope we're not far behind Boulder, CO, with its forward-thinking, photovoltaic housing plan.

CNN visits Milwaukee farm

CNN, like many other high-profile media outlets, has been to visit Will Allen on Milwaukee's northwest side, to see what makes Growing Power such a powerful inspiration. The video here.

Green homes planned for 'Port'

Tom Daykin of the Journal Sentinel blogs about a proposed subdivision with energy-efficient arts and crafts bungalows, featuring solar and geo-thermal technology. The Port Washington Plan Commission has approved the project. We approve, too.

Arts center earns praise, reaches out

It may be a sign of the times, and it may be the way things are for non-profits and arts groups, no matter the economic climate, but Walker's Point Center for the Arts was just voted by Shepherd Express readers as the city's best art gallery. The leadership of this marvelous organization took the opportunity to thank the public for the nod, but at the same time, they made a more private appeal for donations... much-needed donations, they say, to keep the place and programs running.

If you can't spring for a donation, then maybe you can support WPCA by attending an event or blogging or Facebooking about an exhibition there sometime.

It's a vibrant place, tucked away on the south side on National Ave. The street outside is gritty and urban, but walk through the doors at WPCA, and you're transported as quickly as Captain Kirk into another world; the doors open directly into the gallery space with its modern installations, which rotate frequently. Beyond that is a classroom where you can often hear kids painting up a storm or even dancing.

The gallery provides summer art camps for underserved neighborhood children. It also hosts poetry series, supports film work, stage work and provides workshops for artists. Drop in sometime and check it out.

A Thanksgiving recipe with 27,648 followers

The pioneer woman cooks!

The pioneer woman writes a foodie blog.

The pioneer woman has followers. 

The pioneer woman has enough followers for a small colony. This blog post alone has garnered 27,648 comments (and counting).So we're jumping on the pioneer woman's bandwagon and linking. Here.

Wisconsinites drink, eat, smoke too much ... but at least we graduate

In the Business Journal, an article discussing results of an annual health study shares good and bad news about Wisconsin. According to America's Health Rankings, Wisconsin ranks 50th in the nation for our high rate of binge drinking, and 32nd for smoking. Sadly, the state also scores low points for its per capita publlc health funding, with a measly $35 compared to Hawaii's $220 per person.

The good news, though, is that we have a low number of uninsured residents, thanks to the BadgerCare program, and a high rate of high school graduation (87.5).

Now ... how to get those high school graduates through college without the binge drinking?

Art vs craft: round 9

Looking to get some holiday shopping done this weekend, but want to avoid the mania of the mall? The Art Vs Craft fair is being held from 10 a.m. Saturday at the Humphry Scottish Rites Masonic Center at 790 N. Van Buren.

What is it? It's an annual DIY (Do It Yourself) indie craft market, established in 2004, where crafters and artists gather to sell their wares to an adoring public. It's a juried event, showcasing more than 50 emerging artists working in a variety of mediums.

The customer benefits by retail therapy of a meaningful nature (unique hand-made gifts), the artists and crafters benefit from the exposure and sales, and the city benefits because we all know: local money stays local.

The first 200 shoppers on the scene receive a free swag bag. Here's where you get the low-down.

Conference promotes sustainable business

Wisconsin businesses that are interested in, or working towards, sustainability have an event geared just for them this December.

The Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council Conference, planned for December 3 at Discovery World in Milwaukee, will bring together like-minded business owners and workers to discuss ways to go green (or greener).

The conference is for businesses of all sizes, from all sectors, and promises to offer valuable tools to help increase sustainability, not to mention the opportunity to network with professionals at the forefront of the green movement.

Highlights include:

Panel: Using sustainability to get through the economic recession.

Will Allen of Growing Power: The importance of sustainability in the food sector. (Lunch donated by Growing Power).

Details can be found at the Wisconsin School of Business web site. Registration fee is $200, $50 for UW faculty. The first 100 students get in free.

So glad someone else did this for us...

If you've ever wanted to ditch your conventional deodorant for something more eco-friendly, not to mention body-friendly, you're in luck.

One brave writer over at Grist.org took on the challenge of testing the various green options, so she and her boyfriend got to suffer the olfactory consequences before arriving at a solid vote for a wacky-sounding underarm crystal stick. And we don't have to.

Now I'm off to Outpost to see if the winning stick is in stock...

A step closer to organic seals for personal care products?

You wouldn't like it if your apples were falsely labeled organic, but what about your apple-scented body wash? 

The Organic Consumers Association has been advocating for USDA-regulated organic labeling for our shampoos, lotions and potions for a while now with its "Coming Clean" campaign, and the organization is encouraged by a recent federal development.

On November 5th,The USDA's National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) recommended that personal care products labeled "organic" be subject to third party certification to USDA organic standards. According to the OCA, the government has long resisted taking this step. Consumers have to wonder why. The full story here.