The French Agency for Food Safety (AFSSA) released a study last week that outlines a number of health benefits to eating organic food. This comes on the heels of a UK study that said just the opposite. According to the AFSSA study, organic foods are not only more nutritious, but they’re safer. You can check out the study’s main findings over at my post on Eat. Drink. Better.!

CC photo by jdickert

<3,
Becky

For more on seed saving, I posted another TED Talk on the topic over at Ecolocalizer not too long ago.

The Indie Craft Experience is just two little days away, and I could not be more pumped! The show is Saturday and Sunday from 11a-7p in beautiful Centennial Olympic Park. Not only will there be amazing crafts for sale, ICE features great live music from DJ Zano and crafting workshops! Check the workshop info from the ICE website:

We’ll have workshops provided by Dana Ruth Designs (Booth 37) for Creative Metal Smithing and Jewelry Making Demos throughout the weekend and Peace Weaver (Booth 63) from Asheville, NC is offering fiber workshops:

Saturday, May 30th
2 pm – What Are You Wearing: a closer look at clothing, fibers, fabric & the environment
4 pm – Recycling Plastic Grocery Bags: into clothing, rugs & more

Sunday, May 31st
2 pm – Introduction to Weaving: learn how most of the world weaves on sticks and the unique production tablet weaving technique
4 pm – Tank Tops With Fun Edges: turn a t-shirt into a tank and learn fun ways to embellish the edges with embroidery, beadwork, crochet, cuffs, ruffles and more

I hope you locals can make it out! Keep your eye out on my blog tomorrow for second roundup of ICE vendors. SuperCute! is vending, of course! We’ll be in booth #34, which you can find on this handy map (click the image for a full-sized version):

<3,
Becky

So! You can imagine my joy when I came across this awesome article on Re-Nest about growing your own in a tiny space! All you need is some wood (maybe pallets would work?), seed potatoes (that’s potatoes that have sprouted eyes), soil, and fertilizer.

A commenter even says that instead of building the box, you can start your potatoes inside an old tire. As the plants grow, you just stack more tires on top! I’m not sure how you’d go about getting at the spuds that grow towards the bottom this way, though.

Check out the whole article, including directions on how to construct the box and some fun potato facts over at Re-Nest!

I’m not sure if I have it in me to build something so ambitious this year, but it’s definitely got me thinking about planting some potatoes! I didn’t realize you could grow them in spring and summer. For some reason, they seemed more like winter plants. Maybe the next time I take too long making it through a bag, I’ll plant the sprouty ones instead of composting them!

<3,
Becky

The General Assembly voted down Senate Bill 120, which would have allowed MARTA to tap into $65 million in capital reserve funds. Since the system receives absolutely no state funding, it relies heavily on sales tax revenue to stay afloat. It’s a state restriction that is tying up the much needed money: MARTA is required to spend 50% of its revenue on operating costs and 50% on capital expenses. The really infuriating part of this vote is that the bill failed for reasons that had nothing to do with Atlanta’s transit system.

Read the rest over at my post on Ecolocalizer!

Image Credit: Waiting for the Train. Creative Commons photo by Wesley Fryer

<3,
Becky

[via Planet Save]

<3,
Becky

My favorite tutorial they’ve done so far is the one on darning from Arwen O’Reilly Griffith, and not just because she titled it Darn It! She shows you how to darn a worn blanket, a sock, and a glove. Her pictures are great, and the instructions are clear and easy to follow.

This particular tutorial couldn’t have come at a better time, since Molly recently clawed through our sheets!

They’re doing new posts every day with techniques for fixes like patches, saving buttonholes, getting out stains in clothing, fixing a sofa cushion, and repairing old dinnerware. Good on CRAFT for getting the word out about reuse! We live in such a consumerist, throw-away society, I love seeing folks opting to mend worn out items and give them a new life!

[Photo via CRAFT]

<3,
Becky

SuperCute! did a guest post over at Indie Fixx about New Year’s resolutions! Check it.