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The GROWING SHED, a place to grow ideas.

10/31/2019

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Walt Disney: “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”
We are opening up a section of our storefront to share with individuals who need a little push, encouragement, or place to grow ideas. This space will allow a budding entrepreneur or maker to get a little taste of the business world without the commitment or overhead. Think of it as a long-term pop-up shop but doesn’t necessarily need to be a retail/selling space. It could easily be an artist/maker studio that provides a work space with a little public exposure. It could also be slightly closed off for a little more privacy and be set up as a small office. We will charge a fee for the space but it will be based on a variety of options that are dependent on the needs of the occupant, including a gradual fee option as their business grows. Just like the Growing Shed’s mission this idea is a work in progress that will evolve, grow, or fizzle out as we see fit. Either way, we are super excited about this opportunity to bring in new budding energies to our storefront in Homer, AK!
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Warren Buffett: “Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”
The first to move into the Growing Shed is Martine and her plants. She is a friend and one of my inspirations for making the Growing Shed a reality. I wanted to give her the space to show off her green thumb and amazing design talents. She will be in the Growing Shed until the end of the year. We will both see where this takes us after that. I am super thankful Martine agreed to being the guinea pig for this idea and we are both excited to see what the space and her business evolves into. Martine’s plants will be available to purchase during Sustainable Wares’ open hours and she will soon have “office hours” for you to talk to her about the plants she sells. We are already starting to brainstorm ideas of what to name her business. ANY SUGGESTIONS? Please comment below!
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Please join us this Saturday, November 2nd 11-6pm for an open house of the new Growing Shed at Sustainable Wares and welcome Martine and her plants to the space. We will have light refreshments!
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It's been proven by quite a few studies that plants are good for our psychological development. If you green an area, the rate of crime goes down. Torture victims begin to recover when they spend time outside in a garden with flowers. So we need them, in some deep psychological sense, which I don't suppose anybody really understands yet.

Jane Goodall

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EARTH MONTH

4/11/2019

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EARTH DAY IS APRIL 22ND!
But in my world we celebrate EARTH MONTH!


“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.”
—Jane Goodall


Here is a list of a few awesome things you can do to celebrate EARTH MONTH:
-Rally to protect our wild salmon on April 11 at Homer High School. Learn about Save Bristol Bay here.
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-When you head out to your local theater to watch cat videos bring your own popcorn bowl, straw, and napkin. I haven’t found my alternative to the soda cup yet.
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-Gather your electronics for the Electronics Recycling event in May.
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-Plan/plant a garden to grow your own food. Learn about the foods you can gather in the wild, fiddle heads are my favorite and it is almost time for them to come up. Or if you are like me, shop the Homer Farmers Market for all your produce this summer. EAT LOCAL!
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Fiddleheads!
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Maybe growing my own food is not an option for me!
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Support your local farmers
-Start tracking your trash. Also, examine your trash to discover a repetitive item that you might be able to find a reusable or recyclable alternative to. Do the same with your recyclables, maybe you can find a reusable alternative to cut back on your recycling. This is what I am starting this month. I hung a trash calendar above my trash can to mark the days I take out the trash. In the future I plan to start weighing it and take pictures of what I am throwing out, this will keep me more accountable for what I put in the ground.  And for the record, this includes business, personal, and street/beach trash.
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-Reduce your mail and packaging waste. Switch to electronic billing and receipts. Reduce your junk mail. Check out Rid Junk Mail for tips to reduce your junk mail. Contact manufacturers of some of your regular purchases to suggest alternative packaging. You would be surprised how well this works!
-Cut back on your driving. Try to have at least one day of no driving or consolidate your errands to reduce your trips around town. This really varies for me, some weeks I can do one day, others two days, but I always try to take care of my errands in the mornings so I am only driving one time during the day. Of course it helps to live only tens steps away from the store!
-Appreciate and learn about your natural surroundings. Take a walk on the beach or in the woods. Find something you have never seen before and do a little research to learn more about it.
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-Reduce your meat consumption by one day.
-Trash pick up. Pick up one piece of trash a day. Plan with a group of friends to participate in Homer’s Clean Up day, La Baleine Cafe’s new weekly clean up day, or Alaskan Ocean Cleanup Crew ongoing beach clean ups. Grab a buddy and organize your own clean up event!
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-Participate in local Earth Day events. Islands and Ocean Visitor Center will be the hub for a variety of events in Homer. Check back with Kachemak Bay Conservation Society for more details.
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BONUS TIP:
SHOP LOCAL, SHOP SMALL, SHOP CONSCIOUSLY, SHOP SUSTAINABLE WARES!
EASY PEASY!

SHOP NOW


“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
—Margaret Mead

“The Earth is a fine place and worth fighting for.”
—Ernest Hemingway

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    Author: Karen West

    Exploring the world of sustainability.

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SUSTAINABLE WARES
1103 #A OCEAN DRIVE
HOMER, AK 99603
907-235-1030
  • HOME
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    • CLOTHING
    • HOME
    • GARDEN
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    • PERSONAL CARE
    • PETS
    • GIFT CARDS
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    • CUSTOM ORDERS
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  • ABOUT US
    • FAQ
    • OUR PARTNERS
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  • BLOG