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I work hard everyday to make this day Greener in my household than the last. It is a constant struggle between convenience and doing what I know is better for the earth. This year I have made a commitment to my local farmers by purchasing over 75 % of my food items from the Farmer’s Market and changing my recipes to suit what is available seasonally. I am still as committed as ever to using leftovers and not throwing away food AND taking less trips to the grocery store because of it.

I recycle like crazy – people call me the “recycle nazi”. I use recycled paper products when I use paper products – but mostly use cloth napkins and placemats for eating. I ration paper towels and plastic bags – rewashing them for later use. I use environmentally friendly cleaning products. We have even stopped eating non-organic meats and have cut way down on meat intake altogether. I am a self-professed Tree-Hugger, no I am NOT a hippy or flower child – though there is nothing wrong with those labels, they just never really fit me.

I get asked a lot why I went to college to study Native American studies. Being a white anthropologist comes with its baggage, but for me, it was not about learning about “the other” it was about me needing to learn from Native peoples how we can better take care of the earth. It is something I have always been passionate about, but not something ingrained in our culture, so I wanted to go to the experts.

I have always respected and it has always resonated with me that Native people have a spiritual and environmental approach to the way they look at the earth, which cannot be separated from each other – they go hand in hand. It has always been the same for me as well. The earth is our mother, we cannot own her and we should not ravage her – we should be more considerate about how much space we take up in the world – or we will have no world left to take care of. This does not mean we all have to become militant about being Greener, but just being conscious about it and doing little things in our daily life to make our imprint on Mother Earth a little smaller. Small changes can make a big difference.

So today, in honor of people who are doing their part, I want to feature my Top 5 Green Blogs – these blogs are managed by people who are doing what they can to look out for our Mother Earth – through the food choices they make, how they prepare their food and how they purchase it. I commend them for their conscious effort to make the world a little Greener. So go check these blogs out – get ideas, and that can be your one step closer to Green-ness TODAY!

First there is Eat Here Now. This blog focuses on eating locally and sustainably. The mission of the blog is to bring awareness and understanding that there are social, political and environmental factors to what and how we eat. Not only does it give you a more cerebral take on food, it offers up some yummy recipes that you can feel good about preparing!

Food Revolution: This blog is relatively new and currently having some technical difficulties due to a change in blog hosting – but please go check it out – it is a great concept for all of us foodies and we can all learn something – how to make a food budget and really stick to it – buying only what you really need and trying to make that food last! It causes you to be really creative and really think before you buy! When you purchase food with this concept, you can’t help but eat healthier!

Food Stories: This is a great blog all about the experiment of eating seasonally and really doing only that. Many studies relating to health show that having a seasonal diet is better for you, because it is genetically what our bodies are looking for. I love that this blog because behind it is a second philosophy – food as a celebration. Good food tastes good too!

The Year of Eating Seasonally: The philosophy behind this blog is, the fresher the food, the better the taste. It all came from eating a strawberry fresh, when it was in season, and getting so excited about the concept that when foods are in season, they taste better. This experience launched a whole experiment – to see if food is really better seasonally and if one is stuck eating only cabbage in winter. It is also an experiment to learn more about the hunger gap – if you eat what is only in the ground that season, is it really that bad or do you really feel deprived or hungry? Very cool stuff. Her family is going to learn so much about the environment – I think it is great to raise kids this way!

Then there is, Straight From The Farm. It is all about living in an urban area, but still committing to eating locally, or straight from the farm. In this blog you get the perspective of the farmers as well as those that support them by using their food exclusively. It is a wonderful project and so inspiring!

And here I need to honorable mention Judy, from No Fear Entertaining. Over the past several months there has been a HUGE transformation in Judy and the focus of her blog. She has been frequenting her local Farmer’s Market as well – and has made a commitment to eating locally. I feel a special bond with Judy, because not only are we both Florida girls, but we both started this journey around the same time. We get inspired by each other’s bounty and the dishes we make from our finds! So way to go Judy! You Rock, Girlfriend! 🙂