The things we do for love (of food).

Yesterday, the kids and I drove 60 miles north to a farm to get food. Yep, two hours round-trip to procure food from organic farmers with free-ranging animals. A woman from our congregation was shocked I would travel so far “just” to get raw milk. Ah, the things we do for love of food.
The distance really wasn’t that bad, though I might be singing a different tune when there’s snowfall. We got to meet and visit with our new farmers, as well as the dogs, goats, sheep, chickens, guineas, and pig. It was Abram’s first visit to a farm, and he was very concerned about stepping in all the poop. But he eventually worked up the courage to enter the barn and pet the friendly goats (Olivia loves animals, by the way). And although Abram didn’t get to sit on a tractor or see cows or horses, at dinner last night he said, “What kind of milk is this? I like it!” Olivia and I liked it, too. Well worth the drive.

We brought home three gallons of delicious raw milk, five dozen beautiful eggs, several pounds of free-range pork, and a bag full of huge puff-ball mushrooms. We added this to our stash of produce in the “farmer’s fridge” in the garage. Items not pictured below (i.e., upstairs in the kitchen): potatoes, peppers, onions, and peaches. 1554 not from a farmer, though I will say that our good friends brewed some of the tastiest beer I’ve ever had. They are welcome to bring some more our way at their earliest convenience (hint, hint).

In preparation to plant our own garden in the spring, we’ve started composting. We fashioned a compost bin out of a garbage can in which we drilled holes; with the lid bungeed on, we can simply roll the can around the yard to stir our compost. I’ve been diligently stockpiling our kitchen scraps, and Abram helps me collect dry leaves and sticks to add to the bin. He also volunteered to cut up our cardboard tubes. We’re using this handy compost guide to make sure we put the right things in our pile.

Luke and I often fantasize about having our own farm, working side by side with our kids, praying they would love it and pass it down to the next generation. Whether or not we actually have a farm someday, we’ll do whatever we can to be a little more self-sustained, be it gardening, canning, raising chickens, maybe even buying a cow. We don’t know anything about farming. Not a clue. But one has to start somewhere, right?

And for those who do not have the opportunity to get your own hands dirty, remember to support your local farmers! It’s good for you, good for them, good for your community, and good for God’s green earth.

More Eco-friendly Diapers

Preface. Let it be made clear that I am not being paid to promote the use of any particular brand of diaper. One might think that, since this is the second post I’ve written on eco-friendly diapers (see the post on gDiapers here). I’m just passing along information to all my friends and family who are interested in alternatives to disposable diapers. That is all.

Mabu Baby. On my way to the baby section (in a store that shall remain nameless, but is often referred to as “Wally World” in our corner of rural America), I stumbled upon a display of diapers called “Mabu Baby: Eco-Diaper System.” After perusing a bit, I learned that the Mabu Baby diapers are not unlike gDiapers, a hybrid diaper system (part cloth, part biodegradable/ disposable) I’ve already put into action. (Note: I scored a couple used gDiaper covers from Cloth Diapers to Go.) The Mabu Baby diapers were all on clearance, so I bought a couple starter packs and disposable liners to give it a whirl. The starter packs came with 2 diapers, 2 cloth inserts, 2 disposable inserts, and 5 liners (those thin things that look like large dryer sheets that you place over the cloth inserts to make poop clean-up “easier”).

First impression. Very, very good. These diapers contain messes and fit well: size 2 fits Olivia and size 3/4 fits Abram for bedtime use (yes, my 4-year-old is potty trained). I double the disposable inserts at night, a method that has worked surprisingly well with my heavy wetters. As an added bonus, the gDiaper refills, of which I have many, fit in the Mabu Baby diapers! Confession: I’ve not tried the cloth inserts yet. I have a ton of cloth diapers, which I use very regularly, so I’ve not needed to use the cloth inserts. I like to use the hybrid diapers when I’m out and about so I can just toss the disposable inserts and not have to carry around soaked cloth diapers. Anyway, I’ll let you know what I think of the cloth inserts just as soon as I try them. I’m sure you are waiting with bated breath.

Comparison. Mabu Baby vs. gDiaper. The Mabu Baby diaper seems to fit better than the gDiaper, and I like that the large velcro tabs are in front. While the gDiaper cover is all cotton, the Mabu Baby is waterproof on the outside and lined with soft a flannel material that wicks moisture away from baby. The snaps that attach the insert pocket to the Mabu Baby diaper are covered by little flaps, keeping the snaps off baby’s skin. The only thing missing from the Mabu Baby starter packs are extra pockets! If I had to choose between the two, I’d go with Mabu Baby over gDiapers, hands down. Although, I do prefer the gDiaper disposable liners, which are wider and thinner. Cost is pretty comparable if you don’t get the Mabu Baby diapers on clearance.

Buying. I consider myself very lucky for finding these bad boys for half price; the starter packs retail for about $30 in-store at Wal-Mart or $34 online at Target.com. I already made a second trip to purchase these diapers for a couple family members, and I have half a mind to go back and buy up the rest, just in case another friend wants to try them! Bottom line: I’m sold.

The Quest for Better Disposable Diapers

With a 16-hour trip on the horizon, I thought I best find a good alternative to cloth diapers for use during our travels. Since switching to cloth at the beginning of the year, I know I could never go back to disposables, though we do use them from time to time, especially at night. Even the little we do use disposables is exceedingly bothersome for me. The thought of adding a heap of disposable diapers to the incalculable number of diapers already sitting in landfills taking 500 years to decompose is too much for me to bear. Thus begins my quest for a better disposable diaper.

I thought “green” diapers would be my answer, but then I stumbled upon this page that informed be that “green” disposables may be chlorine-free/natural, but they are not biodegradable. There is one brand of biodegradable disposable diapers that I know of (costing $18-$20 for 24 diapers), but they’ve been out of stock every time I’ve looked. So the quest continues…

…and then the quest ends rather abruptly with the gDiaper. Here is a diaper I had once considered, then dismissed because the initial investment was too high. But the idea behind the gDiaper is incredibly clever: cloth cover with a disposable insert. And guess what? The inserts are not only disposable, they are 100% biodegradable. Now this is something I can get on board with.

The pricetag is pretty high for the little gPants: $80 for a set of 6, multiplied by 3 sizes for your growing babe. Add to that about $13.50/package of 32 disposable inserts. Starter packages ($125-$150) do save you some money, but still… That’s a lot of guacamole. But as with all cloth diapers, you have to view it as an investment; compare the up front cost of cloth to the amount of money you spend on disposable diapers over and over and over. Anyway, the reason I did not purchase gPants is because I have already invested in a crapload of diapers and covers. That’s why I decided to order the gRefills to see if they fit inside regular cloth diaper covers (I use ProRap and Econobum). And guess what? They totally do. No leaks, no bunching, and no extra laundry–perfect for a long road trip! I am actually amazed by how absorbent these suckers are. We toss ours, but the are also flushable and compostable.

In retrospect, I might’ve invested in a few gDiapers to use alongside my collection of cloth diapers, especially because they are now offered with cloth inserts. They are the perfect solution to traveling and nighttime woes (the liners can be doubled or used in conjunction with cloth). They are also an excellent option for parents who are on the fence about cloth diapering–there is no diaper pail or dunking in the toilet or two cycles of stinky diaper laundry, so the grossness factor is greatly minimized.

I just did a commercial for gDiapers. Woops. The point is if we can reduce the number of non-biodegradable diapers we are sending to our landfills, we are doing something good for our earth and all of its inhabitants. And that’s just good stewardship.