The leaves might be changing colors soon, but there are simple steps you can
take to ensure your fall stays green. LiveGreenTwinCities offers 10
easy tips for having a happy, green fall season.
1. Eat local foodRight now, the local farmers' markets are overflowing with delicious, local, and in-season fruits and veggies.
Check out your
local co-op or farmers' markets now for beets, cauliflower, peppers, potatoes, watermelon, carrots, arugula, apples, raspberries, and more. Not only can you enjoy all this great produce raw, in pies, or can them for later, you can also make excellent stews perfect for chilly fall days.
2. Compost your leaves and yard waste Along with your food waste, you can compost your leaves, grass, twigs, plant trimmings, and more. Compost bins are
easy to set up and require minimal effort to produce organic, rich soil by spring. Instead of dumping bags of leaves at the curb, add it to the compost bin, ensuring the matter gets recycled directly back into the earth.
3. Visit a farm/apple orchardMinnesota has some of the best apples in the country. It's home to the famous Honeycrisp and Zesta, among other unique varieties, and more than 100 apple orchards. Check out
AllAboutApples to find an orchard near you. It's also a great time to visit local
pick-your-own farms and get some super-fresh beets, squash, pumpkins, gourds, raspberries, and more. All of these great, local farms and apple orchards offer great fun for the whole family, and also make a perfect outing for friends and first dates.
4. Take a class at your local co-opFall is back-to-school time, and there's no better place to take a quick, "green" class than at your
local co-op. Topics include
holistic nutrition, vegetarian cooking, urban chicken farming,
easy eco updates for your home, and more. So now while all the kids are going back to school, you can go, too.
5. Plant bulbsPlanting perennials now will ensure beautiful flowers in spring. Flowers not only add to landscape beauty, they help to reduce storm water run off. Pesticides, petroleum, phosphorous, and asphalt increase pollutants and temperature of water run-off, resulting in damaged water bodies. But gardens with native plants help to reduce the constant water run-off into area lakes, rivers, and streams.
6. Buy recycled clothing/Give away what you don't needInstead of buying a brand-new wardrobe every time the temperatures drop, rejuvenate your wardrobe with a few vintage or recycled finds instead. Clothing takes a serious toll on the environment--in production, shipping, and some of it later taking over the landfill. But there are plenty of great shops around town offering great used clothing and at affordable prices to boot. Check out
Lula and
Up-Six for vintage finds,
Buffalo Exchange and
Everyday People for current trends, and
Once Upon a Child for recycled kids' clothes.
7. Check out the fall colors
There's no better way to get an appreciation of nature than to see its power, its ability to transform and produce profound beauty. Check out the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for
fall color reports and tips for day trips to Minnesota's most beautiful and serene spots. As an added bonus, there are plenty of wonderful walking and biking paths along these routes for you to enjoy.
8. Take bike ridesThe Twin Cities is considered one of the most bike-friendly cities in the world. Now that the temps are cooler and the leaves are changing,
chart a path for a Twin Cities bike trip or day-long ride in
out-state Minnesota. The cool fall days also make it the perfect time to start commuting by bike to work our school. The bike paths make it easy--and all you have to do is pedal and enjoy.
9. Caulk the windowsCooler days are just around the corner, so ensure that your home is more energy-efficient by
caulking around cracks in windows and doorways. All of the little cracks and tiny holes equal the equivalent of about a two-foot hole in the average Minnesota home, according to CenterPoint Energy. By caulking those spaces now, you'll cut down on energy use and save money this winter.
10. Do annual furnace maintenance and replace the filter Cleaning and adjusting your furnace annually will ensure its operating efficiently, cut back on fuel use, and save you money this winter. It's inexpensive to do (will run you anywhere from about $40 to $100, depending on if you get the ducts cleaned, too), but will end up saving you hundreds of dollars in the long run.