Oct 12, 2009

Have a Green Halloween!

Which plant is best for Halloween? … Bam-BOO! In keeping with the season, Cali Bamboo offers a few tips for a Halloween that is better for the environment and your family’s health. For additional eco-holiday ideas, check out the site www.greenhalloween.org. Here you’ll find resources for less-sugary treats, environmentally-sound costumes and make-up products, green party activities and more. Have fun, and watch out for tricks!

Jack-O-Lanterns Glow Organic

Many store-bought pumpkins are shipped from far-off farms and grown using harmful pesticides like malathion and diazinon, which are toxic to the human nervous system. How to guarantee your family’s jack-o-lantern is eco-safe? Ask the grocer if your pumpkin (and other produce!) comes from a local, organic farm. Or, find out were you can purchase green fruits and veggies at localharvest.org. The Local Harvest site allows you to type in your zip code to find organic farmers’ markets, co-ops, grocery stores, restaurants and more right in your neighborhood!

Extra Green Trick: When it comes to processed food and products, hazy regulations make it ok to label something organic even if only some of the ingredients are actually organic. Always check for the USDA certification seal to be sure you’re getting the real deal.

Roast Up Some Pumpkin Grub

Removing the orange pumpkin glop is half the fun of carving a Jack-o-lantern. If your kids are playing with it anyway, have them pick out the seeds to use in the following quick, tasty and healthy recipe. First, boil the seeds in salted water for about 10 minutes to soften and clean them. Then drain, and spread them out in a non-stick roasting pan before sprinkling with olive oil and salt or another seasoning of your choice. Roast in the oven at 400°F for about 20 minutes or until the seeds start to brown. Be sure to let them cool, and enjoy by the handful or in a salad!

Extra Green Trick: You can also let some pumpkin seeds dry out and scatter them around unused sections of the yard to grow your own vine! Illuminate Your Recycling

Illuminate Your Recycling

Attract a little extra attention for your finished Jack-o-lantern by surrounding it with glowing aluminum can lanterns. Remove the labels and wash old cans inside and out before using a hammer and nail to punch holes in fun patterns and designs. Fill the bottom of the can with a little sand or other form of weight so it doesn’t blow over, and finish off with a lit tea candle.

Extra Green Trick: Opt for soy or beeswax candles which are clean-burning and petroleum-free!

What Autumn Means for Bamboo

As bamboo experts, Cali Bamboo is careful to harvest their bamboo in a way that is most beneficial to the plant’s overall health and structural quality. Fall is the ideal time to harvest bamboo for construction and design materials. Most new bamboo growth occurs during the wet season, so disturbing the plant during this phase could jeopardize future crops. Also, during the rainy season sap levels are at their highest, while during the dry season they are very low. Therefore, harvesting is best at the end of the dry season, a few months before rain arrives. Once harvested, our bamboo undergoes Sigma 7™ Quality Control Processing to increase the overall quality and appearance as well as ensure the bamboo fence will be the most durable and lasting.