Money doesn’t grow on trees, but the excess fruit from a neighbor’s yard can make your diet richer and it won’t cost a dime. Shouldn’t we share the wealth?

That’s the thinking of Neighborhood Fruit, created by San Francisco urban farmers to reduce the tragic waste of fruit, which is forbidden in their vision of sustainability. Their website lets subscribers find and share fruit locally both in backyards and on public lands.

Since planting the seed in June, they’ve attracted between 3,000 and 5,000 visitors a …

Tags: eco , farmer's markets , food , fruit , fuel , green , growing , healthy snacks , jam , lemons , neighborhoods , orchards , organic , pies , plums , produce , public lands , sharing crops , sustain , trading , trees , urban farming

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They’re already talking about their costumes, those candy-crazy girls of mine. That’s how I know fall is here, just a wink and a nod after packing them up for summer camp.

Design-wise, it’s one of the easiest seasons for stylists since it involves scavenging for leaves and twigs to tweak our vignettes for free. Ah, there’s that “F” word, again, a favorite at EcoSalon.

Want to spruce up your rooms for autumn without much of a budget? Take one of the following paths most traveled …

Tags: candles , crafts , decor , design , dried flowers , fall , free , frugal , fruit , garden , harvest , leaves , plants , potpourri , pumpkins , squash , twigs , veggies

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There is something about berries that screams summer to me. Where I live in England it’s the height of strawberry season right now and the berries are cheap and plentiful. They are also succulent and sweet with the summer sun -  unlike the watery tart versions you get from supermarkets out of season. For the next few months we will have a berry bonanza with raspberries, gooseberries, blueberries, red currants, white currants, black currants, and finally in the autumn, blackberries.

For my fifth birthday I begged my mother to make a …

Tags: berries , DIY , fruit , home , how to , jam , Recipe

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According to Environmental Working Group (EWG) research,  you could easily be consuming an average of 10 pesticides a day and not even know it. But that’s only if you are eating the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables around.

These 12 conventionally grown fruits and  vegetables, or the “dirty dozen” as EWG calls them are: peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, imported grapes, carrots and pears.

EWG, by the way, is not recommending that you stop eating these fruits and vegetables. Instead, they recommend that you simply buy …

Tags: clean 15 , consumer , dirty dozen , EWG , food , food safety , fruit , organic , pesticides , produce , vegetables

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There’s no weekend excursion you relish more than getting your hands on the local harvest at organic farmers’ markets, but picture this instead: You’re craving a crisp salad garnished with savory herbs. You step outside into your garden, pick some tomatoes, peppers and basil, and enjoy a natural meal without ever stepping foot beyond your yard. If the idea of cultivating the food you consume seems intimidating, it’s a lot easier than you think to get your thumb to go green.

Before you begin, …

Tags: food , fruit , gardening , guide , how to , tips , urban gardening , vegetables

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