Jenni Grover
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Let's face it—there are many green projects that we find it hard to get around to. Whether it's brewing your own beer or making your own hard cider, inoculating shiitake mushroom logs, or starting your own no-dig garden—taking time-out from your daily grind to do something new and sustainable can be a squeeze. And some of these things are intimidating—if you've never baked your own bread, sewn your own quilt, or brewed your own beer, it's easy to worry about things going wrong. But fear not—chances are there are people you know who have done it before, and others who haven't but are willing to learn. So why no throw a party?
I've tried my hand at homebrewing before, but the results have always been disappointing (my wife would say disgusting!). So about a month back I invited friends with more experience around for food, beer (of course) and a session of making our own from-scratch pale ale. We had a blast, and while we've only just bottled the beer—so far it is tasting pretty great. I did something similar the first time that I inoculated shiitake logs, and my compost-warming party was a huge hit in the local community. Other folks around here often organize a 'crop mob'—a kind of mobile gathering of willing volunteers that visit a local small farmer and help out with whatever work needs doing.
So don't despair if you've never tried a particular activity—pick up the phone and call some friends. Success is much more likely if you share your skills—and even if you fail, you'll have a blast doing it. Just be aware that a beer-brewing party will get more takers than a gathering to empty the composting toilet...
Related Posts:
How to Go Green: Beers
How to Brew Your Own Beer
Make Your Own Hard Cider
How to Grow Shiitake Mushrooms
Try No-Dig Gardening
Compost Warming: Celebrate in Style
Got a tip or a post idea for us to write about on Planet Green? Email pgtips (at) treehugger (dot) com.
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