sustainable sheridan .... a guide to local living e-edition

2 DSA APRIL 13, 2013 THE SHERIDAN PRESS

BY DAVE KINSKEYSHERIDAN MAYOR

SHERIDAN — Forty-three years have passedsince the first Earth Day when millions of peoplejoined together to show their support for the pro-tection of our environment.

One of the highlights of Earth Day is takingstock of the great progress that’s been made. Thatprogress is real. But our job is not done.

As the proverb goes; “The Earth was not givento you by your parents, it was loaned to you byyour children.” I think that sentiment has partic-ular resonance on Earth Day —when peoplearound the globe make an extra effort to conserveand promote our natural resources.

That proverb has also been a driving force be-hind our efforts to ensure a future for a brighter,healthier and more economically prosperous city— a Sheridan that we want to “return” to our chil-dren, as magnificent as it can be.

The citizens of Sheridan are good stewards ofthe environment. Our recycling program has beenembraced and is one of the most successful recycling programs in the region.Since its inception, the recycling program has grown by 424 percent. Last year2,910 tons of recyclable materials were kept out of the landfill, which is signifi-cant. Landfills are very expensive to operate so the more we can ship off to berepurposed, the better it is for the community and the environment as a whole.

In the same spirit of the pioneers who founded Sheridan, we remain focusedon promoting the right kind of economic development for our community. Wehave identified the work to be done, we have a plan and we are followingthrough with the plan. We have accomplished much, but much remains to bedone.

Preserving open space, developing parks and pathways, restoring the GooseCreeks to their natural grandeur are all vital aspects of creating the Sheridanwe will be proud to leave to our children and grandchildren.

This year we’re excited to combine the Earth Day celebration with the Sheri-dan Local Foods Expo. Gar-dening and raising yourown food is making aresurgence all across thecountry. It’s good to knowwhere your food comesfrom and of course thefresher it is, the better. Lo-cally grown food is good forus and good for the envi-ronment. The SheridanLocal Foods Expo & EarthDay Festival will includeeducational speakers,music, children’s activitiesand local vendors provid-ing locally grown foods,services and products cen-tered around sustainableand “green” living inSheridan.

Thank you for joining usin celebrating Earth Day.

Work toward a green futurefor Sheridan

COURTESY PHOTO

Sheridan mayor DaveKinskey says preservingopen space and developingparks and pathways are vitalfor the city.

From the Downtown SheridanAssociation

Let’s be practical. Everybody can’t realistically

say they are going to completely stop shopping at

national chain stores and only utilize local busi-

ness. If you can, we applaud you. It’s understand-

able that these stores may offer products that are

otherwise not available locally. But if we can

identify what we don’t have to buy at national

chains and purchase these goods locally, our local

economy will benefit tremendously.

If during the month of May, each of Sheridan

County’s 13,949 households (US Census, 2011)

spends $50 of their planned expenditures in inde-

pendent local businesses, $697,450 would circulate

within our community. When those businesses in

turn spend those dollars again within the commu-

nity, that amount is multiplied. In all, that spend-

ing would generate somewhere between $3.5 and

$4.9 million dollars in sales.

DSA APRIL 13, 2013 THE SHERIDAN PRESS 3

BILL BENSELPOWDER RIVER BASIN RESOURCE COUNCIL ORGANIZER

SHERIDAN — A new rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculturewill improve the consumer information provided for meats. The Country ofOrigin Labeling Law was passed by Congress in 2008 as part of the Farm Bill.Current provisions require muscle cuts of meat to be labeled for the country oforigin of these products, such as “Product of USA.”

The World Trade Organization took action against the COOL labeling law onbehalf of their international trading allies, stating that the source labeling re-quirement violates WTO agreements and amounts to trade barriers againstCanada and Mexico. In response, the U.S. Department of Agriculture releasedproposed changes to the COOL law on March 11, 2013, that actually would giveconsumers more information about the origins of their meats in making retailpurchase decisions. Under this proposed rule, origin designations for muscle-cut covered commodities derived from animals would be required to specify theproduction steps of birth, raising and slaughter of the animal from which themeat is derived that took place in each country listed on the origin designation.In addition, this proposed rule would eliminate the allowance for any commin-gling of muscle-cut covered commodities of different origins. These changeswill provide consumers with more specific information about muscle-cut cov-ered commodities.

L.J. Turner, Campbell County rancher and member of the Powder RiverBasin Resource Council put it succinctly, “Country of origin labeling is a nobrainer, it rewards American ranchers for their high quality beef and offersconsumers the opportunity to choose the best product.”

U.S. Senators Jon Tester, D–Mont., Tim Johnson, D-S.D., and Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., have applauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture for issuing the pro-posed rule to revise the United States’ COOL program.

However, this consumer-friendly rule is already being challenged by its his-toric detractors among the giants in the multi-national foods corporations andvarious big-business friendly organizations.

Consumers and producers are being urged to file their comments with theUSDA in order to keep their right to know where their food comes from. Thepublic is being encouraged to continue following this issue even after the closeof the comment period. Further efforts to influence this consumer-friendlyrule may be forthcoming from governmental entities and international inter-ests.

Comments on this proposed rule had to be received by April 11 and were sub-mitted electronically at www.regulations.gov., but future changes to COOL canalso be followed through this portal.

For more information on COOL, local foods production and other issues criti-cal to Wyoming, please contact Powder River Basin Resource Council at 672-5809 or visit www.powderriverbasin.org.

Keep labeling law strong


BY AMY STEELHEALTH COACH, JOURNEYS CENTER OF WELL BEING

SHERIDAN — In considering sustainability and wellness we must view it twoways. Through one lens, we understand that our practices must be sustainedover time if we are to benefit from them. We must eat well, exercise, sleep,relax, pray…etc. with some regularity over time to truly create our healthiestselves. Through another lens, the healthiest version of our environment mustbe sustained for us to optimize our individual health. Our systems operate bestwith clean air, clean water and clean food.

Our environment can support or hinder our wellbeing. An optimal environ-ment is often one with the healthiest natural elements. It offers water, sun,plants, earth, vegetation and views ... exactly what we as humans need to live.Every day we are presented with choices to show our dedication to sustainabil-ity of both our environment and our own individual wellness.

Ultimately, sustainability is an exercise in mindfulness. Consider these ques-tions in your own daily practices:

• When you’re exercising, do you enjoy the environment you’re in? Do youchoose activities you truly enjoy? Might you incorporate a contribution toyour community through your exercise program? Example: Pick up trashalong your walk or participate in a fundraising race.

• When you’re eating, do you choose foods that taste good and nourish you?Do you share meals with people you enjoy in an environment that feelshealthy? Might you make an effort to choose food vendors whose growth, deliv-ery, and service practices you admire? Example: Seek out Earth friendlyrestaurants or purchase local and organic when you can.

• When relieving stress, do you consider the nature and effects of any chemi-

cals and/or substances on your health? Do you find time and places which re-fresh and relax you? Might you discover ways to involve appreciation for yourenvironment in stress relief ? Example: Take 10 deeps breaths of our cleanmountain air every day.

Every choice we make impacts someone, something, or some place. Everychoice is an opportunity to be mindful of our impact. Every little step towardsustainability is a step toward wellness for our environment, our community,our family and ourselves as individuals.

Sustainability an exercise in mindfulness


BY JANELLE GRAYLANDON’S GREENHOUSE

SHERIDAN — You definitely get the feeling that the breeder ran out of nam-ing ideas when he got to this grotesque, reddish-orange, bumpy but delicioussquash — it’s called Red Warty Thing. I brought it in on a whim one springand then had customers begging me to continue to carry it. It is just one of theslightly off-beat edibles that will bring fun back into your garden.

Unexpected ShapesTry something with an unexpected look to it. Armenian cucumbers are very

long, with pale green flesh. They are actually an immature melon. Whentrained on a trellis, they will grow straight, but left to vine along the ground,they will twist into unusual shapes. Either way, they’ll be impressive.

Lemon cucumbers look nothing like the cucs you’re used to: they are roundand yellow, great for slicing.

Then there’s the round zucchini, eight ball. People who grew it by mistakeloved the flavor so much that they now plant it every year.

Malabar spinach looks nothing like you’d expect — it climbs. It is slower tobolt than typical varieties, and because of its habit, will take up less space inthe garden.

Parisian carrots (from seed) are short, round and ideal for containers. ColorIt took me a long time to get up the nerve to try some of the nonred tomatoes;

it just seemed wrong somehow! But now I’m hooked. I love lemon boy, a yellowtomato, which is a sweet, low-acid slicer. I am also very fond of orange toma-toes and will be trying the heirloom, Nebraska wedding, this year.

Sunsugar is another heirloom. The vines are prolific and bear a thinner-skinned, orange-yellow cherry which is great on salads. Black cherry is a tastytreat that is such a deep purple that it appears black. Black krim, also an heir-loom, is a juicy, flavorful slicing tomato with that same deep-purple color.

Black must be the new red, because there is even a black radish, called blackSpanish round. Cauliflower is not just white anymore. The variety “cheddar” isdeep orange and contains 25 percent more beta carotene than normal cauli-flower. Violet queen is deep purple, even when cooked.

Crosses to crow aboutGrafted tomatoes are one of the most exciting new developments in tomatoes

in years. Heirloom or hybrid types are grafted onto hardy root and stem stock.The result is the tomato you love but with higher productivity and beefed-updisease resistance.

This can really be beneficial in the case of heirlooms, which are susceptibleto almost all of the serious viruses.

The tomaccio tomato produces cherry tomatoes that can be left on the plantto dry. Voila—you have sun-dried tomatoes on the vine!

Josta berry is a cross between currant and gooseberry. It is a hardy shrubgood for our zone. Canby raspberry is a new introduction that features thorn-less canes.

Other plants of noteBhut Jolokia Red — or the so-called Ghost Pepper — has a Scoville rating

(which rates the heat of chili peppers) of between 855,000 and 1,400,000 units,just slightly less hot that the pepper spray that police use.

Its closest Scoville cousin is the Caribbean red hot (Red habanero) at 400,000Scoville units. It is a 160 day pepper, so it is best to buy it as a seedling.

Borage is an annual herb that can be grown from seed planted in the gardenin late May. It produces a star-shaped, deep blue flower, but best of all, it at-tracts bees while simultaneously repelling tomato horn worms, the scourgeof our plants in late summer.

The carmine sweet cherry is a new, hardy prunus variety that produces asweet fruit for snacking.

Prior to its arrival, we’ve only been able to grow sour, or pie, cherries here. Now that’s ending on a sweet note!

Try something a little bit different


CHRISTY LOHOFFCATTLE PRODUCER, LOHOF GRASS FINISHED BEEF

What are grass-finished meats?Most people envision grazing animals grazing. That is what makes for grass-

fed, pastured, grass-finished meats, and Sheridan is graced with lots of grazingland and animals. Grazing animals are ruminants such as cattle, sheep andgoats as well as elk, deer and moose. Their digestive system is uniquely de-signed to meet their nutritional needs by converting grasses, forbs (i.e. clover,weeds, flowers) and even browse (i.e. sagebrush, chokecherries, buckbrush)into meat. Grass-finished meats are unique in that they are produced entirelyon these grasses, forbs and browse. Growing ruminants fat enough to slaughterrequires time. Thus most domesticated ruminants in the United States are con-verted to a higher protein grain diet for faster, less costly finishing. Chickensand pigs do not have the long, multi-section digestive tract of ruminants andmust have additional feeds such as insects, grain, dairy products, etc. to meetall of their nutritional requirements.

Why grass-finished meats?• Grass-finished meat tastes good. The meat from ruminants eating a highly

varied range diet has lots of flavor. Our visitors from other parts of the coun-try often wonder what we use to season our burgers and steaks. The answer isoften nothing and always nothing fancy!

• Grass-finished meat is good for you. Not only do cattle on open rangelandeating 100 percent forage tend to be healthier, but their meat is healthier. Subtlechanges in how food is produced can have dramatic effects on health over thelong term. Grass-fed and finished beef has lower total fat and saturated fat lev-els and higher levels of omega 3 fatty acid, conjugated linoleic acid, ALA, vita-min E, B-vitamins, calcium, magnesium, potassium and Beta-carotene thangrain-fed beef. These “good fats,” minerals and vitamins contribute to healthycardiovascular function and a growing number of overall health benefits.

• Grazing is good for the animals. Pastured animals are rarely sick and thusthe need for most of the vaccines, drugs, and dewormers is greatly reduced.Wyoming and Montana have highly desirable grazing land. The cattle drives ofthe 1800s headed north from Texas because the cattle thrived on this vegeta-tion. Much of that same native rangeland, richly diverse in forbs, grasses andbrush, remains and ruminants thrive on it every bit as much. The arid climateresults in nutrient dense vegetation and the “terroir” is found in the meat.

• Grazing is good for the range. Just as the animals flourish on this range, therange flourishes with grazing. Grasses are designed to be eaten, trampled,mixed with manure making compost, and then rested. Ungrazed landscapesget lodged in old growth, halting the nutrient cycling in the soil and chokingout new growth.

• Grass-finished meats are good for producers. I would venture to guess mostof us take great pleasure is seeing our animals healthy. The fresh air and gener-ally enjoyable work of ranching is rewarding to man and animal. There issomething meaningful in completing the circle of life for these animals thathave been part of the rangeland with us. We take pleasure in feeding familiesmeat which we know is healthy and safe and raised in as natural an environ-ment as possible.

How are grass-finished meats raised? No doubt a dozen farmers and ranchers would answer this question a dozen

different ways and probably differently every year! In general, we do our best to keep land, livestock and people healthy by keep-

ing cattle, goats and sheep rotating through pastures year round, by providingaccess to water and to organic trace mineral salts and kelp, and by not confin-ing the herd in corrals. We do not use medications, antibiotics, hormones, de-wormer, pesticides, or herbicides on the animals we harvest or the pasturesthey graze.

Our calves are born on their own in open pastures on the late spring grass.The mother cows clean their calves and the calves get busy nursing and learn-ing to graze all the grasses and forbs. At a couple months of age, the calves arebranded and castrated, and the bulls are turned out to rebreed the cows.

In the late fall or early winter, when the calves are about 6 months old, theyare weaned from their mothers.

Go grass-fed for meat

SEE GRASS, PAGE 13


FROM THE DOWNTOWN SHERIDAN ASSOCIATION

Stimulate local economy— Buying local recirculates more money backinto our community, boosting local economy.

Better job creation — Small local businesses are the largest employers andaccount for the greatest amount of job growth in the country. Small businessestypically create jobs with higher wages than national chains.

Local character — The unique character of local businesses plays a distinctrole in defining Wyoming.

Environmental impact and sustainability — Local businesses often pur-chase goods from other local businesses and suppliers reducing pollution asso-ciated with transportation. They also sustain walkable town centers ratherthan developing on the outskirts of the community, reducing urban sprawl,natural habitat loss and pollution from vehicles.

Support for local nonprofits — Studies show that local nonprofit organiza-tions receive far greater contributions, sometimes as much as 350 percent, fromlocally-owned businesses.

Local business invests in our community — Local business owners areinvested in their business, which provides them a natural interest in the long-term health of our community. Local business builds civic unity by sustainingcommunity relations and linking citizens.

Product diversity and competition — A multitude of local shops will havea better selection of goods that are based on local interests instead of nationalsales plans. A marketplace filled with small businesses promotes increasedcompetition that ensures innovation and low prices over the long term.

Local taxes well spent — Local businesses in town centers require less in-frastructure and make more efficient use of tax-supported public services andamenities.

Customer service — Local businesses often provide better customer careand service and hire employees with specific product expertise.

Our community matters — Our community is more important than acheap pair of underwear.

Top 10 reasons to buy locally

http://sustainable-wyoming.blogspot.com/

FROM 12

Within days the calves are grazing independently, and we move them to freshpasture. Through the winter the calves usually receive supplemental hay or al-falfa cubes in addition to pasture. As soon as the spring grass appears, the“calves” are yearlings and are on their own again until winter hay is necessary.

The yearlings rejoin the mother cows, which are busy raising a new calf.This multi-aged herd improves pasture utilization patterns. The cycle contin-ues until the third summer, during which the “calves” are then over 1,000pound 2-year-olds and fat enough to be slaughtered. After slaughter, the meat isdry-aged in refrigeration. This dry-aging process allows excess water to evapo-rate and the flavor of the meat to condense. Finally, the meat is custom cut,cryovac packaged, frozen, and delivered.

Meanwhile, our small herd of goats and sheep are used to spot graze portionsof the pasture that have plants undesirable to cattle, such as leafy spurge. Thesheep and goats, lamb and kids in April and are moved with electric nettingand guard dogs for protection from predators. By autumn, the lambs and kidsare fat and ready to be slaughtered.

Some of the best meat in the country is raised in the Sheridan area. We en-courage you to take advantage of this opportunity to eat well, to support localranching, and to keep the range healthy. Enjoy grass!

GRASS: After slaughter, beef is dry-aged


BY BONNIE GREGORYASPIRING BEE KEEPER

SHERIDAN — Admittedly, I have largely taken bees for granted for most ofmy life. It wasn’t blatant disregard; I just never considered them much past thefleeting seconds when our paths crossed. I remember watching them on lazysummer days in my grandmother’s garden, walking through an alfalfa fieldamong thousands with an overwhelming buzz and once taking a seat and be-coming painfully aware, but our relationship was built on more of a, “I’ll leaveyou alone if you leave me alone” type theory. It wasn’t until I became a gar-dener myself, that I finally took the time to not just look, but to actually seethese amazing little creatures and have an understanding of the important rolethey play in our history and our future.

From the first beekeepers in the Stone Age, to the beekeepers of ancientEgypt, honeybees have always held a sacred significance to mankind. They arethe perfect example of thrift, industry, harmony and loyalty. More than this,more than one-third of our nation’s food crops are dependent on the most im-portant job that they do; pollination. Crops that must be pollinated for reproduc-tion include almonds, broccoli, cherries, squash, strawberries, cucumbers andwatermelons, to name a few. With the inclusion of honey, honeybees contributean estimated $14 billion a year to the American economy.

Sadly, Colony Collapse Disorder has been drastically killing our honeybees enmasse for several years and has expanded exponentially in the last year, wipingout 40-50 percent of the commercial hives that are needed to sustain our foodsupply. As I have been mulling over this article for the last month, CCD has gar-nered some national media attention, from CBS News, with its airing of, “Deep-ening Honey Bee Crisis Creates Worry over Food Supply” and also on the coverof The New York Times. Montana beekeepers are featured for their losses. CCDis in our backyard.

Scientists studying CCD, do not have a conclusive explanation for this malady.But a growing number of researchers and beekeepers say that there is mount-ing evidence that neonicotinoids (a powerful pesticide that is incorporated intoseeds themselves), fungicides, pesticides and the increase in herbicides used oncrops that are genetically modified, are to blame. While each of these sub-stances has been certified safe to use, no one has researched the toxic residualsoup that they make when combined. Recently, a coalition of beekeepers andconsumer and environmental groups are suing the Environmental ProtectionAgency saying that it has exceeded its authority by conditionally approvingsome neonicotinoids. European countries have already implicated their use inbee deaths. While the EPA has begun an “accelerated” review on their impacton bees and other wildlife, there are a few things you can do to help the honey-bees now.

1) Become a backyard beekeeper — Beekeeping is a fascinating and inter-esting hobby. If you can grow a garden, you can keep bees. When kept properly,they are great neighbors and only sting when provoked. It can also strengthenthe bee gene pool by adding healthy local bees to the mix. A few things to con-sider: Space — Do you have a large enough lot? One-tenth of an acre can ade-quately hold a hive. Zoning regulations — Beekeeping is allowed in theSheridan city limits . Allergies — Does anyone in your family have a bee al-lergy? Neighbors — Visit with your neighbors and let them know that you willbe keeping bees. People can be afraid of what they don’t know, so take the timeto educate them on the benefits of bees. Share the honey and watch any doubtfade away!

2) Plant a garden — Cultivate plants that will attract bees. Willow and fruittrees, flowering veggies and large patches of flowers that bloom over the spring,summer and fall are your best choices (mints, all beans except French beansand flowering herbs, asters, sunflowers, hollyhocks, larkspur and foxgloves).Consider building a small bee house in you garden for wild pollinators, if youcan’t envision yourself in a beekeeping suit.

3) Keep your yard and garden pesticide free — Some pesticides can kill abee before it makes it back to its hive. Others get carried back and can harm therest of the hive.

4) Support local bee keepers — Make an effort to purchase locally made, re-sponsibly produced honey.

5) Bee the voice — Write your city officials, senators and representatives inCongress about funding honeybee research. There are many great resourcesonline for bee activism!

In consideration of the honeybee


Gardening can provide numerous benefitsBY BONNIE GREGORY

SHERIDAN — Youth-gardens offer unique opportunities to teach youthabout, where food comes from, practical math skills, basic business principles,the importance of community and stewardship, issues of environmental sus-tainability and job and life skills.

Gardening is a healthy, inexpensive activity for youth that can bring themcloser to nature and allow them to interact with each other in a socially mean-ingful and physically productive way.

Health studies have shown that gardeners and their children eat healthierdiets than do nongardening families. Eating locally produced food reducesasthma rates, because children are able to consume manageable amounts oflocal pollen and develop immunities. Exposure to green space reduces stressand increases a sense of wellness and belonging. Increasing the consumptionof fresh local produce is one of the best way to address childhood obesity.

Green space gardens add beauty to the community and heighten people'sawareness and appreciation for living things. Gardens filter rainwater, helpingto keep lakes, rivers and groundwater clean. Gardens restore oxygen to the airand help to reduce air pollution. Gardens recycle huge volumes of tree trim-mings, leaves, grass clippings and other organic wastes back into the soil. Gar-dens provide a place to retreat from the noise and commotion of urbanenvironments. Gardens provide much needed green space in lower-incomeneighborhoods which typically have access to less green space than do otherparts of the community. Development and maintenance of garden space is lessexpensive than that of parkland. Scientific studies show that crime decreasesin neighborhoods as the amount of green space increases. Community gardenshave been shown to actually increase property values in the immediate vicin-ity where they are located.

Food production — Many community gardeners, take advantage of food

production in community gardens to provide a significant source of foodand/or income. Gardens provide access to nutritionally rich foods that mayotherwise be unavailable to low-income families and individuals. Communitygardens allow families and individuals without land of their own the opportu-nity to produce food. Urban agriculture is three to five times more productiveper acre than traditional large-scale farming! Community gardens donate thou-sands of pounds of fresh produce to food pantries and involve people inprocesses that provide food security and alleviate hunger.

Community organizing — Community gardens increase a sense of commu-nity ownership and stewardship. Community gardens foster the developmentof a community identity and spirit. Community gardens bring people togetherfrom a wide variety of backgrounds (age, race, culture, social class). Commu-nity gardens build community leaders. Community gardens offer a focal pointfor community organizing and can lead to community-based efforts to dealwith other social concerns.

COURTESY PHOTO |

Sagebrush Community Garden provides opportunities for food, exercise, fun and friends.

sustainable sheridan .... a guide to local living e-edition

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earth day celebration

highlights of earth

grown foods

good forus

citizens of sheridan

cally grown food

sheridan local foods

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