We are excited to have Jen Doo join the Betty team as a volunteer guest blogger. Last summer she won Charlottesville (now Community) Climate Collaborative “Summer Sprint” contest for completing six weeks of climate actions, and she continually inspires others with her low-waste living. In this blog, Jen introduces herself to our readership.
I’ve lived in Charlottesville for four years now – my now-husband and I graduated from UVA more than a decade ago and chose to come back because we wanted to embrace a slower-paced life compared to northern Virginia where we were living. I’ve worked professionally as a linguist and a baker; this year, I’m working on reading more, practicing piano, running, meditating, and learning to sew. In a smaller town like this, it has been easier for us to find ways to live more sustainably and purposefully, so in our few years here, we’ve gradually been making changes to our lifestyles to reduce our carbon footprint. I’m looking forward to sharing eco-friendly ideas and tips and learning from others in the Betty community!
1. What’s your favorite Betty activity?
Shopping at our local farmers markets – it encompasses so many crucial parts to a greener lifestyle, like supporting local businesses, eating in season, and less wasteful packaging compared to a supermarket. Buying our produce there regularly really helped my husband and me during our transition to plant-based eating. We can shop for staples and try new things (our favorite from last year was hardy kiwis!), and return our egg cartons and berry/veggie baskets to the vendors the following week. In addition, when we can connect a face to the food we purchase, it helps us waste less at home since we want to prepare and eat everything with care and not take the growers’ hard work for granted.
2. What gives you hope?
Seeing acts of sustainability spread! This includes just seeing more and more people use reusable bags or drink from reusable water bottles around town, often encountering a constant stream of people at the McIntire Recycling Center (and seeing the amount of material in the bins that we are diverting from the landfill), hearing from friends about another sustainable swap they’ve made, and watching sustainability-minded local businesses thrive.
3. What is one bit of Betty advice from your own lifestyle for someone wanting to reduce their environmental impact?
Plan ahead! This ties into everything for me. Plan your meals, so when you head to the grocery store, you know exactly what you’ll be doing with all the food you buy (try to avoid impulse purchases!); and plan your grocery run, so you’re prepared with reusable totes. Plan your restaurant outings – bring your own travel mug for a to-go beverage, bring your own container for leftovers – and if you know a place will be using disposable plates and utensils (like a cookout or party), bring your own! Plan your errand runs, so you can maximize your efficiency and avoid having to make multiple car trips to the same area.
4. What is one thing you’re looking forward to in 2020?
I’m looking forward to growing more of our own food this year! Last year, I focused on a 4’x4’ square-foot garden and was able to grow Swiss chard, lettuce, carrots, beets, radishes, cherry tomatoes, and some herbs. Last year, we planted two pawpaw seedlings and one fig seedling (hopefully they survive the winter!) and removed a bunch of decorative hedges to make space for more edible landscaping. So, this year we are hoping to get more young plants and trees in our yard (maybe even hardy kiwi vines??) and maximize the square-foot garden and other spaces to grow food that we can eat and share.
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