Adjust your field of vision by a few degrees and you will spot lots of options for a more sustainable lifestyle. Whether it’s organic, recycled, energy efficient, local or all-natural, a more eco-friendly alternative is always within reach. We’ll help get you started with this round-up of bright green ideas, a list of local products and services that can turn your everyday into a healthier experience for you and the environment, all within six degrees.
Degree 1
Eco-friendly Eating
1.1°
When it comes to healthy sustenance, a great place to start is the Centennial Lakes Farmers Market. Rain or shine, they open Thursdays, 3–7p.m., June 16 through September 29. Find goods and produce directly from local farmers including meats, jams, flowers, seasonings, honey, confections, sweet sauces, nuts, baked goods, and fruits and veggies as fresh as they come. “You’ll see many of the old, favorite vendors and some new ones too,” says park manager Tom Shirley. Centennial Lakes Park, 7499 France Ave.; 952.833.9582
1.2°
If you would rather have fresh produce delivered to you, check into Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). A CSA connects you to the land your food is grown on and to those who grow your food. It also means you keep your food dollars in the local economy, support sustainable farming and eat seasonally grown fare.
Green Earth Growers is one local CSA that delivers to Edina. An annual fee covers farm production costs and members receive a share of the harvest. With a full ($450) or half ($325) share, you’ll receive an abundance of produce and recipe ideas for 15 weeks or more. You can look forward to fresh broccoli, carrots, corn, cucumbers, lettuce, melons, onions, peas, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, squash and more! Visit the Green Earth farm for a closer look, pick up some of the flowers and plants they have for sale, and reserve your place for next year. Green Earth Growers, 7150 Casey Pkwy., Prior Lake; 952.447.4131
1.3°
Grass Fed Cattle Co. is a cooperative of regional farmers who raise 100 percent grass-fed, free-range cattle with no added hormones or antibiotics. Order online and stock your freezer—sustainable beef made easy. Grass Fed Cattle Company, 3939 W. 50th St.; 612.581.7787
1.4°
St. Paul’s Summit Brewery allows its brewers free rein to create small batches of any beer style that strikes their fancy, and those craftsmen recently completed their first draft with organic malts. It is a straw gold brew called Gold Sovereign Ale, offering a pear, apricot and spicy orange aroma, pronounced hop bitterness and bready malt flavor. You can grab a six pack from any of the Edina Liquor locations. It is best served at around 50 degrees Fahrenheit—putting you even closer to a sustainable (if relaxed) lifestyle.
1.5°
Finish your home-cooked meal with a bit of gorgeous gourmet chocolate from B.T. McElrath Chocolatier. McElrath uses all-natural ingredients, no hydrogenated fats or oils, fresh dairy products from local creameries, pure cane sugar and sources all of his ingredients with socially responsible policies. Stop into Cooks of Crocus Hill for a Prairie Dog (milk chocolate) or Salty Dog (dark chocolate) Bar with crunchy toffee and sea salt. Cooks of Crocus Hill, 3925 W. 50th St., 952.285.1903
Degree 2
A Healthy Home
2.1°
Don’t bring nasty cleaning chemicals into the home. Prestige Cleaners offers environmentally friendly, odor-free, non-toxic cleaning using pure liquid silicone (liquefied sand) which is chemically inert. With no hazardous chemicals there is nothing to contaminate the soil or pollute the water. You will appreciate the fresh smell of your clean clothing. Prestige, 3711 W. 44th St.; 612.929.2010
2.2°
Mulberrys Garment Care joined the green cleaning business in Edina this year with 100 percent toxin-free dry cleaning. They use pressurized, naturally occurring C02 to refresh your garments and, because no heat is used, clothes don’t fade, shrink, pill or experience stain-setting. Mulberrys, 5127 Gus Young Ln.; 952.929.4608
2.4°
What’s underfoot at home? Floor Coverings International lets you walk on sustainability with choices like rubber (recycled and recyclable), cork (renewable and hypo-allergenic) and bamboo. “Bamboo is a weed and it grows like crazy, so it’s ultimately renewable,” says owner Andy Schmidt. Floor Coverings International, 5249 W. 73rd St.; 952.607.5232
2.5°
Re-painting? The Twin Cities’ leading eco-friendly painting company is LULU Painting. They use VOC-free paints, recycle and re-use materials and products. They specialize in decorative painting including fine and faux finishes and stenciling. They think ‘green’ (but other colors are available). LULU Painting; 612.275.6744
2.6°
Keep your lawn green. Diamond Cut Lawn Care uses completely organic fertilization and weed control that is safe for people, pets and the environment. Their lawns thrive on less water and have better disease resistance. Diamond Cut Lawn Care, 3109 W. 50th St.; 952.929.2000
2.7°
Since it has been around for hundreds of years, you might say reupholstery is one of the earliest forms of recycling. At Calico Corners you can revive, and even up-style, a much loved piece of furniture. “Customers would rather use something they have instead of buying new,” says manger Angela LaBounty. Calico Corners, 7101 France Ave. S.; 952.925.5600
Degree 3
Fashion Forward
3.1°
Why buy new when you can look this great at resale prices? Fashion Avenue is a high-end and designer resale store that carries clothes, shoes and accessories. You’ll find local consignments for men and women as well as resale items from the New York fashion industry. Fashion Avenue, 4936 France Ave. S.; 952.929.7919
3.2°
Is your closet stuffed to the gills with things you never wear? Now’s the time to recycle, and StyledLook’s wardrobe experts will come to your closet, tell you what to keep and what to give away. They show you how to style yourself with what you have so you don’t need to keep buying new goods. And, by the way, the nearest Goodwill is in Hopkins. Make their day. StyledLook, 3510 Galleria; 612.746.5800
Degree 4
Shopping Consciously
4.1°
Buy all natural, for your pet. Bone Adventure carries nutrition for man’s best friends. While all their food is natural, with no fillers, they offer certified organic brands as well as food made from free-range meats and wild caught fish. Max and Fluffy can go green too! Bone Adventure, 5045 France Ave. S.; 612.920.2201
4.2°
The Bibelot Shop is a treasure of Minnesota-produced gifts and trendy, eco-aware items. Their four-minute, wall-clinging shower timer swivels each time you want a reminder to conserve water. They also carry colorful necklaces with beads rolled from recycled magazine paper, and spiral bound journals made from 100 percent post-consumer paper, finished with bio-degradable inks and glues that are vegetable based. Bibelot, 4315 Upton Ave. S., Mpls.; 612.925.3175
4.3°
Just north on Excelsior Boulevard, you’ll find a store that stocks a wealth of green items that will definitely inspire some covetousness. Moss Envy features eco-friendly products, complete with their own eco-labels to help you shop. Check out their 91-percent post-consumer recycled glass dinnerware, furniture made with ethically harvested wood and non-toxic water-based finishes, and couches covered in hemp fabric.
Cleaning has always presented a challenge to green living and Moss Envy has the answer with a line of all-purpose cleaners free of dyes, fragrances and synthetic preservatives. Produced by Minnesota company Simply Neutral, these cleaners help insure the indoor air quality of your home.
If that is not quite ‘green’ enough, you can become a walking solar panel with a Voltaic Solar Backpack. It has room for a picnic lunch for that weekend hike or use it as a computer bag. The backpack has pockets and wire channels for multiple electronic devices along with a battery pack which stores power until you need it. Best of all, the tough, water resistant, lightweight shell is made from recycled soda bottles! Moss Envy, 3056 Excelsior Blvd., Mpls.; 612.374.4581
4.4°
Head to Barnes and Noble for some green inspiration. Practically Green, by Micaela Preston, is a small book packed with simple tips for making smart, green choices. Preston includes buying guides, tasty recipes and DIY projects that engage the entire family. Barnes & Noble, 3225 W. 69th St.; 952.920.0633
Degree 5
Your Carbon Footprint
5.1°
Edina Bike and Sport can set you up with a commuter bike and they also carry an extensive line of electric bikes and scooters. Thumb your nose at gas prices, reduce pollution and get healthy in one fell swoop. Edina Bike and Sport, 4508 Valley View Rd.; 952.922.2453
5.2°
When you give a gift, you don’t want it to end up in a landfill. Environmentally responsible promotions company High Five can steer you toward personal or business items that recipients will really use and never want to lose. High Five, 750 2nd St. N.E., Hopkins; 952.746.0355
5.3°
You can instantly power your home with wind-generated electricity by switching to Windsource. For less than $25 extra a month, Xcel Energy allows you to be a part of changing the clean energy future of our nation; online signup.
5.4°
Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs and Xcel Energy offers them for as little as $1 each. They practically pay you to be more energy efficient.. In the rare event that they reach life expectancy, you can recycle CFL bulbs at The Home Depot in Eden Prairie.
Degree 6
Recycling & Reusing
6.1°
When your cell phone dies or your computer is kaput, RenovoData Services provides environmentally responsible, zero landfill e-waste recycling. RenovoData partners with the Edina Chamber of Commerce to provide an electronics recycling and free hard drive shredding event. They also hold ongoing public recycling drop-off events. Check their website for times. RenovoData Services, 6887 Washington Ave. S.; 952.314.1294
6.2°
Don’t throw those packing peanuts away! Bring them to the UPS Store, where they’ll reuse them. UPS Store, 7455 France Ave. S.; 952.835.7662
6.3°
Used toner cartridges disappear like magic at drop-off sites: Office Max (Centennial Lakes Plaza), Best Buy (Southdale Cir.), and Walgreens (York Ave. and France Ave.).
