We Dig Ohio is an annual, one-day summit exploring urban agriculture and community gardening in the Ohio region, and an opportunity to expand your gardening expertise through panels of experts, educational sessions and hands-on workshops.

This year's We Dig Ohio Summit will have a strong emphasis on young gardeners, with the keynote presentation delivered by a panel of four accomplished young agriculturists ages 10-21. Continuing this theme, lunch will be prepared and served by the local youth gardening and culinary program, OSU Urban GEMS. The event also includes a sneak peek of the newly constructed Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden (opening to the public May 2018).

In addition to the wide representation of Ohio gardeners, the summit will also feature nationally renowned leaders in the industry. These presentations will discuss the latest research, best practices, innovations and trends -- in not only community gardens and school gardens, but urban agriculture at large.  Register now to reserve your place at the table. For details or to register: https://www.fpconservatory.org/events/we-dig-ohio-urban-agriculture-community-garden-summit/

Many things can be done around the home to make it more environmentally friendly. Mother Earth is good to us and it's only fair we give something back by looking after her better. Living in a more environmentally friendly way doesn't mean we have to start growing all our own food or slapping solar panels on the roof, (although these will really help!), even small improvements make a big difference when they're all added up.

Insulation inspiration
One of the simplest, yet most effective ways of reducing energy use in the home, is by improving insulation. Cold drafts enter the home through gaps by windows and doors, and warm air escapes by the same route. Older houses are the biggest culprits in the war against cold drafts, but cheap and effective solutions exist that will soon have the place warming up nicely. Double glazing is an unbeatable way of slashing heat loss at windows, but sadly it isn't the budget option. For home insulation at a more modest price, take a trip to the DIY store for insulating tape to seal up all the gaps in window frames and above and below doorways – the difference will be felt almost immediately. The most attractive insulation fix is installing a new window treatment. Whether it's sleek custom shutters fitted to the interior of the frame or heavy drapes to block out the cold, both options will provide effective insulation.

The heat of the moment
Get into the habit of turning the heating thermostat down slightly in cold weather. A matter of one or two degrees is hardly perceptible to inhabitants, but it shaves a load off energy bills. Programmable thermostats take the guesswork out of it and make all the adjustments; so it is well worth the investment in terms of energy saved. If the heating comes from a furnace, ensure the filter is cleaned out monthly for optimum performance. Today, furnace technology has advanced enormously so if a replacement is planned, check out what's on offer as there could be savings of around 25 percent to fuel bills.

Axe appliances
Are there a lot of old, creaking appliances in the home that should be retired? Electrical appliances generate about 18 percent of a home’s energy bill. If those appliances are ancient models functioning on less than 100 percent efficiency, then that is just a waste of money and energy. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends any appliances over 10 years old should be replaced with new models bearing Energy Star ratings.

Sweat the small stuff
Many small changes of behavior can make big differences in greening up the home. Try some of these for starters: Don't buy food contained in excessive packaging, use environmentally friendly cleaning products, switch to low energy light bulbs, share baths or even better take a shower, fit aerators on all faucets, reduce trash by composting organic matter, recycle as much packaging as possible – and that's just the beginning!

A truly modern household should be embracing all of the lessons we have learned about protecting the environment. The good news is, it is not just the environment that's protected; in the long run we'll all save money.  

CoGo Bike Share will be the name of the Columbus, Ohio bicycle sharing system scheduled to launch this summer in coordination with the selected contractor, Alta Bicycle Share. 

The City of Columbus congratulates Benjamin Coifman for submitting the winning name during an online contest hosted by the Columbus Recreation and Parks. “Officially naming our city’s bike share system is a fun milestone in a project that is progressing rapidly,” said Mayor Michael B. Coleman. “Station locations are being assessed, pricing structures are being calculated and, soon enough, program memberships will be on sale.” Coifman’s submission was selected from nearly 200 entries and he has been awarded a CoGo Bike Share Annual Membership.

CoGo Bike Share will consist of a network of 300 bicycles and 30 stations located throughout downtown Columbus. The system enables users to purchase access and unlock bikes for short, quick trips. Bikes may be returned to any station within the network. Ongoing program support will be generated by sponsorships and membership sales. Bicycles will be black with the COGO and City of Columbus logos displayed on the frame.  Red panels on the front basket and rear fender will be reserved to feature sponsor logos.

courtesy: Sustainable Worthington
http://www.bikesharecolumbus.com/stations

  (Columbus, OH) – Green Columbus will unveil its plans for the 7th Earth Day service event – Stand Together 2013 -- on Wednesday, March 20 from 6 pm to 8pm at a special fundraising event at the Cultural Arts Center, 139 West Main St. in downtown Columbus. 

“The Columbus Earth Day service event weekend is the largest Earth Day service event in the nation, with a 2013 goal of more than 5,000 volunteers at 200 worksites giving more than 10,000 hours of collective time to keep Columbus beautiful,” said Tad Dritz, founder of Green Columbus. “The March 20th event will be a great way to announce our plans, recruit more volunteers and raise some much-needed funds for this huge effort.”

Attendees on March 20 will enjoy a night complete with a silent auction featuring local art and packages from Earth Day sponsors, delicious food, good spirits and friendly neighbors as they support the push to Stand Together 2013. This event will toast the efforts of volunteer organizers and collaborating local organizations with free samples of mead from Brothers Drake Meadery and delicious brew from Great Lakes Brewing Company. 

Green Columbus’ 7th annual Earth Day service event – Stand Together 2013 – focuses on a regional approach to local environmental action. Stand Together 2013 is set to be another record-setting event and Green Columbus is pleased to have The Green Funds of the Columbus Foundation championing the event as Lead Sponsor. For more information about Earth Day Columbus, visit www.earthdaycolumbus.org

About Green Columbus

Green Columbus is a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable living in Central Ohio by providing forums that encourage discussion and community participation in environmental awareness by recognizing the need for action and service. The demand for the work of Green Columbus grew from the success of Columbus' Earth Day 2007, the first city-wide Earth Day service celebration in over a decade.   This 100% volunteer-driven organization continues facilitate the annual spring event - the largest Earth Day volunteer service project across the country.  In 2012, Green Columbus’ 6th annual Earth Day event supported over 100 worksites powered by 3,300+ volunteers investing more than 8,000 hours to enhance local communities, assist area non-profits, revive community gardens, put litter in its place and help keep our waterways clean.

For more information and future updates from Green Columbus and Stand Together: Earth Day 2013, “like” Green Columbus on Facebook, and follow @Green_Columbus on Twitter.

Viridiun, the nation’s leading provider of food recycling services, who is providing recycling services for the country’s largest grocery store chain Kroger, Ohio correctional facilities, American Electric Power and Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants has formally announced the opening of its Westerville, Ohio office.

The new office will allow the food waste and organics recycling company to build on what has been called the “next frontier of recycling”, curbing food waste, helping the local environment and creating new Ohio jobs, while assisting Ohio supermarkets, hospitals, universities, restaurants and other companies to achieve their sustainability goals.

Time Magazine reports that food scraps make up around 30% of our residential garbage stream, and it can make up as much as 40% of all landfill content in the U.S.

Sadly, statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) show that in 2010 alone, 35 million tons of food waste was generated, with only 3% being diverted for recycling. As landfill content, food waste becomes a source of potent greenhouse gas, methane, which the agency reports “carries 21 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide”.

The EPA also promotes the many environmental benefits of recycling food waste when turned into compost, which include diverting waste from landfills, improving soil health, reducing the need for supplemental water, pesticides and fertilizers, as well as improving health and sanitation at businesses by eliminating odors and discouraging insects or rodents.

Corporately Viridiun recycles almost three million pounds of organic-by-products per week, a number that increases daily. Spokesman for the company, Randy Abrams says “Viridiun delivers cutting edge food waste recycling solutions for companies that are seeking improved operations while meeting their green and sustainability goals”.

Marne Fuller, Retail Operations for The Kroger Co., the world’s fourth largest retailer, which has partnered with Viridiun stated that “Food waste recycling is a major component of our sustainability initiatives, as we are committed to reducing our overall waste footprint within the communities we serve. In Ohio we have been composting food waste since 2008, diverting 22 million pounds of organic material from Ohio landfills. Kroger associates find recycling food waste vs. throwing it away a natural part of their daily routine, and we are proud of the dedication each associate has toward sustainability”.

At Viridiun, recycling is more than just a process, it encompasses an entire ecosystem of people, process and technologies designed to help companies reduce their carbon footprint on the planet and improve the communities they work in. Choosing to operate on a local level, Viridiun Ohio is donating $100 directly to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank for each new client acquired during the month of March.

Viridiun Ohio, in collaboration with Ohio Mulch, operates a completely turnkey process, all of which takes place in Ohio. Jim Weber, President of Ohio Mulch says “Viridiun organizes and manages food waste collection and transport to Ohio Mulch. Ohio Mulch recycles and processes the organic waste into Green Envy™ soil and potting soil and distributes the end products to our Ohio retail locations to be purchased by Ohio landscapers and consumers”.

Ohio business owners interested in finding out more about food waste recycling in Ohio will find Viridiun on the web at http://www.Viridiun.com .

Courtesy The Columbus Dispatch Saturday December 29, 2012 5:54 AM