I am a regular customer at the Farmers Market. In the summer I go almost weekly for veggies to supplement my farmshare box and my own garden produce, as well as delicious local fruits, bread, cheese, fresh gluten-free pasta, and fresh fish. I go because the food is delicious, super-fresh (often picked that morning) and so nutritious, and because I like to talk to the farmers and support their hard work. I also enjoy the live music - Larry and friends always bring a smile to my face.

In the winter I get all of that, and I also grab a table and chairs in the toasty greenhouse and meet up with friends. We have a snack, or lunch, chat and watch the shoppers and the merchants. It’s the city in the town, once a week.
The picture was taken one winter when my sister and brother-in-law came all the way from Cambridge for the market. We picked up fresh pasta, dried tea, Karma coffee, and a felting project. There is always something for everyone.

Did you know that your food choices have a significant impact on the climate? Eating a plant-rich diet tops most lists of actions individuals can take to reduce their carbon footprint. According to Drawdown.org, “healthy, plant-rich diets [are] one of the most impactful solutions” to reduce dangerous emissions.

I recently connected with a local expert. Diana Goldman is a vegan chef, teacher and founder of BeantownKitchen.com. Her site is full of lots of great recipes, helpful information, and high quality videos. I watched her video on making kale salad, and now always take a few minutes to "massage" the kale, making it into a more tender leaf. I make my kale salad with avocados and BBQ sauce, it's super tasty! If you are thinking about eating a more plant-rich diet, check out her website at beantownkitchen.com!

In 2017 I went "all in" on a SolarFlair PV installation as well as a high-efficiency ductless split heat pump system with Sensibo smart controllers. To help understand the dynamics of this system I also installed a Sense home energy monitor. Air source heat pumps become less efficient as the outside temperature drops, and it sure did drop this year. I have been able to use data from the Sense to compare the energy consumption of the heat pump to the run time of our aging gas boiler. The next step will be to install wirelessly controlled thermostats for the boiler. With them in place I will be able to automate the boiler setback and turn on the heat pump to maximize efficiency using the IFTTT automation system. This is an ongoing project but we are already seeing benefits, especially as the days grow longer and solar production starts ramping up to offset the cost of running the heat pump. Yes, I am a bit of a geek.

We installed an 48 panel ground mounted array in Wayland. Presently, our carbon footprint for August = 40 lbs. as compared with the Massachusetts average of 573 lbs. of carbon. Our panels produced 9.6 kWh today at 12:30 pm. We give our excess production to Sudbury Valley Trustees and Buddy Dog Humane Society. Life is good!

We installed our home solar PV system in 2012. Our payback was less than 5 years, given the incentives at the time. Some months we produce more energy than we use, resulting in credits on our bills, even with our relatively small system. We were motivated by our desire to take action on climate change and the cost-effectiveness of the system. Both have worked out. And, we love seeing the system on our house! We hope to explore battery storage in the next few years.

Thanks to MassEnergize, I learned that every school in Wayland has a place to recycle textiles. The day after finding this out, I literally drove to Wayland Middle School (the bin is on the right, up by the athletic fields) and made my first textile drop-off. I love that I now have a place to bring items like dirty tablecloths, stuffed animals, worn-out clothes... and that they not only stay out of land-fills but also get a chance at a second life!