Waste Not, Want Not

Have you ever thought about how much you waste on a daily basis? How much trash do you have by the end of the day? How much electricity do you waste?
We have thought long and hard about these questions and so many more.
For example:

• When you leave for work, what is your thermometer set at? It only needs to be set about 50. I know, you are thinking "Wow, that is way to cold". Actually, you only need enough heat to keep pipes from freezing. Why would you heat an empty house? Even with pets, they will snuggle up on the couch or bed, and be plenty warm enough. They do have fur coats.
• When you go to bed at night, what do you set your thermometer at? Us, we set ours at 55, and put on an extra blanket. It is actually healthier to sleep in a cooler room than in a hot one.
• How big is your fridge? Is it full, or is there alot of space? We have a 5 cubic foot fridge. That is basically the size of dorm fridge. We also have a chest freezer for meats, and veggies. We cook everything from scratch. An empty fridge makes that electric meter run wild.
• On many evenings, we use candles and oil lamps. It is soft lighting, and makes for a nice, relaxing evening.
• We have a "no electricity day". Usually on Sunday, our no electricity days means just that. No use of electricity, other than what is necessary. In our home, the only necessary electricity that is needed for fridge, freezer and well pump. It makes for a nice quiet day with family too.

We may not have it all perfect, but we save thousands of dollars a year on electric and heating bills.

Organic Heirloom Veggies Are The Best

Cloverleaf Farm specializes in organic heirloom veggies.
Heirloom vegetables taste better, and are better for you. They are higher in vitamins and minerals than there hybrid counterparts in the grocery store. Heirlooms are not a hybrid, and retain their genetic make-up year after year.
Heirloom veggies are what our grandparents, and great grandparents grew. Our ancestors were of course seed savers, saving their seeds from season to season. This was a way to save money, and ensure that the seeds would live on for generations. With heirlooms, you can do this. With hybrids you can not.
If you take a seed from a Black Prince tomato and dry it out for next season, you will get more Black Prince tomatoes. If you were to do the same thing with the seeds from a grocery store tomato, you'll be lucky to get anything. They are not made to reproduce at all. If something does grow, it will not be the same variety as you ate last year.
Heirloom veggies are open air pollunated. This keeps the little neighborhood bees busy all summer long. They are much more eco friendly for the environment.
Heirloom veggies and fruits are a bit different looking than the "normal" veggies you see in the store, but their tastes far outway any odd looking character differences.
During the season, stop by and taste one of our tomatoes, or visit your local farmers market and ask for heirloom veggies. Once you taste an heirloom, there will be no going back.