A focus on green

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all.

Green is not only my favorite color (along with a bit of purple and blue if I have my wish), it is also the color that dominates my world this season as well as somewhat all year.

Today is obviously the day to wear your green in support of whatever aspect of St. Patrick's Day that strikes your fancy. For some, it is a trip to a pub after work. For others, it is a time to reflect on heritage. For most, it is a day to pretend to be Irish or, at least, the stereotypical version of Irish.

Aside from today's green emphasis, green is the color of the season as we transition from the browns, taupes, and greys of Winter into the glorious colors of Spring. It began with the daffodils emerging from the ground along with the crocus the last week of February but more so in first week of March. Now, in mid March, the tulips are promising a show in the near future while the daffodils have no rivals for brilliant yellows against the greening of the grass.

Green is such a beautiful and fills the spirit with the joy of life. It has as many shades as there are types of plants and each leaf shape and texture is a work of art as well as an engineering feat to meet the needs of the plants. Some leaves gather the water for the plant by funneling it toward the stem and center. Others meet the high energy demands through production of sugars during photosynthesis. They are structural and chemical marvels for those who take the time to observe and learn.

Green is a significant portion of our focus here at The Farmstead. We are an environmentally conscious inn and try to be good stewards of our farm as well as globally. We use energy efficient compact florescent bulbs as much as possible throughout the inn. We utilize the "solar dryer" when weather permits but even the electric dryer is as energy efficient as possible. When guests are not here, we keep the thermostat adjusted to decrease energy consumption. Of course, guest comfort is paramount and we certainly adjust to their preferences.

We compost everything possible and as well as recycle. Our garden is as organic as possible. We even use natural predators for fly control in the stable.

I would love to find a way to add solar panels or arrays to produce our electric and I am also looking at wind generated power. We have quite strong seasonal winds that could be quite efficient. This is where I would like to go with respect to being a green inn.

Green is definitely a major part of our lives and no just because of my Irish heritage.