Since the holidays are coming up quickly, I thought I would put together some tips for sustainable gift giving! The Gift of Time or Experiences Does it feel stressful to find the “perfect gift” for someone? We often put so much pressure on ourselves for something that’s supposed to be fun and filled with love! Instead of buying yet another material item, why not spend some quality time with your loved one instead? Here are some nearly free ideas: Cook them a nice dinner Go skating on the Rideau Canal or Rink of Dreams  Volunteer somewhere together Help them with something you're good at or that would be useful to them - babysitting, pet walking, cleaning, painting, etc. For the past few years, I have had the rule that unless a person specifically requests a material item, I gift an experience. I love this approach because you can easily tailor the experience to any budgetary requirements. Also, the best part is that you get to spend quality time with your loved ones and make memori...

Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) Have you ever heard of it? The concept is simple, you give a farmer some money and they grow food on your behalf. Every week you get a box full of fruits and vegetables and the farmers get paid for their hard work. Quid pro quo. This past semester an intern student from France joined our office and worked on a project designed to increase community agriculture on campus. Coraline's idea was to get a CSA started on campus and help build a more sustainable food system. Here's the thought process; People on campus need more access to locally grown food. Partnering with a local farm that has the capacity to deliver food to uOttawa greatly increases the chances that the community will take advantage of it. Access is one of the greatest challenges people face when trying to make healthy food choices. The easier it is to get your food, the more of it you will eat. Bringing healthy foods right to the campus will make it easier for more people ...

Photo credit: " Attack of the Killer Tomatoes " “Farmers feed cities,” this blatant yellow sticker has been frequenting the bumpers of vehicles, local store windows and random telephone poles in cities across Canada. The message seemed fairly redundant because who other than farmers would be feeding cities? Maybe they should be a little more specific. “Canadian Farmers feed cities” would be better from a marketing point of view. After all, we all KNOW farmers feed us. Food does not harvest itself. I think what these ambiguous sticker makers are going for is that we should be eating locally grown food and supporting our Canadian farmers. Finally, I agree- with myself, but still. Why the hell am I buying tomatoes grown in Mexico? It is summer now, and Canada is finally warm enough to produce delicious fruit and vegetables. And yet, it is Mexican tomatoes and peppers from down south that line my local grocer’s shelves. It’s an illusion of choice, the multiple varieties of lettu...