March 2007 Green Tidings

Mark your calendars for "Design and Build Your Own Super-Efficient Home," our next Sustainable Living Talk at 7 pm on April 12. Learn the new techniques for energy efficiency, and discover what it makes sense to do yourself and what you're better off hiring a subcontractor to do.

Spring is finally here! We have a great selection of composting tools and supplies, as well as a growing assortment of planet-saving products for the home. Energyworks, our renewable energy partner, will be out and about giving talks and classes this spring on solar, wind and other clean energy topics. Read on for more about those events, and other things happening in the world of greener living.

Warmly,
Fred Horch, Owner

P.S. Our web site keeps growing! If downtown Brunswick is out of the way for you, why not swing by our store online at www.FWHorch.com.

Sustainable Living Talk, "Design and Build Your Own Super-Efficient Home"
Join us on Thursday, April 12, at 7:00 pm at F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies for "Design and Build Your Own Super-Efficient Home".

We are delighted to have Al Heath give our next sustainable living talk. He writes,

"I was a carpenter, designer, and contractor for 12 years before changing careers in 1990. Three years ago when I wanted to build my family a new and much more energy efficient house, I found that not only was it prohibitively expensive, but most of the builders I spoke with didn't really know what "super-insulated, passive solar" meant. I decided to re-educated myself to the new reality and techniques of energy efficiency and build it myself.

My wife and I researched, designed, and built 80% of our new home while sub-contracting the rest. We now easily heat our beautiful 2000 square foot home on one cord of wood, 75 gallons of kerosene, and all the free/clean sunshine we can get. I have recently installed a solar hot water system that provides a majority of our domestic hot water needs and next, we hope to increase the size of the this system for space heating and further reduce our use of firewood and oil.

It is challenging, interesting, and important work but you don't have to be a rocket scientist! I will share everything time allows, including a list of helpful sources and contractors."

Free refreshments and informational handouts will also be available.

Our Sustainable Living Talks are on the second Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm at 56 Maine Street in Brunswick.

News from Energyworks

Here's the news from our renewable energy partner. Phil Coupe of Energyworks South writes,

Energyworks South is delighted to announce the launch of its first Skystream 3.7 wind turbine project in Cape Elizabeth. The Skystream (www.skystreamenergy.com) is a 'residential power appliance' designed for grid-connected homes. We like the Skystream because it is quiet, relatively inexpensive and it produces considerable electricity for its small footprint. With an average annual wind speed of 10 mph, the Skystream produces 230 kWh per month. At 14 mph, it produces 500 kWh/month. Maine's first Skystream was installed in Saco at the town's wastewater treatment plant.

Skystream recently installed at the Saco Wastewater Treatment Plant

If you'd like to learn more about the Skystream, please contact Phil Coupe at 207-221-6342.

And here's the news from Energyworks North in Liberty:

We will be out and about over the next few weeks at several events -- come and see us at the Waldo County Tech Center on March 31 for the Green Building Conference presented by NewForest Center for Sustainable Building and Design. On April 20 and 21 we will have a booth at the Midcoast Green Collaborative Expo in Damariscotta. In May, Pat Coon will hold several adult ed classes at the Camden Hills Regional High School: Wednesday, May 9 he'll talk about "Steps to Renewable Energy" on the 16th "Going Solar" and on May 23 Pat will talk about "Wind Power". Also we will be at Chewonki's Sustainable Energy Conference on Saturday May 12. In addition, Spring is in the air and we are starting to get busy, we are gearing up for several new Grid Tie PV projects coming up including an 8KW system for a farm in Knox County.

What's Happening in the Local Environmental Scene
Save the date! On Saturday, April 21, the day before Earth Day, F.W. Horch will sponsor a "Solutions Saturday" at the Frontier Cafe Cinema and Gallery in Fort Andross, here in Brunswick. This event will be part of an Earth Week series of films and discussions at Frontier Cafe. Join us on April 21 for an inspiring and practical discussion of environmental solutions available to us now.

The Midcoast Sustainable Energy Expo, at the Central Lincoln County YMCA, Damariscotta, on Friday, April 20, from 12:00 - 6:00 pm, and Saturday, April 21, 9:00 - 5:00 pm, will bring together building trades people, energy professionals, and the general public from a geographic area wider than the Damariscotta/ Newcastle region of Midcoast Maine. It will demonstrate affordable energy-efficient construction techniques, demonstrate working examples of renewable energy systems and technologies that local people can install in their homes and businesses.

Lots more is happening, leading up to Earth Day on April 22.

March 2007 Events

Our next Sustainable Living Talk is tomorrow! Please join us on Thursday, March 8, at 7:00 pm at F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies in Brunswick for "Home and Garden Composting", a talk by Brett Thompson, Master Gardener Volunteer.

Brett will share tips and techniques for successful indoor and backyard composting. If you want to start composting, or want to improve your results, you won't want to miss this talk. Free refreshments and informational handouts will be available.

F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies is located at 56 Maine Street in downtown Brunswick, Maine.

F.W. Horch Composting Goods & Supplies

If you're interested in this month's talk topic, you may be interested in these products.

• Home Composting Made Easy
  Easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions for composting in your backyard. Instead of overburdening your local landfill, learn how to turn kitchen scraps, yard trimmings and paper scraps into "black gold" for your lawn and garden. 32 pages, paperback. $2.95

• Stainless Steel Compost Pail
  Use this stylish compost pail for storing kitchen scraps on their way to being composted. Features a carbon filter in the lid to eliminate odors. One gallon capacity. $33.29

• Kitchen Compost Carrier
  Make your home composting program easier to manage. Perfect for short-term storage of kitchen scraps, this kitchen compost carrier features an optional carbon filter to eliminate odors. Made from 25% recycled plastic. Small (5.8 quart) size, $17.95; Large (9.6 quart) size, $24.95

• Compost Maker Microbes
  Put billions of beneficial organisms to work for you! Dormant until you expose them to air, water and a food source, this blend of microbes will energize soils, composts, and decomposing organic matter. One pound. $10.95

• Envirocycle Composter
  Make batches of rich compost simply by taking this unit for a spin. This conveniently-sized tumbler is perfect for those who want an easy way to turn batches of kitchen scraps into nutrients for vegetables, flowers and houseplants. Featuring a base that collects liquid for "compost tea", the Envirocycle is a great addition to a deck or back yard for anyone who wants a no-hassle, proven system for composting. Available in black or green. $159

• Sun-Mar 200 Composter
  This innovative outdoor composter is based on a brilliant concept: put yard and kitchen waste in one opening, and remove finished compost from another. Inside the unit are two drums: new material enters the outer drum, fills it up, tumbles into the inner drum, then comes out the middle as finished compost. So well-designed it makes you wonder why all composters aren't built his way! $299

• Sun-Mar 400 Composter
  Suitable for handling large volumes of yard waste, the 400 is the larger cousin of the Sun-Mar 200 Garden Composter. Same great features as the Sun-Mar 200, plus a crank to help turn it. $399

• Sunleaves Wormtopia
  Turn your kitchen scraps and yard waste into high quality worm castings with the help of up to 15,000 redworms (sold separately). Worms convert scraps and wastes to castings as they migrate upward to the next tray, while producing nutrient-rich "worm tea" that can be drawn from a spigot mounted on the bottom. $109.50; one pint of Maine-raised red worms, $6.00

• Sun-Mar Composting Toilets
  Choose a Sun-Mar composting toilet when you need to conserve water, minimize your environmental impact, upgrade your outhouse, extend the life of your septic system, or provide sanitary facilities where there is no plumbing. Perfect for seasonal camps; these toilets can freeze solid with no risk of pipes bursting. Composting toilets harness aerobic microbes to oxidize waste, resulting in carbon dioxide, water, and essential plant nutrients and minerals. 95% of the starting material evaporates, and the remainder is an NSF-certified safe soil amendment. Self-contained units start at $1345; we also stock the full line of Sun-Mar supplies.

February 2007 Green Tidings

Green Tidings from F.W. Horch in Brunswick, Maine.

Mark your calendars for "Home and Garden Composting," our next Sustainable Living Talk at 7 pm on March 8. Whether you've never composted before, or have been at it for years, you'll want to attend this talk to learn the best tips and techniques. Bring your toughest questions and get ready to make your best compost ever!

[something about spring]
Fred Horch, Owner

P.S. Our web site keeps growing! If downtown Brunswick is out of the way for you, why not swing by our store online at www.fwhorch.com.

Sustainable Living Talk, "Home and Garden Composting"
Join us on Thursday, February 8, at 7:00 pm at F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies for "Zero Energy Homes", a talk by Mike White of Island Carpentry.

Mike will present a comparison between conventionally built stick framed homes and energy efficient homes built with structural insulated panels to superinsulated standards. He will also describe the renewable energy systems that can be used to achieve near zero net energy use.

Free refreshments and informational handouts will also be available.

If you have attended past talks, please remember that we have moved the store! The new time and place for our Sustainable Living Talks are on the second Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm at 56 Maine Street in Brunswick.

News from Energyworks
Here's the news from our renewable energy partner:

Bill Behrens, a partner in Energyworks, was present at the ribbon cutting ceremony at Maple Hill Farm in Hallowell on January 18 where they unveiled their new solar system. Energyworks designed and installed this combined solar hot water and electricity system. The 15 KW photovoltaic system is the largest solar array in the state. For more information visit Energyworks online at www.enworks.net.

Energyworks South, located in the Bayside area of Portland, is looking for a part-time office manager / bookkeeper. This is a great opportunity for someone who is passionate about renewable energy and looking to join a fast-growing company. We are small today but have big plans for the future! Please send an e-mail to phil@energyworksllc.com if you are interested.

If you're planning to go solar in 2007, the winter months are a great time to start talking with Energyworks!

Worms Eat Our (Neighbor's) Garbage
Want to compost all year round in the comfort and convenience of your own home? Have kitchen scraps that you don't want to throw on your compost pile outside? Worms are the answer!

We will be selling worm bins complete with worms starting in April. In the meantime, we'll have a demonstration unit in the store so you can see how "vermicomposting" works. We'll be feeding our worms scraps from Morning Glory next door -- only the finest for them -- plus our store's junk mail!

Vermicomposting is a system in which worms eat and digest scraps, turning them into a rich soil amendment. A worm bin can be tucked in any closet or under a kitchen sink. Any warm and dark place will do. In addition to kitchen scraps, worms like to eat junk mail. You put kitchen scraps in the worm bin, then cover them with shredded paper (credit card offers are especially delicious!).

Worm bins fully stocked with voracious worms will go on sale in mid-April for $25 a bin. We also have a deluxe "Wormtopia" available for $109.50. If you have been a "fair-weather" composter, consider giving vermicomposting a try. You'll have an easy and fast way to make great compost no matter how cold it gets outside.

And if the thought of harvesting your worm's compost makes you squeamish, we're planning a "worm exchange" day this summer. We'll invite people who have extra worms and people who want worms to meet at the store. Let us find a home for all your extra worms so you'll have room for another year of composting action.

The Sunrise Guide
Looking for a fundraiser for your school or community group that also raises awareness about sustainability issues?

The SunriseGuide is a brand new coupon book and resource guide for healthy & sustainable living in southern Maine. We’ve been selling guides here in the store since December, and you can also buy them online on our web site. They are also available for sale as a fundraiser where your school or community group keeps $8-$10 from each book sold (they retail for $20). For example, The Friends School in Portland sold them for three weeks in December and raised just under $2,500. The Bridge School in New Gloucester also sold them in December and raised $1,100.

The SunriseGuide is packed with 130 coupons (worth more than $4,500) from natural food stores, farm stands, CSA’s, home energy auditors, yoga classes, restaurants that feature local and organic ingredients, and green building stores -- including three coupons to our store! It’s also got a significant resources section that compiles useful info to support a sustainable lifestyle in southern Maine -- a list of the available tax incentives, locations of farmer’s markets, alternative transportation resources, recipes for natural cleaners and more.

For more info, check them out at www.thesunriseguide.com or call 221-3450.

What's Happening in the Local Environmental Scene
The Brunswick Sustainability Group met at Curtis Memorial Library on Monday, January 29. The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 26. For more information about this group, visit the store or drop me an email. A listserve for the group has been set up and a web site is in the works.

Winning green home designs are on display in the Environmental Studies Common Room, Adams Hall, Bowdoin College from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Jan. 22 - Feb. 5. The winning designs are from the Mainestream Green Housing Design Contest, organized by MaineHousing. The green housing design contest required designers to submit plans for homes that are affordable, at least 1,000 square feet in size, and incorporate the Green Building Standards that MaineHousing adopted. Details at http://tinyurl.com/2waoue

A temperature of 67 degrees Fahrenheit on Saturday, January 6, was the highest temperature ever recorded in Portland during January, beating the old record of 64 degrees set in 1950. The average high temperature for December 2006 was a record 43.3 degrees. The year 2006 was the warmest year on record for Portland, with an average monthly temperature of 48.5 versus a normal average of 45.7. Every month of 2006 had above normal average temperature, except August which was 0.3 degrees below normal. The temperature never got below zero for the entire year.

Friends of Merrymeeting Bay will host a talk called "Native Americans of the Merrymeeting Bay Region" by Kerry Hardy of Merryspring Nature Center, on Wednesday, Feb 14 at 7 pm at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath. For more information, visit their web site at www.friendsofmerrymeetingbay.org

February 2007 Events

Just a quick reminder that our next Sustainable Living Talk is tomorrow! Please join us on Thursday, February 8, at 7:00 pm at F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies for "Zero Energy Homes", a talk by Mike White of Island Carpentry.

Mike will present a comparison between conventionally built stick framed homes and energy efficient homes built with structural insulated panels to superinsulated standards. He will also describe the renewable energy systems that can be used to achieve near zero net energy use.

Free refreshments and informational handouts will be available.

If you have attended past talks, please remember that we have moved the store! We are now called "F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies, and our new address is 56 Maine Street in Brunswick.

Recommended Books

If you're interested in this month's talk topic, you may be interested in the following books on green building and renewable energy systems.

• Building Green
• Green Building Products
• Green Remodeling
• The Not So Big House
• Your Green Home
• Planning and Installing Solar Thermal
• Renewable Energy Policy
• Solar House
• Solar Living Sourcebook

January 2007 Green Tidings

Green Tidings from F.W. Horch in Brunswick, Maine. Brrrr, Old Man Winter has finally arrived!

Mark your calendars for "Zero Energy Homes," our next Sustainable Living Talk at 7 pm on February 8, featuring Mike White of Island Carpentry. Come find out how super efficient building and renewable energy systems can bring your home's net energy use to near zero.

Hope you are staying warm!
Fred Horch, Owner

P.S. We are adding products daily to our web site. If the cold weather is keeping you indoors, grab a cup of hot chocolate and visit us online at www.fwhorch.com.

Sustainable Living Talk, "Zero Energy Homes"
Join us on Thursday, February 8, at 7:00 pm at F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies for "Zero Energy Homes", a talk by Mike White of Island Carpentry.

Mike will present a comparison between conventionally built stick framed homes and energy efficient homes built with structural insulated panels to superinsulated standards. He will also describe the renewable energy systems that can be used to achieve near zero net energy use.

Free refreshments and informational handouts will also be available.

If you have attended past talks, please remember that we have moved the store! The new time and place for our Sustainable Living Talks are on the second Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm at 56 Maine Street in Brunswick.

News from Energyworks
Here's the news from our renewable energy partner:

Bill Behrens, a partner in Energyworks, was present at the ribbon cutting ceremony at Maple Hill Farm in Hallowell on January 18 where they unveiled their new solar system. Energyworks designed and installed this combined solar hot water and electricity system. The 15 KW photovoltaic system is the largest solar array in the state. For more information visit Energyworks online at www.enworks.net.

Energyworks South, located in the Bayside area of Portland, is looking for a part-time office manager / bookkeeper. This is a great opportunity for someone who is passionate about renewable energy and looking to join a fast-growing company. We are small today but have big plans for the future! Please send an e-mail to phil@energyworksllc.com if you are interested.

If you're planning to go solar in 2007, the winter months are a great time to start talking with Energyworks!

Worms Eat Our (Neighbor's) Garbage
Want to compost all year round in the comfort and convenience of your own home? Have kitchen scraps that you don't want to throw on your compost pile outside? Worms are the answer!

We will be selling worm bins complete with worms starting in April. In the meantime, we'll have a demonstration unit in the store so you can see how "vermicomposting" works. We'll be feeding our worms scraps from Morning Glory next door -- only the finest for them -- plus our store's junk mail!

Vermicomposting is a system in which worms eat and digest scraps, turning them into a rich soil amendment. A worm bin can be tucked in any closet or under a kitchen sink. Any warm and dark place will do. In addition to kitchen scraps, worms like to eat junk mail. You put kitchen scraps in the worm bin, then cover them with shredded paper (credit card offers are especially delicious!).

Worm bins fully stocked with voracious worms will go on sale in mid-April for $25 a bin. We also have a deluxe "Wormtopia" available for $109.50. If you have been a "fair-weather" composter, consider giving vermicomposting a try. You'll have an easy and fast way to make great compost no matter how cold it gets outside.

And if the thought of harvesting your worm's compost makes you squeamish, we're planning a "worm exchange" day this summer. We'll invite people who have extra worms and people who want worms to meet at the store. Let us find a home for all your extra worms so you'll have room for another year of composting action.

The Sunrise Guide
Looking for a fundraiser for your school or community group that also raises awareness about sustainability issues?

The SunriseGuide is a brand new coupon book and resource guide for healthy & sustainable living in southern Maine. We’ve been selling guides here in the store since December, and you can also buy them online on our web site. They are also available for sale as a fundraiser where your school or community group keeps $8-$10 from each book sold (they retail for $20). For example, The Friends School in Portland sold them for three weeks in December and raised just under $2,500. The Bridge School in New Gloucester also sold them in December and raised $1,100.

The SunriseGuide is packed with 130 coupons (worth more than $4,500) from natural food stores, farm stands, CSA’s, home energy auditors, yoga classes, restaurants that feature local and organic ingredients, and green building stores -- including three coupons to our store! It’s also got a significant resources section that compiles useful info to support a sustainable lifestyle in southern Maine -- a list of the available tax incentives, locations of farmer’s markets, alternative transportation resources, recipes for natural cleaners and more.

For more info, check them out at www.thesunriseguide.com or call 221-3450.

What's Happening in the Local Environmental Scene
The Brunswick Sustainability Group met at Curtis Memorial Library on Monday, January 29. The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 26. For more information about this group, visit the store or drop me an email. A listserve for the group has been set up and a web site is in the works.

Winning green home designs are on display in the Environmental Studies Common Room, Adams Hall, Bowdoin College from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Jan. 22 - Feb. 5. The winning designs are from the Mainestream Green Housing Design Contest, organized by MaineHousing. The green housing design contest required designers to submit plans for homes that are affordable, at least 1,000 square feet in size, and incorporate the Green Building Standards that MaineHousing adopted. Details at http://tinyurl.com/2waoue

A temperature of 67 degrees Fahrenheit on Saturday, January 6, was the highest temperature ever recorded in Portland during January, beating the old record of 64 degrees set in 1950. The average high temperature for December 2006 was a record 43.3 degrees. The year 2006 was the warmest year on record for Portland, with an average monthly temperature of 48.5 versus a normal average of 45.7. Every month of 2006 had above normal average temperature, except August which was 0.3 degrees below normal. The temperature never got below zero for the entire year.

Friends of Merrymeeting Bay will host a talk called "Native Americans of the Merrymeeting Bay Region" by Kerry Hardy of Merryspring Nature Center, on Wednesday, Feb 14 at 7 pm at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath. For more information, visit their web site at www.friendsofmerrymeetingbay.org

December 2006 Green Tidings

Green Tidings and Happy Holidays from F.W. Horch in Brunswick, Maine! May the season bring you peace and understanding in all matters, great and small.

Let me extend a heart-felt thank you for your support and encouragement. Please know that we don't take any customer for granted. We appreciate your business, and we'll do our best to meet the high standards you expect. On behalf of my children and all future generations, keep up the good work saving the planet!

Mark your calendars for "Composting and Recycling to Save You Money and Save the World," our next Sustainable Living Talk at 7 pm on January 11, featuring Brett Thompson, Master Gardener Volunteer. Come find out how to turn waste into wonderful soil.

Best wishes for the New Year!
Fred Horch, Owner

P.S. Our store will be closed the week after Christmas, December 25 to 31, so we can spend time with family and friends. Our web site will remain open for online orders. See you in 2007!

F.W. Horch Is Hiring
We are currently interviewing for a part-time sales clerk to cover our evening shift 4 pm to 7 pm, Tuesday through Friday, with additional hours as needed. This is a permanent part-time position. Our ideal candidate would live within walking or biking distance of our store on Maine Street in Brunswick. If you know a "people person" who is passionate about the environment, please let them know about this position. Sustainable Living Talk, "Composting & Recycling"
Join us on Thursday, January 11, at 7:00 pm at F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies for "Composting and Recycling to Save You Money and Save the World", a talk by Brett Thompson, Master Gardener Volunteer.

Whether you live in a city apartment or on a country farm, you can compost and recycle. Come to this talk to find out how. With the new "pay as you throw" trash ordinance in Brunswick taking effect on January 22, this is the perfect time to learn how to reduce your personal contribution to the municipal trash problem.

Free refreshments and informational handouts will also be available.

If you have attended past talks, please remember that we have moved the store! The new time and place for our Sustainable Living Talks are on the second Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm at 56 Maine Street in Brunswick.

News from Energyworks
Thank you to everyone who turned out for Energywork's "Going Solar" talk this month. It was a standing-room-only crowd, and a great opportunity to network. We'll try to schedule another one soon for those who missed it.

Here's the news from our renewable energy partner:

It's that time of year -- as we wrap up all the projects and look at the past year, we again have seen enormous growth here at Energyworks plus the expansion into Portland. We've completed two big commercial projects, one of them is the largest solar array in the state! We installed 90,000 watts, over a 1/4 mile of power rail and installed 44 solar hot water systems this year. According to the just-released report on the Maine solar rebate program -- one company installed 50% of all photovoltaic projects and one company installed 53% of all the solar thermal projects in the state -- that company is ENERGYWORKS and we are grateful to all our clients and friends who have shown so much support and interest in renewable energy. We are are looking forward to putting more renewable energy systems in place, one house at a time in 2007. Happy Holidays to all.

Other news: Energyworks South co-owner Fortunat Mueller, P.E. recently partnered with the Breakwater School's Expeditionary Learning Center to build a solar hot water system. Students helped install the system components and learned about renewable energy technology. The school plans to use the system to reduce its carbon footprint and to teach kids about the benefits of renewable energy versus fossil fuel energy.

Energyworks South recently completed this combined 270-tube solar thermal / 5kW solar electric system in Cape Elizabeth.

If you're planning to go solar in 2007, the winter months are a great time to start talking with Energyworks!

What's Happening in the Local Environmental Scene
The Brunswick Sustainability Group will meet at Curtis Memorial Library during the last week in January, the exact day and time still to be determined. For more information about this group, visit the store or drop me an email. A listserve for the group will be set up shortly.

The Town of Brunswick will require all household trash to be placed in special "Brunswick Bags" starting January 22. In conjunction with the change in residential trash collection, the curbside recycling program will be expanded to cover paperboard and all types of plastic in a "single stream" recycling system. You will no longer need to sort paper, glass, containers, etc. for recycling. Brunswick bags, more information about the change, and a complete list of items that can be recycled will be available in our store, F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick. Come by or give us a call at 729-4050 if you have any questions.

The National Weather Service reports that November 2006 was a record-setting month for warm temperatures in Portland, Maine. The average temperature for November was a record-setting 43.8 degrees Fahrenheit. The previous record was 43.0 degrees in 1975. Normally November has an average temperature of 38.3 degrees. The average low temperature for the month was 35.8 degrees, also a record. The normal average low is 29.5 degrees. During this November Portland never got any colder than 20 degrees, and there were three days where temperatures never got below 50 degrees.

Friends of Merrymeeting Bay will hold their annual meeting and potluck dinner on Wednesday, January 10. The public is welcome. Potluck dinner starts at 5:30, followed by the annual meeting at 6:15, and a talk at 7:00, "Rivers to the Sea: Forage & Feeding in the Gulf of Maine" by Ted Ames, Penobscot East Resource Center. The dinner, meeting and talk will be held in the Cram Alumni House, Bowdoin College, Brunswick. For more information, visit http://www.friendsofmerrymeetingbay.org/.

November 2006 Green Tidings

Green Tidings to you and yours! I hope you like our newly designed newsletter and web site (which is now open for online shopping!).

Mark your calendars for "Going Solar," our next Sustainable Living Talk at 7 pm on December 14, featuring Fortunat Mueller of Energyworks. Come find out if solar is right for you.

Read on for more in this month's Green Tidings...

Happy Holidays!
Fred Horch, Owner

P.S. I'd like to put in a plug for the SunriseGuide, a brand new resource guide and coupon book for sustainable living in Maine. For just $20, you get 128 colorful pages packed with tips, resources and thousands of dollars in coupons for outdoor living, home and garden, transportation, arts and culture, and natural and local products. Available after December 1 in our store and online at www.FWHorch.com.

F.W. Horch Is Giving Green
We're "Giving Green" this holiday season by donating 10% of our gross profits to five local non-profit environmental and community organizations. Every purchase you make from now through December 23 in our store and online will help build a better community for midcoast Maine. Learn more at www.FWHorch.com. Sustainable Living Talk, "Going Solar"
Join us on Thursday, December 14, at 7:00 pm at F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies for "Going Solar", a talk by Fortunat Mueller of Energyworks.

Whether you're planning to live off grid, or are just curious about the state of the art, you'll learn how to harness the sun's energy for electricity and heat here in Maine. The crew at Energyworks are experienced solar installers who have helped many people in Maine achieve their dreams of going solar. Find out what works and what doesn't. Is solar right for you?

Free refreshments and informational handouts will also be available.

If you have attended past talks, please remember that we have moved the store! The new time and place for our Sustainable Living Talks are 7:00 pm at 56 Maine Street in Brunswick.

Introducing the SunriseGuide
A new resource guide and coupon book for healthy and sustainable living in southern Maine
We are happy to offer the SunriseGuide, a new publication developed by a Mainer (and former Topsham resident), Heather Chandler. The book includes more than $4,500 in coupons for environmentally friendly products and services in southern Maine. You’ll find coupons for F.W. Horch, as well as other local businesses including natural food stores, farm stands, restaurants, personal care products, green building, public transportation and more! In addition to the coupons, the guide includes more than 50 pages of useful information and local resources, such as where to find a farmer’s market or CSA, which plastics are safest for food storage, the tax incentives available for energy upgrades, and much, much more!

Guides will be available at the store and on our web site beginning December 1. At $20, they make a great holiday gift. Check them out at http://www.thesunriseguide.com/.

"Saving Energy for Maine"
Efficiency Maine is now offering $2 instant coupons for holiday lighting. You've heard of CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lamps). Now get ready for LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). They offer a new way to look at decorating for the holidays and beyond. LEDs are energy efficient and very long lasting. The old fashioned incandescent bulbs last hundreds of hours, but LEDs last hundreds of thousands of hours. Our holiday lighting is rated for 200,000 hours -- that's 22 years of continuous use!

If you're going to decorate with lights, LEDs are a great way to keep costs under control. A 70-light string consumes just 1 watt of electricity. Plus, with their incredibly long life span, you don't have to replace bulbs or light strings as often as before. LED bulbs are also a lot sturdier than glass bulbs. Finally, LEDs are safer because the bulbs stay much cooler.

News from Energyworks
Here's the news from Energyworks, our renewable energy partner:

"Our new southern location is officially open for business at:

Energyworks South LLC
109 Fox St.
Portland, ME 04101
207-221-6342

At this time of Thanksgiving it only seems appropriate for all of us at Energyworks North and South to extend our deepest thanks to our clients and friends who have made this such a terrific year. Thanks to everyone for their enthusiasm and support of renewable energy. Together we really are making a difference. Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!"

And don't forget about December's Sustainable Living talk featuring Energyworks on Thursday, December 14, at 7 pm. If you're planning to go solar in 2007, don't miss this talk!

Forest-Friendly Greeting Cards
If you choose to send holiday greeting cards, you can help protect our forests and all the living creatures that depend on them by keeping a few guidelines in mind:

• Choose cards printed on 100% recycled paper. Use your purchasing power to reward companies that are completing the recycling loop, keeping paper out of our landfills and protecting our forests. At F.W. Horch, we have a nice selection of beautiful cards on 100% recycled paper.
• Choose cards printed on paper that is not bleached with chlorine. Virgin paper made from wood is naturally the color of cardboard; recycled paper is typically the gray color of cereal boxes. There are two main methods of bleaching it white. One method uses chlorine, which leads to dioxins in the environment. The other uses oxygen, ozone and hydrogen peroxide, without creating dioxins. Look for cards that state "Process Chlorine Free" or "Totally Chlorine Free".
• Choose cards without plastic wrappers. Paper is easy to recycle. Plastic is not. By purchasing greeting cards packaged without plastic wrappers, you cut down on the amount of garbage we need to bury or burn.

In my family, we look forward to receiving greeting cards from friends and relatives. It is wonderful to know that others are thinking of us. I also look forward to the day when all of the cards arrive on 100% recycled paper, letting us know that others are thinking of our planet and our shared future on it.

What's Happening in the Local Environmental Scene
The Brunswick Sustainability Group will meet at Frontier Cafe on Tuesday, December 19, at 7 pm. For more information about this group, visit the store or drop me an email.

The Brunswick Community Health and Land Care Ordinance passed by five votes, and survived a recount challenge. The ordinance requires the Town of Brunswick to adopt "land management principles and practices for the care of Town-owned land that minimize risk, to the greatest extent possible, to human health and the environment."

Evergreen Wind Power expects to complete construction of a 28-turbine wind farm on Mars Hill Mountain and begin generating electricity by December 31, 2006. When completed, this will be the largest wind farm in Maine. At full capacity, it is expected to provide enough electricity to power 40,000 average Maine homes.

Oakhurst Dairy in Portland will be running 130 delivery trucks -- more than 90 percent of its fleet -- on B20 biodiesel fuel by the end of the year. The fuel switch will make Oakhurst trucks the largest private biodiesel fleet in New England. B20 biodiesel is a mixture of 20% biofuel from renewable vegetable sources and 80% petroleum-derived diesel fuel. The mixture burns cleaner without requiring any engine modifications. B20 can also be burned in home heating systems, with no modifications, instead of #2 heating oil.

The fourth annual statewide conference Maine Neighborhoods: Building Strong Communities is set for Tuesday, December 12th at the Holiday Inn By The Bay in Portland. David Littell, Commissioner, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, will be giving the keynote speech, "Global Warming and the Possible Effects on Maine". The cost is $45 per person; $25 elders/students. Call 773-4336 for scholarship information. For more information, email conferences@usm.maine.edu

You are invited to an opening ceremony for the historic Swinging Bridge between Topsham and Brunswick on Saturday, December 16, 2006 at 10:00 a.m. on the Topsham side of the bridge. The bridge has been closed since extensive repairs began in May of this year. Directly after the ceremony a cleanup of the area is scheduled. Volunteers are asked to bring gloves, rakes and appropriate clothes for the weather. Hot cocoa will be provided. Built in 1892, the bridge has served as a pedestrian link across the Androscoggin River. Many generations of workers from the Topsham Heights neighborhood crossed the bridge each day to the Cabot Mill. The French-Canadian community used it to reach churches, as well as public and parochial schools. For additional information about the bridge and restoration project see www.saveourbridge.org or contact the Swinging Bridge co-chairs Nancy Randolph at 729-3600 or Roger Caouette at 725-2403.

The next Friends of Merrymeeting Bay talk is "Passamaquoddy Culture: Our Neighbors to the East" by Allen Sockabasin, a Passamaquoddy who devotes much of his time to teaching and preserving the Passamaquoddy language. 7:00 pm on December 13 in the Beam Classroom, Visual Arts Center, Bowdoin College.

October 2006 Green Tidings

Early wishes for a Happy Halloween! I hope you enjoy this issue of Green Tidings.

Please join us on Thursday, November 9, at 7 pm for our next Sustainable Living Talk, "Creating a Green Kitchen" by Steve Prescott, who is a cabinet builder here in Brunswick.

Read on for more news and information in this month's Green Tidings.

Best regards,
Fred Horch, Owner

P.S. If all goes to plan, next month our Green Tidings will have a new look. Same info, just dressed up a little and hopefully easier to read!

Sustainable Living Talk, "Creating a Green Kitchen"
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Join us at 7 pm on Thursday, November 9, at our new store location at 56 Maine Street in Brunswick, for November's Sustainable Living Talk, "Creating a Green Kitch". Steve Prescott of Brunswick will discuss how to create a "green" kitchen based on his experience as a cabinet builder using sustainable materials and less toxic finishes.

If you have attended past talks at The Green Store, please remember that we have moved the store! The new time and place for our Sustainable Living Talks are 7:00 pm at 56 Maine Street in Brunswick.

Welcome Jill Victor
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We are delighted to announce that Jill Victor has joined the staff here at F.W. Horch. Jill brings a wealth of retail experience as well as the hands-on perspective of someone who built her own house one rock at a time. She will be in the store Tuesday mornings, and more often between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Welcome, Jill!

"Change a Light, Change the World"
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October is Energy Awareness month. In celebration, the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) kicked off the annual "Change a Light, Change the World" campaign last week. The campaign encourages U.S. residents to replace a conventional bulb or fixture in their home or workplace with one that has earned the government's Energy Star label for energy efficiency. If every U.S. household changed a single light bulb to an Energy Star bulb, it would save enough power to light more than 2.5 million homes. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman took the "Change a Light" pledge last week, and challenged DOE's 120,000 employees to join him.

News from Energyworks
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Here's the news from Energyworks, our renewable energy partner:

"With our expansion into the Portland area and several new, big commercial projects we are not slowing down, even though it's October! We continue to install residential PV projects, despite the lack of a state rebate. Anyone who is interested in doing PV, but is waiting for the rebates, should contact the Maine State Energy Office to show your interest, as the Legislature will be making a decision about that program this Winter.

Heating season is upon us! If you've been thinking about a wood boiler give us a call. We are selling the Tarms we have in stock for 10% off. Call and ask for Pat or send him an email at pat@energyworksllc.com."

Mark your calendars now for December's Sustainable Living talk featuring Energyworks on Thursday, December 14, at 7 pm. If you're planning to go solar in 2007, don't miss this talk!

Protecting Indoor Air Quality
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With the colder weather and holidays approaching, now is the time to tackle those indoor home improvement projects. Here are some tips for protecting indoor air quality while improving your home.

* Choose paint without unnecessary toxic chemicals. We sell both AFM Safecoat and American Pride lines of paint. AFM Safecoat is best for those with chemical sensitivities. American Pride is a newer brand of Green Seal-certified zero VOC paint. American Pride (like other "green" paints recently introduced by the major paint manufacturers) has only been on the market for a few years, so it doesn't have the track record among chemically sensitive people that AFM Safecoat has. But our experience with both lines of paint has been extremely positive. We painted our store with American Pride over Safecoat Transitional Primer and were impressed with the low odor, ease of application, and great free color matching provided by the manufacturer (they can match any color from any other major brand).

* Choose natural hard wax oil instead of polyurethane. A natural hard wax such as Osmo Polyx Oil looks better, lasts longer, and can be spot repaired. Unlike a soft wax finish, a hard wax finish is more durable than polyurethane and easier to clean and maintain. Many home owners (and even professional floor finishers) don't realize that most polyurethanes are horrible for indoor air quality. Not only that, but once a polyurethane finish has cured, you can't repair it. It's extremely difficult to keep the floor clean enough to prevent scratches on poly. Once that happens, your only option is to sand down or screen the whole surface and reapply another two or three coats over the entire floor -- even if just a small section needs repair. If you are refinishing a hard wood floor, don't ruin it with polyurethane! Choose a more durable and more beautiful natural hard wax oil instead.

* Choose better insulation. Fiberglass insulation is a disaster for indoor air quality. First, some brands contain formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. Avoid anything that contains formaldehyde. It's added to products to inhibit mold and mildew, but there are better ways to inhibit fungal growth that don't pose a cancer hazard to humans. Second, all fiberglass releases tiny shards of glass that are incredibly irritating to your skin, mucus linings and lungs. The industry claims that these tiny shards, after you inhale them, simply dissolve into your blood stream with no side effects. If you believe that, I'd like to introduce you to a friend's aunt who put her arm through a glass window fifty years ago and still finds tiny pieces poking out of her skin every so often. Third, fiberglass often doesn't even work effectively because it doesn't block air currents. Better products to use for insulation include blown-in cellulose, cotton batts and radiant barriers. We sell Ultratouch cotton batts made from denim scraps. We also sell Econo-E radiant barrier insulation. Drop by the store and we'd be happy to show you how these products used together can safely insulate your home or office.

What's Happening in the Local Environmental Scene
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Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick is hosting a Cornerstones of Science Brown Bag Lunch Series from 12:15 to 1:15 pm on Wednesdays from September 20 through November 15. Join distinguished professors, scientists, and educators in facilitated discussions of Jonathan Weiner’s Pulitzer Prize winning, The Beak of the Finch, over lunch on nine consecutive Wednesdays. Attend one or all of the sessions. Copies of The Beak of the Finch are available at the Curtis Library and through interlibrary loan. The group meets from 12:15 to 1:15 PM in the Morrell Meeting Room.

Discussion schedule and facilitators:
Sept. 20: Chapters 1 & 2, Barry Logan, Ph.D., Professor of Plant Physiological Ecology, Bowdoin College
Sept. 27: Chapters 3, 4 & 5, Michael Palopoli, Ph.D., Professor of Evolution, Bowdoin College
Oct. 4: Chapters 6 & 7, Don Hudson, Ph.D., President, The Chewonki Foundation
Oct. 11: Chapters 8, 9 & 10, Nat Wheelwright, Ph.D., Professor of Behavioral Ecology & Ornithology, Bowdoin College
Oct. 18: Chapters 11 & 12, Lesley Brown, Laboratory Instructor in Evolution & Marine Biology, Bowdoin College
Oct. 25: Chapters 13 & 14, Jon Allen, Ph.D., Visiting Professor of Marine Biology & Ecology, Bowdoin College
Nov. 1: Chapters 15, 16 & 17, John Lichter, Ph.D., Professor of Community & Ecosystem Ecology, Bowdoin College
Nov. 8: Chapters 18 & 19, Willard Morgan, Director of the Maine Coast Semester, The Chewonki Foundation
Nov 15: Chapter 20 & Epilogue, Olaf Ellers, Ph.D., Research Associate in Biomechanics, Bowdoin College

Friends of Merrymeeting Bay talk, "Reclaiming the Water Commons from Private Takings: Asserting Public Trust & Ownership" by Jim Olson. 7:00 pm on November 8 in the Beam Classroom, Visual Arts Center, Bowdoin College.

The sludge issue is before the people of Brunswick as a referendum question. Sludge (also called biosolids) is the residue from municipal waste water treatment plants. Currently, sludge can be applied as a fertilizer to town-owned properties situated above the aquifer supplying all of the drinking water for Brunswick. Along with prohibiting certain kinds of pesticides from being applied, the proposed ordinance would prohibit fertilizers derived from sludge from being applied to town properties. The full text of the proposed Brunswick Community Health and Land Care Ordinance is available online at

http://www.brunswickme.org/clerk/images/petitionforcommunityhealth.pdf

Don't forget to vote on Tuesday, November 7!

Green Tidings #16 ~ August 24, 2006

Green Tidings:
A Monthly Newsletter from F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies in Brunswick, Maine
Issue 16 ~ August 24, 2006

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In this issue...

• Products to Help You Save Energy
• Welcome Energyworks Customers!
• Summer at Energyworks LLC
• Composting Clinic at Crystal Spring Farm in Brunswick this Saturday
• "Building a LEED Home", Sustainable Living Talk, Thursday, Sep 14
• Local environmental news and events

Products to Help You Save Energy

We recently expanded our selection of products to help you save energy. We now carry Kill-A-Watt electricity usage monitors, available for sale at $29.75 or for rent at $5 per day or $10 for three days. These nifty little devices plug into the wall between the outlet and the appliance you want to measure. The knowledge you gain can save you thousands of dollars!

Thanks to a good buying opportunity, we've lowered the price of our compact fluorescent bulbs to start at just $2.25 per bulb (after rebate). According to the EPA, if every household in the U.S. replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL), it would prevent enough pollution to equal removing one million cars from the road.

Welcome Energyworks Customers

Starting this month, we are pleased to include a message from Energyworks, our renewable energy partner. And we are delighted that our newsletter will now be reaching a larger audience, including those of you who signed up via Energyworks.

Summer at Energyworks LLC

Judy at Energyworks writes,

"We are thrilled with the continued surge of interest in Renewable Energy. We've been out to Bar Harbor and all the way down to Freeport this summer. We have now installed nearly 70 systems all over the state. The scale of our projects continues to grow as we move into more commercial installations. We recently put a Solar Thermal system on a restaurant, a B&B and we've done a solar pool heating project. We have had reports of a $7 electrical bill after a recent grid tie installation!"

"We continue to hire, train and license our staff and we are especially excited to announce a new southern chapter of Energyworks this fall. We'll have more details on that next month."

"As we head into Fall, we are gearing up for the Common Ground Fair next month and in October we will be part of the 2006 Solar Home Tour. More details on those events next time, or visit us online at www.enworks.net."

Composting Clinic at Crystal Spring Farm

Join me this Saturday between 10 am and noon at Crystal Spring Farm in Brunswick for a backyard composting clinic. I'll be there to demonstrate how to use our tumbling composter and promote the cause of turning kitchen and yard waste into an enriching soil amendment. Can't make it this weekend? I'll be holding the clinic again on Saturday, September 16.

Building a LEED Home, Sustainable Living Talk September 14

Join us at 7 pm on Thursday, September 14, at our new store location at 56 Maine Street in Brunswick, for September's Sustainable Living Talk. The topic will be "Building a LEED Home" by Ian Parlin of Richard Renner Architects. The Cranberry Ridge - LEED Pilot Home being built in Freeport by Wright-Ryan Construction is the case study for the talk. Ian will explain how the house is designed to meet the highest levels of the U.S. Green Buildling Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System for residential construction.

If you have attended past talks at The Green Store, please note the new time (7:00 pm) and location (56 Maine Street) for this talk.

What's Happening in the Local Environmental Scene

On Saturday, August 26, Friends of Merrymeeting Bay will be leading a Rare Plant Walk. Location TBA. Free and open to the public; pre-registration required. Trip Leader: Barbara Vickery. To register and for directions, call Sarah Wolpow at 721-0941.

On Saturday, September 9, join Friends of Merrymeeting Bay for an Historic Merrymeeting Park Walk. Brunswick, 10 AM, with Friends of Merrymeeting Bay. Free and open to the public; pre-registration required. To register and for directions call Trip Leader Chris Gutscher at 725-6426.

The Common Ground Country Fair will be held in Unity, Maine, on September 22, 23 and 24. For more information, visit http://www.mofga.org/fb01.html

If you have news you'd like me to share, please call or email.

About this Newsletter

This newsletter is free. To subscribe or unsubscribe, simply reply via email or give me a call at (207) 729-4050. I send out the newsletter from my own email account, so all replies come right to me.

Thanks for reading!

Fred Horch, Owner

F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies
56 Maine Street
Brunswick, ME 04011

(207) 729-4050
www.FWHorch.com

Green Tidings #15 ~ July 20, 2006

Green Tidings:
A Monthly Newsletter from F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies in Brunswick, Maine
Issue 15 ~ July 20, 2006

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In this issue...

• Grand Re-Opening Celebration Saturday, July 22, 9 am to 6 pm
• "Recycling in Maine", Sustainable Living Talk, Thursday, August 10
• Local environmental news and events

Grand RE-OPENING This Saturday, July 22, 9 am to 6 pm

Come by and check out our new location on Saturday, July 22 for our grand re-opening. We'll have giveaways, light refreshments, and a brand new store to show off!

If you can't make it on Saturday, come see us some other time. Our new store hours will be Tuesday through Friday, 9 am to 7 pm, and Saturday 9 am to 6 pm. Parking is available behind the store and on Maine Street. We can't wait to be open again for business!

Recycling in Maine, Sustainable Living Talk August 10

Join us at 7 pm on Thursday, August 10, at our new store location at 56 Maine Street in Brunswick, for August's Sustainable Living Talk. The topic will be "Recycling in Maine" by Victor Horton, Executive Director, Maine Resource Recovery Association. I invited Victor to talk after having a fascinating conversation with him in regards to the reasoning behind Harpswell's recent limitations on the types of plastic they accept for recycling. With the discussion of a new "pay-per-bag" proposal here in Brunswick, it's a great time to learn about how Maine's recycling market really works.

Please note the new time (7:00 pm) and location (56 Maine Street) for this talk.

What's Happening in the Local Environmental Scene

I believe that peace and environmental protection are tightly linked. For this reason, our store is one of the sponsors of the second annual Greater Brunswick Community Peace Fair, which will be held on the Brunswick Mall on Saturday, August 5 from 10 am to 4 pm. For more information, call Christine DeTroy at 729-0023.

On Saturday, August 19, join Friends of Merrymeeting Bay in Richmond at 1 pm for "History of Swan Island". Free and open to the public; pre-registration required. To register and for directions call Trip Leader Bruce Trembly at 737-4352.

If you have news you'd like me to share, please call or email.

About this Newsletter

This newsletter is free. To subscribe or unsubscribe, simply reply via email or give me a call at (207) 729-4050. I send out the newsletter from my own email account, so all replies come right to me.

Thanks for reading!

Fred Horch, Owner

F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies
56 Maine Street
Brunswick, ME 04011

(207) 729-4050
www.FWHorch.com

Introducing F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies

Looking for a store that sells better products for you and your planet? You've come to the right place!

F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies is a locally owned store in downtown Brunswick, Maine. We provide trustworthy advice and practical products that you can use to help save the planet.

I'm Fred Wilson Horch, the founder, former corporate attorney, computer geek, private pilot, and professional environmentalist. Moving to Brunswick in 2002, where my wife is an assistant professor of neurobiology at Bowdoin College, I helped launched green electricity in Maine as the Project Coordinator for Maine Interfaith Power & Light.

You'll find me in the store most days. I'm ably assisted by Brett Thompson, Hillary Shende, Debbie Atwood, Mandy Russell, and occasionally Jill Victor. All of us are committed to providing excellent service, honest recommendations and great products.

Our store started out as the Brunswick location of The Green Store. In the summer of 2006, we became an independent store with a tighter focus on helping our customers save the planet.

Although we've been doing the "brick and mortar" store for a while now, we're just getting serious about our online storefront. Our first step this fall is to combine Green Tidings, our free monthly newsletter, with our new blog. We hope the new combination will provide a more convenient way for you to stay up-to-date on what's happening here at the store--and we've got some exciting things in the works for those of you who like to shop online. Stay tuned!