June Green Tidings

Green tidings to you and yours on a glorious summer Maine day!

On long June days full of sun, I like to think about our customers who are harnessing abundant, reliable and clean solar energy for hot showers, dish washing and laundry. Might you be among them next summer?

If you'd like to stop running your boiler or hot water heater all summer long -- or if you'd just like to know more about what's affordable with today's technology -- please join us at 7 pm on Thursday, July 12, for our next Sustainable Living Talk: "Design and Build Your Own Solar Hot Water System".

Read on for more about that and other happenings in the world of sustainable living.

Warmly,
Fred Horch, Founder

P.S. Our store is open Tuesday through Saturday, but our web site is open for business all the time online at www.FWHorch.com.
Design and Build Your Own Solar Hot Water System

Join us for "Design and Build Your Own Solar Hot Water System", our next Sustainable Living Talk from 7:00 to 8:30 pm on Thursday, July 12th.

We will discuss the state of the art in solar hot water systems. Solar hot water systems are clean, quiet and affordable. You get all the hot water you need without pollution or a fuel bill. Within a few years, solar hot water systems are likely to be standard for new construction, but today they are ahead of the mainstream in the United States.

Any building that has a sunny roof and indoor plumbing is a candidate for a solar hot water system. With the sign off of a qualified solar installer, the state of Maine pays a rebate up to $1,250 for each system installed. For structures with direct solar exposures, solar hot water systems are the most efficient way to provide domestic hot water.

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

News from Energyworks

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

Energyworks North, out of Liberty, Maine, writes:

Summer is here at last and yet it seems to still be 'heating season.' We have been installing about one wood boiler a week! We are also seeing great interest in the new Skystream wind turbine; we have three projects underway and several others in the works. So, we'll carry on this summer installing Solar PV and Solar Hot water one house at a time!

We have also been making some simple boiler upgrades that are proving to save quite a bit of fuel for our clients. Give us a call to find out if these upgrades can save you money. 207/589.4171

Product News

We are now carrying milk paint in our store. Environmentally safe and non-toxic, it comes as a powder. You just add water to mix. There is a slight milky odor when it is applied, but it is completely odorless when dry. The paint is safe for children's furniture and toys, and can also be used for interiors of homes of people who are allergic to latex paints.

No Wet Car Wax is a new product for cleaning and waxing cars without using water. Just apply using a mist applicator with two clean cloths. Not only do you save water, but you also keep dirty runoff out of our rivers and lakes. Makes a great gift for any car buff in your life. This stuff really works!

For gardeners and anyone with houseplants, we are now carrying Earthworm Castings. These are one of the best organic fertilizers available. They are especially good for containers or houseplants, to replace soil nutrients and rejuvenate potting soil. Feed your soil to grow great plants!

We're making it easier to compost with the Biobag line of compostable bags. These innovative corn-based bags look like plastic, but compost when exposed to the proper temperature, moisture and organisms in your compost pile or bin. You can line your compost pail with these bags, and just take out the compost like you would the trash! Keeps down odors and eliminates the need to clean out the compost bucket.

What's Happening in the Local Environmental Scene

Saturday, July 7, 2007 from 7-9 pm. Join the Natural Resources Council of Maine and Frontier Cafe, Cinema and Gallery in Brunswick for a "Live Earth" global concert.

Running from 12 noon-12 midnight, the Frontier Cafe will be airing Live Earth concerts from around the globe in its cinema space. Starting at 7:00 pm, NRCM staff will be on hand to join you with a special message from Al Gore, just before the prime time American concerts kick off.

Admission to the event is free and open to the public. Don't miss out! For more information, contact Ryan Ewing at NRCM: 800-287-2345 ext 243 or ryan@nrcm.org.

Maine Bike Rally, July 6-8 in Yarmouth. Join bicyclists from across Maine, New England and beyond for a weekend of biking, camping, music food and fun! For more info, visit www.bikemaine.org/mainebikerally/

Composting Clinic at Crystal Spring Farm in Brunswick, Sat. July 21, 11-noon. I'll show you how to make great compost. Call us here (207) 729-4050 for more info.

'Green Space' tent at the Yarmouth Clam Festival: Sunday, July 22 from 8 - 4. See displays of local alternative energy and energy-efficient products. Contact Ami Robbins at afrob2@maine.rr.com for more info.

June 2007 Events

Could your next car be electric? Please join us tomorrow, Thursday, June 14, at 6:00 pm at F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies in Brunswick for "Meet the Electric Car: Test Drive and Discussion", featuring two "Neighborhood Electric Vehicles" -- the Miles Automotive ZX40 four-door mini-SUV model and the two-door sporty Zenn Car.

The cars will be available for test drives starting at 6:00 pm. Afterwards, Bill Drinkwater and Kal Rogers will lead a discussion.

Bill is the Director of EVMaine.org, a web site for electric vehicle enthusiasts in Maine. He has built and worked on many of his own vehicles and has worked on implementing ultra-safe materials for the automotive industry. He calls himself an "adventurer" having traveled extensively and worked as a cable car welder, an art gallery owner/artist and a gold miner.

Kal is the marketing director for Maine Electric Vehicles. Until recently he was a "sales activist" for Maine's Air America Radio affiliate, 870 The Voice. He has worked with progressive alternative businesses and organizations for more than 20 years with highlights as co-founder of Mad Horse Theater Company in Portland, founder of "The InnerGuide" publication, Chair of the Maine Peace Campaign (Peace Action Maine) as well as his time helping to keep Air America on the air here in Maine.

Alternative Energy Days at Mount Washington

Join us this weekend, June 17 and 18, on Mount Washington in New Hampshire for "Mt. Washington Alternative Energy Days," an exhibition featuring alternative energy experts and vendors. The highlight of the event will be the Alternative Vehicle Regatta.

The history of alternative energy on the Mt. Washington Auto Road began the late 1970’s with an Alternative Vehicle Regatta that featured a wide variety of alternative fuel vehicles testing their worthiness on the Auto Road. Because of mixed success of the homemade vehicles and declining interest, the Alternative Vehicle Regatta was last held in 1979. With the growing public consciousness of global warming, the Mt. Washington Auto Road has decided bring back the Alternative Vehicle Regatta as part of this new event to be held in the Glen at the base of Mt. Washington.

Summer Focus: Composting Goods & Supplies

Feed your garden with home-grown compost! We have the information and equipment you need to be successful this season making natural fertilizer from your kitchen and yard waste.

• 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

• 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.

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

May Green Tidings

Happy summer and green tidings to you and yours.

Mark your calendars for "Meet the Electric Car," our next Sustainable Living Talk at 6 pm on June 14. Note the earlier start time, to give everyone a chance to test drive the cars. Read on for more about that and other happenings in the world of sustainable living.

Warmly,
Fred Horch, Founder

P.S. Our web site keeps growing! If your summer travels don't bring you to midcoast Maine, why not swing by our store online at www.FWHorch.com.

News from Energyworks

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

Energyworks North, out of Liberty, Maine, writes:

Hard to believe that Memorial Day weekend has come and gone: winter must be officially over! We are in full swing here -- nearly the whole crew will be working on an 8kw PV project next week where we will also be installing a skystream wind turbine. Climate change issues and escalating gasoline prices are forcing us to all re-think how we will act in the world. What will you do?

It continues to be encouraging to see so many Mainers taking the initiative to deal with these concerns and make the move to renewable energy.

Energyworks South, out of Portland, Maine, writes:

Frustrated by real problems like high fuel costs, global warming and war in Iraq? Energyworks has real solutions like solar hot water systems that can save as much as $2,000 annually in fuel costs, depending on your situation. We have solar electric systems that eliminate thousands of pounds of CO2 emissions annually. All of our renewable energy systems (solar thermal, pv & wind turbines) decrease dependence on fossil fuel and help reduce the need for America to battle over middle eastern oil supplies.

Everyone can make a difference by living more efficiently and adopting renewable energy technology. Our systems are cost-effective, reliable and proven to significantly reduce fossil fuel consumption. Please call us at 221-6342 or visit us on the web at www.energyworksllc.com.

CFL Recycling -- In Store for FREE

You can now bring your burned out CFL bulbs to F.W. Horch for recycling. This is a free new service made possible by Efficiency Maine. Bring any compact fluorescent bulb to our store for proper disposal. Remember, you should NEVER throw a CFL bulb in your regular trash.

CFLs, like all fluorescent bulbs, contain a tiny amount of mercury. If you should break a bulb in your house, wear disposable gloves and use care to pick up all the pieces. Put them in a zip-loc bag, seal it, mark it as "Household Hazardous Waste", store it in a safe place out of reach of children, and dispose of it during your town's annual household hazardous waste collection day. You can use two pieces of paper to scoop up glass shards, or a damp sponge. Put those in the bag as well.

Solar Hot Water -- A Great Summertime Idea

Did you know that modern solar hot water systems allow you to shut off your boiler all summer long, saving fuel, preventing pollution, and extending the useful life of your heating system? Real-world performance data from the growing number of families in Maine who have installed solar hot water systems is demonstrating even greater energy savings than predicted. The reason? Boilers operate at their worst performance during the summer, when they typically cycle on and off in short bursts to keep a tank of hot water ready "just in case" it's needed.

In terms of efficiency, using your home's heating system to heat hot water during the summer is like driving your car one block, stopping, turning the engine off, and then re-starting to drive one more block. You can avoid this unnecessary waste by installing a solar hot water system which will use free sunlight to heat all of the water your family uses all summer long (and potentially even in the spring and fall). State rebates and federal tax credits are still available, and the costs of these systems can be easily financed through any home equity loan or line of credit.

For more information, contact Energyworks.

Drying Racks Made in Maine

We recently found a new vendor for made-in-Maine wooden drying racks. These are solid, durable racks with a very clever expanding design that makes it possible to dry a full load of laundry. Come in to the store to check them out. We will soon offer them through our web site, too.

Know of any other practical, made-in-Maine products we should carry? Please let us know! We believe buying local is a great way to start saving the planet, and we are committed to supporting Maine vendors wherever possible.

Sun-Mar Composting Toilets Meet Maine Code

Composting toilets have been installed throughout Maine for decades. Environmentally, they are the best way to treat human waste, safely converting it in situ into rich fertilizer that can be used as a soil amendment. Recently, there has been some confusion among code enforcement officers regarding the status of composting toilets in homes under the new Maine plumbing code, which took effect two years ago.

To meet the new code for use in homes, composting toilets must pass national standards such as National Sanitation Foundation Standard 41 and be installed according to the manufacturer's instructions. If you are considering a composting toilet for use in an inhabited structure, make sure the model you select is legal for residential use in Maine. The complete line of Sun-Mar toilets we sell here at F.W. Horch meets code.

If you or your codes enforcement officer has any question about whether the brand of composting toilet you are considering is legal, contact Dana C. Tuttle, Senior Plumbing Inspector, Plumbing Examining Board, Office of Licensing and Registration in Augusta at (207) 624-8639 or Jim Jacobson, Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Health Engineering, Plumbing and Waste Water Program at (207) 287-5695.

What's Happening in the Local Environmental Scene

On Monday, April 23, the Brunswick Town Council voted to add Brunswick to the list of towns and cities across Maine and across the country who have committed to become a "Cool Community". So what is a Cool Community? These are cities and towns that pledge to help stop global warming by signing the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement. The Cool Cities campaign helps cities turn their commitments into action by pushing for smart energy solutions.

Want to help Brunswick live up to its commitment to become a "Cool Community"? Join the Brunswick Sustainability Group at our next meeting at 7 pm on Monday, June 18, at 11 Pleasant Street. For more information, drop by the store to sign up for their mailing list.

Is Dad into cars and alternative energy? Then come to Alternative Energy Days, at Mount Washington on Father's Day, Sunday June 17, and Monday June 18. Mt. Washington Alternative Energy Days is an exhibition for consumers looking to reduce their energy use and carbon footprint featuring alternative energy experts and vendors. The highlight of the event will be the Alternative Vehicle Regatta up the Mount Washington Auto Road.

May 2007 Events

Please join us tomorrow, Thursday, May 10, at 7:00 pm at F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies in Brunswick for "BayScaping: Landscaping to Protect Casco Bay in Your Own Backyard", a talk by Mary Cerullo of Friends of Casco Bay.

Mary will help you find practical ways to reduce dependence on lawn chemicals. BayScaping is a way for homeowners and yard care services to maintain a healthy landscape without depending on pesticides and fertilizers. You will receive a how-to guide, a soil test kit, and a worksheet for designing a low-maintenance, attractive yard that is healthy for families, pets, and Casco Bay.

This month we have a bonus talk. Join us on Thursday, May 24, at 7:00 pm for "Building Green by 'Function Form': How to Build an Environmentally Friendly Home on a Reasonable Budget" by John Whitworth and James Prentice of the Balsam Group LLC.

John and James will share the Balsom Group design philosophy of "Form Follows Function." They developed this alternative design process to address some of the shortfalls of the traditional builder/owner relationship, especially when applied to building high-performance "green" homes. They will explain how their unique approach can fully integrate the home owner's desires wants and needs into a satisfying design and construction process from start to finish.

News From Energyworks

Energyworks, our renewable energy partner, writes,
Spring is in the air and we are getting back on roofs all over the mid coast ! We've got two wind projects in the works as well as two large residential grid tied pv projects lined up for the spring. Remember that there is still a state rebate available for the installation of a Solar Hot Water system. For more info on the rebates and tax credits check out www.maine.gov/msep

We had a great time at the Green Expo in Damariscotta. A great turn out and lots of interest. It seems there is a great deal of interest in wind power these days, perhaps because of the recent storms. If you want to learn more about the potential of wind, Pat Coon will be doing two presentations in May ( Chewonki's sustainable energy conference may 12 - chewonki.org and a class in camden 5/23)

Energyworks South (the Portland office), writes,
Energyworks South is looking forward to MEBSR's (Maine Businesses for Social Responsibility) annual conference May 10 at the Hilton Garden Inn, Freeport. Please stop by our table to learn how your investment in a solar hot water system can dramatically reduce your household carbon footprint--with a system payback in the 5-7 year range. Too many homes in Maine are heating water year-round with inefficient oil burners. When that boiler kicks on in August to heat water for a shower, we calculate it is operating at roughly 10-15% percent efficiency. The solution? By converting a traditional 'hot start' oil boiler to a 'cold start' mode, in conjunction with solar hot water, we can effectively turn off the boiler from May to October and prevent hundreds of gallons of oil from going straight up the chimney! Call Phil Coupe at 221-6342 to see if your household is a good candidate for this upgrade, or send an e-mail to phil@energyworksllc.com.

F.W. Horch Composting Goods & Supplies

Feed your garden with home-grown compost! We have the information and equipment you need to be successful this season making natural fertilizer from your kitchen and yard waste.

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

All of our store events are now in Google Calendar.

• 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

• 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.

April Green Tidings

Join us today, the day before Earth Day, for "Solutions Saturday" at Frontier Cafe in Brunswick. Enjoy a series of short environmental films, then discuss local solutions (see schedule below). Get inspired for positive action on Earth Day!

Mark your calendars for "BayScaping: Protect Casco Bay in Your Own Backyard," our next Sustainable Living Talk at 7 pm on May 10. Read on for more about those events, and other things happening in the world of sustainable living.

Warmly,
Fred Horch, Owner

P.S. Our web site keeps growing! If your travels don't bring you to downtown Brunswick, why not swing by our store online at www.FWHorch.com.

Solutions Saturday: Environmental Film Festival

Saturday, April 21 ~ 11 am to 4:30 pm
Frontier Cafe, Cinema and Gallery
Fort Andross
Brunswick, Maine

11:00 am	Family Focus: Environmental Awareness and Action "The Quest for Dan the Can" -- recycling, etc. Discussion leaders: Sustainable Bowdoin Brunswick Town Councilor Ryan Ewing, NRCM
12:15 pm	Local and Organic Food "The True Cost of Food" -- local, organic farming Discussion leaders: Seth Kroeck, Crystal Spring Farm Brett Thompson, Maine Master Gardener Volunteer
1:30 pm	Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention "Our Children at Risk" -- toxins in the environment "Sam Suds" -- PVC, the poison plastic Discussion leaders: Environmental Health Strategy Center Maine League of Conservation Voters
3:00 pm	Energy and Climate Change "Kilowatt Ours" -- a plan to re-energize America Discussion leaders: Chewonki Hydrogen Energy Center

Sustainable Living Talk, "BayScaping: Protect Casco Bay in Your Own Backyard"
Join us on Thursday, May 10, at 7:00 pm at F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies for "BayScaping: Protect Casco Bay in Your Own Backyard".

Mary will explain Friends of Casco Bay's BayScaping program to help home and business owners find practical ways to reduce dependence on lawn chemicals. BayScaping is a way for homeowners and their yard care services to maintain a healthy landscape without depending on pesticides and fertilizers. Each person will receive a how-to guide, a soil test kit, and a worksheet for designing a low-maintenance, attractive yard that is healthy for families, pets, and Casco Bay.

As Associate Director of Friends of Casco Bay, Cerullo takes the BayScaping message to the public in a talk that allows attendees to ask questions and share their own experiences. She will touch on the six major aspects of the program: building a good foundation, watering, mowing, thatch and soil compaction, fertilizing one's lawn, and pest control.

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 Energywork, our renewable energy partner:

We will be out and about over the next few weeks at several events -- come and see us on April 20 and 21 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
On Monday, April 23, the Brunswick Town Council will consider whether Brunswick will join other towns and cities across Maine and across the country in becoming a "Cool Community". So what is a Cool Community? These are cities and towns that have made a commitment to stopping global warming by signing the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement. The Cool Cities campaign helps cities turn their commitments into action by pushing for smart energy solutions.

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 around Earth Day on April 22. For more events and information, visit the Earth Day Network.

April 2007 Events

Our next Sustainable Living Talk is tonight! (Yes, it is still happening despite the weather.) Tonight at 7:00 pm at F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies in Brunswick the topic will be "Design and Build Your Own Super-Efficient Home", a talk by Al Heath of Arrowsic.

Al will explain how he and his wife researched, designed, and built a super energy efficient home themselves. Their 2000 square foot house is heated by one cord of wood and 75 gallons of kerosene per year. A solar hot water system provides the majority of their hot water needs. At the talk, Al will share lessons learned during the process, including a list of helpful sources and contractors.

Join us on Saturday, April 21st from 11 am to 4:30 pm at Frontier Cafe, Cinema and Gallery in Brunswick for "Solutions Saturday", an environmental film festival. We'll be showing "The Quest for Dan the Can", a film made by Bowdoin College exploring what happens to garbage and recyclables in Brunswick. In addition, we will be showing "The True Cost of Food," "Our Children at Risk", "Sam Suds", and "Kilowatt Ours". Many thanks to the Sierra Club for providing these films to show, and to the many environmental groups who will be on hand to share information and lead discussions.

And on Sunday, April 29 from 2 pm to 4:30 pm we hope to see you at the Third Annual Clean Energy Fair at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in Yarmouth, Maine. For more information about that event, please call the church at 846-9244 or John or Christina Ferland at 781-7307.

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

F.W. Horch Composting Goods & Supplies

Ignore the snow, it is spring (even in Maine)! In time for gardening season, here are some products to get your compost cooking.

• 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

• 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.

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!