BY ANNA RUSH
akrush1@gmail.com
My mother is a hippie. She was on the “go green” movement long before it was cool and grew vegetables in her backyard long before hipsters started blogging about it. For six weeks I am interning in my hometown (read: I’ve moved back in with my parents) and have gained new appreciation for my mother’s “granola” tendencies.
I like to consider myself an environmentally conscious citizen. I try to recycle, buy locally and walk in lieu of driving whenever possible. However, these efforts are in vain in comparison to my mother’s live-off-the-land approach. A farm-raised Cajun from the back bayous of Louisiana and an environmental engineer for the Department of Environmental Quality, she handily puts me to shame.
Mississippi Public Broadcasting is the primary channel on our one TV, and the look she shot me when I almost threw away used coffee grinds instead of putting them in the compost bin would give anyone the chills. Her methods might be more extreme than most, but they certainly highlight just how wasteful we as a society can be.
When you make time to recycle, you realize the volume of waste that goes into packaging. Whether you grow your own or buy locally, fresh produce tastes exponentially better than what you take out of a vacuumed pouch and microwave. While I certainly can never match my mother’s efforts to live as low-impact as possible, I hope to take back some tips on living a simpler, more organic life. Not only does it benefit the environment, helping to preserve it for the future, but you’ll walk away healthier and more balanced.
Living in the Oxford area, there are great opportunities to emulate my mother’s lifestyle if you so choose. Every Tuesday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. the Oxford City Market brings local farmers and other venders together to provide fresh, farm raised produce at low prices. So not only do you get a great deal, you know where the food is coming from and where you money is going. “Going green” is more than a trendy movement; it’s a great way to benefit yourself, your community and the environment. Don’t believe? Just ask my mom.
Anna Rush is a law student from Hattiesburg. She graduated from Mississippi State University in 2011. Follow her on Twitter @annakrush.
