Sustainability Spotlight - February 2023 - Lower Your Foodprint: Eating Lower on the Carbon Food Chain

Over the last 50 years since the first Earth Day, there have been annual efforts to encourage and educate individuals on how they can reduce their impact on the Earth. We all make a footprint. The clothes we wear, how we get to school and work, how our homes are heated, and the food we eat all have an impact.

All food uses energy and resources. Water, soil, and sun are the most basic inputs. Food production has a large impact on air, water, and land. Then there is the planting, harvesting, processing, and transportation from farm to plate that could be considrered. Not all food is equal. Some foods use a lot of water, land, fertilizer and pesticides. Some foods are transported from across the world.

In Wheat Ridge, we don’t have the climate to support the calories and nutrients we need to have everything locally grown, and local food may not always be better or available as our arid climate is not ideal for many staple foods like rice. Living in Colorado, we value water. We use water in our homes, for recreation, and definitely in our food. We reduce water by transitioning our yards to low-water use plantings and we switch out our shower heads to reduce the flow. But did you know that what you eat is the primary source of your water consumption?

Calculating the inputs for your food is hard. With so many factors, it is overwhelming. However, a straightforward way to take action is eating low on the foodchain. Eating low on the foodchain can reduce your footprint.

The foods lowest on the foodchain are plants. Water use by plants can vastly differ. Oatmeal uses considerably less water than rice. Dairy, fish, and meat all are higher on the foodchain. To make cheese, a cow needs to be raised on water and grain, for example. And then the cheese-making process uses even more water.

Water use is just one consideration. We also take steps in our personal lives to reduce pollution by driving less, choosing energy efficient heating and cooling in our homes, and switching out gas lawn mowers to electric. We can take further steps to reduce our contribution to greenhouse gas emissions by eating lower on the foodchain.

With all the choices we have in the foods we eat, whether at home or at a restaurant. Eating lower on the foodchain make a great impact on our personal footprint. If you and your family eat a variety of foods and want to take steps to reduce your foodprint, you can increase your plant-based foods and reduce the size of dairy, fish, and meat on your plate.

FoodPrint highlights some key points:

Industrial agriculture harms the environment through pollution of air, soil and water.
Air emissions from livestock operations make up 14.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Conventional crop production degrades soil health and causes soil erosion.
The high content of nitrogen and other nutrients in manure runoff leads to dead zones in downstream waterways.

Many of us already take actions to improve our communities, Wheat Ridge, and the Earth. Visit the FoodPrint website to find your foodprint and learn more about how you can make a difference, every time you pick up the fork.

Wheat Ridge Sustainability News - Garden In A Box Sale Starts March 1!

You’ve decided that this is the year you’ll finally get your yard in shape – but how can you get the gorgeous, colorful garden you’ve always wanted without paying the professional price tag and doubling your water bill? Easy. With just a click, you can order a waterwise (low-water) garden kit in March that’s ready to pick up and plant in May. These pre-designed kits are tailored to Colorado soil, and the simple plant by number maps take the guesswork out of buying and planting. Plus, the garden kits can help you save around 7,300 gallons of water over the garden’s lifetime compared to a traditional lawn (not to mention savings on your water bill!). Wheat Ridge residents are eligible for a $25 discount while supplies last - just select City of Wheat Ridge as your utility provider at check out. Gardens are expected to sell out quickly - visit ResourceCentral.org/Gardens to browse garden kits today, and mark your calendars for March 1!

Additionally, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Garden In A Box program which has helped residents save over 278,000,000 gallons of water, Resource Central is hosting a garden giveaway contest! Twenty grand-prize winners will receive one free Garden In A Box kit for pickup in May or June. For more information, visit Resource Central's website.