Good Bye to Conscious Cow

Off the Record:  I have a hard time letting go.

This is why I have held on to my alter-ego, Conscious Cow, for almost a year without posting any new blogs on "her" site.

I had the best of intentions to get something new out there.  But...
I haven't posted anything new for two reasons:

1. re-purposing, recycling, re-using, and composting are more mainstream today than when I launched Conscious Cow in 2008.  You can find books, websites, and magazine articles (a few written by yours truly) covering these topics.

(Other resources on the web include: www.greenlivingtips.com, www.focusorganic.com, and www.howtocompost.org.)

2. I had been doing it as a public service.  Keeping a blog like Conscious Cow fresh and relevant requires a ton of time and effort in the form of research. Business ramped up in 2010 (yay!), and I suddenly found myself super busy with paying projects, family obligations, and activities in my local community.

Hence, I bid my alter-ego a fond adieu, and thank all those who visited her and took her message to heart.

(Surprise to me:  it feels good to let go!)

Rejuvenation for Writers

There's nothing like time away, with no agenda, no to-do list, no nothing, to reignite my creative juices.

This weekend, I was blessed to visit a newfound friend (also a writer, director, theater & film person) at the gorgeous Cape Cod vacation spot she scored for free. Joining us were my beau, and another couple (he's an actor/writer, she's an art therapist/writer). Of course, we did share our work, somewhat, but that wasn't nearly as important as just being around other artists.

I don't know about other creative-types, but I often forget how vital it is for us to connect, bounce ideas around, and just generally soak up the artsy vibes. Yeah, I probably sound like the stereotypical bohemian or something...

Off the record: I don't care how freakish it seems. Those 22 hours away reinvigorated me. I came home and enjoyed my creative inspiration for hours- writing, painting, brainstorming, even posting a new blog at Conscious Cow. Ain't nothing like it, friends, this swirl of creativity flowing around me. Undoubtedly, my next post will be about the farm education feature I'm writing for Farming Magazine. Until then, I'm enjoying the moment. Hope you are, too!

Off the Record: Trash = Cash

This week I was fortunate to attend a meeting that MA DEP held for professionals in the recycling business community. DEP’s intent was to inform folks about the financial opportunities available to businesses engaged in solid waste recycling and re-use.

The room was packed. Presenters from BDC Capital, the MA Small Business Development Center at Clark University, Mass Development and the USDA Rural Development office shared information about available loans and grants of up to $500,000 to help revitalize, grow or create businesses engaged in recycling and reuse. The possibilities are so numerous it’s astounding. Recycling has gone far beyond paper, plastic and glass. This includes compost (yard scraps, food waste, etc…), textiles, and electronic components that do not contain hazardous materials. USDA is even funding LAND reuse.

It was truly inspiring to see how many people in both government and in the private sector are engaged in this issue. After the meeting, I spoke with several individuals who agreed to interviews. There is a wealth of story material here, and as far as I know, I was the only journalist at the meeting! I’ll post in-depth coverage of the meeting and the opportunities presented there at Conscious Cow in the next few weeks. (Of course, I’m also excited about the possibilities of selling these stories to high quality publications.) Since the business owners I spoke to agreed to let me visit their facilities and shoot their operations in action, I anticipate having some fun and fascinating videos to share at Conscious Cow this summer.

It seems these businesspeople really are living the triple bottom line concept of people, planet, and profit.

Off the record, the bottom line is: trash really does equal cash.