My family and I just returned from a whirlwind one-week trip to Maine, Vermont, and Massachusetts. Flying from Denver and then road-tripping with a one- and four-year-old, this was no real vacation, let me tell you! But we managed pretty well—and it was rejuvenating nonetheless. A few things helped us get through. more

A speech last week by Al Gore makes this bold challenge — and says its doable. What do you think?

It’s being called the newest trend, but of course it’s actually an age-old practice: growing your own food. The latest modern twist is having someone else make, and even tend, the garden. Here in Boulder, I read about Community Roots last spring; founder Kipp Nash works with homeowners to convert part of their yards to organic gardens, with the harvest going to the local farmer’s market and CSAs. And this morning’s NY Times had an article proclaiming “grow your own” as the latest “luxury”; you get the benefit of excellent food, but someone else does the gardening. (Personally, I’d like to work the land myself, but that’s not for everyone, or for everyone’s schedule.) Whatever you want to call it, I think it’s a great idea. I don’t care how you get it: Food grown naturally, close to home, is going to taste the best and be the best for you.