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When my favorite local and green bookseller Danielle recommended The Bucolic Plague: How Two Manhattanites Became Gentleman Farmers by Josh Kilmer-Purcell, I was intrigued just from her description. “It’s about this couple who leaves the big city and opens a farm. One of the guys used to work for Martha Stewart, I think. You’ll love it.” She took the book from the stand behind the counter and handed it to me. I took it home and then spent the next two days devouring it and laughing hysterically.

City Slickers Turned Country Farmers

New York Times Bestselling Author Josh Kilmer-Purcell (I Am Not Myself These Days; Candy Everybody Wants) and his partner Brent Ridge, a doctor and a former executive of Martha Stewart Living, are stars of the docu-series The Fabulous Beekman Boys, the Green Planet tv show which is now moving to the Cooking Channel for its third season. Consider The Bucolic Plague a deeper, witty look at the same premise explored in the show: a city couple decides to become farmers.

Living the Questionable Dream

We’ve all had this time-tested dream: leaving the big city with your significant other for a gentler, calmer life Away From It All. Anytime pop culture wants to chuckle with mingled jealousy and relief, we’re bound to watch a story about city slickers who try to take on country life. Usually, they go on vacation and find a gorgeous vacation spot surrounding a “fixer upper” house, and voila! It’s time to make arrangements to move to the countryside and Experience Life. What happens? The inevitable: stress, too much fresh air, and the growing horror that owning a tremendous farm may have its drawbacks.

And that’s exactly what happens to our heroes.

Honest and Hilarious

Josh and his partner Brent take a trip to upstate New York, fall in love with and purchase the two-hundred-year-old Beekman Mansion, and slowly become “gentleman farmers,” eventually starting the Beekman 1802 mercantile, a company that also partners with Williams-Sonoma on “the world’s largest community garden”.

The Bucolic Plague is hilarious and touching. This is the book that David Sedaris would have written if he’d decided to live on a farm. “The last time I saw 4 A.M., I was tottering home in high heels and a matted wig,” quips Josh in the opening lines of the book. That line starts one of the funniest scenes in the entire book as Josh transports five baby goats to from update New York to the city for their appearance on The Martha Stewart Show. However, Josh doesn’t listen to Farmer John, his caretaker, and promptly overfeeds the baby goats, resulting in a gagging Josh, a very smelly three-hour car trip, and an irritated Brent.

The Bucolic Plague is very, very funny and very honest look at life on a farm after big city life. For more Fabulous Beekman Boys fun, check them out on Beekman1802.com or look for the third season on the Cooking Network.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By greginhollywood

When I was a kid, Saturdays in summer meant that it was time to pick strawberries. It meant piling in the car -sometimes with my two cousins – and heading over to Batten’s Farm, located in Davie, Florida. That was in 1992.

Several years ago, Batten’s Farm  closed and it seemed like all the locals went into kind of low-grade mourning.

Goodbye to Berries

One friend of mine actually called me to report that she’d bought strawberries at a regular supermarket. “Nothing like Batten’s,” she sighed into the phone, recounting happy memories of Batten’s strawberries and milkshakes. While I didn’t get misty eyed over store-bought berries, I too found myself getting nostalgic whenever I drove south on Davie Road and passed the old farmstead, the small building shut up tighter than a drum, its white shutters gleaming in the sunlight. With it went the ripe, better-than-in-a-food-store strawberries, the friendly owners, and the barnyard animals in the pen out back. Worst of all? The milkshakes and boiled peanuts that I used to share with my late father were gone too.

Batten’s Reopened in 2011

And last summer, it reopened, thanks in part to the Davie-based non-profit, the North-South Institute, which operates Batten’s as a farmer’s market, with local Broward County farmers selling produce.

Recently, I went to Batten’s and had just as much fun there now as I did when I was a kid.

A New Generation of Local Food and Fun

Some things have changed. The new owners have installed ceiling fans in the building and there’s now a refrigerated section in the back for sodas, boxed foods, and of course, their famous and beloved strawberries.

The milkshakes are back too, just in time for spring.

But the best thing of all? The promise of hanging out for an hour – or all day if I wanted to – slurping a coconut milkshake and hanging out with the barnyard animals. Batten’s is perfect for kids or for a solo walk around the small farm.

If You Go

Batten’s Farm is located at 5151 Davie Road, Davie, 33329. Visit their website, call 954-990-7820, or find them on Facebook.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By tamburix

Gay-friendly travel apps are a must-have when exploring the world. Since you’re not wasting paper, apps are green (and if you’re a real travel bug, the more greener it is to have apps that replace heavy travel books).

Fun

I really liked Gay Scout by Damron. It allows you to narrow your search according to city and then look up everything from entertainment to hotel accommodations and places to eat. This app is also integrated with Google Maps, making it easy to navigate new areas. Another good one is GayCities, newly updated in January of 2012. It includes fast access to everything from reviews to maps and more.

Equal Rights and History

If you want to make sure that your hard-earned cash is going to businesses that support equal rights, make sure to download the official app for the Human Rights Campaign. Revamped for 2012, the new edition includes thousands of LGBT-friendly businesses and it can be searched according to category. If you want to impress (or annoy) travel companions, feel free to quote some famous gays by checking the Gay Quotes app.

Must-Haves

A few years ago, I left the country and  made the mistake of calling home on an actual cell phone. Even though I only made a brief phone call, it was hardly worth the exorbitant phone bill that I received a month later. I wish I’d thought to download Skype, which would have saved me an embarrassing amount of money. Through Skype, I could have connected to the Internet and then called home using the Skype app and not a traditional cell phone. Downloading a currency converter for international travels can be an invaluable app. Geared to familes with kids but a life-saver for anyone who’s just had to go, one of my all time favorite travel apps has to be WheretoWee, a handy little app when you need to find a restroom in a new city. Another is the amazing Trip It, which collects all your travel info and stores it.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By nrkbeta

This past weekend, I went to Hollywood Beach, right near the Desoto. I almost never go to the beach, but all my work was done and it was time to play. I decided to make the nearby Hollywood Beach the setting for my solo adventure. I can’t remember when I’ve had so much green fun, and right in my own backyard! Looking to have some ecofriendly fun? Hit the beach!

Green Lifestyle

Hollywood Beach supports a green lifestyle. From the green and comfortable Desoto Inn to the electricity saving lights that shine over the Broadwalk, Hollywood Beach supports an eco-conscious lifestyle.

The Turtle Café

Turtle Café borders Keating Beach (a part of North Hollywood Beach Park, located just at the end of Sheridan Street) and is a great place to sit and people watch. (The burgers aren’t bad either.) In front of the aptly named Turtle Café is a protected turtle preserve. 90% of sea turtle nesting happens right here in Florida, so I had fun watching some adorable baby turtles.

The Broadwalk

The Broadwalk is a 2.5 mile promenade of shops, restaurants, and hotels on the west side, and of course, the Atlantic ocean on the east side. First built in 1925, Broadwalk renovations were completed in 2007, and in 2010 the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk was named one of best broadwalks in America by Travel and Leisure editor Nilou Motamed, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a wonderful place to people-watch, soak in the cool ocean breezes, rent a bike for two, or simply wander around with a backpack full of green snacks to munch on. The Broadwalk is the perfect place for a beautiful stroll and is a great place to take a break from busy weekdays.

Green Yummies

Don’t forget a handy selection of green snacks for your beach afternoon. Trail mix, organic fruit, or raisins are perfect light snacks for a day of beach fun. Be sure to take a reusable water bottle with you – temperatures can soar, even in our so-called winter. If you’re there on a Sunday between 9 am and 5:31 pm, stop by Josh’s Organic Market (located on the Broadwalk and Harrison Street, by the Ramada Hotel) for a smoothie or some fresh produce for the week. Josh is something of a local treasure; his reasonably priced market is practically legendary among veggie lovers in South Florida.

From the crystal-clear ocean to the golden-red sunsets, Hollywood Beach is a laid-back, eco-friendly, and relaxing place to spend your weekend.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By Fabio – Miami

Joining green groups is just one way to help develop your green commitment.

Travel is always a little better with a buddy and most of us, unless we’re set to go on some kind of solo wilderness retreat, travel with other people, whether we explore our world with families, a husband or wife, or with our kids. Discussing eco-concerns with friends can help you to stick to your carefully developed green resolutions for 2012. By using a green buddy system, we can all make a little more of a difference.

Little Choices Matter

As we travel with families and kids, we can continuously remind them that little choices matter and the important thing is that we’re doing what we can. Whether it’s finding ways to conserve energy or replacing plastic bottles with reusable ones, we can mentor them to make better choices.

Big Buddies

Not only does our mentoring of little ones help with our green commitment, but accepting help from friends and travel buddies can also help us stay committed to green travel ways. We can start to talk about the good choices that we’ve made whether on small getaways or during larger trips, encouraging each other on the plane or off the beaten path to stay aware of each choice.

Online and Offline Groups

In order to fuel your green travel fire, get involved in the community. Look up online communities or websites in order to stay connected with others. Whether you’re just getting involved in the green movement or whether you just need to connect with others in order to be reminded of why you’re going out of your way to choose green travel snacks or make eco-friendly travel choices. Also, turn off the computer and go out into the offline world in order to search for new support. Look for local meet up groups and friends whose green principles match your own.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By Lauren Manning

I lost my heart to San Francisco many years ago, when a good friend of mine moved out there and then turned into a one-man hosting committee. The reasons that I fell hook, line, and sinker for this green-friendly city and its surrounding areas are almost too many to mention, but I’ll try to count them. One of the major reasons to love the Bay Area? The food, of course!

Behold…the Berkeley Bowl

One of the highlights of all my California trips, hands down was the wonder of the Berkeley Bowl. The first time I walked into the Berkeley Bowl and was confronted with the size of the original 40,000 square foot store on Oregon Street, I seriously considered going home only to put my house on the market. Some people move for love or for new careers, but it made perfect sense to me to at least consider packing all my worldly goods in order to experience this behemoth of a food store on a regular basis. It seemed everywhere I looked, I saw a tremendous range of locally grown or organic produce at rock-bottom prices. (However, if I moved, I’d miss South Florida’s farmer’s markets! So much good food, so little time!)

Greens

Whether you’re a vegetarian or just appreciate fantastic vegetarian cooking, the motherload is San Francisco’s Greens. This award-winning restaurant is known for its world-class cuisine. Plus, most of the wood inside the restaurant has been recycled or reused. For those who like their veggie dishes with a side order of spirituality, the San Francisco Zen Center founded this landmark restaurant in 1979; its Green Gulch Farm provides Greens with fresh produce all year. Green Gulch Farm is also where chef Annie Sumerville conducts her famous cooking workshops.

Rainbow Grocery

Also worth mentioning is the fantastic Rainbow Grocery, a worker-owned cooperative founded in 1975. The Folsom Street store in San Francisco offers a generous array of items (including organic produce and wheat-free goodies). Like Greens, Rainbow Grocery also has a basis in the spiritual community and was originally started by an ashram with a bulk food program. Over time, the ashram opened Rainbow Grocery which supports all manner of green living and is a member of the Bay Area Green Business Program. Plus, they always offer a 10% discount to members of the SF Bike Coalition (one more reason to leave the car at home and ride around gorgeous San Fran!) and a 15% discount for the entire month of February when you show a receipt from a participating co-op.

The Whole Shebang

As if the joys of vegetarian and vegan food weren’t enough, check out the rest of the veggie culture. For more information about California’s Bay Area, feast your eyes on this handy guide to all things vegetarian in the Bay Area, including vegetarian meet up groups, political activism information, and much more.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By dboy

Is green travel hard? On a recent train trip, I tried to pack in as many green tips as I could. How did I do? What was the hardest? The easiest?

Getting There:

This part was easy. I’ve had a love affair with trains for many years so the decision to take the train to see friends in Orlando was an easy one. At about $60 for a round trip ticket, this choice was quite a bit cheaper than driving. No need to worry about the rising price of gas! Plus, I knew that taking the train was a greener choice than driving: it would save some serious carbon emissions. This was totally enjoyable. On trains, you get to relax, chat with your neighbors, and watch the scenery change outside.

The Water Bottle:

Carrying a water bottle onto the train was also easy. I was able to fill it up at several intervals. An even better idea for next time would be to find a bottle with a built-in filter, since drinking tap water from the train’s bathroom required me to be more than a little brave about what I was drinking.

Green Snacks:

On the train, be careful if you’re a vegetarian or vegan. If you choose to have a sit-down meal in the dining car, you’ll have more natural choices such as salads. However, if you eat from the casual lunch counter, there’s not much in the way of non-meat food. Although most trains offer a gardenburger instead of a hamburger, the gardenburgers are expensive and – chemical alert – microwaved in a plastic wrapper. Ugh. Why pay almost $5.00 for a gummy, microwaved sandwich when I could eat my own lunch from home? Plus, bananas and apples are easy to throw into a backpack, as are trail mix packets and other tasty travel goodies.

Shopping:

Oh, I scored a big failing grade on this one. I forgot to bring a reusable bag, so a few purchases went into traditional plastic bags, and some stores didn’t have paper bags at all. On days when I had my backpack with me, vacation goodies were stowed inside, eliminating the need for any kind of additional bag.

On-Train Entertainment:

This one was a toss up. While packing several books can make your bag heavier and contribute to the train using more fuel, an e-reader can waste electricity. What’s a green bookworm to do? I decided that for such a short train ride, I could do both: take a few (fairly light) books and pack the e-reader, making sure to turn it off when I wasn’t using it.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By thetrapezium

It’s January, which means it’s time for fresh changes and new behaviors – and a perfect time to get back to basics. During the winter holidays, snacking in the back of the car or while on the plane can lead to extra weight. These health tips will help you make good choices whether you’re heading out to your latest adventure or still unpacking from the holiday trip to grandma’s.

Healthy Snacks

Would Grandma Eat It?

If your 19th century relatives wouldn’t recognize as food what you ate over the holidays, then you should probably take a break from it. One of my favorite food writers, Michael Pollen, wrote about this concept in his fantastic and charming manifesto Food Rules.

Color

Keep color in your travel snacks – or on your plate. The more natural color on your snack plate or in your goodie baggie, the better. By chowing down on a variety of colorful produce, you’ll increase your overall health benefits.

Nutty Fun

Recently, I fell head over heels in love with 100-calorie packs of assorted walnuts and almonds. One particular line even has cinnamon-coated or dark chocolate almonds. Another green way to save money is to buy the nuts in bulk and then create homemade snack packs by lightly coating the nuts in coconut oil and rolling them in whatever spice or flavor you choose. Yum! Everything from chili powder to unsweetened dark cocoa powder can go into your homemade snacks.

Kid Tips

If you’re sightseeing with kids, pack some kid-friendly, bite-sized portions of celery with almond or peanut butter. Whole grain cereal is also a handy, yummy snack for kids and adults.

Eating the Skin? Go Organic

If you want to pack organic fruits and veggies to snack on, but are worried about the cost of buying organic produce, choose wisely. If you’re going to bite into the skin, try to make it organic. For example, apples, berries (of all kinds), bell peppers, and spinach are just a few foods that you should buy organic. Foods that have tough or inedible skins don’t always need to be organic. If you need to save some money, skip the thick-skinned avocado in favor of the organic berries or apples.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By @bastique

I’ve always been impressed by women who traveled solo or with small groups. A few years ago, I had the chance to do some international travel to Southeast Asia and it was an amazing experience. However, women traveling solo should be aware of basic guidelines.

Know Your Area

If you’re traveling abroad, make sure that you’re dressed appropriately to the country you’re traveling in. In some areas of the world, wearing a long skirt or another item that covers your body is preferable. Long shawls can come in handy as everything from a head covering to even a makeshift blanket on long flights.

Smart Money

Going green often means being aware of financial issues. When traveling try to keep small and large bills separate. Consider an under-the-clothes money belt or divide your money on your person, putting some cash in your socks or even your bra, in lieu of carrying in your purse. That way, if you’re the victim of a purse-snatching, you won’t be left high and dry.

Surroundings

Green or alternative travelers are often encouraged to get to know other travelers. Chatting with others on the road can be informative and fun. But for women traveling alone, be mindful of surroundings. Look and act confident. When boarding a train or bus, try to stand next to other women or young families to ensure safety.

What to Leave At Home

Consider leaving valuables at home. Make sure that a trusted friend has a complete copy of your itinerary, a color copy of your passport, and your flight plans.

SmartPhone Smarts

Thanks to Smartphones, we have the ability to constantly document our surroundings. Smartphones are handy for taking photos, finding your way, and checking in with folks back home or members of your travel group.

Intuition

Many women report sensing that something is “off” before they are harassed or robbed. If something about your environment (or your interaction with a particular person) is making your stomach twinge, trust your hunches and find a safe way out of the situation.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo by garryknight

“Sometimes it feels too complicated to go outside. Maybe we should all just watch nature movies on YouTube. That way, we wouldn’t have to worry about the environment.”

While waiting in line at a local bookstore, I overheard a 30-something man make that statement.

Ouch.

The person who made that remark was obviously joking, but I was amazed. Something made him say it. Maybe he was feeling lazy about the environment. Maybe he felt too responsible. Maybe he’d just come back from a hiking trip, got eaten alive by red ants, and thought the safest way to deal with nature was to avoid it completely. But I was utterly shocked – and intrigued. Imagine if we all did that – an entire society, avoiding going outside and just watching videos (about exactly what we’re avoiding) on the computer! How Ray Bradbury of us, Bookstore Guy.

There it is, folks! Step right up! Our green guilt and our obsession with technology, wrapped up in his three little sentences. As technology continues to grow and our awareness about green issues grows, my fear is that, one day, our knowledge base will tip us into permanent guilt or exhaustion or laziness, and we will be so busy experiencing nature through technology and social media that we’ll have forgotten what it means to experience nature for its own sake, in real life, away from the ease of keyboards and touchscreens.

When my dad was a kid, his parents had one room that no one was ever allowed into. They called it the Good Room. In the Good Room, old couches were covered with plastic sheets and seldom-used antique dishes forever collected dust in the cabinet. Even modern families have different versions of the Good Room, but across the board, the idea is the same: What do we put in the Good Room? Stuff we’ll never use or are scared to use, because we’re terrified we’ll accidentally destroy it. It didn’t matter if my dad wasn’t going to play Frisbee with great-aunt Sally’s good china or not. The Good Room was off limits. Is nature becoming the new Good Room, too “complicated” to interact with, because we’re afraid we’ll wreck it?

I hope it hasn’t because that will defeat the purpose of any kind of eco-awareness. I hope that we can continue, unlike my Youtube-watching friend, to get involved with nature and have respect for life outside our front door. I hope we can continue to learn about and protect our oceans, beaches, parks, and forests while still being a part of an active, ever-changing world – and while still enjoying in person what we’re trying to protect, not from behind the “safety” of a computer screen.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo by Joost J. Bakker IJmuiden