A taste for going green
Local producers thriving amid increasing consumer demand for organic goods
Daily Record
It's springtime and Eran Wajswol couldn't be any busier. There are 100 ewes to be milked, 15 newborn lambs to deliver, 3,000-pounds of sheep's milk to curdle, a truckload of cheese wheels to be hauled to the aging cave, a group of 100 elementary school students that need a tour guide and, by the way, the fence at the end of the property needs to be fixed.
The owner of Valley Shepherd Creamery, Wajswol thrives on the pressure to keep up with the growing demand for his artisan sheep's milk cheese. Each one of the 20 varieties -- from the creamy, tangy Califon Tomme to the earthy, nutty Oldwick Shepherd -- is crafted from hormone-free and antibiotic-free sheep, which feed on pastures in the heart of Washington Township.
"We can't make enough," Wajswol said this week from the observation deck at his Sheep Shoppe. "More people are realizing the benefits of local, handmade products against those that are mass-produced in factories with ingredients from who-knows-where."
As awareness of the impact of large-scale factories and over-consumption have on the environment increases, more people are looking for sustainable alternatives -- food and products like Wajswol's cheeses that are either locally or organically produced. From produce to baby blankets to countertops made from recycled materials, Morris residents can go green.
Morris County is home to 14 organic farms and five that market products through community supported agriculture, so it's no surprise that farmer's markets are a big draw, said Paul Miller, who runs the Morristown Farmer's Market.
Now in its 19th year, the market offers local -- not always organic -- produce, plants and flowers, grass-fed beef and even a fisherman who nets his catch off the Jersey coast. On Sundays from June 14 to Oct. 25, the farmer's market is open 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dumont Street, behind the Morristown Diner.
"People are more interested in food that is not just good for their own health, but is good for the planet," Miller said. "People often think its more expensive to eat organic or local -- but can you really put a price on your health or your children's health?"
A green beacon to any socially conscious Morris resident, The Health Shoppe in Morristown and Chester is a natural food store that emphasizes local, organic and fair-trade foods and products. It recently started a new program, called Farm to Family, to make it easier to connect 20 farmers and consumers year-round.
"With all the outbreaks and recalls lately, the impact of agriculture produced on a large-scale is becoming more evident," said Tammy Toad Ryan, an outreach coordinator with the store. "It causes pollution, diseases -- it's out of control. But we'd all be better off if we bring farming back down to a smaller scale."
Florham Park resident Leslie Joy found similar health and environmental issues when she began researching the cotton industry three years ago. Looking for a career change as a chef, Joy and her sister Valerie decided to start a company that manufactures and distributes Fair Trade certified organic cotton.
"The United States doesn't really grow much cotton anymore, and its gotten to the point where the traditional cotton grown overseas is treated with pesticides, formaldehyde and other chemicals that make farmers sick and contaminate groundwater," Joy said. "Even if it's not in your own backyard -- it's happening in somebody's backyard."
The line, Joy Organic, features activewear, yoga apparel, reusable shopping bags, babywear and sheets and is available online. (It also has a showroom in Whippany.)
All Joy Organic products sell for less than $50 retail and are made with "the softest, most comfortable cotton you will ever touch," Joy said.
One of the state's first showrooms for eco-friendly finishes for the home can be found in Boonton at Green Elements and Design, which features nontoxic paints, countertops made from recycled content and sustainably produced bamboo floors.
Owner Suzie Blodgett learned how toxic traditional building products were when she was renovating her own home. Even the most common items, like a mattress, contain petrochemicals, flame retardants and treatments that can be hazardous.
"When people come to my store, they tell me they didn't realize what a difference it is to be in a healthy space until they're there," Blodgett said. "You breathe better, and it just feels better."
Buying new green home design elements will be more expensive, Blodgett said, but a less expensive option, and just as green, is to reuse existing materials -- by using Web sites like Freecycle.com or finding reclaimed wood to build new furniture.
Green Elements also features a community board, where people can find contacts for carpet cleaners, architects or landscapers that value the environment.
"Even switching to green cleaning products makes a difference," Blodgett said. "It all adds up."
