Going Green!

Last June, the University of Delaware commissioned a 256-foot Gamesa wind turbine at its Lewes campus. Since then the university has been doing various studies involving the turbine, including studying the impact of turbines on avian and bat populations.

U.S. Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and Rep. John Carney (all D-Del.) this week welcomed an announcement that NRG/Bluewater Wind had extended the deadline in their agreement with Delmarva Power for an additional three months.

Polluters who ignore Delaware’s environmental laws and illegally send harmful chemicals and substances into the air, land and water face stronger enforcement actions and greater financial consequences under legislation passed recently by the state Senate.

“Despite decades of decline, oysters do have a new future in Delaware. With science and good management, oyster production can be, and should be, encouraged and nurtured to resume its place as an important food crop, much the same as peaches, lima beans and chickens are now identified with our state.”

New programs for new careers are the focus of an information session being offered by Delaware Technical & Community College in Georgetown. Free and open to the public, the college will host two sessions on Wednesday, June 22, in the Carter Partnership Center, Room 540. Potential students of all ages are being invited to attend in the morning from 10 to 11 a.m. or in the evening from 6 to 7 p.m. Attendees will be able to speak to faculty who are knowledgeable in the fields represented.

Good Earth Market and Organic Farm will again be hosting a Farm to Table event on Tuesday, June 7. Cocktails will be available from 6 to 7 p.m. in the herb garden and on the patio and dinner will start at 7 p.m., outside, in the field behind the market.

On Saturday, June 4, the Historic Lewes Farmers Market will open at the Lewes Historical Society Complex, 110 Shipcarpenter Street, at the corner of West 3rd and Shipcarpenter Streets, in Lewes. The market will be open from 8 a.m. to noon.

What better way to celebrate the mantra of “slower lower” Delaware than with a slow-food movement? Or, to simplify it by quoting a plaque in a local food establishment — “good food isn’t fast, and fast food isn’t good.”

There’s still time to nominate that Delaware student who is working to make a difference for the environment for DNREC’s 2011 Young Environmentalist of the Year Awards. Nominations must be based on actions or projects which have taken place between July 1, 2010, and June 30, 2011.

Bella’s Cookies will begin its sixth year at the Historic Lewes Farmer’s Market on Saturday, May 28. This year, Bella’s will be introducing several new products on opening day and several other new items throughout the course of the summer.

The Historic Lewes Farmers Market will open for its sixth season on Saturday, May 28, (Memorial Day weekend) and run through Oct. 29.

Local farmers will now rely on the sun to energize their plants – and their buildings.

Flexera Inc. Vice President Benjamin Farr this month became the first solar professional in Delaware, and among the first nationwide, to become certified as a North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) photovoltaic (PV) technical sales professional.

Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary is scheduled to open its doors this fall to cats and dogs in need. The no-kill animal sanctuary is currently constructing a 19,500-square-foot facility on a 13-acre parcel of land in Georgetown. The nonprofit is funded through adoption fees, grants and the public’s generosity through donations. It was modeled after Best Friends, a no-kill shelter in Utah.

Before beginning any pruning project, ask yourself some questions: Why to prune? What do you want to accomplish?

It’s time! You’ve got pots, planters, window boxes, whiskey barrels and hanging baskets sitting there, waiting for you. There’s no excuse for leaving them empty when container culture is one of the easiest ways to enjoy flowers.

In honor of Arbor Day and to celebrate Bethany Beach’s recognition as a “Tree City USA,” about 20 area children helped plant a willow oak tree on the grounds of the Bethany Beach Nature Center on April 30.

Farmers who want to learn more about solar technology and determine if it is something they want to explore further can check out the Solar Technology and Resources Guide, which was developed by the Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA). The guide is a resource designed to assist agricultural entities in understanding all that goes into a solar project and how to make it happen.

Diners can’t seem to get enough of local cuisine prepared onsite and served in a natural setting, based on the success of Rehoboth Beach restaurateur Matt Haley’s Outstanding in the Field dinner last summer as part of From the Farm, a collaboration between Haley’s Plate Catering and Good Earth Market & Organic Farm.

With the price of gasoline nearing the $4 per gallon threshold at a growing number of self-serve kiosks across the country and region, would-be auto buyers can save gas (translation: money) and go green at the same time while signing on the dotted line for a “green vehicle.”