Tag Archives: How To

Show Your Mom How a Kid Can Change the World

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This Mother’s Day show your mom how a kid can change the life of another mother in need.

Wait. Did I just say a kid? Yes. A kid. As in a baby goat.

Goats are some of the most versatile creatures that can survive in even the most extreme climates. They supply up to a ton of milk a year which is used to make cheese, yogurt, and butter. This helps lead the way for better nutrition in impoverished communities. And, because they have two to three kids a year, it’s easier for Heifer families to Pass on the Gift of a goat to another family in need.

So this Mother’s Day show your mom how YOU and a kid can change the world by helping a mother in need feed her family and reach a life of dignity and self-reliance.

How To Cook Seasonly with Parsnips

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In the recent issue of World Ark, there is a special section called, ‘Tips for Better Living.” Since the how-to series often discusses eating sustainable and seasonally, I thought sharing the recipe for Curried Parsnip Soup would be good addition.

Curried Parsnip Soup:

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound parsnips, peels and cubed
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons curry powder
3 1/4 cup boiling vegetable broth
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
red pepper flakes or paprika for garnish

Instructions:

Saute the onion in a large pan over medium heat until soft, about five minutes. Add the parsnips, garlic and curry powder to the pan, and saute for a couple of minutes. Pour the vegetable broth into the pan, stir, and simmer for 15 minutes, until the parsnips are soft. Remove from heat and blend with a hand mixer, immersion blender or regular blender for 30 seconds to one minute. Pour back into the arge pan, then stir in milk and heat through. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with paprika or pepper flakes.

If you enjoy parsnips – let us know how you cook with them in our comments section.

Weekly Article Roundup: Ending Hunger Together

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Yesterday Annie wrote that the World Bank has announced that poverty is on the decline. Yes. This is great to hear as a person who truly believes that if we work together we can end hunger and poverty, but it’s also a bit confusing when we hear that one billion people live in hunger.

The good news is, we at Heifer are working hard everyday to end hunger and poverty while caring for the earth. Check out this story from our Senior Grant Writer Catherine Scott as she recounts her most recent trip to Honduras visiting our coffee projects that we’ve partnered with Green Mountain Coffee.

We’ve also recently received a $1 million donation from the Farm Journal Foundation. This grant will be targeted to sustainable hunger relief projects. The projects will include Heifer’s Seeds of Change in Appalachia and the Arkansas Delta, REACH (Rural Entrepreneurs for Agricultural Cooperation in Haiti), Integrated Livestock Development in Sierra Leone, and the Small Farmer Project for smallholder agriculture development in Armenia.

In other news … see what we have been sharing around the office lately:

So what do you think about the numbers regarding poverty and hunger? Off or spot on?

How to Protect the Earth while Working in an Office

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At Heifer HQ
A major part of the Heifer mission is to protect the Earth while we work to end hunger and poverty. We also implement that same core philosophy at our Heifer headquarters. Located all around the building are recycling bins for paper, plastic and aluminum.


This how-to series has discussed, “How to Take Care of the Earth during the Holiday Season,” “10 Ways to Travel Greener,” and “How to Become a Little Greener Today.” While looking around the Heifer HQ I realized that not all offices have it as easy as we do to recycle and help take care of our planet.

Check out these easy things you can do to start protecting the Earth while you are at work:


At Heifer HQ

“Green” Your Lunch

- Carry your lunch in reusable containers.

- Use real forks and spoons instead of throwing away plastic.

- Use a real coffee mug or glass for drinks.

- Instead of carrying your lunch in a plastic bag, use a reusable lunch bag.

Recycle

If your current workplace doesn’t offer an easy system for recycling, think about talking to your manager to discuss how you can begin to implement a process.

Check out Earth911.com to find a recycling center in your area.

Don’t forget to recycle your electronics!

When your company upgrades computers, phones and new gadgets, don’t forget to recycle the old ones. You can recycle everything from cell phones to CD’s, from computer monitors to office machines.
To find a recycling center in your area for electronics, check out www.Earth911.com. You can enter what you’re looking to recycle, your zip code and it will show you the nearest recycling location.

How To Keep Up with Important Issues

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There are several different ways you can begin to keep up with important issues by using online tools and social media. Interested in hunger, poverty, or sustainable agriculture? Then check out these three easy ways you can follow the trends you find most valuable:

1. Google Alerts

Google Alerts are one of the easiest ways to have information sent straight to your email about the topics you care most about. Simply enter the topic query you’d like to learn more about, maybe ‘food security in the United States,’ or ‘sustainable agriculture.’

You can choose what type of information you receive, how often and which email address. Soon, you’ll have information at your fingertips.

2. Blogs

Follow the blogs that follow the issues you care about. Do you read the Heifer blog a lot? Then consider following other blogs such as: www.NourishingthePlanet.com, www.GatesFoundation.com and Food and Agriculture Spotlight.

3. Social Media

Use your Twitter and Facebook pages to keep up with other organizations. Heifer is on Facebook and Twitter, but you may also consider: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID, and The World Food Prize.

Not sure what you want to begin to search? Ask yourself the following questions:

1. What issues am I interested in?

2. What issues do I tend to discuss?

3. What do I want to learn more about?

What issues do you or will you begin to follow?



Weekly Article RoundUp: Bee Our Valentine

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If you’ve been following Heifer’s social channels, then you’ve seen where we’ve been discussing Valentine’s Day. This year, instead of giving a flowers or chocolate, give something that can really make a difference.

Check out some of our links of how you can share Heifer this Valentine’s Day:

- Heifer Valentine’s Day videos on YouTube
- Heifer Infographic
- Heifer Facebook Timeline
- Heifer is on Pinterest

So what are you going to be getting your sweetie for Valentine’s?

Here’s what else is going on:

- Sahel Crisis: 8 Questions Answered via World Food Programme
- Building the Connection between Federal Programs and Job Creation in Rural America
- What Do Flamingos Have to do with Local and Sustainable Food Production?

How To Give Green This Valentine’s

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Roses are red,
Violets are blue,



With Valentine’s Day just a week away, it’s not too early to begin thinking of what you can get for your sweetie. But instead of spending hundreds of dollars on flowers that will wilt or chocolate that could melt, instead, do something for your Valentine that will be felt in the heart.
Volunteer
It may not be a candlelit dinner, but what better way to spend a little time with your honey than volunteering at a soup kitchen or taking time out to do something to pay the love forward.
Cook Together at Home
Continue to make sustainable food choices and buy foods that are seasonal. You and your Valentine can know that the meal you are sharing is a meal that is good for the Earth and for your budget.
Pick the Perfect Gift
Show your love this Valentine’s by giving a gift that you know will make him or her jump over the moon with joy. A gift from Heifer. You can even print off a card to be able to share your gift with that special someone.
What will you be doing this Valentine’s Day?