I routinely cook with fresh veggies as a side, in a soup, or for snacking.  If there are any pieces that I don't want to eat (such as salmon skin, ends of carrots, etc), they end up mixed in with my dogs food.  I even use leftover broth from the soup to mix in for a savory dinner for her. Its a daily commitment to not waste or throw out food in my house. 

I think the easy answer is that it makes me feel good.  I have been riding my bike to and from work.  The fresh air in my lungs is refreshing especially being at work inside with filtered air all day.  My legs feel stronger.  But then there's the environmental impact.  As I am riding my bike, it is obvious on how much traffic is out there and how many single drivers there are.  I am thankful I do not live far from work so that commuting by bike is a real possibility.

I am a farmers daughter.  I want to support locally grown sustainable foods.  I also try to cook with the seasons and enjoy food when it is fresh and at the peak of readiness.

There is a great Farmer's Market every Saturday at the park on Cactus and the 51.  We bike over there and try to buy our produce whenever we can.  Getting hot now...not sure how much longer it stays open.

 Meat is a staple of our American diet. I am curious if this is because of our roots. Access to a meat rich diet could be linked to a sense of health and wealth. My father in law recently gifted my husband and I a half a cow. We are exceedingly greatful and it will feed us for a long time. When we thanked him he said "At least i know you will be eating well." Again, I am very thankful for the gift but eating well could also have been a CSA subscription for a year. How do we shift our culture? Let's start by stop labeling diets and exposing our youth to a wide range of foods. 

Stormwater is a big issue in our community. Run off very often floods the streets in older parts of town. We all need to be mindful of the chemicals we put on our driveways, yards and streets to better protect our water system.