Planet Varner

Helping with Daddy's Pile - a compost lesson.

By Brett G. Varner

For the five years we have lived in our house, I have thought about composting.  Our relatively small yard has 3 large and mature trees:  a fruit producing mulberry, an elm and a California Oak.  All three, combined with the lawns, are very prolific at producing green waste.  It is far more than our green waste bin from the City can handle each week.

Composting seemed like a very good idea, but I didn’t know anything about it.  I always assumed the first step was to learn how to build, and then actually construct, a composting bin system.  Each year, I would look at the piles of leaves in the yard and think, (more…)

The Last Sipper - Frog's Leap Winery - Napa Valley

Sustainability, Organic Grapes, Green Building and Fine Wine

Venturing into the heart of the picturesque Rutherford region of Napa Valley we wine “disciples” meandered past an old historical red barn towards the Frog’s Leap Winery “green” hospitality farmhouse. We weren’t here looking for green wineries or organic wine, nor were we looking for frogs.  We were, of course, looking for good wines, new discoveries and a great time with friends. We entered the farmhouse and were waiting to be seated when I noticed a “LEED Silver” green certification plaque on a little table in the back (it is the first LEED certified building in Napa County). I asked about what things were green about the building. The answer I was given and the fact that there wasn’t a lot of hoopla about it made me realize that (more…)