Jordan Palys

Water is rather abundant in my area, but I originally thought this was a great idea in terms of cutting down my water bill more so than conservation efforts. As time wore on and I see the troubles other states and localities around the world have with water I earned a renewed emphasis on it for the conservation aspect.

This has been a really difficult thing for me, I used to buy a lot of stuff that I didn't necessarily need but just wanted. I am trying to work on it but I have found that urge to buy something I don't need hits really hard when a sale is involved. In fairness to myself I have been trying to direct my money to small businesses and American made products when I do buy things but I would ideally like to get to a minimalist lifestyle. I knew a guy when I was in the Army that only had a weeks' worth of clothes in his closet excluding his military gear. If I could get down to that level I would be thrilled.

So we have 5 ducks and have been giving scraps that they can eat to them the last few days, it cuts down on waste and is better used giving them extra nutrients. We also eat a lot pasture raised eggs in our home and I have been saving the shells to grind in the food processor so I can add a calcium supplement to my garden. I has reduced the trash load but I have to kids in college living at home and they are much harder to get involved than I thought they would be.

I have been eating organically grown foods since 1/2023 and have placed a heavy emphasis on regenerative agriculture as it best for the environment and our health. I avoid processed foods and seed oils as much as possible. I have lost weight and feel great and all my health markers have improved.

Groundwater pollution caused by chemicals sprayed on yards to control pests and weeds. Industrial agriculture runoff into watersheds that often finds its way out into large water bodies like the Gulf of Mexico or our oceans killing marine life and causing additional burdens like Red Tide. I stopped using any chemicals to treat outside landscaping and switched my garden fertilizers to all organic products. I have also swithced all soaps and shampoos in my home to chemical free proucts to improve not only my health but also reduce the chemicals entering the sewer system and waste treatment facilities.