O'Tannebaum

The Union Square Greenmarket is usually pretty lackluster on Fridays. You'll always find plants, milk, fruit, bread, the packaged, and preserved. Everyone else is preparing for the Saturday shoppers. This time of year though there are trees and wreaths for sale. They smell like season and the furry green needles remind me of Muzzy, a favorite childhood character.
Something unsettles me when I see lots full of Christmas trees. I think of tree farms, pesticides, destruction by chainsaw, inflatable Winnie the Pooh lawn ornaments, dead trees.



Of course when they are in the ground they do what trees do best, clean the air, make things pretty, along with a host of other important jobs. What happens after that tree has been cut and decorated? If you recycle or compost the tree that's cool, but many people just leave it on the curb and run inside to play with their new RoboPet Monkey (which actually sounds really fun and I am trademarking that idea as of now). Somehow, and this feeling grows stronger for me every year, these trees are symbols of the culture of consumerism and excess that we live in. Pictures of Christmas trees in circulars hawk cheap electronics with the words "Only 10 days left to shop!!! " As if the world IS ending and what you need to do before it ends is buy a cheap DVD player. As if that is what's going to make it all worth it. As if.

I am unequivocally against the use of artificial trees. Aesthetically they are an eye sore, not to mention the production, existence and eventual disposal of them are of great harm to us and the environment. They should be avoided at all costs. They wouldn't exist in an ideal world.

There are alternatives to both real and artificial trees. In places like Oregon, Washington and California (naturally) earth friendly companies offer rental Christmas trees and living trees. This way you can dress your tree and put your presents under it, but then the tree can be planted where it can continue to grow. You can rent a tree and give it back to the company who will rent it out again next year. If you live somewhere where you can't rent a tree, call your nurseries to see what living trees they have. Or just decorate your philodendron. I'd love to hear a certain tree scientists take on Christmas trees.
Here is a good link about living Christmas trees. The Original Living Christmas Tree Company

I have no idea why I think about Christmas trees so much. I am not even a Christian.

OK back to the Farmers Market.
Today we bought:
milk
butter
apples
butternut squash
a rainbow of potatoes
That is really all we could manage to get from our local farmers market. We will have to go to the city to pick up onions and other vegetables. Oh booo.
I have seen a lot of hydroponic tomatoes



some varieties of cabbages and bitter greens.



Anyway....