SAB Miller Uses Brewery Waste from Alrode Brewery in South Africa to Reduce Carbon Footprint
Written by Dave Harcourt

SAB Miller, South African grown, second largest brewer in the world has introduced anaerobic digestion to treat the waste leaving its Alrode Brewery in Gauteng, South Africa. Anaerobic fermentation of organic material produces methane, which is used to reduce the consumption of fossil fuel based energy.

Brewery Waste & Biogas
In the brewery the waste is a collection of unavoidable losses of carbohydrate and protein rich materials, which would otherwise be sold as beer or byproduct and the large quantities of water used to maintain a hygienic operation.

This waste is normally fed to standard industrial effluent treatment plants, either in the brewery or at the local authority, where physical and aerobic fermentation processes are used to remove the organic material. The cost of this treatment or the fee paid is directly related to the organic level and volume of the waste.

In the biogas recovery project the brewery’s effluent is treated by converting organic material into methane gas by means of the anaerobic digestion process. The anaerobic digestion process converts 90% of the 25 tons a day of organic material leaving the Alrode brewery in five million litres of effluent. This produces 9,000 m³ ( 320,000 cubic feet) of biogas containing 85% methane. The biogas is fed to a boiler where it is burnt to produce steam that is used to power the brewing process. The biogas saves the consumption of 10.4 tons per day of coal a saving of around R 7,000 ($1,000) a day.

At the same time there is a saving in effluent tariffs and costs as well as electricity which would otherwise have been used to power the activated sludge process.

Other Opportunities
Many industries in South Africa use anaerobic digesters in their waste water treatment but Alrode is the only of its kind to make optimal use of its biogas. This installation is likely to act as a model for other breweries in the group.

In South Africa food manufacturing is concentrated in the urban areas and the plants effluent is mainly, possibly with some pretreatment, discharged to the municipal sewers. With the increasing load on these systems and the national concern about South Africa’s water resources the tariffs charged by municipalities are certain to escalate in the short and medium term. This along with increases in energy costs is certain to increase the attractiveness of anaerobic effluent treatment both as a cost saver and a contribution to combatting global warming.

Biogas can be used to generate either electrical and/or thermal energy depending on the demands of each installation. It is also possible for electricity produced from biogas to be sold into the grid at a realistic price that will be determined by the second set of feed in tariffs about to be announced by NERSA (Mational Energy Regulator of South Africa).

Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco Friendly Shea Butter Spa Products

www.countrymeadowltd.com

I have been CRAVING something ‘pumpkin’ and I’m sorry but I just can’t wait until Thanksgiving!

I found this recipe on the Food Network website courtesy of Patty Ronning as adapted by Paula Deen
I have printed out the recipe and will be making these this weekend.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bars
Recipe courtesy Patty Ronning as adapted by Paula Deen

Ingredients
Bars
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars

Pumpkin Bars

Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco Friendly Shea Butter Spa Products

www.countrymeadowltd.com

No silly…not the edible goodies!

Below are links to unique, handmade Thanksgiving ‘goodies’.
But you better hurry!
There is just one of each!!!

Happy Thanksgiving Owl Card by Persnicketypelican

Indian Summer Charm Bracelet by LeRoyale

Silk Flower Arrangement by Melrose Fields

The Little Things of Autumn by Heartspeak

How about Turkey Earrings by Glitterbug Originals!

And last but not least..

Why don’t you dress up that bottle of wine with Wine Toppers by Amorevivo

Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco Friendly Shea Butter Spa Products

www.countrymeadowltd.com

Lanyard anyone?
How about an eyeglass leash?

I recently got my first pair of glasses and since I only need them for computer work and reading I was on the lookout for eyeglass leashes that way when looking elsewhere I can remove my glasses while still having them handy.

I thought I would incorporate my love for jewelry and find fancy, handmade eyeglass leashes.

I found wonderful lanyards by Curlynetto however I have no use for lanyards! I emailed Annette asking her if she could modify a lanyard into an eyeglass leash and she could and DID!

I am totaly in love with my leash and am suprised at how light it is even though it has beads on it.

THIS is the one I have and I see she is adding more! I have several in mind that I’m going to buy afterall we know us women need to customize all of our clothes and accessories to match!

If you are in need of a unique, quality lanyard or eyeglass leash visit Curlynetto’s store and if you see a lanyard that you would like converted into a leash just give her a shout! She may be able to help you.

Curlynetto Eyeglass Leash

Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco Friendly Shea Butter Spa Products

www.countrymeadowltd.com

This week’s misc. tidbits:

**Wholesale Inquiries:
Please note: Country Meadow does not release any wholesale information until we receive your business license etc. We have had several wholesale inquiries the last few weeks but no follow-up with tax ID/business license copies.

No Validation – No Wholesale Account

**Pandora Radio = Way Cool!
Now listen to your very own music via your computer. Just enter in your favorite artist and it will also add similiar artists!

I have Phil Collins, Riverdance, Neil Diamond, Bad Company, Melissa Etheridge, The Three Tenors, Marc Cohn, Josh Grobin and Piers Faccini!

**Kiva Milestone
As of October 31, 2009 Kiva has raised 1 Million dollars in loans!

Around 2pm today (Happy Halloween for those in the U.S.), Kiva hit a major milestone:

It’s a wonderful accomplishment involving 584,189 Kiva Lenders in our first 4 years of operations. What’s even more amazing to me is that it took over 1 year to raise our first $1 million . This year alone, we’re on track to raise nearly $60 million. On behalf of the volunteers, staff, microfinance field partners and the entrepreneurs they serve — thank you and congrats to Kiva Lenders for reaching this incredible milestone!

**Shows
For the last few years I have been concentrating on our website and obtaining more wholesale accounts and as a result we dropped all local craft shows.

This fall I decided to dip my toes back into the smaller, local craft shows and our first one is tomorrow.

Since we do not have a retail store and are not really set up for walk-in customers selling at local shows is a great way for people to come and actually see and SMELL our products!

I have our van packed full with just about every soap we make and have a small selection of soap logs available as well.

So stop by, pick up a free soap sample and say ‘Hi!’
We will be HERE from 9am – 4pm Saturday, November 7, 2009.

**New Family Member
We have dogs (English Bull Terriers) and fish (both pond and aquarium), and finch (Zebra, Society, Gouldian) and our youngest daughter has moved back home for a while so it’s not like we were looking to fill up empty space (if you’ve been to our house you know there is NOT room for anything hence the remodel idea in a year or so!)…

But sometimes things just happen.

Sometimes things just fall in your lap without any effort at all.

We have a new addition to our family as of two weeks ago.
Lemon is a 4 year old, male Umbrella Cockatoo and he is unlike any bird we have ever had!

I did two weeks of research before we committed to bringing him home. I wanted to know exactly what we were in for:

Extremely LOUD calls and screams both in the am and pm
Extra time to work with him out of his cage
Cooking and preparing fresh food

This type of bird is not for everyone. You cannot keep a cockatoo inside a cage 24/7 or there is a possiblity that they will get bored and start feather plucking. They are highly intelligent and people friendly once they get to know you. They are also very expensive to maintain!

Lemon didn’t come with any toys so we had to go out and buy half the pet store’s toys. He was also on a 100% seed diet (a huge no-no) so we bought pellets (which he is not really into) and the fruit shaped colorful food (which he is eating) and are converting him over to what he is supposed to eat with just a little bit of seed! Fresh fruits and vegetables are a must plus there are bird recipes that you can actually cook for your bird.

I have also ordered various soak/cook/bean/rice/bread mixes as well as toy components so we can start making our/his toys (how fun will that be!)

Cockatoos are shredders which means he needs toys he can shred which can cost upwards of $20.00 each (ouch!). The huge shredder toy we bought two weeks ago had its last day yesturday! I found a good one at the pet store for $8.00 so we will see how long that one lasts!

I have only been able to take a few short videos of Lemon.
If you want to see them (and others I will upload as soon as I have time!) click HERE for my Youtube link.

Plans are:
Build Lemon a tree perch so he doesn’t have to play on his cage top all the time

Build an aviary for the finch

Get Lemon a bigger cage

Does anyone know how to squeeze an extra day out of the week?
Seems we are running a little short!

Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco Friendly Shea Butter Spa Products

www.countrymeadowltd.com

Compost with a Kick: Bokashicycle Brews First Large-Scale Food Waste Fermentation Operation
Written by Tina Casey

Bokashi is a centuries-old Japanese method of recycling household food waste into all-natural compost. By employing a special culture of yeast and other microorganisms, bokashi is a compact, odorless process that takes only days instead of weeks or months. Now the Bokashicycle company is breaking the process out of the kitchen and into a commercial-scale food waste recycling operation, in partnership with New Earth Farm in Hillsboro, Oregon.

New Earth Farm takes in food scraps from Bon Appetit cafeterias on the nearby Intel Hawthorn Farm campus, which provides a significant waste disposal savings compared to disposing the scraps in landfills. Waste reduction is one goal, and in an even more sustainable twist the composted soil is used to grow crops for Abundant Harvest, a local consumer-supported agriculture (CSA) store.

The Trick is in the Yeast for Superfast Compost
Conventional composting uses oxygen-fed organisms to break down organic matter. In contrast, bokashi uses a special mix of organisms that thrive without oxyge to ferment the food scraps. The process is similar to that of wine or pickle making. It takes place in a sealed container and it’s practically odorless, making it suitable for small dwellings. Companies like Bokashicycle sell prepared mixes that also contain starter nutrients such as wheat bran and molasses, but do-it-yourself instructions are also available online.

Bokashi on a Grand Scale
New Earth Farm spreads Bokashicycle’s mix on the food scraps it collects, and lets it ferment in a barrel for a week to ten days (to help the process run smoothly, large bones and other big food scraps are first shredded). The contents are then poured onto the ground and covered with soil for another two weeks, during which time organisms that are naturally present go to work. Then the enriched soil is ready to go, either for use on the farm or to be sold elsewhere. If this large-scale bokashi project proves successful over time, it could soon have plenty of company. Prisons and other institutions are rapidly adopting food waste recycling, and the entire city of San Francisco has just committed to a mandatory mega-scale food scrap recycling program.

Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco Friendly Shea Butter Spa Products

www.countrymeadowltd.com

Giant crack in Africa may create a new ocean
Study: Volcanic boundaries in Ethiopia may break apart in large sections

A 35-mile rift in the desert of Ethiopia will likely become a new ocean eventually, researchers now confirm.

The crack, 20 feet wide in spots, opened in 2005 and some geologists believed then that it would spawn a new ocean. But that view was controversial, and the rift had not been well studied.

A new study involving an international team of scientists and reported in the journal Geophysical Research Letters finds the processes creating the rift are nearly identical to what goes on at the bottom of oceans, further indication a sea is in the region’s future.

The same rift activity is slowly parting the Red Sea, too.

Using newly gathered seismic data from 2005, researchers reconstructed the event to show the rift tore open along its entire 35-mile length in just days. Dabbahu, a volcano at the northern end of the rift, erupted first, then magma pushed up through the middle of the rift area and began “unzipping” the rift in both directions, the researchers explained in a statement today.

“We know that seafloor ridges are created by a similar intrusion of magma into a rift, but we never knew that a huge length of the ridge could break open at once like this,” said Cindy Ebinger, professor of earth and environmental sciences at the University of Rochester and co-author of the study.

The result shows that highly active volcanic boundaries along the edges of tectonic ocean plates may suddenly break apart in large sections, instead of in bits, as the leading theory held. And such sudden large-scale events on land pose a much more serious hazard to populations living near the rift than would several smaller events, Ebinger said.

“The whole point of this study is to learn whether what is happening in Ethiopia is like what is happening at the bottom of the ocean where it’s almost impossible for us to go,” says Ebinger. “We knew that if we could establish that, then Ethiopia would essentially be a unique and superb ocean-ridge laboratory for us. Because of the unprecedented cross-border collaboration behind this research, we now know that the answer is yes, it is analogous.”

Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco Friendly Shea Butter Spa Products

www.countrymeadowltd.com

Bathing Hot, Hot, Hot
How bad should I feel about taking hot showers?
By Nina Shen Rastogi

I know that taking long, hot showers is an environmental no-no. But now that the weather’s getting colder, I just can’t face the day without one. Exactly how much damage am I doing to the planet?

Guilt is a tricky thing to quantify. In the grand scheme of things, a hot shower represents just a fraction of your overall water and energy usage. And the Lantern will admit that she, too, needs the promise of a few steamy, soapy minutes to rouse herself out of bed on a frigid morning. But that doesn’t mean that she condones epic showers.

Let’s take a closer look at the numbers. In a 1999 study of nearly 1,200 single-family homes, showers used an estimated 11.6 gallons per person per day, or roughly 17 percent of all indoor water consumption. (Toilets were no. 1, at 27 percent, and then washing machines, at 22 percent.)

How much water your personal ablutions require depends on what kind of showerhead you have and how long you luxuriate beneath it. The nonprofit Alliance for Water Efficiency has a nifty chart that can help you estimate exactly how much your daily shower sends down the drain. According to the Alliance, 25 gallons or less constitutes water-efficient bathing: That’s five minutes with a 5-gallon-per-minute showerhead, or 12 minutes with a 2-gallon-per-minute showerhead. (Since 1992, federal regulations limit all new showerheads to a maximum flow rate of 2.5 gallons per minute.)

Hot showers require more water than cold showers, because of the extra time spent waiting for the flow to heat up. According to a preliminary analysis from a researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, an average of 5.21 gallons per household, per day spirals down the drain before anyone even starts bathing.

So what does that mean in the big picture? As we discussed a few months ago vis-à-vis toilets, what flows out of your faucets and showerheads is only part of your overall water footprint. The average household uses far more water outdoors than indoors—and your home’s total consumption is going to be dwarfed by the production of all the goods you consume, which raises each American’s daily footprint to about 1,800 gallons. (Mother Jones recently noted that it takes 33 gallons of water to produce a 16-ounce Diet Coke—about as much as a reasonable 13-minute shower under a 2.5 gpm showerhead.)

If you don’t live in an area where droughts are a pressing concern, there’s still the energy issue. No matter how hot or cold you like it, your shower is going to have an energy footprint. After all, it takes energy to treat and deliver potable water to your house, and once your shower water goes down the drain, it has to be treated all over again before it’s released back into the environment.

Cranking up the temperature, however, will significantly increase your energy costs. Overall, water heating can account for up to 25 percent of your home’s energy use, and showers use 37 percent of the hot water in the average home. (Add in baths, and it rises to roughly half.)

How much energy will a single hot shower set you back? It depends on a bunch of variables, but let’s assume you’re taking one of those 25-gallon showers and that the water is 55 degrees when it enters your heater (a reasonable average of seasonal temperatures around the nation). It takes 8.3 British thermal units to raise the temperature of one gallon of water 1 degree Fahrenheit, and a hot shower is usually 105 degrees. Et voila, getting your shower nice and steamy under these conditions will require 10,375 Btus of energy.

Next, you have to consider your water heater’s energy factor. This is an overall rating—expressed as a number from zero to one—that indicates how efficiently the machine converts the energy it receives into hot water available for your use. (The higher the number, the more efficient the machine.) The typical gas heater has an energy factor of around 0.6, so you’d need about 17,000 Btus of gas input to warm your shower. If you used a typical electric water heater, with an energy factor of around 0.9, the same shower would consume 12,000 Btus of electricity. There’s a big caveat here: Every Btu of electricity delivered to your home requires roughly three Btus’ worth of primary fuel at the power plant, raising the total energy cost of your electrically heated shower to about 36,000 Btus. (There’s some loss of energy when gas is delivered to your home, but it’s much less significant.)

In 2005, the average American consumed about 200,000 Btus of residential energy every day (PDF). When you factor in all of our various energy costs, including transportation and the production of goods, per capita consumption rises to a little more than 900,000 Btus.

So what are you supposed to do with all those numbers? In the end, the Lantern suggests a commonsense approach to your morning ritual. Take the hot shower if you need it, but keep your time to a minimum. Avoid shaving or brushing your teeth in the shower, unless you’re willing to shut the water off while you’re doing it. (Look into installing a lathering valve, a showerhead attachment that allows you to shut off the flow while keeping water temperature constant—though note that they’re not recommended for all households.) If you don’t have one already, check to see if your municipality offers rebates for installing low-flow showerheads or those that automatically slow water flow to a trickle once the water has reached a comfortably hot temperature. The Department of Energy also has tips on how to make sure your water heater is operating as efficiently as possible.

Finally, fix your drips: The 1999 water-usage study found that leaks wasted 9.5 gallons a day, per person—almost as much as showers.

Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco Friendly Shea Butter Spa Products

www.countrymeadowltd.com

I posted this recipe way back in 2006 but it bears posting again….with a small revision!

This is a Martha Stewart recipe that I found printed in our local newspaper in 2006. I have made this sweet potato recipe every Thanksgiving and Christmas since.

Sweet potatoes and yams are not on my Favorite Foods list….
however….
I LOVE this recipe!

The original recipe did NOT have sliced apples as an ingredient. It was my husbands idea after I made it the first time to add the apples and I totaly agree. It adds just a touch of natural sweetness!

Sweet Potato Gratin

4 – 5 Sweet Potatoes (we do 1/2 sweet potatoes, 1/2 yams)
1 or 2 Apples, peeled and sliced
1 Cup Coarsely Chopped Pecans
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
2 Teaspoons Ground Ginger
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Pinch of Nutmeg
4 Tablespoons Butter
2 Cups Mini Marshmallows

Place sweet potatoes/yams in a large pan of cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are just tender, approx. 20 min. Drain. Place potatoes in cold water until skins begin to loosen. Peel and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine pecans, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and butter using your fingers or a fork to blend.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Butter an 8″ square dish. Slice potatoes into 1/4″ thick slices. Layer a third of the potatoes on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with a third of the butter/sugar mixture. Repeat layers. Cover with foil and bake until heated through, approx. 40 min.

Remove from oven and raise temperature to broil. Top with a layer of mini marshmallows and heat just until browned, 30-60 seconds.

Serve hot. Makes 6 servings.

Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco Friendly Shea Butter Spa Products

www.countrymeadowltd.com

Whoa!
Where did September and October go???!!!

Here we are now heading for Thanksgiving and I know I’m looking forward to a nice turkey dinner with all of the trimmings!

Thanks again to BHG (Better Homes & Garden) for wonderful and easy Thanksgiving Centerpiece ideas!

I like THIS ONE…what could be easier than that!

Pumpkin Candle Centerpiece
No centerpiece for a fall party? Use this idea for an easy arrangement using only three ingredients: a pumpkin, a candle, and berry sprigs.

Learn more about this project.

Pumpkin Candle Centerpiece

Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco Friendly Shea Butter Spa Products

www.countrymeadowltd.com