What’s the difference between a courgette and a sock?
Whoa! I’ve just picked the biggest courgette ever (in my life at least) from the Farther-in-Law’s garden here in Sweden. Look at the flippin’ size of it!
This locally grown fairly traded (and free!) beauty is also organic, which means no pesticides or chemicals were used to help it grow to this ‘bigger than a bodybuilders forearm’ size. It just needed well treated soil, a little rain and some southern Swedish sun, the way nature intended!
To highlight it’s size and natural goodness I thought I’d drape one of the striped socks I also picked up here over it. Some thought I was a little strange, but with this bright stripey number measuring 28cm long, i think it gives you a good idea of the courgette’s marvelous size.
However this sock differs starkly to the courgette (aside from it being a sock and that being a vegetable!) because the cotton it’s made from wasn’t grown organically. In fact, all of the cotton in our clothes (unless it’s organic) is grown using pesticides and chemicals since cotton fields the world over now rely on them just for cotton to grow. Unfortunately, these pesticides have ruined the land as well as the health of many of the cotton pickers, and since growing cotton is actually the single biggest user of pesticides in the world, we can get an idea of the scale of the situation.
This is one of our reasons for making bamboo socks because bamboo grows like crazy all on it’s own, naturally, without the need for pesticides or chemicals. So the next time you see or wear cotton, spare a thought for this hearty courgette as being living proof that the natural way is usually the best way. And if you’d like to know a little more about the cotton in our clothes just click here for some short video’s.
What do you think about cotton, or courgettes, or bodybuilders forearms? Leave us a note by clicking the word ‘comment’ below…
Topics: Environmental Steps, No Work All Play!, Socks, Us Happy People |
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July 25th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
I’m a firm believer in all things natural,you should see my garlic and tomatoes. I usually can’t afford organic cotton and here in Ontario courgettes are called squash. I love squash of all kinds.Bodybuilders forearmes ,well as this is a clean family forum I’ll refrain from commenting on what an aul wan like me feels about them ,best left to the imagination.Let’s just say they make me happy too.
go happy people.
Mavis
July 28th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
I neeeeeeeeeed that superb courgette! Just thinking of the wonderful organic chutney it would make is making my mouth water. Well done Folkeand the beautiful clean living people of Oland!
July 30th, 2008 at 8:57 am
Squash…..Courgette, they’re good whatever we call them!
Just yesterday we picked an even bigger one….crazy but true!
August 13th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Take a look at this article from the Guardian
August 13th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
That’s a good article! Concisely covers the complexities of material production and clearly shows where the room for improvement is - exciting!