Green Daily

If you are making more of an effort these days to buy local, organic food and to support local businesses, good for you. The more all of us do this, the stronger our economy will be.

Have you ever wondered what else you could do? I do and then I see information about joining a volunteer organization or becoming part of a committee and I cringe and turn away. I guard my free time very closely. I want to help but in a way that isn't in the norm and that doesn't come with 4 hours a week of commitment.

Over at Sustainablog you can read about Melinda and Dan Hemmelgarn, who wanted to do something for the local farmer's market in Columbia, Missouri without joining a committee or selling vegetables.

Their efforts created the Farm Hands calendar, which raises money for the pavilion building fund for the farmer's market. The Hemmelgarn's found a way to give back that followed their own interests and passions and wasn't in the normal join a committee kind of way.

Some tips from sustainablog for creating a DIY volunteer project:

• Follow your heart
• Use your strengths
• Keep it local
• Think beyond cash - the Hemelgran's calendar turned out to be a daily reminder of local food, hanging on the wall.
  
• Involve others so it becomes a real community project.

What can you do, locally, to make a difference?