The Monthly Newsletter of greenlight magazine

Spring is here, and with it a fresh Bite from green*light, full of information to help you eat green, get around green, and provide green care for pets and kids.

It's a wave that began with natural foods producers and restaurant chefs, and is catching on across the country, at corporate cafeterias (Silicon Valley’s Google), in college dining halls (Saint Joseph’s College of Maine): Thinking global (as in warming), but buying local. Purchasing food harvested within 150 miles of where you live minimizes pollutants in the atmosphere and gives you the added benefit of peak flavor produce. With spring fully here and farmer’s markets opening up nationwide, it’s a good time to try buying local yourself.

According to the WorldWatch Institute, the average food item bought today travels as far as 2,500 miles to get to our supermarkets. That's 25 percent farther than in 1980. But there are better ways to buy:

Farmer's markets. The classic choice; find a favorite and make it a weekly tradition. Remember to bring cash and your own bags, and always ask advice for trying new things (that's the fun of it).

Community supported farms. It couldn't be easier: Have your produce delivered! Join a local farm and receive boxes of their seasonal best at your convenience, even every week.

Farm stands. Stopping by the farm itself to shop may be one of the best ways to support local agriculture, if you live near enough.

For farmer's markets, CSAs, and farm stands in your area, visit Local Harvest.

You may not feel like you're going that far, but driving an easily bikeable distance actually can be more polluting than a longer trip by car - sixty percent of the pollution from driving happens during the first few minutes. And that's just one good reason for hopping on a bike. Bike riding is also a perfect low-impact, aerobic activity for the entire family. And because bicycles usually don't suffer the same problems with congestion and parking as cars, they often get you there faster. Here are a few tips for making a bike your more primary mode of transport:

1. Buy a good bike (meaning, spend more than a few hundred dollars). Consider it an investment that will last a long time, and take care of it properly so that it will use minimal resources (as all bikes should).

2. Turn the trips around: Forty percent of all trips people take are within two miles of home; yet the majority of short trips are made by car. Taking a bike instead can keep about 7 pounds of pollutants out of the air.

3. Some areas are more bike-friendly than others. If you're going to cycle, you'll need to advocate for places to do it. Get involved with a local group, or join a national one like Rails to Trails or the League of American Bicyclists.

A newborn baby might be the purest thing any of us could possibly come across. So it's no surprise that many parents try to preserve that purity for as long as possible, by surrounding their babies with only natural products. And, over time, the emphasis on living in tune with nature will influence how these infants treat the planet as kids, and later as adults. Here are a few ways to start them down the green road early.

Clothe them in organic cotton. When you think about the chemicals used to grow cotton conventionally (in the U.S., cotton growers use one-fourth of the total pesticides), this natural fiber doesn't seem "natural" at all. Imps & Elfs sells original, 100% organic cotton kids' clothes (made child-labor free) through retailers.

Feed them food you've made yourself. Trust us, these recipes aren’t difficult to follow. After all, baby food features no seasonings. But, if you make baby food at home, you’ll guarantee your children fresh, additive-free meals that probably have greater nutritional value (and definitely cost less). Find out how at Fresh Baby.

Choose a diaper you can (mostly) reuse. The debate over disposable versus cloth might never be settled. But one way cloth has a leg up is that the waste goes where it should—into the waste water system, not the landfill. But what about a diaper that does that, and has the benefit of increased convenience? Enter gDiapers: Environmentally safe flushable liners, reusable cloth pants.

Q: Every year when the weather warms up, my dog gets blitzed by fleas. Soon they're in the house too. Is there an earth-friendly way to protect my dog as well as get rid of fleas indoors and outdoors? -- Reader Chuck

A: Late spring is the ideal time to start controlling fleas, before they move in and multiply. First, healthy pets are less attractive to fleas. You can also supplement your dog’s diet with raw garlic, brewer’s yeast (be careful of allergies), or B vitamins—all of which have a smell that, when manifested in the skin, drives fleas away. In the house, vacuum well, and weekly, with a canister vacuum you can empty right away, outside; don’t skip furniture, pillows, and rugs, and use an attachment to get into the corners. In the yard, trim grass short and avoid piles of plant waste like leaves, which can harbor fleas. You can also add pennyroyal, a naturally flea repellent herb, to your garden. For more on natural pet care, check out the Whole Dog Journal.