Environmentally Sensitive Baseball

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I know one thing that WOULD B GON©...





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And of course this would be the brew of choice on campus...

Dandelion Wine

Dandelion wine does not require any special equipment to make. Just untainted dandelions, some sugar and yeast, oranges and lemons, and pots to boil water in. This recipe uses cloves, which I think give it a nice touch. If you have dandelions around (hint: check the Rachel Carson Memorial Baseball Field), give it a try!

* 1 package dried yeast
* 1/4 cup warm water
* 2 quarts untainted dandelion blossoms
* 4 quarts water
* 1 cup orange juice
* 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
* 8 whole cloves
* 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
* 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped orange peel
* 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped lemon peel
* 6 cups sugar

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Set aside.

Wash the untainted dandelion blossoms well. Put them in the water with the orange, lemon and lime juices. Add the cloves, ginger, orange and lemon peel, and sugar. Bring to a boil and continue to boil for an hour. Strain through filter paper (coffee filters work great). Cool. While still warm (but not hot), stir in the yeast.

Let stand overnight and pour into bottles. Allow uncorked bottles to set in a darkened place for three weeks. Then cork and store bottles in a cool place. Then pour it into yourself and friends. Makes about 4 quarts...and it'll make you feel dandy!



Field of Dreams Weeds.




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Fertilizer for turf, natural and organic.
Water management, minimizing waste.
Concessions/watering troops, minimize plastic.
Recycling of water bottles and pop cans, etc.
Live arm BP, eliminate/reduce energy consuption.

Grey Water is something all states should consider for proper hydration of fields. every little bit helps. Also using a mower that redisributes the freshly mowed clippings back onto the grass that are full of nutrients, and helps build turf strength, is also a good idea. Baseball players are probably the only sports that actually has a hand in grooming their own field....that probably counts as being eco friendly....just blood sweat and sometimes tears keeping the home fires burning at the filed.

I can guarantee you that school has a thriving socker program.

This might be outback

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quote:

..using a mower that redisributes the freshly mowed clippings back onto the grass that are full of nutrients, and helps build turf strength, is also a good idea.

There was one MLB team that has tried using this living, organic mower that you speak of iheartbb...the results in the win/loss column haven't been nearly as spectacular as the results they have achieved with their playing field.



But there is some risk involved with playing on their field aside from possibly being hit by flying vinyl shrapnel from exploding disco records or being pummeled by the notorious and tattoed Ligue Boys...oops...sorry...wrong end of town.

At the ballpark up on the north side there is some risk...most people don't know this...it's kinda' hush hush...but if you peek under the ivy at numerous places on the outfield wall you will see these cautionary signs posted...strict OSHA requirement...




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While I think that conservation and the environment are things we all need to be concerned about (I'm even part of a new business startup that deals with E-waste recycling), the baseball diamond isn't a place where you're going to find a whole lot of concerned individuals. If everything is going well and the team is winning, someone might have some time to discuss peripheral stuff like this, but chances are good that anyone is really concerned about is winning tomorrow's game. Chances are pretty good that if anyone is really concerned about this stull at a baseball game, they'll be sitting in the stands, not down on the field.

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Chances are pretty good that if anyone is really concerned about this stull at a baseball game, they'll be sitting in the stands, not down on the field.

I'll tell you what, go through a serious drought complete with total watering bans and you'll start to get religion. Choosing grass that requires less water, watering with recycled water / greywater, and so forth beats the heck out of not having a field to play on. We've had a total outdoor water ban for some time now and it's obviously taking it's toll on school fields. Many eyes have been opened as far as it being a darned good idea to conserve natural resources through relatively simple, common sense approaches.

Here's an interesting article from the March 2007 Sports Illustrated.
Going Going Green