I was in Three Oaks, Michigan last month at the Natural Burial Co-Operative’s Board of Director’s retreat. The main point of discussion was contemporary western-world burial practices and how the increasing demand for more natural burial practices has spawned changes in the industry. We also spoke of fun ways we are all thinking about exiting this world…and greening the afterlife. Families aren’t always aware that ma .....

In most Western countries, death is celebrated with an often solemn ceremony, and the deceased is interred in a necropolis, a city of the dead (more colloquially known as a graveyard or cemetery.) The burial site is often given a marker or memorial so the deceased may be remembered by future visitors to the site. Of course, funeral rites vary from place to place but in most cases, great care and ceremony are involved......

Those thinking that a traditional burial may not be for them should be aware of all the available cremation options. Cremation is certainly on the increase in the United States, yet it proves not to be the most environmentally-friendly process in terms of emissions. Surely new methods of disposition are required. Methods that are efficient, cost-effective and minimize impact upon our environment are what our society needs. Even though many people assume there’s only one form of .....

Goats are the perfect lawn mowers for overrun spaces, waysides, undeveloped fields and woodland regions that need to be cleared. And here’s the genuine kicker—they have stomachs that can digest poison ivy, and they love eating it. Goats also find invasive species tasty such as kudzu, multi-flora rose, .....

There's something appealing about the return to family cemetery plots on land where the decedent lived. And there's obviously a very, very long tradition of this. It’s what families did for generations -- burying their loved ones on the family property. It’s done more typically in rural settings, and laws vary not only state to state, but county to county.The problem I ran into years ago when families starting .....

People are returning to traditional burial practices in order to protect our environment and to honor lives that have been lived with care for the planet. Many talented wood workers are joining them in taking an environmentally conscious, long-term view and working to make natural burial a real option.Wood is the oldest material known to man makes it a natural and environmentally sound choice when selecting a casket. The warmth and textures insures each piece is unique, and being a renewable resource assures a legacy tor .....

Without a doubt, cremation is now a much more popular option at the end of life. But uncertainty seems to reign about what to do with the ashes that remain. They can be buried, placed in a niche, worn around your neck, kept on your mantle or in a closet, pressed into a diamond and the most common, scattering. But you might be blown away to know that you can get your loved ones’ ashes in environmental trouble.There is no law that specifies the scattering of ashe .....

Detoxing your vagina may sound like an odd and even tender torment, but Asian women have been doing it for centuries to regulate their menstrual cycles. The ancient tradition uses a combination of herbs that claim to reduce stress, fight infection, clear .....

I bought a house, so that makes me a homeowner. A week later I got a goat and some sheep, so that makes me a farmer.The goat and sheep actually belong to Martha Grace. She is the true farmer.  She carted a small farm – including a dirty, hillbilly dog named Blue – over a hundred miles.She and I have a Rent-A-Living-Lawnmower situation going. I provide acreage of grass, trees, shrubs plus some shelter and water, and she gets the peace of mind that her farm ani .....

When it comes to sending a favorite furry friend off into the grand beyond, cremation is the most common practice, but a natural home burial is also commonplace – for those with yards.If this is the option that works for you, you may want to check in with any local ordinances that may prohibit this if you plan on interring anything larger than a hamster, canary or goldfish. To guard against any possible diseases always use extreme caution when handling animal remains whether or not your pet had been ill .....