The early spring provides a great opportunity for golfers to get out onto their favorite courses and begin their golf season in Bayfield, Wisocnsin. Apostle Highlands Golf Course announced their season is starting on March 31st. An early start? Why not!?

Amazing views of Lake Superior and the Apostle Islands provide the backdrop to this golfing experience. Many of our Pinehurst Inn guests have commented on the course, with some indicating the views often were distracting to their game! But they hung in there and came away from the 18-hole, par 72 course with a smile on their face.

Apostle Highlands is also another Travel Green Certified Bayfield business – once again, another example of area businesses recognizing how important their business practices are to the long term sustainability of the region.

The clubhouse also provides wonderful spot to relax after your outing on the course. Beautiful setting, amazing views, good people. Come and enjoy some golfing in Bayfield!

As I read this piece for the first time, I kept thinking, “Ah, she got it!” Jessica has been successful in conveying not only our philosophy, but also that of the Bayfield, Wisconsin region. We are a buy local mecca! Over the past few years, we’ve worked hard to source terrific local growers, producers, service providers and more. Whether we are talking eggs or paint, bacon or toilet paper, we consistently work to find either a local entity that produces the product or is able to source it for us. Jessica understood and honored this in the article.

Here is the exciting part of our story. What we are hearing more and more from our guests is that our local foods and purchasing efforts are really one of the features of our business they find the most appealing. So cool — we can enhance their Pinehurst Inn experience by supporting the local economy. Of course along with the good eats come the stories behind the food. The multi-generational work by the Dale family at Highland Valley Farm. The start-up goat cheese produced by a wonderful goat farmer in Cornicopia, Sassy Nanny Cheese. The weekly deliver of eggs from Angel Acres Farm when we hear the trials and tribulations of egg farming. Or Tom Galazen’s North Wind Farm that grows some of the best berries ever – Tom’s our favorite resident hippie living off the grid with an incredible knowledge of farming.  This is just a tinny  “taste” of our local foods community.

Of course we always invite folks to come on up to Pinehurst Inn, enjoy our breakfast offerings and connected stories, as well at all that this area has to offer.  But in the meantime, check out what’s available in your own area. To get you started, check out the Local Harvest website – Farmer’s Markets and CSA’s from all over the country are simply waiting to connect.

Fritz Kreiss and his wife, Catherine McQueen, are about to begin work on building the 19-room Green Leaf Inn in rural Delavan. Their plans are exciting and we wish them well.

And in that same article, Pinehurst Inn is recognized for being a leader in the Travel Green Wisconsin program. Tom points out some of the specific steps we’ve implemented. Every step taken is important, whether offering stainless steel water bottles or using renewable energy. Yet the more important concept is the overall approach – every decision is made with a full analysis of the environmental, the social and the economic impacts. How will this  decision affect our natural environment (carbon footprint), how will the decision impact our guests, our employees, our community? How will this decision impact our bottom line? It’s a thought process that becomes second nature.

We strongly encourage our friends and guests to use Travel Green Wisconsin as a resource when traveling in this fine state. Take a look at what many of our peers are doing throughout the state.

Pinehurst Inn is so pleased to be one of many wonderful examples of green tourism opportunities. We particularly appreciate this most recent post to her blog, Roads Traveled, which provides a quick peek at a few green efforts and philosophy of our business.

Bergin’s book  examines four categories of ecotourism: food and drink, lodging and retreats, nature and wildlife, and the old and the new, including festivals, parks, lodges, tours, farms, museums, nature centers, factories, wilderness areas, and retreats and more. A great must have for those seeking eco-friendly travel opportunities.

Thank you, Mary. And thank you to all the businesses, organizations and individuals who work to make these eco-friendly options available.

Tonight, all around the world, people will be shutting off their lights at 8:30pm as a part of this year’s Earth Hour celebration (http://earthhour.org/). It’s a great moment to pause and remember that in addition to the community and political organizing we do, committing to real change in our personal lives is important too.

We can start with turning off our lights, and use that moment to think deeply about how we can go “beyond the hour” (this year’s Earth Hour theme) and commit to making other changes in our personal lives – getting out of your car and onto your bike or feet, hanging up your clothes instead of popping them in the dryer, eating food that is locally grown.  We know these changes alone won’t get us to 350ppm, but they’re a part of the work we’ll need to do, and as organizers, it’s up to us to set the example of how we can all live happy, healthy, low carbon lives.

Watch the Earth Hour Video: http://youtu.be/RiBJC9x_ChQ

10/10/10 – A Global Work Party day organized by 350.org. For those who haven’t heard of 350.org here’s an overview:

350.org is an international campaign that’s building a movement to unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis—the solutions that science and justice demand.

Our mission is to inspire the world to rise to the challenge of the climate crisis—to create a new sense of urgency and of possibility for our planet.

This great organization, headed by writer and activist Bill McKibbon, has been spending months encouraging individuals, groups and organizations to create work parties in their own communities focusing on ways to lighten their footprint while putting pressure on local, state, national and international leader to take climate change seriously.

Interested in learning more? There are over 7300 events registered to be taking place today all over the world. 350.org website has tons of information.

At Pinehurst Inn in Bayfield, we consider every day a work day, but today, there will be time spent both making more biodiesel and getting into the native gardens. Baby steps, but very real in our world.

One of our more popular fall dishes is our Apple Cheddar Muffins, and of course we use apples from one of Bayfield’s many orchards. These muffins go very well both with an omelet at breakfast or with chicken or pork as a side dish.

We encourage you to take advantage of this wonderful time of year in Bayfield by taking advantage of the different fall promotions happening both at Pinehurst Inn, but throughout Bayfield. We are happy to be participating in the Bayfield Fall Harvest Lodging package. If you book 3 nights (Sun.-Thursday), you will receive 25% off of your third night AND a $25 Bayfield Gift Certificate good at any Bayfield Chamber member business.

So, while you enjoy your Labor Day holiday this weekend, don’t forget to make your fall plans and be sure to include Bayfield and the Pinehurst Inn.

This includes a wonderful group of inns that have innovative and creative practices highlighting their green efforts. Happy to be among such a great group.

More information on our sustainability efforts can be found on the Pinehurst Inn Website.

But then comes summer! The Bayfield Orchards provide a wonderful variety of fruits and berries. Local growers and smaller farms are great sources of vegetables, dairy and cheeses. When unable to source items locally, we work to identify food purveyors that provide organic and/or Midwest grown options.

Today we received a wonderful order of organic vegetables. The quantities are large enough to both use now and cut and freeze for those cooler months. The smells, the colors, the fresh taste – a little bit of heaven. These are the ingredients that come together to provide a delicious breakfast to start the day for our guests.

Life is good.