Last year North Carolina became the third largest grower of cotton in the US. We grow it; we gin it; and we spin it. Then we ship the majority of this highly prized resource offshore. Why? Because the manufacturing labor overseas is so much cheaper.

Most of the t-shirts and jeans we buy in our area are made in Central America, where the average apparel labor rate is about $2 an hour. Yes, our jeans and t-shirts are less expensive, but what does cheap mean if you don't have a job? Since NAFTA, we have lost thousands of jobs and hundreds of businesses just in North Carolina to poorly compensated foreign labor.

We can bring some of those jobs back by starting to request, ask, and demand that some of our apparel be made in this country. Before us sits the perfect opportunity to create jobs, growth and economic prosperity in North Carolina, but we must take responsibility for where our apparel dollars are spent.

So please, the next time you make a clothes purchase, look beyond the price and think of your neighbors. Buy American.

About a month ago, The Herald Sun ran an article critical of Sustain-A-Bull for purchasing Cotton of the Carolinas shirts printed 30 miles away in Alamance County rather than offshore-made t-shirts printed in Durham.

Though we understand that Sustain-A-Bull had to make a difficult decision - support 700 NC jobs over a few jobs in the city they inhabit - we think they made the right one (read our editorial response here).

Cotton of the Carolinas is the epitome of local for North Carolina. No other apparel brand we know of has as small a footprint and as great a job impact per-shirt for a local economy. We applaud Sustain-A-Bull for deciding that a much larger job impact in their state trumps a smaller one in their city.

To share our support for Sustain-A-Bull, why not visit their website? You can even buy a t-shirt!

Thanks to Zingerman's for committing to an order months ahead of time so the shirts could be made just for them.

Piece-dyed makes a lot of sense for customers who are buying large volumes of Cotton of the Carolinas shirts because of the significantly lower cost of dyeing fabric versus dyeing the shirts as our standard print process requires.

Two farms in Eastern North Carolina, Parrish Farm and Hickory Meadows Organics, have planted a combined 80 acres of certified organic cotton seed to harvest this fall.

At TS Designs, we're committed to making sure that cotton gets used right here, in North Carolina.  We have partnered with manufacturers of various textile products to ensure that we can make products regardless of the staple length (the major determiner of cotton quality) of the cotton harvested from these fields.

Say hello to the two innovators who have made this great commitment to organics, Lewis Parrish and Orpha Gene Watson:

from left: Lewie Parrish of Parrish Farm, Orpha Gene Watson of Hickory Meadows Organics, and Eric Henry of TS Designs

Stay tuned to hear crop reports regarding expected quality of the cotton as the season progresses.

A longer video will air on CNN in the coming months.

Former TSD intern Angie Lovelace (now a CNN employee in Atlanta) contributed to this great report on our innovative Cotton of the Carolinas apparel program.  Thanks to Angie and the staff over at CNN for taking an interest in local agriculture and manufacturing!

I have the pleasure of introducing my next featured Mover and Shaker in TS DesignsLand - Stuart Pendergraph.  As the very first Green Intern TS Designs has ever had, Stuart has set the bar high for interns to come.  I first met him back in February - in a meeting I had only a small amount of business being in with the Energy Giants of TS Designs.  He was definitely in his element.  If you are one of our many devout blog followers, you've probably already given his Energy Audit a look and said, "WOW".

I'm impressed.

From planning to cut holes in our roof with Tom to working with fancy high-tech equipment I've only ever seen in Predator, Stuart has been making big changes here at TS Designs.  Some energy saving solutions have been as grand in scale as replacing entire walls with windows - others are as small as attaching motion detectors to the lights used everyday.  Any way you slice it, he has truly made a positive impact here as TS Designs.

Okay, now I'll let him talk.

Me (N): What drew you to the internship program through Alamance Community College?

Stuart (S): I was enrolled in the HVAC program at Alamance Community College when the "green" certification program started up and I was interested in learning more about renewable energy. Like many others before me, I too came to realize that our dependence on fossil fuels is destroying more than just our environment. America imports a majority of its oil from the volatile middle east region and this makes us very vulnerable when it comes to national security. We are fortunate to live in a nation that has a vast amount of untapped renewable resources. The Southwestern region of America is called the "solar Saudi Arabia" because of the lack of precipitation and clouds. Both of our coastlines have huge wind energy potential, along with the mid-western corridor. Just look at how Saudi Arabia is beginning to embrace solar energy and they happen to be sitting atop an ocean of oil. That ought to open your eyes.

S: I believe that energy conservation is the most crucial piece of the puzzle.  If your building is wasting energy due to leaks and improper insulation, then why would you install expensive solar panels on your roof?  Companies today are looking for ways to reduce operating cost without spending too much money and energy conservation gives you the most "bang for your buck".

My work at TS Designs has prepared me for the challenges that an energy auditor will face when working with industries.  It is the responsibility of the energy auditor to discover the problem areas that exist within a building and make recommendations for reducing or eliminating wasted energy.  In my opinion, energy auditing will be the fastest growing segment within the renewable energy realm and my internship at T.S. Designs was a wonderful opportunity to gain some practical experience.

N: What was the most challenging task you had to undertake while working at TS Designs & how did you overcome it?

S: Working with Tom (only kidding).  Tom was very helpful and understanding during my internship. He spent many hours helping me understand how to incorporate Excel spreadsheets into my energy audit. Learning how to use this software to extract important information for my report was one of the hardest challenges that I had to overcome.

S: As an intern, I was only allowed to make recommendations, document implementation and calculate energy/cost savings.  There were some "cool" changes made by Tom that helped save some energy.  The skylights were a simple solution to a big lighting problem.  The skylights were designed, built and installed by Tom to eliminate dark areas within the building, without having to install additional lighting. Motion controlled lighting was also used in several locations throughout the building to reduce power use when people were not working in the area.

When: June 12th, from noon to 5pm
Where: TS Designs (map)
Price: $30.00

Synopsis

We believe that successful small gardens are greater than the sum of their parts.  We have gathered three experts to share their insights, along with the work they have done at TS Designs, to demonstrate how this holistic, synergistic system works.

We have broken that day into two sessions.  Each speaker will be presenting during each session, so you'll have the opportunity to hear two of the three.

Agenda

12:00 to 1:00 - sign in and meet/greet
1:00 to 1:30 - introduction of the presenters
1:30 to 3:00 - first session
3:00 to 3:30 - break
3:30 to 5:00 - second session
5:00 - happy hour featuring local beer and wine

Presenters

Jim Adkins - Standard Bred Poultry
Jim is a poultry officianado.  For the past thirty years, he has raised over fifty breeds and varieties of standard bred poultry (that includes chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys).

Bonnie Hutchinson - Living Space Garden Design
Bonnie has a master's in landscape architecture with ten years experience in residential and commercial design.  She designs large scale landscapes to small gardens and borders, and has done a fantastic job helping us with our permaculture plan.

Toni Murray - Beekeeper
Toni is an NC-certified beekeeper.  She takes care of several colonies of bees both in her bee yard at Glencoe and in hives located throughout the county, including right here at TS Designs.

]]> http://tsdesigns.com/blog/2011/03/29/the-birds-bees-and-flowers/feed/ 0 http://tsdesigns.com/blog/2011/03/29/the-birds-bees-and-flowers/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tsdesigns/~3/iC6ql53B5NE/ http://tsdesigns.com/blog/2011/03/17/ts-designs-energy-audit/#comments Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:36:09 +0000 Eric Michel http://tsdesigns.com/?p=3242 Last Fall, TSD was fortunate enough to take part in Alamance Community College's energy audit intern program.  An intern, Stewart Pendergraph, was assigned to help us improve our energy consumption.

His first project: assessing exactly how much energy we use, and where it goes.  That report is published below, in its entirety.  His next project will include recommendations as to how specific improvements will impact our energy consumption.

Download (PDF, 306B)

]]> http://tsdesigns.com/blog/2011/03/17/ts-designs-energy-audit/feed/ 0 http://tsdesigns.com/blog/2011/03/17/ts-designs-energy-audit/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tsdesigns/~3/hOla8jEU-gw/ http://tsdesigns.com/blog/2011/03/10/all-eyes-on-bees/#comments Thu, 10 Mar 2011 16:06:26 +0000 Natalie Saragusa http://tsdesigns.com/?p=3170

Toni & Paul, Working the bees

A few months ago, I gave you guys a sneak peak behind the scenes of my blossoming romance with apiculture, a.k.a. beekeeping.  When I embarked upon my first long trek out to Fayetteville for an extra few hours of schooling once a week, for six weeks, I never imagined how hard I would fall in love with the beekeeping world.  These little creatures are extraordinary.  Their little microcosm is incredibly complex, working smoother than any well-oiled machine we humans create.  Best part  is, TS Designs has been sharing our premises with a busy little colony of bees for right around a year now.  And boy do we love having them around.

Ladies & gentlemen, allow me to introduce to you our resident Beekeeper Extraordinaire, Toni Murray.  She took a couple minutes out of her busy day to sit down and answer a few burning questions I had for her - questions you probably have too!  Read on, friends.

Me (N): How did you first become interested in beekeeping?

Toni (T): I have been interested in sustainability issues for many years. My daughter Logan (who's now away at college), and I attended a beekeeping workshop in Ohio many years ago. However, because of frequent career relocation we were unable to establish hives. We moved to Glencoe Mill Village, North Carolina in 2006 from Kentucky, with hopes of not having to move ever again! Early last year I noticed an announcement in the local paper for a 13-week beginner beekeeping course sponsored by the Alamance County Beekeeper's Association.  I not only registered myself, but also my daughter Sophia (then 13) and my best friend, Paul Jollay.  The three of us attended the  prescribed sessions and the hands-on field day.  We took the optional tests (written and field) to become Certified Beekeepers through NC State's Extension Program.  The three of us passed the examination and are still keeping records of our work and experiences with beekeeping to submit for the next levels of certification with the program.

N: What are the most important benefits of keeping bees on the TS Designs premises?

T: It is a 'win-win' to have bees at TS Designs.  The bees have nectar sources nearby that are not contaminated with spray/pesticides, thus their honey is purer for them and us!  TSD has another piece of the permaculture puzzle to share with employees and visitors, in education and increased pollination of flowers and veggies.  As an added bonus, Sophia, Paul and I have another location in which to study and learn from the bees as well as harvesting the honey. We appreciate the collaborative work we are able to do with TSD.

N: Have our bees struggled against any of the recent viral and parasitic scares that have been going on lately?

T: With the guidance of Don Hopkins, one of NC's seven state bee inspectors, we have been proactive in managing the TSD hive in overcoming the health challenges that were facing the bees when we 'inherited' them late last summer.  The bees survived the winter on their own stored honey, and with the hope of spring and warmer temperatures, look for the bees to be out and about working to build their hive with foraged nectar and pollen.  The stronger the hive, the better the bees are at surviving the small hive beetle and the varroa mite that had weakened them last year.

N: What advice can you give to individuals or businesses who are considering (or have not yet considered) introducing apiculture to their repertoire?

T: Having bees available in your backyard or business puts you 'up close and personal' with livestock that are truly 'life stock'. While enjoying the benefits of increased pollination and the honey harvest (as well as other hive products), the most amazing benefit of keeping a hive is the wonder and joy that comes from just slowing down to enjoy the bees themselves.  It is easy to become mesmerized by seeing the tiny insects fly to the hive entrance with various colors of pollen on their legs.  You join in the circle of life in a very intimate way.

N: What is your favorite part of spending time with our bees?

T: Along with Sophia and Paul, I have enjoyed the challenge of new academic material, reading research and journal articles about bee health and industry; remembering my basic biology and botany studies; learning how to assemble a hive; working together to remove a swarm from an old house; and, trying new recipes with honey as the sweetener.  Most of all, I have appreciated the ongoing opportunity to learn the 'trade' from established beekeepers (our instructors have taught this course for 20 years!) while bringing my own understanding of nature and best practice to our beekeeping.