Issues > May/June 2007 (#120) > Getting the Goods for Dad

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All That Glitters
by Emily Main

about MAUREEN RYAN

Maureen Ryan is a freelance writer living in Chicago. Her work has appeared in the Boston Globe, the New York Post, Time Out New York and Natural Health magazine, among other publications.

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Photo: Getting the Goods for Dad

Dads work hard, so for this day of rest, get him an Ecolution Two-Person Organic Hemp Hammock ($159; www.ecopatio.com, 626-969-3707) and a six-pack of his favorite beverage. Summer is prime time for Wolaver's Organic Wit Bier, a Belgian-style white beer made with certified organic malts and hops and local, organic wheat ($5 and up/6-pack; www.wolavers.com, 800-473-0727). Dad can even pop the top with GreenFeet"s recycled bike chain bottle opener ($9.95, store.greenfeet.com, 888-562-8873). If wine is your dad's style, the Bonterra (price varies, www.bonterra.com) 2004 Merlot—with its blends of blackberry and cherry flavorings—pairs perfectly with a grilled steak; see our Meat Product Report for local sources of certified organic or grass-fed, antibiotic-free and hormone-free meat.

Help the dad with a green thumb celebrate nature with a Veriflora-certified Miniature Tuscan Olive Tree or a Veriflora-certified Japanese Maple Bonsai from Organic Bouquet ($64.95; www.organicbouquet.com, 877-899-2468). Better yet, if dad likes to grow his own plants and herbs, give him Mountain Valley Grower's Biblical Herb Garden packet of Bay Laurel, Chicory, Egyptian Mint, Lemon Grass, Sweet Myrtle and Syrian Oregano seeds ($24.95, www.mountainvalleygrowers.com, 559-338-2775).

Send the outdoorsy dad hiking in style with Timberland Greenscape Mountain sneakers made with recycled-rubber outsoles, recycled-plastic laces and hemp ($85-$90; www.timberland.com, 888-802-9947). The Greenscape line is among the first to carry Timberland's new Green Index, which ranks a product's environmental impact on a scale of zero (the best) to ten (the worst) based on greenhouse gas emissions, chemicals used and resources consumed during production; the Greenscape line ranks a 3.5. Also, Timberland shoe boxes now carry "nutrition" labels that quantify the energy required and labor involved in making a pair of shoes.

With his feet cushioned, protect dad's skin with an organic cotton hat from Patagonia ($22-$36; www.patagonia.com, 800-638-6464) and SPF 30 For Face & Body from Badger Balm ($15; www.badgerbalm.com, 800-603-6100), good for dads and the kids they play with (Badger's zinc oxide particles are 100 nm to 120 nm in size, too large to penetrate the skin's deepest layers). Likewise, keep him hydrated with the Klean Kanteen Water Bottle, a reusable, lightweight, risk-free stainless steel container that does not leach chemicals into its contents ($13.50, store.greenfeet.com, 888-562-8873).

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Filed under: Holidays, Gifts

For Moms and Dads | posted June 5, 2007