Holiday Gift Guide - 2021

2021

Holiday Gift Guide

 This holiday season, give a gift that does good.

At Fairfax Backyard Farmer, we strive to provide experiences and tools that create positive changes in our daily lives - whether that be for our bodies, our families or the environment. We’ve refreshed our annual Holiday Gift Guide and selected our favorite gifts for your loved ones this holiday season.

For The Environment

For A Sustainable Lifestyle

For Health & Wellness

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For The Environment

It’s no secret that present day wildlife faces more threats than ever. The following list offers thoughtful gift ideas that are beautiful, fun and that support the survival of struggling animal populations. Plus, they promote wildlife in your backyard!​

FOR THE BIRDS

Over the last 50 years, North America alone has lost almost 3 billion birds. Researchers note that backyard birds are among those facing the most pervasive losses, including sparrows, finches and swallows, due to habitat loss and degradation. A loss in these species means a hit to insect control and seed dispersal1.

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FOR THE BEES

The importance of bees is well-known - as a primary pollinator, they sustain the planet’s ecosystems and pollinate 1/3rd of everything we eat2 in addition to livestock crops, cotton production, and wild crops3. But did you know - only 25% are honeybees? The other 75% are the often forgotten solitary native bees that nest in soil, reeds or twigs4. With bee populations declining each year2, we can do our best to help by creating healthy bee habitats.

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FOR THE BATS

Bats support ecosystem growth through pest control - they consume up to 1000 mosquitos in 1 hour! Bats save an estimated $3.7 billion/year in reduced crop damage and pesticide use, which means a strong bat population = fewer pesticides in our ecosystem5.

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FOR THE OWLS

Barn Owl and Screech Owl populations have suffered recent recline due to habitat loss, agriculture induced food loss, and rat poison6. As a bird of prey, Barn Owls help to sustain biodiversity by keeping in check both rodent and plant populations, offering a long-term sustainable and non-toxic solution to pest control.

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For A Sustainable Lifestyle

You’ve heard about sustainably-made gifts - but what about gifts that make sustainability? Rather than just a feel-good finished product, the gifts below are meant to create and regenerate beneficial practices with an end-goal that never actually ends. Support a loved one to make the shift to a sustainable lifestyle with a gift that truly gives back.

GARDEN TOOLS

Your choice of tools can have a direct impact on the health of our environment. Premium quality tools that are built to last will reduce waste, pollution and carbon emissions. A reliable tool that you love means easier and more enjoyable workdays in your yard, which pays off in more ways than one.

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GARDEN PLANTER BED

Creating your own backyard garden is the easiest way to step into a Sustainable lifestyle - not only will it provide a source for fresh, nutritious and chemical-free home-grown produce, but gardening benefits the environment by reducing your carbon footprint.1.

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BACKYARD CHICKENS

Hosting backyard chickens has many benefits - access to fresh, more nutritious eggs2 and an organic option for food-waste disposal that creates a rich fertilizer for your yard or garden. In addition to being lively animal companions, backyard chickens means supporting local, sustainable food systems with a reduced carbon footprint.

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COMPOSTING

Twenty-eight percent of our daily waste is made up of food and yard scraps - by learning to compost, we can divert these materials from landfills and avoid the harmful production of methane gas3. Composting is an aerobic process of breaking down organic material which creates a rich fertilizer to be used as a soil amendment. Rather than buying and transporting store-bought fertilizer - make your own!

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BACKYARD WORMS

Worms are a farmer’s best friend - they improve drainage, soil structure and productivity by increasing the amount of air and water that gets into the soil4 . They break down organic matter to improve nutrient availability for plants to consume, and when they eat, the castings they leave behind provide a nutrient rich fertilizer.

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For Health & Wellness

‘Tis the season of stress and burnout. Our health and wellness roundup is designed to help you and your loved ones stay on the holiday wagon with gifts that replenish your spirits and nourish your body. Finish your Holiday shopping with a feel-good, taste-good gift that gives back.

BENEFICIAL MICROBES

Fermented food and drink are rich in probiotic microbes, an essential component to a healthy gut and immune system. By shifting your consumption towards foods that have transformed sugars and starches from beneficial microbes, you support your body’s ability to properly digest, absorb nutrients, strengthen your immune system, and even maintain a healthier state of mind.

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Fermented Vegetables

Easy to make and delicious to eat - fermented vegetable dishes such as sauerkraut and kimchi are rich in probiotics, aid digestion, and are often high in fiber with enriched vitamin and mineral profiles.

Sourdough Bread

Fermented from wild yeast, sourdough is high in probiotics, nutrients and is easier to digest than “normal” breads. With more protein than an egg in one single slice, sourdough nourishes both your taste buds and your body2.

Yogurt, CHEESE, BUTTER + KEFIR

Dairy products often include the probiotic-rich product of fermented milk, aiding in a healthy population of gut microflora.3

Kombucha

A fermented tea drink, Kombucha produces probiotics and antioxidants that strengthen immunity, increase beneficial gut flora and support detoxification of the body. Making your own kombucha is fun, kid-friendly, and easier on the wallet.

ANTIOXIDANTS, VITAMINS + MINERALS

For a strong and healthy immune system, consuming foods rich in antioxidants, nutrients, vitamins and minerals are your best bet. Nutrient and antioxidant-rich foods reduce the risk of chronic disease and prevent irreversible damages,4 while mineral and vitamin-rich sources help your body to maintain and grow healthy structures and functions5 When sourced naturally from foods rather than supplements, your body’s ability properly absorb and process these elements improves.

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Coffee

​Delicious and nutritious, coffee’s high levels of antioxidants and nutrients in combination to the natural stimulant caffeine have proven to increase energy levels and even lifespans for avid coffee drinkers.

MUSHROOMS

​​The fleshy, fruiting body of a fungus, mushrooms are known to nourish and heal with their medicinal properties and abundance of minerals and vitamins, and are easily cultivated at home or foraged for in the wild.

SPROUTS

​Sprouts are germinated seeds or beans that produce beneficial enzymes to improve digestion, and contain highly nutritious dietary fiber, B complex vitamins and protein. For a healthy meal, sprinkle on your own homegrown greens!

Homebrew BEER

Beer is made from fermented grain that is germinated and roasted to create “malt.” Malt is heated and reduced to simple sugars before it is strained, brewed with hops, and fermented with yeast to produce ethanol and CO2 for its final product! Brew your own beer for a deeper understanding of the process, impact and final products of beer-brewing. None other than Benjamin Franklin is quoted as saying: “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy…” Cheers to that!

Thank you —

As a small, family-run owned business, we truly appreciate every ounce of your support. We’ve collected a few more of our favorite “gifty” items below. Please feel free to share with friends and family!