A bit about the Wolf household, Thrive Market’s social mission, and a free offer for a great non toxic laundry soap

So, I have something a little different for you today and this story actually starts with our move over the summer to what I call The Lazy Lobo Ranch. This is a small farm/ranch located in central Reno. We have some chickens (they have proven to be hell on my front and back porch) and started some fruit trees and a decent sized garden. In the late winter we are expecting some goats and sheep to round things out here. Believe it or not this move was made, in part as a move towards a “better quality of life.” Given that my front porch is now a minefield of chicken poo I’m not sure if that goal of “better quality” has been realized but the girls absolutely love the scene here and despite the added work, I do too.

Now, this whole operation is happening, as I said, in the high desert area that is Reno, Nevada. Rainfall here is pretty sparse on the best of years and we’ve been in a protracted drought that has only intensified the need to be smart with water. In an effort to help mitigate our water needs (and plug the holes in our drafty farmhouse) we have a remodel scheduled for the spring, and one of the primary goals of the remodel is to set up the infrastructure for a grey water reclamation system. For those unfamiliar with this process, “greywater” is the water that comes from most sinks, showers and the washing machine. This water is perfect for watering trees and gardens, so long as one is careful about what goes into this water supply. We are not complete hippies, but we find that all of us do fine with a minimal dosing of soap and shampoo. Hug me at PaleoFX, I’ll prove I don’t smell! Well, not much anyway. Soaps and shampoo’s are pretty easy to deal with and represent a minimal load to this water supply, but something that does provide a potentially large input of questionable substances is laundry detergent. There is a wide variance in the quality one can find from product to product, and I CAN make a pretty strong case that we’d all do well to use one with a short list of smart ingredients. Many products found in bath and body products are not rapidly degraded in the environment and can bioaccumulate in our water and food supply, not to mention the effects they can have on our skin. Given that I’m planning on watering my garden and fruit trees with the water left over from our bathing and wash, I’m pretty motivated to make that product as “clean” as possible.

Now, most of you have heard me rattle on about the importance of voting with our dollars, whether we’re talking about buying grass fed and sustainably raised meats, produce or even household products like soap and laundry detergent. You’ve also likely heard me talk about Thrive Market or maybe you’ve heard my description of Thrive:

“If Costco and Whole Foods met up at a rave, their kid would look a lot like Thrive Market”.

Thrive is on a mission to make healthy food and lifestyle products accessible and affordable to everyone, and a big part of that mission includes an education component — from helping people understand how to read a nutrition label to understanding why they should avoid toxic ingredients in their cleaning products.

Please take a moment to listen to this brief audio segment featuring Gunnar Lovelace, co-founder and co-CEO of Thrive Market as he talks about the Thrive Gives social mission.

With savings of 25%-50% off retail prices the annual membership of $60 is easily recouped AND as Gunnar mentioned, when you become a member Thrive will give a free membership to a family in need.

This month (while supplies last) Thrive is giving away a free bag of Molly’s Suds— enough to do 70 loads of laundry — to all new Thrive members (you pay just $1.95 in shipping). Molly’s Suds uses a formula built from mineral salts instead of the large organic acids which form the backbones of most soaps and detergents. Additionally, Molly’s Suds is great for folks who have sensitive skin or are sensitive to overpowering fragrances — they use just wee bit of organic peppermint oil.

Oh, and if you’re already a member of Thrive Market you can also grab a free bag of Molly’s Suds with your next order of $50 or more.

Give it a shot — this is a great opportunity to support the social mission embodied by Thrive Market while changing the type of input you place into our water supply by opting for Molly’s Suds.

 

Robb Wolf

Robb Wolf, author of The Paleo Solution and Wired to Eat, is a former research biochemist and one of the world’s leading experts in Paleolithic nutrition. Wolf has transformed the lives of tens of thousands of people around the world via his top ranked iTunes podcast and wildly popular seminar series.