8 Tips for a Sustainable, Cruelty-Free Thanksgiving

I pledge to have a sustainable holiday season by following these simple rules:

1. Use organic produce. Organic crops are grown with natural fertilizers and pesticides, and are managed to promote biodiversity and better soil.
2. Skip meat, if possible. Eating less meat lowers your risk of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. It also shrinks your carbon footprint and reduces water usage. Or, if you just have to have turkey...
3. Order a heritage turkey instead of one raised on an industrial farm. Heritage turkeys are genetically closer to wild turkeys and are bred in a slower, more traditional method (they're healthier and probably taste better, too).
4. Get to know the people behind your food. By supporting your local farmers market, you can also support local farmers, rather than a large agribusiness that has decided to market an organic line.
5. Boot the bottle. Pour your guests some cool, tasty tap water. Bottled water creates mountains of waste, isn't safer than tap water, costs millions to produce, and is often just tap water put in a bottle.
6. Don’t waste. About 40 percent of all U.S. food is wasted every year, at a cost of about 5 billion. Make sure you only cook what you'll eat, and eat all your leftovers.
7. Grow your own food. This can be as simple as growing herbs on your windowsill, or take it a step further and find a community garden to share produce with your neighborhood.
8. Buy an Endangered Species. No, we're not talking condors. Too many American heritage crops are on the brink of dying out: check out Slow Food USA for regional foods to include in your holiday recipes.
9. Use the TakePart Tastemaker City Guides to find local stores in your community: New York, Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, Portland, and Seattle.