Topic: Home and Garden

Established in 1959 by Robert Moehling and his father, Robert is Here is perhaps South Florida's most famous produce stand. We visited the iconic Homestead spot and ventured through history and exotic fruits galore - mamey, lychee, atemoya and more. For more information visit RobertisHere.com.

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It’s no secret that prices at the pump are putting a serious dent in our individual and collective wallets. Filling a 12-gallon tank means shelling out nearly $40, while petroleum imports cost the US over $4.4 billion a week. Today, Earth Bytes helps stop the madness with easy fuel efficiency tips. Cheaper bills and better mileage are a few changes away.

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Batteries are the modern man's best friend - and worst enemy. They make all our favorite gadgets work (remotes, toys, radios, etc), but they can also release harmful chemicals. This week, Earth Bytes gives you the scoop on batteries and how to dispose of them.

The facts

• The EPA estimates that Americans buy more than two billion alkaline and button batteries a year.
• Household batteries contain mercury, nickel, cadmium and other metals. These metals can eventually contaminate our water supply.
• Americans throw away nearly 180,000 tons of rechargeable and singe-use batteries every year.
• A single car battery contains anywhere from 18-21 pounds of lead and about 11 pounds of sulfuric acid.

What you can do

• Use rechargeable batteries instead of single use ones. One rechargeable battery can replace 300 single use batteries over the battery’s lifetime.
• Recycle rechargeable batteries. They contain nickel and cadmium, which can seriously harm the environment.
• Recycle car batteries. In the U.S., an average car battery contains 60% – 80% recycled plastic and lead.
• Don’t incinerate any battery. Heavy metals like mercury, lead, nickel and cadmium can vaporize or otherwise contaminate the soil through the battery ash.

They may be small, but cigarette butts, Styrofoam cups, pieces of paper and other trash make a difference to the planet. This week’s Earth Bytes looks at litter and a few things you can do to improve it.

The Facts:

• The US litters an estimated 180 million pounds of cigarette butts every year.
• Around 100,000 sea animals get tangled in or choke on plastic (soda can rings) every year.
• It costs $3 to remove one piece of gum from a sidewalk.
• A Styrofoam coffee cup can take up to a million years to biodegrade.
• About $10 million is spent every year to clean up roadside litter.

What you can do:

• Don’t throw cigarette butts out of the car. Less waste, less chance for fire.
• Cut up plastic soda rings before throwing them out.
• Pick up three pieces of trash along the sidewalk or road.
• Don’t litter period and save hundreds of dollars in fines.

For more litter facts, visit idealbite.com, ottawa.ca/city_services, or cigarettelitter.org.

It’s berry season. Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and raspberries are all jammed with good stuff. Read on for cool trivia and nutrition facts.

Brain Food

• It’s unknown where strawberries originated, but there's evidence that the Romans cultivated the fruit as early as 200 BC.
• California produces about 1 billion pounds of strawberries a year, or 80% of U.S. production.
• Dried blueberries were a major food staple among Native Americans, who used the fruit in a pudding called “Sautauthig.”
• There are three main varieties of blackberries from three areas of the world: Wild blackberries (Pacific Northwest), Himalaya Blackberries (Himalaya Mountain areas of Asia), and Evergreen Blackberries (England).
• There are over 200 species of raspberries and all are from the rose family.
• Raspberries can be grown from the Arctic to the equator.

Body Food

• Eight medium strawberries provide 160% of the daily requirement of Vitamin C and only 45 calories.
• Blueberries, (a.k.a. bilberries), can improve night vision and are stocked with antioxidants.
• One cup of blackberries has 60 calories, 1 gram of fat and 32% of the daily requirement of fiber.
• One cup of raspberries has 60 calories, 50% of the daily requirement for Vitamin C and 32% of the daily requirement for fiber.