A green valentine

Jess Vail and Erik Andersen of Minneapolis won't be gift-wrapping each other's presents or exchanging store-bought greeting cards this Valentine's Day. The environmentally conscious couple avoid wrapping paper because it can't be recycled. As for greeting cards, they make their own from materials found around the house.

This might strike some couples as taking the cheap way out, but Vail, 24, and Andersen, 29, find it romantic. "Our gifts to each other are about an experience that we do together," Vail said. "We'll treat each other to a show or go to dinner." For the car-less couple, that might mean walking hand-in-hand to a neighborhood restaurant that offers food grown locally.

Couples such as Vail and Andersen have been acting green long enough that they don't have to think twice about making Valentine's Day Earth-friendly. But what about couples who are green at being green?

Before you gift-wrap the March issue of Mother Earth News in Sunday's comics section, check with your spouse or partner. Valentine's Day might not be the best occasion to start promoting green thinking if both partners aren't ready, said Mark LaChapelle, a psychotherapist in St. Louis Park who specializes in couples therapy. "You don't want to risk offending your spouse with your preferences until there's been some indication that it's going to be appreciated," he said.

Still, going green doesn't mean that romance is lost. Traditional Valentine's Day gifts such as roses and chocolate are still on the table, but as with any green gift, buyers should try to think local.

Many roses purchased around Valentine's Day come from South America, but Plymouth-based Len Busch Roses grows more than 3 million roses a year right in our back yard. Although not certified organic, the roses are grown hydroponically with as few pesticides as possible, said owner Patrick Busch. Go to www.LenBuschroses.com for local floral shops or ask your local florist. Prices vary by florist but are similar to prices of roses grown in South America.

Fair Trade certified roses are being sold this year at SamsClub.com and 1-800 Flowers.com. Sam's charges $60 to $65 for 12 multicolored roses delivered. 1-800-Flowers.com charges $40 to $50 for 36 sweetheart roses, plus delivery. Although the roses are grown under socially, environmentally and economically sustainable conditions, they are shipped from Ecuador, Colombia or Kenya, which generates more pollution than those grown closer to home. Busch adds that workers in his greenhouses are getting a fair wage of $10 to $15 per hour.

Prices on products labeled "green" sometimes carry a premium, but with the price of a dozen roses often doubling before Valentine's Day, a price difference for green items might be harder to spot. Nearly three-fourths of U.S. consumers are willing to pay a premium of 10 percent for sustainable products, according to a study by the Hartman Group in Bellevue, Wash.

Chocoholics have always paid a premium for great chocolate, so buying "green" chocolate might not hurt as much. Organic fair trade chocolate is available at eco-friendly stores such as co-ops and Twin Cities Green in Minneapolis, but green buyers should also consider local chocolatiers such as BT McElrath in Minneapolis, Just Truffles and Chocolate Celeste in St. Paul.

Mary Leonard of Chocolate Celeste uses as many area ingredients as possible. Her butter comes from Hope Creamery in Hope, Minn. The grain that the cows eat is grown under sustainable methods. No growth hormones are used. The whipping cream comes from Pride of Mainstreet in Owatonna, Minn., which uses similar methods. Since cacao beans aren't being harvested in the United States yet, the chocolate still gets shipped from areas near the equator.

Going green might seem more difficult at first, but thinking locally can actually make things easier by narrowing choices. Avoid products that burn transportation fuels when shipped long distances. Choose locally made products when possible.

How many couples save Valentine cards with preprinted messages? Probably not that many. Generally, it's the personal touch that gets remembered. St. Paul resident Tony Kvale, 40, knows that his wife, Brenda, 36, saved the card that he made for her nearly a decade ago.

"I wrote about the enchantment and magic in our relationship and she loved it," he said.

John Ewoldt • 612-673-7633 or jewoldt@startribune.com. His articles are online at www.startribune.com/dollars.