BY TISHIN DONKERSLEY, M.A.

Living sustainably was Martha Stewart’s style long before it was trendy to be green─from her luscious gardens and talent for repurposing items for crafts and home interiors, to her emerging line of eco-friendly products for your pets and home, Martha considers the green lifestyle a way of life that is necessary for maintaining health and wellness.

Many pet products are now being made with organic cotton, BPA-free materials and fewer chemicals─how do you see Martha Stewart’s all-natural pet line expanding its efforts?

Well, we are certainly aware of all the difficulty with raising pets and keeping them healthy and we try to use products that are healthy, if not totally green, as good as we can make them.

We are working on a lot of different initiatives with PetSmart and we have a nice line of things─stainless steel dishes, good cotton beds with healthy fillings… and our products are all pet safe. We have a very fine all-natural dog shampoo and conditioner, and good grooming tools that are pet–friendly. I think we pay attention to their health.

What pet toys do your dogs like?

My pets don’t like toys. They like doggie bones, but they aren’t toy lovers. They love squirrels, possums, raccoons, and skunks.

So what do you do to get rid of the skunk smell?

There is nothing you can do! It’s horrible! (Martha chuckled) There’s nothing you can do…it stays on them for quite awhile, and they stay outside (Martha said with a smile and laugh).

I understand that Julia Child was a major influence in guiding your cooking style.

Julia Child came to my house several times and we made beef bourguinon and French bread together─and we talked a lot. We were very different types of cooks, but our similarity was that we loved natural, homegrown and good quality ingredients, and the beautiful product. She was such a good teacher, and I hope that I am just as good of a teacher as her someday.

What ingredient do you find has the most versatility?

Eggs. I raise my own chickens and use totally organic feed and, as a result, we have really delicious, healthy eggs that we use in many of our recipes.

Our contributing writer Deepak Chopra, M.D. talks about being present in the moment─how to do continually try to stay in the moment amongst all the demands on your time?

I don’t necessarily always stay in the moment (Martha said with a gentle laugh). I have to look ahead, and I try not to look behind, but I try to enjoy the present (Martha said with a smile).

Some people believe green is a trend. What do you think?

I don’t think green is a trend. I think green should be, and will be, a way of life. At Whole Living, we take green very seriously─we try to live that life and to live a clean, good life in terms of nutrition. And I think we are good teachers.

What advice do you have for people about going green in their homes?

1. Turn off the lights
2. Conserve water
3. Grow your own vegetables
4. Don’t eat factory food
5. Buy organic if possible, and if it’s feasible
6. Don’t open a can