Getting The Goods For Dad

The Green Guide - June 5, 2007 –

Dads aren't known to complain, so it may come as a shock to hear that more than half say they've never received a "good" gift, according to a new survey by ShopLocal, an online consumer and retail marketplace. And perhaps their gifts suffer by comparison: The National Retail Federation reported last year the cost of Father's Day gifts averaged $89, compared to about $122 for Mother's Day. But showing an underappreciated dad how much you care doesn't require a wad of cash. You can find gifts that are just as good for him as they are for the world in which he raised you, and, if anything, he'll pride himself on passing along such upstanding financial—and environmental—values.

When it's time for dad to wake up and smell the coffee, make sure he smells organic, fair-trade coffee from Larry's Beans ($9.95/lb.; www.larrysbeans.com, 919-828-1234). To fathers who can't stop fathering—and therefore need a few more hours of sleep—send Swiss-water-processed, fair-trade-certified Organic Mexican Decaf from the Rock Solid Coffee Company ($8.25/lb.; www.rocksolidcoffee.com, 763-566-7000). Proceeds from coffee sales go to benefit the Rock Solid Youth Center, an after-school program for at-risk kids in Winona, Minn. The company, started by the two men who established the youth center, is also extending its philanthropic arm to infant and youth nutrition programs in Matagalpa, Nicaragua, near one of Rock Solid's coffee estates.

Once the java opens his eyes, invigorate his morning ritual with Perfect Organics' Ultimate 3-in-1 Body Wash, which can be used as a shaving gel, shower gel and bath soak. The masculine Real Spice scent will get him moving, and he'll appreciate your thriftiness for finding a product that does triple duty ($13.99; www.perfectorganics.com, 800-653-1078). His face might like Aubrey Organics' Men's Stock North Woods After Shave Balm in their classic pine scent ($10.95/4 oz.; www.aubrey-organics.com, 800-282-7394).

Send dad off to work in style in a pair of organic cotton, twill pants from Cottonfield USA ($72; www.cottonfieldusa.com, 888-954-1551) and a fair-trade, organic cotton polo shirt from Indigenous Designs ($24.65; www.goodhumans.com, 866-420-4208). If dad's dressing up, how about one of Rawganique's classy, organic hemp neckties ($16; www.rawganique.com, 887-Raw-Hemp)? At the office, make sure he stands out with Dolphin Blue's personalized recycled-paper letterhead. (Quotes are available at www.dolphinblue.com, 800-932-7715). And he can tote all his files to and from work with the Hemp Courier Bag from Artisan Gear ($98; www.artisangear.com/courier.html, 541-830-4411) or Hemp Basics' carry-all briefcase ($44.99; www.hempbasics.com, 888-831-3747). New dads can lug necessities like bottles and diapers in the PVC-free DJ diaper bag from Fleurville, which comes in six gender-neutral fabrics ($118; www.fleurville.com, 415-482-8510).

Dads work hard, so for this day of rest, get him an Ecolution Two-Person Organic Hemp Hammock ($159; www.ecopatio.com, 626-969-3707) and a six-pack of his favorite beverage. Summer is prime time for Wolaver's Organic Wit Bier, a Belgian-style white beer made with certified organic malts and hops and local, organic wheat ($5 and up/6-pack; www.wolavers.com, 800-473-0727). Dad can even pop the top with GreenFeet"s recycled bike chain bottle opener ($9.95, store.greenfeet.com, 888-562-8873). If wine is your dad's style, the Bonterra (price varies, www.bonterra.com) 2004 Merlot—with its blends of blackberry and cherry flavorings—pairs perfectly with a grilled steak; see our Meat Product Report for local sources of certified organic or grass-fed, antibiotic-free and hormone-free meat.

Help the dad with a green thumb celebrate nature with a Veriflora-certified Miniature Tuscan Olive Tree or a Veriflora-certified Japanese Maple Bonsai from Organic Bouquet ($64.95; www.organicbouquet.com, 877-899-2468). Better yet, if dad likes to grow his own plants and herbs, give him Mountain Valley Grower's Biblical Herb Garden packet of Bay Laurel, Chicory, Egyptian Mint, Lemon Grass, Sweet Myrtle and Syrian Oregano seeds ($24.95, www.mountainvalleygrowers.com, 559-338-2775).

Send the outdoorsy dad hiking in style with Timberland Greenscape Mountain sneakers made with recycled-rubber outsoles, recycled-plastic laces and hemp ($85-$90; www.timberland.com, 888-802-9947). The Greenscape line is among the first to carry Timberland's new Green Index, which ranks a product's environmental impact on a scale of zero (the best) to ten (the worst) based on greenhouse gas emissions, chemicals used and resources consumed during production; the Greenscape line ranks a 3.5. Also, Timberland shoe boxes now carry "nutrition" labels that quantify the energy required and labor involved in making a pair of shoes.

With his feet cushioned, protect dad's skin with an organic cotton hat from Patagonia ($22-$36; www.patagonia.com, 800-638-6464) and SPF 30 For Face & Body from Badger Balm ($15; www.badgerbalm.com, 800-603-6100), good for dads and the kids they play with (Badger's zinc oxide particles are 100 nm to 120 nm in size, too large to penetrate the skin's deepest layers). Likewise, keep him hydrated with the Klean Kanteen Water Bottle, a reusable, lightweight, risk-free stainless steel container that does not leach chemicals into its contents ($13.50, store.greenfeet.com, 888-562-8873).