TUCSON, Ariz. — If you want your St. Patrick’s Day to be greener than ever before, don't stop at the temporary shamrock tattoo. Try these tips for making your traditional homage to St. Patrick green enough for a leprechaun to envy:

1. Drink fair trade beer. Instead of purchasing another case of Budweiser or Keystone to dye green, buy Freeminer Brewing Company's Bumble Bee Honey Beer, made in the United Kingdom. The Bumble Bee Honey Beer has availability in co-op stores like Tucson’s Food Conspiracy. Another option is beer produced by Mongozo, a company that purchases ingredients from farmers in developing countries — and many are organic ingredients.

2. Eat organiccabbage. The traditional St. Patrick’s Day meal is corned beef and cabbage, with carrots and onions mixed in. While organic corned beef may be hard to come by, because the demand is so rare, organic cabbage that is grown without the use of any pesticides is much easier to come by in local markets like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods Market. Organic carrots and onions are also easy to find.

3. Plant shamrocks. Four-leaf clovers are common in Ireland but can be hard to spot in drier climates like Tucson. Perhaps there is no better way to celebrate St. Patrick than by planting a shamrock plant or seeds, which can often be purchased at local gardening stores as well as places like Home Depot and Lowes home improvement stores for a few dollars. Or log onto LollySmith.com to purchase shamrock seeds straight from Ireland for $2.95 plus shipping and handling — the seeds come with planting instructions to ensure the spirit of the Irish can live on in your garden.

And if you want a better chance at seeing St. Patrick's Day 2009, remember to have a designated driver or call a cab after your night at the bars. Ride sharing is good for the environment too.