Posts Tagged local

Green Festival, the Largest, Longest-Running Green Consumer Event, Returns to the Javits Center North, April 19-21, 2013

The premier name in sustainability events will take place in LEED-certified North Pavilion of New York’s Javits Center; features national and local speakers, workshops, vendors and cultural programming.

nyc_overviewNEW YORK, NY – The nation’s largest and most trusted green living event will kick off its 12th year by bringing the New York City green community together at the Green Festival for the second time. Featured at the weekend-long show will be leaders in the environmental community, including speakers, entrepreneurs and activists as well as an organic beer and wine pavilion and a unique marketplace of more than 300 eco-friendly businesses, featuring the latest and greatest in sustainable products and services.

Held in the LEED-certified North Pavilion of the Jacob Javits Center, Green Festival is the only green event that screens exhibitors for their commitment to sustainability, ecological balance and social justice using co-producer, Green America’s green business standards.

Green Festival will launch its first New York City business-to-business (B2B) Green Trade Day on Friday, April 19, 2013 from 3-7 P.M. at Javits Center North. The afternoon will allow retail and wholesale buyers to conduct business with Green Festival exhibitors before they open its doors to consumers.

NYC Green Festival 2013 Program Highlights:

  • Ford Ride and Drive opportunities
  • Do-It-Yourself Workshops
  • Good Food Stage & cooking demos
  • Green Kid’s Zone
  • Green Jobs and Careers
  • Responsible Investing
  • Green Business Opportunities
  • Renewable Energy
  • Beer and Wine Pavilion
  • Organic Local Food
  • Community Action
  • Sierra Club Green Films
  • Youth Programs
  • Local musicians
  • Keynote speakers

WHERE:        Javits Center North: 655 West 34th Street, New York, NY, 10001

WHEN:           SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2013: 10:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M.

SUNDAY, APRIL 21 2013: 11:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.

B2B Green Trade Day – FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2013: 3:00-7:00 P.M.

TICKETS:      Free admission for anyone who rides his or her bike and parks with the bike valet.

$15- 25 for a full weekend pass. Tickets can be purchased online at www.greenfestivals.org  or at the show. All tickets provide access to exhibit floor, workshops, speakers and films.

To exhibit, please call (828) 333-9403 x300. For volunteer opportunities, visit greenfestivals.org/volunteer. 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Good Food Festival & Conference Returns to Los Angeles Nov. 2-4, 2012 to Support the Good Food Movement

Events Include Urban Barn Raising with Will Allen at John Muir High School, Sustainable Food Panels at LACMA and Farm-to-Fork Localicious Celebration at Annenberg Community Beach House 

SANTA MONICA –  Oct 9, 2012  The Good Food Festival & Conference (GFFC) returns to Los Angeles for the second year Nov. 2-4, 2012. Produced by FamilyFarmed.org in cooperation with the Santa Monica Farmers Markets, the conference focuses on regional and national issues that are integral to building local and sustainable food systems and educating people about the Good Food Movement.

The GFFC begins with an “Urban Barn Raising” with Farmer, Founder and CEO of Growing Power, Inc. and Author of “The Good Food Revolution,” Will Allen, on Friday, November 2 at John Muir High School, continues with The Good Food Conference, a day of informative panel discussions at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) featuring speakers such as Will Allen (The Good Food Revolution), Laura Avery (Santa Monica Farmers Markets), Andrew Kimbrell (Center for Food Safety) and Evan Kleiman (Good Food/KCRW) on Saturday, November 3 and culminates on Sunday, November 4 with Localicious, an evening of food and wine tasting on the beach with 30 chefs and 30 farmers at the Annenberg Community Beach House. Programming for GFFC will focus on issues that matter to Californians, such as community building, safe, healthy and economically viable food jobs and the California GMO labeling measure, Proposition 37.

“We received such an overwhelming response from the farmers and community last year, FamilyFarmed.org is pleased to bring our efforts to Los Angeles again this year,” said Jim Slama, president and founder of FamilyFarmed.org.  “We have an exciting lineup of speakers, events and chefs and hope to raise awareness for the movement.”

On Friday, November 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., MacArthur Genius and Will Allen will host an “Urban Barn Raising” at John Muir High School in Pasadena. Members of the community, high school students and Allen’s team will construct a season-extending hoop house that will foster year-round education on food, agriculture and nutrition. The day’s activities will include workshops, farm fresh cuisine and one-on-one conversations with Allen and other influencers in the industry.

On Saturday, November 3, from Noon – 6 p.m., LACMA will co-host a series of panel discussions on building organic and sustainable food systems. Topics include: Building Community with Good Food, Good Food=Good Jobs, Is GMO Labeling Coming to California?

Confirmed speakers include: Andrew Kimbrell (Center for Food Safety), Arran Stephens (CEO Nature’s Path), Evan Kleiman (KCRW-FM/Good Food), Kelly Meyer (Teaching Garden), Laura Avery (Santa Monica Farmers Markets), Michael O’Gorman (Farmer-Veteran Coalition), Paula Daniels, Senior Advisor to the Mayor of Los Angeles specializing in Food and Water Policy and Will Allen (Growing Power, Inc.).

Beginning at 10:30 a.m. and throughout the afternoon on Saturday complimentary tours of works of art related to food and dining in LACMA’s collection will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis (Trade and the Changing Palette of the Dutch and The European Table Transformed, Dining Out in 19th Century France and The Age of Elegance).  Admission to LACMA will be free of charge to GFFC ticket holders on November 3.

Localicious will serve as the culmination of the Good Food Festival & Conference on Sun., Nov. 4, 2012 from 6-9 p.m. at the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica. Guests will savor the freshest and best of the season with signature dishes prepared by Los Angeles’s leading culinary talents, paired with farmers from the Santa Monica Farmers Markets including: Coleman Organics, See Canyon Fruit Ranch, Fat Uncle Farms, Peacock Family Farms, Shiitake Happens, Weiser Family Farms, Harry’s Berries, Carpenter Family Farms, Schaner Family Farms, Phillip Green, Gloria’s, Flora Bella Farms, Windrose Farms, Rutiz Family Farms, Life’s A Choke Farms, Pudwill Farm, McGrath Family Farms, Jimenez Family Farms, and Tutti Frutti Farms.  Confirmed chefs include: Alex Moreno of Border Grill, Akasha Richmond of Akasha, Nyesha Arrington of Wilshire Restaurant, John-Carlos Kuramoto of Michael’s Santa Monica, Laurent Elmerich of Church and State, Jeremy Strubel of Rustic Canyon, Christina Olufson of Lucques/AOC/Tavern, Tin Vuong of Abigaile Restaurant, Benny Boehm of AMMO, Ray Garcia of FIG, Sassan Rostamian of Sauce on Hampton, Roxana Jullapat of Cook’s County, Brandon Boudet of Dominick’s/Tom Bergins, Gianfranco Minuz of Locanda del Lago, Paul Shoemaker of Savory, Bradley Miller of Inn of the Seventh Ray, Matt Dickson of FEED, Vardan Abgaryan of Public Kitchen, Sal Marino of Il Grano, Matt Biancanello of Roosevelt/Library Bar, Rich Mead of SAGE, Rian Brandenburg of Tender Greens, Mark Cannon and Elliott Rubin of The Curious Palate, Stefano DeLorenzo of La Botte, Collin Crannell of The Lobster and Joe Miller of Joe’s/Bar Pinxto.

The GFFC is produced by FamilyFarmed.org in cooperation with the Santa Monica Farmers Markets, support from the City of Santa Monica and the City of Pasadena and sponsored by Chipotle Mexican Grill, The California Endowment, LACMA, Whole Foods and Nature’s Path. Proceeds benefit FamilyFarmed.org. For more information, visit http://goodfoodfestivals.com/LA. Tickets and additional information can be found at http://2012goodfoodla.eventbrite.com/.

###

About FamilyFarmed.org

FamilyFarmed.org’s mission is to expand the production, marketing and distribution of locally grown and responsibly produced food in order to enhance the social, economic and environmental health of our communities. FamilyFarmed.org is nationally recognized for “growing the market” for local and sustainable food and works with many of the country’s largest buyers of local and sustainably grown food. The Good Food Festival and Conference was created to link some of the best local farmers and family-owned producers of food and farm products with the public, trade buyers and leaders in the field to foster relationships that facilitate the growth of local food systems.

About Santa Monica Farmers Markets

The Santa Monica Farmers Markets are committed to promoting healthy eating and sustainable agriculture in California by providing fresh agricultural products direct from small farms to urban customers, thereby building community and preserving California farmland. It has since grown to be one of America’s leading farmers market programs with four weekly markets. An estimated 900,000 shoppers visit the markets each year. For More Information, please visit www.smgov.net/portals/farmersmarket

CALENDAR LISTINGS/ SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

To Purchase Tickets:

http://2012goodfoodla.eventbrite.com/

 

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 210  a.m. – 5 p.m.

Urban Barn Raising, Muir High School- FREE

1905 Lincoln Avenue, Pasadena, Calif., 91103

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3 – 10:30 a.m. -6 p.m. 

Good Food Conference, LACMA – $45, $35 for students, seniors and LACMA members

5905 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, Calif., 90036        

 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4 – 6 p.m. -9 p.m.

Localicious- $125 Annenberg Community Beach House

595 Pacific Coast Highway,Santa Monica,Calif.,90405

 

PRESS CONTACTS       

Kim Koury                            Susan Haymer

Kim@spinprgroup.com      susan.ecomediagals@gmail.com

310.497.6324                      323.252.5554

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Local DC Business Village Green Apothecary Hosts Grand Re-Opening Sale

Village Green Apothecary Re-Opens Doors After 6 Month Renovation

WASHINGTON, DC – VVillage Green Apothecaryillage Green Apothecary has spent the last 6 months renovating the store to make it more inviting and customer friendly. Now, they want to thank our customers for putting up with all the dust and construction by having a big sale starting today, Monday, September 10 and ending September 29.

The September sale includes:

· 30% off Pathway products

· 25% off Xymogen, Metagenics, Thorne & Nordic Naturals

· 25% off personal care products (our deepest discount on body care yet!)

PLUS, there will be frequent product demonstrations, as well as prizes and giveaways. Check this link daily to see the schedule of featured products and events.

More Info

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

4th Annual Green Metropolis Fair Celebrates Earth Month April 14 at Chicago’s New Green Exchange Building!

Chicago (Feb. 14, 2012) Once again, Chicago’s Green Metropolis Fair will bring the local conscious community together on April 14 to officially celebrate Earth Month. This year, the Fair will be held at the Green Exchange Building, 2545 W. Diversey, Chicago’s premier sustainable business community.

“The vision for Green Exchange has always been about being a place to gather and educate people about incorporating sustainable choices into their lives,” says David Baum, owner and developer of Green Exchange. “Green Metropolis Fair exemplifies this opportunity, and we are thrilled to be hosting at GX!”

With the planting season just around the corner, and Chicago enjoying a warmer USDA zone classification, the Green Metropolis Fair will feature workshops and activities on a wide array of gardening topics, including urban organic gardening, composting, keeping backyard chickens and bees, and growing and preserving fruits and vegetables. Master Gardeners and Master Composters from the University of Illinois Extension Service will be on hand to answer your toughest gardening questions, and bedding plants – herbs, vegetables, and flowers ‐ will be available for purchase.

Many local businesses will be part of the Gren Metropolis Fair’s Retail Marketplace, and their special handcrafted, artisanal products, along with fair trade offerings from around the World, will delight the most discerning shoppers. Wonderful local food and drink from a wide variety of purveyors will be available throughout the day, and local services like CSAs (community supported agriculture), nuritionists and chiropractors, and other sustainable businesses will be featured in the table sponsors area.

Yoga, and other wellness activities, and ways to make your home healthier and more energy efficient year round will be spotlighted. Children will enjoy petting rabbits, goats, and other furry creatures. And everyone will appreciate the beautiful new LEED certified Green Exchange Building, with it’s organic sky garden, cistern for recapturing and recycling rain water, green roof, green tenants, and other outstanding features.

Again this year the Green Metropolis Fair is presented by the Green Parent’s Network. For more information, visit www.greenmetropolisfair.com, or contact Maureen Ewing @ greenmetropolisfair@gmail.com, or Mary Beth Rebedeau @ mbr@greenparentsnetwork.com.

####

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

New York City Proposing Adding Greenhouses to Rooftops

nyc rooftop farmingIt might be hard to think of a place like New York City as farmland, but rooftops all across one of the most populated metropolitan areas in the world could soon become fields of green, if an environmental proposal gets a  thumbs up.

The proposed zoning changes would allow more greenhouses to be built on commercial buildings, and permit open air farms on both commercial and residential spaces, all to promote the development of local urban food production and to help grow jobs.

“This proposal is part of a larger proposal called ‘Zone Green’, which is a package of zoning changes that would make it easier for people to make existing and new buildings greener,” Howard Slatkin, director of Sustainability and Deputy Director for Strategic Planning for the Department of City Planning in New York says.

“The proposal would remove obstacles that exist in zoning to doing certain things that we know people want to do today, and rooftop farming is one of those.”

Slatkin says that there are buildings in and around New York City that have large flat roofs, particularly in industrial neighborhoods where a rooftop greenhouse would not interfere with any of the other building systems. “There are people who are already doing this today, but they run into a zoning height limits or a zoning floor area limit,” he says.

One example of rooftop farming success is Gotham Greens in Brooklyn, which yields over 100 tons of produce year-round, selling to local grocers and restaurants.  Owners say they are in support of the zoning changes so that they can expand, and build more rooftop gardens, as well as see other businesses thrive.

Read more at Green Deals.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Most Important Things You Can Do To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Reducing your carbon footprint is do-able; it’s about making changes in how you live your day-to-day life. Even small changes, like reducing the amount of driving you do, can make a huge impact in the environment.

Yogi Times polled experts of all ages in the field of green living and sustainability to bring you some tips for how to make your life and the planet a little greener.

Live in Los Angeles?  You can meet all of these experts and hear them speak at the Green Festival, the largest sustainability event in the nation, taking in place in Los Angeles, California, October 29th and 30th, 2011.

The Most Important Things You Can Do To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint via Sarah Forman / Los Angeles Green Festival Speakers – Yogi Times

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

GREEN FESTIVAL CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY OCTOBER 29-30

The nation’s largest green living event comes to Los Angeles Convention Center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTS: Georgia Malki
Denise Hamler
Phone: 828-333-9403 x 125
202-872-5303
Georgia@sevenstarevents.com
denisehamler@greenamerica.org

Summer Eco-Fashion at Green Festival

LOS ANGELES – The nation’s premier green living event comes to Los Angeles October 29-30 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. This year, Green Festival celebrates a ten year milestone with over one million attendees in eight cities.

This unique experience celebrates positive solutions working in our communities.  It is where people come to meet renowned authors, actors, visionaries and community leaders; shop with hundreds of green businesses; participate in DIY workshops; enjoy live music and local vegan and vegetarian cuisine; and join friends at the organic beer and wine garden.

“In Mayor’s Villaraigosa ongoing commitment to make Los Angeles one of the world’s Greenest Cities,  he is happy to welcome Green Festival  to Los Angeles and looks forward to opening the festival on October 29th, says Romel Pascual, Deputy Mayor of Environment for Los Angles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa.

Ten stages and pavilions will host more than 125 inspirational and educational speakers and teachers, including: Dolores Huerta, Amy Goodman, Tom Hayden, Marianne Williamson, Rev. Lennox Yearwood and the Hip Hop Caucus, John Perkins, Starhawk, Mark Hertsgaard, David Korten, Jeffrey Smith, Jodie Evans and many more.

Spanish language programming will include Latino cooking demonstrations, greening your home and garden, and activities for the whole family at the Green Kid’s Zone.

“We are excited to host the inaugural Green Festival in Los Angeles and bring Angelenos together to learn how to bring sustainability into their lives,” says Jonathan Parfrey, Climate Resolve Executive Director and a commissioner at the Department of Water & Power Board.  ”For those of us who care about Los Angeles and its future, the Green Festival is a place to talk about climate change and how to prepare to adapt.”

With the holiday season just around the corner, Green Festival is the perfect location to support local businesses all in one location.  The Green Marketplace profiles hundreds of green and socially responsible businesses and organizations. Attendees browse everything from green, non-toxic home furnishings to organic clothing to Fair Trade gifts, children’s toys and much more.

“Whether you go to shop, learn, or experience art and music, Green Festival has it all, it is a great place to celebrate what is working in our communities and find the sustainable solutions that fit your lifestyle,” says Denise Hamler, Green Festival Director.

Green Festival offers something for the entire family. Peruse the latest in earth-friendly casual wear and couture in the eco-fashion show. View socially and environmentally impactful film shorts at the Communications Revolution Stage and the Sierra Club Green Cinema. Discover the latest in environmentally responsible construction materials and methods in the Green Building Pavilion. Move and meditate in the Yoga and Movement Pavilion. Empower your inner entrepreneur and find your next green career with Green Business Seminars.

Check out the latest in all-electric and hybrid transportation at the Ford Pavilion and enjoy a test drive right at the Green Festival.  Join Ford in celebrating social and environmental innovation in the community and vote for local individuals and nonprofits to win a $5,000 Ford Community Green Grant.

A joint project of Green America and Global Exchange, Green Festival is a non-profit 501c3 event to explore and build sustainable solutions for successful communities and a healthier environment.

Engage with Green Festivals online at www.GreenFestivals.org.

Connect with Green Festival on Facebook and Twitter @GreenFestival.

Sign up for the Green Festival Newsletter at www.greenfestivals.org/newsletter for program updates and giveaway opportunities.

Become a Green Festival volunteer and get free admission volunteer@greenfestivals.org.

Green Festival Partners make the event possible: Ford, The Los Angeles Times, Sierra Club, Earth Balance and Democracy Now.

###
About Green America

Green America is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1982, providing the economic strategies, organizing power and practicing tools for businesses and individuals to address today’s social and environmental problems. Its Green Business Network is the largest national network of businesses screened for their social and environmental responsibility.  www.greenamerica.org

About Global Exchange

Global Exchange is a membership-based international human rights organization dedicated to promoting social, economic and environmental justice around the world. Since its founding in 1988, Global Exchange has successfully increased public awareness of root causes of injustice while building international partnerships and mobilizing for change. www.globalexchange.org

About Seven-Star, Inc.

Seven-Star, Inc. is the nation’s premier green full-service event company focusing exclusively on green events. Since 1999, Seven-Star has provided turn-key green event services for environmentally responsible and socially respectful (eR/sR) festivals, trade and consumer expositions, conferences and concerts. Events include the greening of the 2007 International Live Earth events, 2008 Democratic National Convention events, and Green Festivals. Seven-Star is the first event company to win the EPA’s Gold Waste Wise Award for Excellence in recognition for their proprietary system of event waste diversion, which has consistently achieved greater than 92%.www.sevenstarevents.com

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Grow Local and Eat Local, City Council Says

“In an effort to ramp up support for the consumption and production of local food, the City Council passed a package of bills on Thursday to facilitate the building of rooftop greenhouses and free up land for urban gardens.

Under the legislation, a building’s rooftop greenhouse would not be considered an additional story by the Department of Buildings, and would be exempt from height limits, if it occupies less than one-third of the rooftop. The city would also begin compiling a database of property that it owns or leases so that it can better identify unused spaces to be turned into urban gardens.”

Grow Local and Eat Local, City Council Says via Sydney Ember – New York Times

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

New agricultural entrepreneurs deserve your support

“Ah, summer! Time for trips to the pool, the park, and don’t forget your local farmers’ market. If you care about small businesses as I do there’s an easy, fun, and healthy way to support one of the most important American small businesses the small, local, sustainable farmer. Many of these farmers are not just growing great fruits and vegetables, they’re growing innovative, entrepreneurial businesses.
“There’s new entrepreneurship in the agriculture movement,” said Paul Muller, one of the four co-owners of Full Belly Farm, a 300 acre farm in Guinda, California. Full Belly has been selling at farmer’s markets for almost 30 years, helping it survive and innovate sustainable, profitable farming methods.”

New agricultural entrepreneurs deserve your support via Rhonda Abrams – USA Today

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Rooftop Beehives Create Buzz At San Francisco Restaurants

“A good restaurant is always a buzz of activity, but some chefs are taking the concept literally, installing rooftop beehives.

The idea appears to be mainly to give the ailing bee population a boost, something that became a concern with reports of colony collapse disorder a few years back. Though having a ready supply of the sweet stuff for use in the restaurant below is a good thing, too.

“The honey part of it is a bonus,” says Bill Clarke, owner of Mission Beach Cafe, which has four hives on its roof.”

Rooftop Beehives Create Buzz At San Francisco Restaurants via Michelle Lock – Assoc. Press/Huffington Post

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,