So smile more! Apparently, happiness really does rub off - a person's happiness depends on the happiness of others with whom they are connected.
One really cool example - a friend who becomes happy and lives within a mile increases your likelihood of happiness by 25%.
Make happy friends and be happy! Especially in the challenging times we're facing now. Happiness is more important than ever.
http://esciencenews.com/articles/2008/12/04/happiness.infectious
Friday, December 26, 2008
One Farmer's Field of Dreams
Remember that movie? With Kevin Costner? Side note, even his insanely over-budget, complete flop of a production, Waterworld eventually broke even after about 10 years of DVD sales. So, seems like movies is a pretty good business.
Anyway, thanks Cheryl for sending this article along. What a great story. Farmer opens up his farm at the end of the harvest season for people to come pick food for free. He was done with his CSA and figured, why not give a little back. 40,000 people showed up!! Amazing:
http://peoplepoweredmachines.wordpress.com/2008/12/01/farmers-donate-their-remaining-harvest-40000-show-up/
Anyway, thanks Cheryl for sending this article along. What a great story. Farmer opens up his farm at the end of the harvest season for people to come pick food for free. He was done with his CSA and figured, why not give a little back. 40,000 people showed up!! Amazing:
http://peoplepoweredmachines.wordpress.com/2008/12/01/farmers-donate-their-remaining-harvest-40000-show-up/
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Closing the loop on CFLs
So.....I'm not sure how to say this....but I have 3 ziplock bags with broken CFLs in a closet that I have had no idea what to do with...until now! Our local trash company (think they're pretty big, not just in Austin) has a really cool website with some cool recycling products - one of them being a recycling kit for CFLs. Yay!
Every time I've broken one I've freaked out because of the Mercury in them (http://budurl.com/cfls). I open all the windows, try to leave the room for a while. I'm not sure it does much good since I think most of the exposure is pretty immediate, but it at least keeps it from lingering.
They say the best thing to do is to put all of the pieces in a ziplock to keep them from continuing to off-gas mercury. So I have done that like a good boy...but then what. I couldn't throw them away because the bag will get torn pretty easily somewhere along the way and the mercury will be let out again. Certainly don't want it to end up in a landfill where the mercury eventually finds its way back into our drinking water. So they have lived in my closet. Waiting for news on their fate. And with out further adeiu:
http://budurl.com/wmgreen
If that ever stops working:
https://www.thinkgreenfromhome.com/ThinkGreenFromHome.cfm
Every time I've broken one I've freaked out because of the Mercury in them (http://budurl.com/cfls). I open all the windows, try to leave the room for a while. I'm not sure it does much good since I think most of the exposure is pretty immediate, but it at least keeps it from lingering.
They say the best thing to do is to put all of the pieces in a ziplock to keep them from continuing to off-gas mercury. So I have done that like a good boy...but then what. I couldn't throw them away because the bag will get torn pretty easily somewhere along the way and the mercury will be let out again. Certainly don't want it to end up in a landfill where the mercury eventually finds its way back into our drinking water. So they have lived in my closet. Waiting for news on their fate. And with out further adeiu:
http://budurl.com/wmgreen
If that ever stops working:
https://www.thinkgreenfromhome.com/ThinkGreenFromHome.cfm
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Alternative MBA program
For anyone is not familiar with Seth Godin, he's a best-selling author of 10 books with his latest being Tribes and I think is really a brilliant marketing thought-leader. He's offering an alternative MBA program where you go hang out with him for 6 months starting in January. Sounds like an amazing opportunity to me and I wish I was in a position to apply. Applications are due December 14th:
http://budurl.com/godinMBA
http://budurl.com/godinMBA
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Rodale Institute veteran to lead USDA NOSB
This is great news for the Organic agriculture industry. The Rodale Institute is often called the founding force behind Organics. It has been around for decades and completed the first research on the advantages of Organic agriculture.
Putting such an industry veteran and true believer in Organics atop the NOSB (National Organic Standards Board) ensures strong regulations for the Organic industry. I'm very excited about this news:
http://budurl.com/nosb
Putting such an industry veteran and true believer in Organics atop the NOSB (National Organic Standards Board) ensures strong regulations for the Organic industry. I'm very excited about this news:
http://budurl.com/nosb
Friday, November 28, 2008
Dumb eco-questions you were afraid to ask
Some of them I disagree with....on the hybrid batteries vs gas car question every study assumes the hybrid batteries need to be replace with an average of 3-4 years. If you check out my earlier post on hybrids vs hummers, I mention the Toyota site which claims they have yet to replace a single hybrid battery for normal wear & tear (cause of cited battery replacement) even though they've been selling hybrids since 2000.
But many of these other questions are great:
http://budurl.com/ecoquestions
But many of these other questions are great:
http://budurl.com/ecoquestions
Green Strategies Spur Rebirth of American Cities
It really is a beautiful thing. Cities don't have to be the dirty, polluted, urban cesspools that they occasionally are made out to be.
One of my favorite quotes from the article:
“Environmental policy has emerged as a central organizing principle of economic growth at the metropolitan level in America,”
Makes my heart sing -
http://budurl.com/green1
One of my favorite quotes from the article:
“Environmental policy has emerged as a central organizing principle of economic growth at the metropolitan level in America,”
Makes my heart sing -
http://budurl.com/green1
Monday, November 10, 2008
Honor your elders
I was reminded of this last weekend during a trip to visit my grandparents. My grandfather has been declining in health for some time. He's a scrappy old guy, fighting through several heart problems (multiple bypasses), 2 different cancers, and a slew of other problems. He's 93 and has lived an incredible life.
We made a trip out to the piney woods of East Texas (Sabine county) on a beautiful Sunday morning. He has been an active tree farmer for over 30 years and as a kid I have many, many memories of trips out to the woods. He really enjoyed this trip since he has not been very mobile lately. He also has macular degeneration, leaving him almost completely blind and he's mostly deaf.
As I reflected on everything I learned from him and his life a calm came over me. It was a sad to see his body failing him but it was a stark reminder of the circle of life, which is a beautiful thing. It helped me realize how much I owe to my family and reminded me to always make time for them. And honoring those that came before me instills a humility and humbleness that I'm not sure could come from anywhere else.
I'm often obsessed with productivity, squeezing value out of every last second of the day. And yet, just spending time with my grandfather, not really doing anything, seemed like a priceless activity. Possibly it was even more valuable for him.
We made a trip out to the piney woods of East Texas (Sabine county) on a beautiful Sunday morning. He has been an active tree farmer for over 30 years and as a kid I have many, many memories of trips out to the woods. He really enjoyed this trip since he has not been very mobile lately. He also has macular degeneration, leaving him almost completely blind and he's mostly deaf.
As I reflected on everything I learned from him and his life a calm came over me. It was a sad to see his body failing him but it was a stark reminder of the circle of life, which is a beautiful thing. It helped me realize how much I owe to my family and reminded me to always make time for them. And honoring those that came before me instills a humility and humbleness that I'm not sure could come from anywhere else.
I'm often obsessed with productivity, squeezing value out of every last second of the day. And yet, just spending time with my grandfather, not really doing anything, seemed like a priceless activity. Possibly it was even more valuable for him.
Monday, October 27, 2008
FTC - Leave Whole Foods alone
For those that don't know, last year the FTC tried to stop the merger of WF and Wild Oats citing anti-trust rules. It was ridiculous. Natural Food stores are such a small part of grocery it's amazing they even took notice. Well, the courts wouldn't cooperate and the merger went through.
Now, a year later, merger almost done, an appeals court reversed the decision and the case has been reopened. John Stossel did a great story on it recently:
http://townhall.com/columnists/JohnStossel/2008/10/01/regulator_bullies
Yes, Whole Foods is big if you compare it to only Natural Food stores. But that's not their only competition. All grocers, including Wal-Mart are carrying natural and Organic foods. Whole Foods is much more worried about the big-box stores than other Natural Food stores. The best way for them to compete is to consolidate Natural Food stores to gain more size and purchasing power.
Now, on a fundamental level, any of this large-scale growth seems to complicate the all-important mission of supporting Local food. Local food, from small farmers, hardly fits into mega-distribution systems. A different system needs to be created to handle and support them. It's a very difficult proposition. Here at Greenling we think we have part of the answer. To best support small, local farms we as consumers cannot just expect them to grow their food and put it on a shelf in the hopes that we buy it. There are all sorts of problems with this I won't get into. We, as consumers, need to commit to these farms and trust them. Well over 1000 people do that through Greenling's Local Box.
Working directly with farmers and directly with consumers shortens the supply chain and allows us to better support the farms while bringing you fresher, healthier Local food.
Now, a year later, merger almost done, an appeals court reversed the decision and the case has been reopened. John Stossel did a great story on it recently:
http://townhall.com/columnists/JohnStossel/2008/10/01/regulator_bullies
Yes, Whole Foods is big if you compare it to only Natural Food stores. But that's not their only competition. All grocers, including Wal-Mart are carrying natural and Organic foods. Whole Foods is much more worried about the big-box stores than other Natural Food stores. The best way for them to compete is to consolidate Natural Food stores to gain more size and purchasing power.
Now, on a fundamental level, any of this large-scale growth seems to complicate the all-important mission of supporting Local food. Local food, from small farmers, hardly fits into mega-distribution systems. A different system needs to be created to handle and support them. It's a very difficult proposition. Here at Greenling we think we have part of the answer. To best support small, local farms we as consumers cannot just expect them to grow their food and put it on a shelf in the hopes that we buy it. There are all sorts of problems with this I won't get into. We, as consumers, need to commit to these farms and trust them. Well over 1000 people do that through Greenling's Local Box.
Working directly with farmers and directly with consumers shortens the supply chain and allows us to better support the farms while bringing you fresher, healthier Local food.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Twitterific
Ok, so I finally jumped on the Twitter bandwagon and have already learned more in a day than I usually do in a week. I'm really digging all the awesome links people post. And of course it makes me want to share cool links I find. Anyways, you can follow me @masonarnold, but the most important feed to follow is @greenling_com. We're trying to figure out if we created @greenling and just never finished setting it up or if someone else took it...I'll let you know.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Don't sacrifice your health!
Remember that cutting out Local and Organic, nutritious food is going to cost you more in the long-run. These are uncertain times for a lot of people. But eating well should always be a priority. Do you take supplements? Vitamins? If you eat Local, Organic food, grass-fed meats as accents to vegetables as main courses you won't need vitamins or supplements! You'll get your vitamins and minerals from your food.
So cut out restaurant food or movies if you have to, but eat your vegetables! Thanks.
So cut out restaurant food or movies if you have to, but eat your vegetables! Thanks.
Voted Best of Austin AGAIN!
Best Local Food Company!
Austin Chronicle Reader's Poll
Thanks to everyone who voted for us! 2nd year in a row. We are so honored with this award again. The last company to win this award was Whole Foods....well, Mr. Mackey, maybe we should talk. I got some ideas on how you can support local producers better.
Renewable Round-Up Notes
Here are the materials I passed out at my speech at the Renewable Round-up in Fredericksburg:
Here are some tips compiled by our Fearless Forager, Elizabeth, on eating for sustainability:
10 Ways to Eat for Sustainability
1. REAL
• Eat real food, mostly plants, with a small amount of meat as an accent rather than the main ingredient (Michael Pollan)
• Cheap processed food doesn’t reflect its true cost. Plan ahead to avoid them
2. VALUE
• Re-define the way food is valued and fit into the household economy
• Spend money on wholesome foods, not supplements
3. FLEXIBILTY
• Cook from ingredients rather than recipes (See recipe section of Greenling.com)
• Read blogs and the internet for ideas to use what you have and what’s in season
4. EDUCATION
• Ask questions about where your food comes from, everywhere you eat
• Know the farmer who produced it or have a surrogate (like Greenling) to know the farmer for you
5. SEASONALITY
• Learn to stop thinking of out-of-season items as everyday necessities or staples
• Learn seasons ahead of time so you can plan for their bounty
6. PRESERVE
• Learn to preserve and save leftovers to be incorporated into other dishes/meals to eliminate waste
• Can or freeze fruits and vegetables in season. Make your own stock and sauces
7. VARIETY
• The more diverse your diet is, the healthier and happier you will be
• Try new things rather than relying on a few standard ingredients
8. FLAVOR
• Appreciate food for flavor and slow down to enjoy it
• Stop judging produce by its shape, size, and color (some delicious local produce wouldn't win a beauty contest)
9. INNOVATE
• Learn to cook, appreciate, and enjoy lesser-known foods that are in season
• Don’t be afraid to make stuff up! If it tastes good, you just discovered a new recipe.
10. TOGETHER
• Cook and eat with friends and family. We all know that food can sometimes be a great pleasure…why shouldn’t it always?
• Join discussion groups and list-serves to collaborate on ideas
Here are some links to stories I mentioned during my speech:
Sustainability
Cuba’s advanced food infrastructure - http://bss.sfsu.edu/raquelrp/pub/2000_aug_pub.html
Vancouver, BC model of sustainability - http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/sustainability/index.htm
California building solar fields -
http://greenwombat.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2008/08/14/california-game-changing-solar-deal/
Entire Oregon community off the grid -
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18744225/
Eco-rig to provide power & food to Japan -
http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/03/eco-rigs-will-provide-power-and-food-to-japan/#more-1002
Development of kerosene-based aviation fuel derived from algae -
http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/03/researchers-creating-algae-aviation-fuel/#more-1001
Thin-film Solar energy information -
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/02/thinfilm-solar-clobbering-oil.php
Solar cells produced in pizza oven -
http://www.smh.com.au/news/energy-smart/thinking-outside-the-square-finds-light-in-oven/2008/08/19/1218911717526.html
No remaining scientific body of national or international standing is known to reject the basic findings of human influence on climate change (the debate is over) –
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_opinion_on_climate_change
Sustainable Agriculture
USDA info on the Economics of food -
http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/
Brazil’s Food Security Program
http://www.panna.org/files/Belo_Horizonte.pdf
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs –
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs
Benefits of Organics
USDA National Organic Program –
http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop
Federal Organic Research funding increased in Farm Bill –
http://ofrf.org/pressroom/releases/080527_farm-bill-victories.html
Organic Farm Research Foundation –
http://ofrf.org
Organic Research Center news links –
http://www.organic-center.org/science.environment.php - Everything environment
http://www.organic-center.org/science.pest.php - Pesticide news & research
Kids affected the most by pesticides –
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/349263_pesticide30.html
Environmental Working Group produce study (origin of “The Dirty Dozen”) –
http://www.foodnews.org/methodology.php
Study linking pesticides to autism –
http://www.ehponline.org/members/2007/10168/10168.pdf
Organic farming builds soil health –
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jul07/soil0707.htm?pf=1
Organic farming produces equivalent crop yields with less energy & no pesticides –
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/July05/organic.farm.vs.other.ssl.html
Organic milk and meat enhance breast milk nutrition –
http://www.organic-center.org/science.hot.php?action=view&report_id=101
Organic fruits & vegetables have higher nutrition –
http://organic-center.org/reportfiles/OPma08CoverStory2.pdf
http://www.springerlink.com/content/p45041417m45185q/
http://www.ioia.net/images/pdf/orgvalue.pdf
http://www.mindfully.org/Farm/2007/Tomatoes-Organic-Flavonoids23jun07.htm
http://www.misa.umn.edu/vd/bourn.pdf
http://www.ehponline.org/members/2005/8418/8418.pdf
http://www.eap.mcgill.ca/Publications/EAP38.htm
Myers, A. Organic Futures. 2005
Schuphan, W., “Nutritional Value of Crops as Influenced by Organic and Inorganic Fertilizer Treatments: Results of 12 Years’ Experiments with Vegetables (1960-1972)” – Qualitas Pantarum – Plant Foods for Human Nutrition
Meadows, Donella. “Our Food, Our Future.” – Organic Gardening, September/October 2000
Benefits of Local
Locavore the word of the year –
http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/locavore/
Oil consumption of conventional agriculture –
Kinsolver, B. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. Harper. 2007.
1800 Food-mile average for produce in store –
http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/buylocal/
Organic food can still be junk when processed –
http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/tdoct2007pg44.shtml
Benefits of grass-fed meat –
http://www.eatwild.com/articles/whygrassfed.html
Success of urban farms –
http://www.newfarm.org/features/1104/urban_farm/
Organic meat regulations still have loopholes – know your producer –
http://www.michaelpollan.com/article.php?id=78
Some Benefits and Drawbacks of Local Food Systems –
http://www.sustainweb.org/pdf/afn_m1_p2.pdf
How to Eat and Shop Local and Organic
People spending more money on wholesome food –
http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/February08/Features/CovergingPatterns.htm
Cheap food isn’t really cheap –
http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/cheapfood012304.cfm
Missouri parents push for organic school lunches –
http://missouriorganics.blogspot.com/2008/05/parents-push-for-organic-school-lunches.html
Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch Project –
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/07/locally_grown_f_1.php
Texas Farm to School Program –
http://www.farmtoschool.org/state-home.php?id=20
Greenling Organic Delivery –
http://www.greenling.com
LocalHarvest –
http://www.localharvest.org
AcresUSA –
http://www.acresusa.com
Edible Austin –
http://www.edibleaustin.com
Here are some tips compiled by our Fearless Forager, Elizabeth, on eating for sustainability:
10 Ways to Eat for Sustainability
1. REAL
• Eat real food, mostly plants, with a small amount of meat as an accent rather than the main ingredient (Michael Pollan)
• Cheap processed food doesn’t reflect its true cost. Plan ahead to avoid them
2. VALUE
• Re-define the way food is valued and fit into the household economy
• Spend money on wholesome foods, not supplements
3. FLEXIBILTY
• Cook from ingredients rather than recipes (See recipe section of Greenling.com)
• Read blogs and the internet for ideas to use what you have and what’s in season
4. EDUCATION
• Ask questions about where your food comes from, everywhere you eat
• Know the farmer who produced it or have a surrogate (like Greenling) to know the farmer for you
5. SEASONALITY
• Learn to stop thinking of out-of-season items as everyday necessities or staples
• Learn seasons ahead of time so you can plan for their bounty
6. PRESERVE
• Learn to preserve and save leftovers to be incorporated into other dishes/meals to eliminate waste
• Can or freeze fruits and vegetables in season. Make your own stock and sauces
7. VARIETY
• The more diverse your diet is, the healthier and happier you will be
• Try new things rather than relying on a few standard ingredients
8. FLAVOR
• Appreciate food for flavor and slow down to enjoy it
• Stop judging produce by its shape, size, and color (some delicious local produce wouldn't win a beauty contest)
9. INNOVATE
• Learn to cook, appreciate, and enjoy lesser-known foods that are in season
• Don’t be afraid to make stuff up! If it tastes good, you just discovered a new recipe.
10. TOGETHER
• Cook and eat with friends and family. We all know that food can sometimes be a great pleasure…why shouldn’t it always?
• Join discussion groups and list-serves to collaborate on ideas
Here are some links to stories I mentioned during my speech:
Sustainability
Cuba’s advanced food infrastructure - http://bss.sfsu.edu/raquelrp/pub/2000_aug_pub.html
Vancouver, BC model of sustainability - http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/sustainability/index.htm
California building solar fields -
http://greenwombat.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2008/08/14/california-game-changing-solar-deal/
Entire Oregon community off the grid -
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18744225/
Eco-rig to provide power & food to Japan -
http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/03/eco-rigs-will-provide-power-and-food-to-japan/#more-1002
Development of kerosene-based aviation fuel derived from algae -
http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/03/researchers-creating-algae-aviation-fuel/#more-1001
Thin-film Solar energy information -
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/02/thinfilm-solar-clobbering-oil.php
Solar cells produced in pizza oven -
http://www.smh.com.au/news/energy-smart/thinking-outside-the-square-finds-light-in-oven/2008/08/19/1218911717526.html
No remaining scientific body of national or international standing is known to reject the basic findings of human influence on climate change (the debate is over) –
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_opinion_on_climate_change
Sustainable Agriculture
USDA info on the Economics of food -
http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/
Brazil’s Food Security Program
http://www.panna.org/files/Belo_Horizonte.pdf
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs –
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs
Benefits of Organics
USDA National Organic Program –
http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop
Federal Organic Research funding increased in Farm Bill –
http://ofrf.org/pressroom/releases/080527_farm-bill-victories.html
Organic Farm Research Foundation –
http://ofrf.org
Organic Research Center news links –
http://www.organic-center.org/science.environment.php - Everything environment
http://www.organic-center.org/science.pest.php - Pesticide news & research
Kids affected the most by pesticides –
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/349263_pesticide30.html
Environmental Working Group produce study (origin of “The Dirty Dozen”) –
http://www.foodnews.org/methodology.php
Study linking pesticides to autism –
http://www.ehponline.org/members/2007/10168/10168.pdf
Organic farming builds soil health –
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jul07/soil0707.htm?pf=1
Organic farming produces equivalent crop yields with less energy & no pesticides –
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/July05/organic.farm.vs.other.ssl.html
Organic milk and meat enhance breast milk nutrition –
http://www.organic-center.org/science.hot.php?action=view&report_id=101
Organic fruits & vegetables have higher nutrition –
http://organic-center.org/reportfiles/OPma08CoverStory2.pdf
http://www.springerlink.com/content/p45041417m45185q/
http://www.ioia.net/images/pdf/orgvalue.pdf
http://www.mindfully.org/Farm/2007/Tomatoes-Organic-Flavonoids23jun07.htm
http://www.misa.umn.edu/vd/bourn.pdf
http://www.ehponline.org/members/2005/8418/8418.pdf
http://www.eap.mcgill.ca/Publications/EAP38.htm
Myers, A. Organic Futures. 2005
Schuphan, W., “Nutritional Value of Crops as Influenced by Organic and Inorganic Fertilizer Treatments: Results of 12 Years’ Experiments with Vegetables (1960-1972)” – Qualitas Pantarum – Plant Foods for Human Nutrition
Meadows, Donella. “Our Food, Our Future.” – Organic Gardening, September/October 2000
Benefits of Local
Locavore the word of the year –
http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/locavore/
Oil consumption of conventional agriculture –
Kinsolver, B. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. Harper. 2007.
1800 Food-mile average for produce in store –
http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/buylocal/
Organic food can still be junk when processed –
http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/tdoct2007pg44.shtml
Benefits of grass-fed meat –
http://www.eatwild.com/articles/whygrassfed.html
Success of urban farms –
http://www.newfarm.org/features/1104/urban_farm/
Organic meat regulations still have loopholes – know your producer –
http://www.michaelpollan.com/article.php?id=78
Some Benefits and Drawbacks of Local Food Systems –
http://www.sustainweb.org/pdf/afn_m1_p2.pdf
How to Eat and Shop Local and Organic
People spending more money on wholesome food –
http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/February08/Features/CovergingPatterns.htm
Cheap food isn’t really cheap –
http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/cheapfood012304.cfm
Missouri parents push for organic school lunches –
http://missouriorganics.blogspot.com/2008/05/parents-push-for-organic-school-lunches.html
Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch Project –
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/07/locally_grown_f_1.php
Texas Farm to School Program –
http://www.farmtoschool.org/state-home.php?id=20
Greenling Organic Delivery –
http://www.greenling.com
LocalHarvest –
http://www.localharvest.org
AcresUSA –
http://www.acresusa.com
Edible Austin –
http://www.edibleaustin.com
Thursday, October 02, 2008
VP Debate
This is not leaning in either direction...a pretty funny fact check on their claims during the debate:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/politics/bal-facts1002,0,6731961.story
Remember to register to vote by Monday!
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/politics/bal-facts1002,0,6731961.story
Remember to register to vote by Monday!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Farmers protected against Monsanto
This is awesome:
Some Farmers Now Protected Against Monsanto Lawsuits
farmerFarmers with crops that become contaminated by patented genetically engineered (GE) seeds or pollen have been the target of harassing lawsuits brought by biotech patent holders, especially Monsanto.
But a landmark piece of legislation protecting California's farmers from crippling lawsuits has passed through both legislative houses.
AB 541 enacts protections against lawsuits brought against California farmers who have not been able to prevent the inevitable drift of GE pollen or seed onto their land. The bill also establishes a mandatory crop sampling protocol to prevent biotech companies investigating alleged violations from sampling crops without the explicit permission of the farmers who own the land.
Sources:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_14436.cfm
Some Farmers Now Protected Against Monsanto Lawsuits
farmerFarmers with crops that become contaminated by patented genetically engineered (GE) seeds or pollen have been the target of harassing lawsuits brought by biotech patent holders, especially Monsanto.
But a landmark piece of legislation protecting California's farmers from crippling lawsuits has passed through both legislative houses.
AB 541 enacts protections against lawsuits brought against California farmers who have not been able to prevent the inevitable drift of GE pollen or seed onto their land. The bill also establishes a mandatory crop sampling protocol to prevent biotech companies investigating alleged violations from sampling crops without the explicit permission of the farmers who own the land.
Sources:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_14436.cfm
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
9th Annual Renewable Round up This Weekend
http://theroundup.org/index.php
I will be delivering the Opening Keynote address on How Organic & Local Food fit into overall Sustainability. It will be an absolutely riveting speech that will leave you clamoring to change the world......well, that might be an exaggeration, but you won't know unless you come.
I'm speaking at 5pm on Friday.
I will be delivering the Opening Keynote address on How Organic & Local Food fit into overall Sustainability. It will be an absolutely riveting speech that will leave you clamoring to change the world......well, that might be an exaggeration, but you won't know unless you come.
I'm speaking at 5pm on Friday.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Honey Bees & CCD - Colony Collapse Disorder
There has been a lot of press around this issue but not many answers. To us faithful Organics the reasons are intuitive, but incredibly difficult to prove. Find a (leftist) summary here:
http://www.nrdc.org/wildlife/animals/bees.asp?gclid=COGGv6qn45UCFQuHGgod8y5yfA
I was at a talk by Malcolm Beck (one of the founders of Organics in Texas) a few weeks ago and he put up a slide (he always uses the old-fashioned slides) of something that looked like a cross between a bee and a fly. He had a name for it too, but I forget. He acknowledges that everyone is worried about the honey bee and what colony collapse was going to do to our agriculture...then he goes "But where did these bees come from?" He reminded us that honey bees were imported from Europe less than 200 years ago. Who pollinated the flowers before they came along? Well, these fly/bee things and other insects. How profound!
While I share the world's concern for our cute and friendly pollinators, I find it somewhat comforting that even if they disappeared, the NATIVE pollinators would then have a fighting chance at their own proliferation. Because it's all based on nectar. They pollinate, yes, but what they're really after is food for their hive. And so are thousands of other species of insects.
---------
On a related note - eating local honey helps reduce or eliminate allergies (in case you didn't already know). For Austin, the best honey is Round Rock honey, which has the most diverse pollen profile of any of the local honeys.
http://www.nrdc.org/wildlife/animals/bees.asp?gclid=COGGv6qn45UCFQuHGgod8y5yfA
I was at a talk by Malcolm Beck (one of the founders of Organics in Texas) a few weeks ago and he put up a slide (he always uses the old-fashioned slides) of something that looked like a cross between a bee and a fly. He had a name for it too, but I forget. He acknowledges that everyone is worried about the honey bee and what colony collapse was going to do to our agriculture...then he goes "But where did these bees come from?" He reminded us that honey bees were imported from Europe less than 200 years ago. Who pollinated the flowers before they came along? Well, these fly/bee things and other insects. How profound!
While I share the world's concern for our cute and friendly pollinators, I find it somewhat comforting that even if they disappeared, the NATIVE pollinators would then have a fighting chance at their own proliferation. Because it's all based on nectar. They pollinate, yes, but what they're really after is food for their hive. And so are thousands of other species of insects.
---------
On a related note - eating local honey helps reduce or eliminate allergies (in case you didn't already know). For Austin, the best honey is Round Rock honey, which has the most diverse pollen profile of any of the local honeys.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Greenling listed in Women's Health Magazine
actually it's womenshealthmag.com. But, I think they got their entire list from our site. I had someone here research all the delivery companies in the nation and we put them on our site so people who found us outside of Texas could still use us as a resource to find one near them......their list looks a little too familiar. Aren't they supposed to ask for it? At least reference us? Not mad, just wondering. In fact, i'm flattered and am very happy that the list is getting out there. Everyone deserves access to Local and Organic goodness and I hope one day everyone can get it:
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/lose-weight-faster-0?page=4
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/lose-weight-faster-0?page=4
Uservoice launched - You tell us how to be better!!
This is one of the coolest things I've seen in a long time. Gustin, our prodigal developer passed this on to me. If anyone has studied Emergence at all, this makes perfect sense. It does to me. Study after study shows the wisdom of crowds far exceeds the wisdom of individuals. Here's your chance to tell us how to get better and the best part is that the site helps figure out which ideas are best. Vote for your favorite idea, add your own, or just add product suggestions:
http://greenling.uservoice.com/pages/general
http://greenling.uservoice.com/pages/general
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Ah, the little things
I was having lunch yesterday with Corey from vcfo at el Meson on Burleson (apparently they're actually really famous for their mole sauces, but I can never get past the cochitin pibil). they make tortillas fresh daily and everything there rocks.
Anyways, we're ordering food and Corey asks for a coke. 'you want Mexican Coke or regular?' she says, not speaking a lot of english. What's the difference he asks and she replies in a cute, thick accent 'high fructose corn syrup.' Are you kidding? Here we are in a tiny Mexican restaurant on the southeast side of town in the middle of industrial-Austin and she knows the difference between good ole cane sugar and HFCS.
I was so impressed.
Anyways, we're ordering food and Corey asks for a coke. 'you want Mexican Coke or regular?' she says, not speaking a lot of english. What's the difference he asks and she replies in a cute, thick accent 'high fructose corn syrup.' Are you kidding? Here we are in a tiny Mexican restaurant on the southeast side of town in the middle of industrial-Austin and she knows the difference between good ole cane sugar and HFCS.
I was so impressed.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
US Agriculture & Climate change
A supposedly (only say cause I haven't fully investigated, though it's run by a Democrat Senator with some conservative researchers...so seems likely) non-partisan research group called 'Resources for the Future' published a report on the affects of climate change on Agriculture. Here's the summary and 3 main bullet points:
Summary
Despite its relatively small role in generating carbon dioxide (CO2), agriculture is frequently discussed in the context of climate change - for several reasons. First, agriculture is one of the key sectors of the economy that may be strongly affected by climate change. Second, while relatively unimportant for CO2 emissions, the agriculture sector is a major source of other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, notably nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4). Third, agricultural practices provide opportunities for soil-based carbon sequestration, potentially a relatively cheap mitigation option. Fourth, the recent biofuels boom is transforming U.S. agriculture in ways that have implications not only for GHG emissions and energy production, but also for agriculture and the food sector as a whole. This issue brief brings together each of these aspects of the connection between agriculture and climate change.1
IB 13
Climate Change and U.S. Agriculture
Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture
* Climate change is not expected to materially alter the overall ability of the United States to feed its population and remain a strong agricultural exporter. Generally, climate change is predicted to have overall positive but relatively modest consequences on agricultural production in the United States over the next 30 to 100 years. Longer term consequences are less well understood.
* At the regional level, however, projected effects on agriculture are considerable. Climate change is expected to reduce agricultural output in the South but increase production in northern regions, especially the Great Lakes.
* Predicting changes in precipitation patterns, extreme weather effects, pest populations, plant diseases, and other production risks is inherently difficult. Current assessments do not fully account for potential effects on agriculture from these climate impacts.
I found it very interesting that they don't think the next 10-30 years of climate change will affect overall production. It makes sense that northern areas will have longer growing seasons and produce more to offset the reduced production in the south. But the latter point is troubling for those of us who live in the south. It seems there's not much we can do about this either. Misters for our crops? Huge pergola's or shade cloth? I guess it means we'll at least be able to grow some more tropical plants. My mom mentioned she doesn't have to bring her begonias in for the winter anymore. They do just fine.
The most interesting point, though, is about carbon sequestration. I sincerely hope people pay attention to the studies out there showing 15%-28% higher carbon sequestration in Organic soil than conventional soil. Healthy soil not only produces healthy plants & healthy food, but it also helps absorb more carbon! If all of the US acreage of Corn and Soy were farmed organically, the dirt..all by itself, for free..would absorb about 290 million tons of CO2 each year. Sometimes the simplest answer also happens to be the best.
Summary
Despite its relatively small role in generating carbon dioxide (CO2), agriculture is frequently discussed in the context of climate change - for several reasons. First, agriculture is one of the key sectors of the economy that may be strongly affected by climate change. Second, while relatively unimportant for CO2 emissions, the agriculture sector is a major source of other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, notably nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4). Third, agricultural practices provide opportunities for soil-based carbon sequestration, potentially a relatively cheap mitigation option. Fourth, the recent biofuels boom is transforming U.S. agriculture in ways that have implications not only for GHG emissions and energy production, but also for agriculture and the food sector as a whole. This issue brief brings together each of these aspects of the connection between agriculture and climate change.1
IB 13
Climate Change and U.S. Agriculture
Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture
* Climate change is not expected to materially alter the overall ability of the United States to feed its population and remain a strong agricultural exporter. Generally, climate change is predicted to have overall positive but relatively modest consequences on agricultural production in the United States over the next 30 to 100 years. Longer term consequences are less well understood.
* At the regional level, however, projected effects on agriculture are considerable. Climate change is expected to reduce agricultural output in the South but increase production in northern regions, especially the Great Lakes.
* Predicting changes in precipitation patterns, extreme weather effects, pest populations, plant diseases, and other production risks is inherently difficult. Current assessments do not fully account for potential effects on agriculture from these climate impacts.
I found it very interesting that they don't think the next 10-30 years of climate change will affect overall production. It makes sense that northern areas will have longer growing seasons and produce more to offset the reduced production in the south. But the latter point is troubling for those of us who live in the south. It seems there's not much we can do about this either. Misters for our crops? Huge pergola's or shade cloth? I guess it means we'll at least be able to grow some more tropical plants. My mom mentioned she doesn't have to bring her begonias in for the winter anymore. They do just fine.
The most interesting point, though, is about carbon sequestration. I sincerely hope people pay attention to the studies out there showing 15%-28% higher carbon sequestration in Organic soil than conventional soil. Healthy soil not only produces healthy plants & healthy food, but it also helps absorb more carbon! If all of the US acreage of Corn and Soy were farmed organically, the dirt..all by itself, for free..would absorb about 290 million tons of CO2 each year. Sometimes the simplest answer also happens to be the best.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Staez Energy Drink
I just noticed something that I found to be very cool! I get so frustrated when in convenience stores and you are forced to choose between HFCS drinks and aspartame drinks if you want a little caffeine. If I have a long drive or just didn't get enough sleep, I usually try to get a little caffeine. I don't drink coffee and any drink with coffee in it needs to be incredibly watered down and with lots of sugar and milk. I am usually just fine with a Tea for lunch or the likes to get me through a day when I'm tired. "Energy Drinks" are normally way too loaded with caffeine and sugar for me. I bounce off the walls. All I need is a little pick-up. And we won't go into the controversies over Taurine and other ingredients.
So, I'm wandering my office...feeling tired, wondering if there's anything that can help. Usually an apple or something can give me that little boost, but today I knew I needed something more. I'm looking at our shelves and pick up a diet Steaz. Now, for reference, it's about 10:30am when I do this and if I have too much sugar in the morning it usually leads to a big crash in the afternoon no matter what I eat for lunch. So, I can't have anything with a lot of sugar. And by the afternoon I can't have caffeine or energy stuff if I want to go to bed at night. So I normally don't pay much attention to even organic energy drinks. But I look at the diet Steaz ingredients and it still has some sugar, just not much. Perfect! I don't have the guilt associated with consuming artificial sweeteners and I avoid the afternoon crash from too much morning sugar. Seems almost genius to me. And it tastes good. I don't really want a super sweet drink. I want a little sweetness and a little caffeine. Diet Steaz to the rescue!
http://www.steaz.com/index.html
And I would be remiss not to mention that we sell Steaz and diet Steaz for the same prices as the grocery stores.
So, I'm wandering my office...feeling tired, wondering if there's anything that can help. Usually an apple or something can give me that little boost, but today I knew I needed something more. I'm looking at our shelves and pick up a diet Steaz. Now, for reference, it's about 10:30am when I do this and if I have too much sugar in the morning it usually leads to a big crash in the afternoon no matter what I eat for lunch. So, I can't have anything with a lot of sugar. And by the afternoon I can't have caffeine or energy stuff if I want to go to bed at night. So I normally don't pay much attention to even organic energy drinks. But I look at the diet Steaz ingredients and it still has some sugar, just not much. Perfect! I don't have the guilt associated with consuming artificial sweeteners and I avoid the afternoon crash from too much morning sugar. Seems almost genius to me. And it tastes good. I don't really want a super sweet drink. I want a little sweetness and a little caffeine. Diet Steaz to the rescue!
http://www.steaz.com/index.html
And I would be remiss not to mention that we sell Steaz and diet Steaz for the same prices as the grocery stores.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Sustainable Food Center
I joined their Public Policy Task Force on Wednesday and I sat in on their Board of Directors meeting tonight. I think food security is an incredibly important issue and that Austin should be a model community for others and so I'm very interested in the work and progress of SFC.
I'm always interested to learn more about organizations before I get involved. I love to encourage and praise organizations with a good mission, but when it comes to my time or money I also like to see if they live their mission or not and how efficiently they work towards their mission. I have been very impressed with the SFC, their organization, leaders, and work. They are really passionate about their work and they have a very smart and talented group of people working there! It's such a great thing to see.
I don't really like the competitiveness that seems to be ubiquitous throughout food organizations in town and I saw some of that with this group, but it's rare to find a group that doesn't have some of that so I'm not complaining. Just hoping that everyone eventually sees we've all got the same goals - improving nutrition and security in our food system. If we all worked together, this town would be such an amazing place. And as long as each organization was providing real value for the community, they would be fully supported. I prefer to not worry about competition and worry most about if my organization is doing the best it can to provide that value.
So, check out their farmers markets, browse their website at www.sustainablefoodcenter.org and volunteer!
Also, volunteer at Green Corn Project...I love what they do, too.
I'm always interested to learn more about organizations before I get involved. I love to encourage and praise organizations with a good mission, but when it comes to my time or money I also like to see if they live their mission or not and how efficiently they work towards their mission. I have been very impressed with the SFC, their organization, leaders, and work. They are really passionate about their work and they have a very smart and talented group of people working there! It's such a great thing to see.
I don't really like the competitiveness that seems to be ubiquitous throughout food organizations in town and I saw some of that with this group, but it's rare to find a group that doesn't have some of that so I'm not complaining. Just hoping that everyone eventually sees we've all got the same goals - improving nutrition and security in our food system. If we all worked together, this town would be such an amazing place. And as long as each organization was providing real value for the community, they would be fully supported. I prefer to not worry about competition and worry most about if my organization is doing the best it can to provide that value.
So, check out their farmers markets, browse their website at www.sustainablefoodcenter.org and volunteer!
Also, volunteer at Green Corn Project...I love what they do, too.
Friday, August 01, 2008
Consummate Produce
As local food grows legs and gains attention across the world, there is this notion to hold it in the highest regard possible. While farming is one of the most noble professions on the planet I feel I need to remind people that someone growing vegetables next door to you can just as easily dump pesticides and herbicides on those vegetables as someone 1000 miles away.
We all love local food, but don't trust it beyond reproach. Know your farmer or let Greenling know them for you. Michael Pollan describes it as surrogates for getting to know the farmers. Remember that Peaches are the most polluted fruit available (meaning even after washing them there are more pesticides found in a peach than any other fruit or veggies - up to 96 pesticides were found in test samples). So those yummy Texas peaches you enjoy may be loaded with chemicals. They might not be, but you'd have to ask the farmer. Greenling's Texas peaches, of course, were certified organic this year so they had absolutely no chemicals applied to them. They sure were good!
We all love local food, but don't trust it beyond reproach. Know your farmer or let Greenling know them for you. Michael Pollan describes it as surrogates for getting to know the farmers. Remember that Peaches are the most polluted fruit available (meaning even after washing them there are more pesticides found in a peach than any other fruit or veggies - up to 96 pesticides were found in test samples). So those yummy Texas peaches you enjoy may be loaded with chemicals. They might not be, but you'd have to ask the farmer. Greenling's Texas peaches, of course, were certified organic this year so they had absolutely no chemicals applied to them. They sure were good!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
If Presidential candidates pandered to economists
Now, I'm pretty reserved with my political opinions. I'm not a zealot, nor do I consider myself incredibly educated on the candidates. But I just had to share this because to me, it makes a ton of sense:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/13/business/13view.php?page=1
Summary:
An economist polled his peers and came up with this list of stances on some big issues. there is some really good support for them in the article.
SUPPORT FREE TRADE
OPPOSE FARM SUBSIDIES
LEAVE OIL COMPANIES AND SPECULATORS ALONE
TAX THE USE OF ENERGY
RAISE THE RETIREMENT AGE
INVITE MORE SKILLED IMMIGRANTS
LIBERALIZE DRUG POLICY
RAISE FUNDS FOR ECONOMIC RESEARCH
The last one is just selfish on their part, but the rest seem like the best path to economic prosperity. they have little to do with environment or some other large issues that our nation faces, but simply demonstrate what needs to happen to make sure we continue as an economic world leader. The best way for us to be ready for painful changes moving towards sustainability is to have a stable economy. Or let the economy fall apart and our consumption falls with it. But that doesn't sound like nearly as much fun.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/13/business/13view.php?page=1
Summary:
An economist polled his peers and came up with this list of stances on some big issues. there is some really good support for them in the article.
SUPPORT FREE TRADE
OPPOSE FARM SUBSIDIES
LEAVE OIL COMPANIES AND SPECULATORS ALONE
TAX THE USE OF ENERGY
RAISE THE RETIREMENT AGE
INVITE MORE SKILLED IMMIGRANTS
LIBERALIZE DRUG POLICY
RAISE FUNDS FOR ECONOMIC RESEARCH
The last one is just selfish on their part, but the rest seem like the best path to economic prosperity. they have little to do with environment or some other large issues that our nation faces, but simply demonstrate what needs to happen to make sure we continue as an economic world leader. The best way for us to be ready for painful changes moving towards sustainability is to have a stable economy. Or let the economy fall apart and our consumption falls with it. But that doesn't sound like nearly as much fun.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Dai Due Supper Club
Mylie and I had the pleasure of joining Elizabeth and Thomas going to Dai Due at the Dragonfly house for Bastille day. I have no idea what Bastille day is, but I guess it's french. The chef, Jesse, doesn't really know either, which is pretty amusing. But he says it precedes the Reign of Terror whatever that is.
There was amazing food, great company, and this super cool live duet pair playing music. At the end of the dinner they played this clarinet duet with a little singing. It was so awesome.
Jesse says this month they sold out of tickets to all of their dinners within a day. Part of me wants to keep it a secret....but I just can't.
There was amazing food, great company, and this super cool live duet pair playing music. At the end of the dinner they played this clarinet duet with a little singing. It was so awesome.
Jesse says this month they sold out of tickets to all of their dinners within a day. Part of me wants to keep it a secret....but I just can't.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Where does your food come from?
Is it just me or does it feel like the rising cost of energy is going to have a dramatic affect on our food system? We can already see it in rising prices, which make people ask questions, which makes them more aware of their food. Why do Organic apples suddenly cost $5/lb? Well, it's because Spring/Summer they come from New Zealand. That's a long way to travel...racking up food miles which are getting more expensive by the day. They're certainly still healthier and more nutritious than their conventional counterparts, but maybe the year-round apple buyers might start looking to other...maybe seasonal...fruit? Most people just wouldn't even think about it without something like this to highlight where the food comes from.
Have you ever asked your waiter in a restaurant where your dinner comes from? I'm doing it much more often. We know most of them don't know. But they often offer to ask their manager. 'Sure' I say. 'It's not a big deal, but if YOU want to ask your manager, I'd love to know.' They go ask their manager who also doesn't know....'our food distributor?' But you know what just happened? 2 people who otherwise wouldn't even think about that suddenly did. And if anyone around my table heard that conversation, they might think about it too. Start asking anyone who serves you food where it comes from! Not in a condescending way and don't refuse food if they don't know. Just start asking. It could change the world.
Have you ever asked your waiter in a restaurant where your dinner comes from? I'm doing it much more often. We know most of them don't know. But they often offer to ask their manager. 'Sure' I say. 'It's not a big deal, but if YOU want to ask your manager, I'd love to know.' They go ask their manager who also doesn't know....'our food distributor?' But you know what just happened? 2 people who otherwise wouldn't even think about that suddenly did. And if anyone around my table heard that conversation, they might think about it too. Start asking anyone who serves you food where it comes from! Not in a condescending way and don't refuse food if they don't know. Just start asking. It could change the world.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Fairy-tale living
Can you imagine a world where everywhere you go people smile at you? And not fake smiles but genuine smiles?
That's the life for whoever's behind the wheel of the bananamobile. It's truly amazing. And with so many people smiling at you, you can't help but smile back (unless you're sick, tired, and achy...then, and only then, I've learned you can stay solemn in the face of so many smiles).
And you don't just get smiles, you get all sorts of interaction. People honk and wave....point, laugh (with us, not at us), and take pictures. Several times I've walked out to the bananamobile from some store and there are people gathered around it taking a group picture under the 5' banana.
Kids go crazy for it. They chase after it like it's an ice-cream truck or something. It can be a little awkward...."Sorry kids, you can't actually eat the banana and I don't happen to have any..." I find myself hoping the light turns green before they catch up to me so I don't have to let them down.
So, if you ever see someone driving down the road in a prius with a 5' banana on top and a huge smile on their face, now you know the real reason why.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Affects of climate change looking forward
One of Bob Parson's (Godaddy.com) 16 rules to live by talks about not only accepting the worst thing that can happen, but actually quantifying it. Very seldom will the worst thing that can happen be as bad as a cloud of undefined consequences. Check out the government's latest attempt at quantifying climate change over the next 25-50 years:
http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/sap/sap4-3/final-report/default.htm
While it looks scary....I usually imagine these changes happening much more rapidly. It makes sense that they would take a long time to fully unleash their consequences. There's no denying we need more action as soon as people can take it, but it's just a better life to imagine we do have hope and that we're not irreversibly destroying the planet right now. I sometimes think the people who truly believe we're completely doomed are as much a part of the problem as people in denial about the whole thing.
http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/sap/sap4-3/final-report/default.htm
While it looks scary....I usually imagine these changes happening much more rapidly. It makes sense that they would take a long time to fully unleash their consequences. There's no denying we need more action as soon as people can take it, but it's just a better life to imagine we do have hope and that we're not irreversibly destroying the planet right now. I sometimes think the people who truly believe we're completely doomed are as much a part of the problem as people in denial about the whole thing.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Climate change and Hummer vs Prius
I find myself in conversations about climate change rather often, though maybe surprising to you I don't start many of them. People think that since my company is an environmental steward and preaching sustainability that I'm a good sounding board for whatever news or rumor they've heard recently. I welcome the conversation, but I find myself having to do much of my research just so I can make sure people don't tell a whole group a half-truth and because I'm there and I don't object that must mean it's right. when really I just don't know enough about the subject to venture an opinion.
So, I have to look into these claims and try to become an expert because I'm expected to be an expert. I wonder how many actual accidental experts there are....I say actual because I'm still not an expert on much of anything except my own opinion. but here are a couple of counter-points you and me can make to people who love to grab onto sensationalism:
Ok, so it's been debated for a long time and everyone has an opinion. But as of July 2007 you can confidently say there is NOT ONE SINGLE NATIONAL OR INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC BODY THAT DISPUTES MAN'S CONTRIBUTION TO CLIMATE CHANGE. Not just that the climate is changing. Many people will admit this and still deny humans have anything to do with it. But no credible scientists will deny it. Humans are causing the earth to heat up. Hands down. Cite Wikipedia to fully arm yourself for this statement:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attribution_of_recent_climate_change
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming
And the best one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_consensus_on_climate_change
Direct quote if you're too busy to go find it:
With the July 2007 release of the revised statement by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, no remaining scientific body of national or international standing is known to reject the basic findings of human influence on recent climate.[47]
Ok, now on to some junk science. Is the Hummer better for the environment from cradle to cradle than the Prius? While this one is harder to definitively debunk because the original science behind it is kept partially secret, there are fatal flaws in even the publicly conceded methodology. I like this article's stance for it's honest look at the issue, but the answer is no, it's not:
http://www.thecarconnection.com/article/1010861_prius-versus-hummer-exploding-the-myth>
One huge problem with the original claim, that you can cite, is that they say it's based on the total lifetime of the vehicle and they make assumptions about what that lifetime is. Instead of comparing them with similar lifetimes, they claim that a prius will only drive 109,000 miles in its lifetime compared to 200,000 for a normal car and amazingly almost 400,000 miles for a Hummer. Why they assume a hummer will be driven twice as far as a normal car is beyond me. In fact, it's totally ridiculous and their explanation for their claim is that the current hybrid models will soon be "obsolete" because of better models and that means current hybrids will not be driven for as long. using a comparable lifetime mileage, the cradle to cradle cost of the hybrid comes in far, far below SUVs and Hummers. It also looks like they make an assumption on gas prices and since the study looks like it was done in 2006...well, you can figure that one out.
So, if you get dragged into this argument, ask about the assumed lifetimes of the vehicles? The person will have no idea what you're talking about and you can kindly inform them that the study is flawed and point them to this blog or the study above.
Other flaws:
People will for some reason claim the batteries are toxic and not recyclable. Here's word from Green Car Journal and Toyota:
Battery toxicity is a concern, although today's hybrids use NiMH batteries, not the environmentally problematic rechargeable nickel cadmium. "Nickel metal hydride batteries are benign. They can be fully recycled," says Ron Cogan, editor of the Green Car Journal. Toyota and Honda say that they will recycle dead batteries and that disposal will pose no toxic hazards. Toyota puts a phone number on each battery, and they pay a $200 "bounty" for each battery to help ensure that it will be properly recycled.
There's no definitive word on replacement costs because they are almost never replaced. According to Toyota, since the Prius first went on sale in 2000, they have not replaced a single battery for wear and tear.
<http://www.hybridcars.com/faq.html>
Another supporting article, slightly more biased:
http://www.slate.com/id/2186786/
You can google 'hummer better for the environment than prius' to find more.
So, I have to look into these claims and try to become an expert because I'm expected to be an expert. I wonder how many actual accidental experts there are....I say actual because I'm still not an expert on much of anything except my own opinion. but here are a couple of counter-points you and me can make to people who love to grab onto sensationalism:
Ok, so it's been debated for a long time and everyone has an opinion. But as of July 2007 you can confidently say there is NOT ONE SINGLE NATIONAL OR INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC BODY THAT DISPUTES MAN'S CONTRIBUTION TO CLIMATE CHANGE. Not just that the climate is changing. Many people will admit this and still deny humans have anything to do with it. But no credible scientists will deny it. Humans are causing the earth to heat up. Hands down. Cite Wikipedia to fully arm yourself for this statement:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attribution_of_recent_climate_change
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming
And the best one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_consensus_on_climate_change
Direct quote if you're too busy to go find it:
With the July 2007 release of the revised statement by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, no remaining scientific body of national or international standing is known to reject the basic findings of human influence on recent climate.[47]
Ok, now on to some junk science. Is the Hummer better for the environment from cradle to cradle than the Prius? While this one is harder to definitively debunk because the original science behind it is kept partially secret, there are fatal flaws in even the publicly conceded methodology. I like this article's stance for it's honest look at the issue, but the answer is no, it's not:
http://www.thecarconnection.com/article/1010861_prius-versus-hummer-exploding-the-myth>
One huge problem with the original claim, that you can cite, is that they say it's based on the total lifetime of the vehicle and they make assumptions about what that lifetime is. Instead of comparing them with similar lifetimes, they claim that a prius will only drive 109,000 miles in its lifetime compared to 200,000 for a normal car and amazingly almost 400,000 miles for a Hummer. Why they assume a hummer will be driven twice as far as a normal car is beyond me. In fact, it's totally ridiculous and their explanation for their claim is that the current hybrid models will soon be "obsolete" because of better models and that means current hybrids will not be driven for as long. using a comparable lifetime mileage, the cradle to cradle cost of the hybrid comes in far, far below SUVs and Hummers. It also looks like they make an assumption on gas prices and since the study looks like it was done in 2006...well, you can figure that one out.
So, if you get dragged into this argument, ask about the assumed lifetimes of the vehicles? The person will have no idea what you're talking about and you can kindly inform them that the study is flawed and point them to this blog or the study above.
Other flaws:
People will for some reason claim the batteries are toxic and not recyclable. Here's word from Green Car Journal and Toyota:
Battery toxicity is a concern, although today's hybrids use NiMH batteries, not the environmentally problematic rechargeable nickel cadmium. "Nickel metal hydride batteries are benign. They can be fully recycled," says Ron Cogan, editor of the Green Car Journal. Toyota and Honda say that they will recycle dead batteries and that disposal will pose no toxic hazards. Toyota puts a phone number on each battery, and they pay a $200 "bounty" for each battery to help ensure that it will be properly recycled.
There's no definitive word on replacement costs because they are almost never replaced. According to Toyota, since the Prius first went on sale in 2000, they have not replaced a single battery for wear and tear.
<http://www.hybridcars.com/faq.html>
Another supporting article, slightly more biased:
http://www.slate.com/id/2186786/
You can google 'hummer better for the environment than prius' to find more.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Greenling in the New York Times June 5th
Check out this article highlighting Greenling and several other Organic delivery services:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/fashion/05cyber.html?scp=1&sq=greenling&st=nyt
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/fashion/05cyber.html?scp=1&sq=greenling&st=nyt
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Can lactose intolerant people drink raw milk?
I read an article in Acres USA about the battle in California for the raw milk farmers. There's a rule pending requiring all milk producers to have less than 10 ppm coliform in their milk, which is near impossible for raw milk farmers not to mention they wouldn't want to get it that low. Some coliform is beneficial. Anyway, in the article they claim that there's a study out there showing kids who suffer from lactose intolerance can drink raw milk with no effects. Does anyone know about this study or where to find it? It would be very interesting to find some science behind this claim.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Change we can stomach - repost
Article by Dan Barber published on May 11, 2008 - I really like this one ---
COOKING, like farming, for all its down-home community spirit, is essentially a solitary craft. But lately it’s feeling more like a lonely burden. Finding guilt-free food for our menus — food that’s clean, green and humane — is about as easy as securing a housing loan. And we’re suddenly paying more — 75 percent more in the last six years — to stock our pantries. Around the world, from Cairo to Port-au-Prince, increases in food prices have governments facing riots born of shortages and hunger. It’s enough to make you want to toss in the toque.
But here’s the good news: if you’re a chef, or an eater who cares about where your food comes from (and there are a lot of you out there), we can have a hand in making food for the future downright delicious.
Farming has the potential to go through the greatest upheaval since the Green Revolution, bringing harvests that are more healthful, sustainable and, yes, even more flavorful. The change is being pushed along by market forces that influence how our farmers farm.
Until now, food production has been controlled by Big Agriculture, with its macho fixation on “average tonnage” and “record harvests.” But there’s a cost to its breadbasket-to-the-world bragging rights. Like those big Industrial Age factories that once billowed black smoke, American agriculture is mired in a mind-set that relies on capital, chemistry and machines. Food production is dependent on oil, in the form of fertilizers and pesticides, in the distances produce travels from farm to plate and in the energy it takes to process it.
For decades, environmentalists and small farmers have claimed that this is several kinds of madness. But industrial agriculture has simply responded that if we’re feeding more people more cheaply using less land, how terrible can our food system be?
Now that argument no longer holds true. With the price of oil at more than $120 a barrel (up from less than $30 for most of the last 50 years), small and midsize nonpolluting farms, the ones growing the healthiest and best-tasting food, are gaining a competitive advantage. They aren’t as reliant on oil, because they use fewer large machines and less pesticide and fertilizer.
In fact, small farms are the most productive on earth. A four-acre farm in the United States nets, on average, $1,400 per acre; a 1,364-acre farm nets $39 an acre. Big farms have long compensated for the disequilibrium with sheer quantity. But their economies of scale come from mass distribution, and with diesel fuel costing more than $4 per gallon in many locations, it’s no longer efficient to transport food 1,500 miles from where it’s grown.
The high cost of oil alone will not be enough to reform American agriculture, however. As long as agricultural companies exploit the poor and extract labor from them at slave wages, and as long as they aren’t required to pay the price for the pollution they so brazenly produce, their system will stay afloat. If financially pinched Americans opt for the cheapest (and the least healthful) foods rather than cook their own, the food industry will continue to reach for the lowest common denominator.
But it is possible to nudge the revolution along — for instance, by changing how we measure the value of food. If we stop calculating the cost per quantity and begin considering the cost per nutrient value, the demand for higher-quality food would rise.
Organic fruits and vegetables contain 40 percent more nutrients than their chemical-fed counterparts. And animals raised on pasture provide us with meat and dairy products containing more beta carotene and at least three times as much C.L.A. (conjugated linoleic acid, shown in animal studies to reduce the risk of cancer) than those raised on grain.
Where good nutrition goes, flavor tends to follow. Chefs are the first to admit that an impossibly sweet, flavor-filled carrot has nothing to do with our work. It has to do with growing the right seed in healthy, nutrient-rich soil.
Increasingly we can see the wisdom of diversified farming operations, where there are built-in relationships among plants and animals. A dairy farm can provide manure for a neighboring potato farm, for example, which can in turn offer potato scraps as extra feed for the herd. When crops and livestock are judiciously mixed, agriculture wisely mimics nature.
To encourage small, diversified farms is not to make a nostalgic bid to revert to the agrarian ways of our ancestors. It is to look toward the future, leapfrogging past the age of heavy machinery and pollution, to farms that take advantage of the sun’s free energy and use the waste of one species as food for another.
Chefs can help move our food system into the future by continuing to demand the most flavorful food. Our support of the local food movement is an important example of this approach, but it’s not enough. As demand for fresh, local food rises, we cannot continue to rely entirely on farmers’ markets. Asking every farmer to plant, harvest, drive his pickup truck to a market and sell his goods there is like asking me to cook, take reservations, serve and wash the dishes.
We now need to support a system of well-coordinated regional farm networks, each suited to the food it can best grow. Farmers organized into marketing networks that can promote their common brands (like the Organic Valley Family of Farms in the Midwest) can ease the economic and ecological burden of food production and transportation. They can also distribute their products to new markets, including poor communities that have relied mainly on food from convenience stores.
Similar networks could also operate in the countries that are now experiencing food shortages. For years, the United States has flooded the world with food exports, displacing small farmers and disrupting domestic markets. As escalating food prices threaten an additional 100 million people with hunger, a new concept of humanitarian aid is required. Local farming efforts focused on conserving natural resources and biodiversity are essential to improving food security in developing countries, as a report just published by the International Assessment of Agriculture Science and Technology for Development has concluded. We must build on these tenets, providing financial and technical assistance to small farmers across the world.
But regional systems will work only if there is enough small-scale farming going on to make them viable. With a less energy-intensive food system in place, we will need more muscle power devoted to food production, and more people on the farm. (The need is especially urgent when you consider that the average age of today’s American farmer is over 55.) In order to move gracefully into a post-industrial agriculture economy, we also need to rethink how we educate the people who will grow our food. Land-grant universities and agricultural schools, dependent on financing from agribusiness, focus on maximum extraction from the land — take more, sell more, waste more.
Leave our agricultural future to chefs and anyone who takes food and cooking seriously. We never bought into the “bigger is better” mantra, not because it left us too dependent on oil, but because it never produced anything really good to eat. Truly great cooking — not faddish 1.5-pound rib-eye steaks with butter sauce, but food that has evolved from the world’s thriving peasant cuisines — is based on the correspondence of good farming to a healthy environment and good nutrition. It’s never been any other way, and we should be grateful. The future belongs to the gourmet.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/11/opinion/11barber.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&sq=change%20we%20can%20stomach&st=nyt&scp=1
COOKING, like farming, for all its down-home community spirit, is essentially a solitary craft. But lately it’s feeling more like a lonely burden. Finding guilt-free food for our menus — food that’s clean, green and humane — is about as easy as securing a housing loan. And we’re suddenly paying more — 75 percent more in the last six years — to stock our pantries. Around the world, from Cairo to Port-au-Prince, increases in food prices have governments facing riots born of shortages and hunger. It’s enough to make you want to toss in the toque.
But here’s the good news: if you’re a chef, or an eater who cares about where your food comes from (and there are a lot of you out there), we can have a hand in making food for the future downright delicious.
Farming has the potential to go through the greatest upheaval since the Green Revolution, bringing harvests that are more healthful, sustainable and, yes, even more flavorful. The change is being pushed along by market forces that influence how our farmers farm.
Until now, food production has been controlled by Big Agriculture, with its macho fixation on “average tonnage” and “record harvests.” But there’s a cost to its breadbasket-to-the-world bragging rights. Like those big Industrial Age factories that once billowed black smoke, American agriculture is mired in a mind-set that relies on capital, chemistry and machines. Food production is dependent on oil, in the form of fertilizers and pesticides, in the distances produce travels from farm to plate and in the energy it takes to process it.
For decades, environmentalists and small farmers have claimed that this is several kinds of madness. But industrial agriculture has simply responded that if we’re feeding more people more cheaply using less land, how terrible can our food system be?
Now that argument no longer holds true. With the price of oil at more than $120 a barrel (up from less than $30 for most of the last 50 years), small and midsize nonpolluting farms, the ones growing the healthiest and best-tasting food, are gaining a competitive advantage. They aren’t as reliant on oil, because they use fewer large machines and less pesticide and fertilizer.
In fact, small farms are the most productive on earth. A four-acre farm in the United States nets, on average, $1,400 per acre; a 1,364-acre farm nets $39 an acre. Big farms have long compensated for the disequilibrium with sheer quantity. But their economies of scale come from mass distribution, and with diesel fuel costing more than $4 per gallon in many locations, it’s no longer efficient to transport food 1,500 miles from where it’s grown.
The high cost of oil alone will not be enough to reform American agriculture, however. As long as agricultural companies exploit the poor and extract labor from them at slave wages, and as long as they aren’t required to pay the price for the pollution they so brazenly produce, their system will stay afloat. If financially pinched Americans opt for the cheapest (and the least healthful) foods rather than cook their own, the food industry will continue to reach for the lowest common denominator.
But it is possible to nudge the revolution along — for instance, by changing how we measure the value of food. If we stop calculating the cost per quantity and begin considering the cost per nutrient value, the demand for higher-quality food would rise.
Organic fruits and vegetables contain 40 percent more nutrients than their chemical-fed counterparts. And animals raised on pasture provide us with meat and dairy products containing more beta carotene and at least three times as much C.L.A. (conjugated linoleic acid, shown in animal studies to reduce the risk of cancer) than those raised on grain.
Where good nutrition goes, flavor tends to follow. Chefs are the first to admit that an impossibly sweet, flavor-filled carrot has nothing to do with our work. It has to do with growing the right seed in healthy, nutrient-rich soil.
Increasingly we can see the wisdom of diversified farming operations, where there are built-in relationships among plants and animals. A dairy farm can provide manure for a neighboring potato farm, for example, which can in turn offer potato scraps as extra feed for the herd. When crops and livestock are judiciously mixed, agriculture wisely mimics nature.
To encourage small, diversified farms is not to make a nostalgic bid to revert to the agrarian ways of our ancestors. It is to look toward the future, leapfrogging past the age of heavy machinery and pollution, to farms that take advantage of the sun’s free energy and use the waste of one species as food for another.
Chefs can help move our food system into the future by continuing to demand the most flavorful food. Our support of the local food movement is an important example of this approach, but it’s not enough. As demand for fresh, local food rises, we cannot continue to rely entirely on farmers’ markets. Asking every farmer to plant, harvest, drive his pickup truck to a market and sell his goods there is like asking me to cook, take reservations, serve and wash the dishes.
We now need to support a system of well-coordinated regional farm networks, each suited to the food it can best grow. Farmers organized into marketing networks that can promote their common brands (like the Organic Valley Family of Farms in the Midwest) can ease the economic and ecological burden of food production and transportation. They can also distribute their products to new markets, including poor communities that have relied mainly on food from convenience stores.
Similar networks could also operate in the countries that are now experiencing food shortages. For years, the United States has flooded the world with food exports, displacing small farmers and disrupting domestic markets. As escalating food prices threaten an additional 100 million people with hunger, a new concept of humanitarian aid is required. Local farming efforts focused on conserving natural resources and biodiversity are essential to improving food security in developing countries, as a report just published by the International Assessment of Agriculture Science and Technology for Development has concluded. We must build on these tenets, providing financial and technical assistance to small farmers across the world.
But regional systems will work only if there is enough small-scale farming going on to make them viable. With a less energy-intensive food system in place, we will need more muscle power devoted to food production, and more people on the farm. (The need is especially urgent when you consider that the average age of today’s American farmer is over 55.) In order to move gracefully into a post-industrial agriculture economy, we also need to rethink how we educate the people who will grow our food. Land-grant universities and agricultural schools, dependent on financing from agribusiness, focus on maximum extraction from the land — take more, sell more, waste more.
Leave our agricultural future to chefs and anyone who takes food and cooking seriously. We never bought into the “bigger is better” mantra, not because it left us too dependent on oil, but because it never produced anything really good to eat. Truly great cooking — not faddish 1.5-pound rib-eye steaks with butter sauce, but food that has evolved from the world’s thriving peasant cuisines — is based on the correspondence of good farming to a healthy environment and good nutrition. It’s never been any other way, and we should be grateful. The future belongs to the gourmet.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/11/opinion/11barber.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&sq=change%20we%20can%20stomach&st=nyt&scp=1
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Zen and the art of Entrepreneurship
Article Written for Bootstrap Austin
Everyone has a different idea about what Entrepreneurship is and everyone has different motivations for their desire to be an entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur I get a lot of people who approach me to talk about their ideas and the business they want to start. Each one of them, from what I can tell, seems to have different reasons driving them. Some people just seem to be looking for more fulfillment. Unfortunately, I don't think everyone can find the answers they're looking for in starting a business.
What do people seek in entrepreneurship? Why do they want to do their own thing? Many will tell you it's because people want to be their own boss, be in control. But what does that mean? What if you have a great boss? How many people that are being managed well in a position suited to their strengths want to start their own thing? Will they find ways to believe they could do it better? Are some people just never satisfied. Or because they've never experienced a satisfying job with a good team do they think that entrepreneurship must be the way to make them happy? On many levels, wanting to be your own boss and be in control is a really bad reason to start a company.
Starting your own company, especially bootstrapping one, is on a fundamental level creating your own future. Manifesting your own destiny. And yet it's not always the best way to create the future you actually want. It's just a different future and can be just as dissatisfying as a corporate job. If you're not happy where you are there are a thousand ways to change where you are without starting your own company. So how do you know starting your own thing is the way to go?
You first need to take a deep look at what would make you happy. For me, it's about doing something that you love in a company that is aligned with your core values. Money should not matter. The desire for material things in me seems to be more a result of our inundation with marketing messages convincing us we want more stuff than a desire for happiness. The desire for money is a hard one to overcome and is a constant battle. I believe it necessary to remove this from the picture, though, if you are to truly evaluate this objectively and find the most fulfilling path.
I believe the best reason to start your own company is because of all the opportunities in front of you it is the best available option to combine your core values, strengths, and resources into an activity that helps you manifest the first two. This is very ambiguous, intentionally, because it's such fundamental topic. I believe one should put a lot of thought into what makes them happy before considering starting a business. I would highly recommend figuring out your core values and strengths and taking roll of your resources. With these critical tools, all you need to do is look for intersections of your values and strengths with your resources and you've got your best option for a happy, fulfilling career. This may or may not involve starting a company and it may require some creativity. Let's look at an example...me:
Many of my core values are now very evident in what I'm doing. My company, Greenling, is trying to help people and the environment. There is a list of our core values plastered on just about every wall in our facility and many of those are my personal values as well. My strengths are in spurring people and things to action, in developing ideas, in pondering the future and what it may hold for me and my company, in working hard to achieve goals, and in helping people focus on what's important (I discovered these through a tool listed below). I think these are fairly well-suited to entrepreneurship.
Many of my core values are rooted in helping the planet. I care very much about Sustainability and improving our environment. My other core values include hard work and dedication, integrity, loyalty, building and respecting lasting relationships. I developed my core values several years ago and when I got married, my wife and I developed our core values as a team and Greenling developed its core values a couple of years ago. It seems cliché or something that is so simple you don't need to pay it attention, but I believe it's incredibly important to vocalize and write these things down. They can make every other decision in your life a little easier by check your options against your values.
My resources were slim when we started, but I had some good friends with additional resources, connections and experience in the local Sustainability scene. You don't need a lot of resources to start a company. You just need to know how to leverage them. If you need resources you don't have, partner with people who do have them. And I think it's just plain easier to start a company in an area where you DO have some resources than to strike out on your own into the blue. And with how hard it is to start a successful business anyway, every advantage helps.
There are many tools for helping you develop your core values. One great one for developing them within a team is Mastering the Rockefeller Habits by Verne Harnish.
For finding your strengths there are a couple of really good tools. Strengths Finder & the MRE framework.
Finding your resources just requires, well, resourcefulness. Who do you know? Who do they know? Make a list of family and friends and what they do for work (or personally). Talk to them. Do they like what they do? Are they well-connected in their industry? What do they have influence over? Are they the purchaser for things in their industry? Who do they use to help them do what they do?
With all of these things, you have some great tools for evaluating a new venture. Whether you're starting from scratch or you have this great idea and just need to evaluate if you really want to do it or not, these are the building blocks.
It's no coincidence that when you think about this process, it leads much more easily to a bootstrap model of business than the other two (cookie-cutter business and VC-funded business). If you're starting with something that makes you happy it is most likely not going to be just copying someone else exactly. We all have our own ideas of how to run a business. If you're just reading a manual and following instructions, how likely are you to be following your happiest path? The VC path can seem glamorous and sexy, but remember my point about being motivated by money. As has been demonstrated by Dell, Microsoft, Southwest, there is not a business on the planet that absolutely cannot be bootstrapped. So why would you take VC money? Because it seems to make everything easier. But all money does is put a magnifying glass on everything. If you don't start out of the gates with every detail of your business figured out, you could end up with some huge problems.
Innovation comes from constraints, they say. And not the constraint of someone telling you what to do. So many things were really important, but I couldn't do them all. So I had to pick the most important ones to do first. How do you discern which are most important? Constraints help, however painful they are.
I believe the only way for you to freely manifest your values and strengths in a start-up is through a bootstrap model. Figure out what you love and demo, sell, build. Bootstrapping forced me to look deeper at my business and make sure I was doing the right thing at the right time.
Mason Arnold - Greenling Organic Delivery
Everyone has a different idea about what Entrepreneurship is and everyone has different motivations for their desire to be an entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur I get a lot of people who approach me to talk about their ideas and the business they want to start. Each one of them, from what I can tell, seems to have different reasons driving them. Some people just seem to be looking for more fulfillment. Unfortunately, I don't think everyone can find the answers they're looking for in starting a business.
What do people seek in entrepreneurship? Why do they want to do their own thing? Many will tell you it's because people want to be their own boss, be in control. But what does that mean? What if you have a great boss? How many people that are being managed well in a position suited to their strengths want to start their own thing? Will they find ways to believe they could do it better? Are some people just never satisfied. Or because they've never experienced a satisfying job with a good team do they think that entrepreneurship must be the way to make them happy? On many levels, wanting to be your own boss and be in control is a really bad reason to start a company.
Starting your own company, especially bootstrapping one, is on a fundamental level creating your own future. Manifesting your own destiny. And yet it's not always the best way to create the future you actually want. It's just a different future and can be just as dissatisfying as a corporate job. If you're not happy where you are there are a thousand ways to change where you are without starting your own company. So how do you know starting your own thing is the way to go?
You first need to take a deep look at what would make you happy. For me, it's about doing something that you love in a company that is aligned with your core values. Money should not matter. The desire for material things in me seems to be more a result of our inundation with marketing messages convincing us we want more stuff than a desire for happiness. The desire for money is a hard one to overcome and is a constant battle. I believe it necessary to remove this from the picture, though, if you are to truly evaluate this objectively and find the most fulfilling path.
I believe the best reason to start your own company is because of all the opportunities in front of you it is the best available option to combine your core values, strengths, and resources into an activity that helps you manifest the first two. This is very ambiguous, intentionally, because it's such fundamental topic. I believe one should put a lot of thought into what makes them happy before considering starting a business. I would highly recommend figuring out your core values and strengths and taking roll of your resources. With these critical tools, all you need to do is look for intersections of your values and strengths with your resources and you've got your best option for a happy, fulfilling career. This may or may not involve starting a company and it may require some creativity. Let's look at an example...me:
Many of my core values are now very evident in what I'm doing. My company, Greenling, is trying to help people and the environment. There is a list of our core values plastered on just about every wall in our facility and many of those are my personal values as well. My strengths are in spurring people and things to action, in developing ideas, in pondering the future and what it may hold for me and my company, in working hard to achieve goals, and in helping people focus on what's important (I discovered these through a tool listed below). I think these are fairly well-suited to entrepreneurship.
Many of my core values are rooted in helping the planet. I care very much about Sustainability and improving our environment. My other core values include hard work and dedication, integrity, loyalty, building and respecting lasting relationships. I developed my core values several years ago and when I got married, my wife and I developed our core values as a team and Greenling developed its core values a couple of years ago. It seems cliché or something that is so simple you don't need to pay it attention, but I believe it's incredibly important to vocalize and write these things down. They can make every other decision in your life a little easier by check your options against your values.
My resources were slim when we started, but I had some good friends with additional resources, connections and experience in the local Sustainability scene. You don't need a lot of resources to start a company. You just need to know how to leverage them. If you need resources you don't have, partner with people who do have them. And I think it's just plain easier to start a company in an area where you DO have some resources than to strike out on your own into the blue. And with how hard it is to start a successful business anyway, every advantage helps.
There are many tools for helping you develop your core values. One great one for developing them within a team is Mastering the Rockefeller Habits by Verne Harnish.
For finding your strengths there are a couple of really good tools. Strengths Finder & the MRE framework.
Finding your resources just requires, well, resourcefulness. Who do you know? Who do they know? Make a list of family and friends and what they do for work (or personally). Talk to them. Do they like what they do? Are they well-connected in their industry? What do they have influence over? Are they the purchaser for things in their industry? Who do they use to help them do what they do?
With all of these things, you have some great tools for evaluating a new venture. Whether you're starting from scratch or you have this great idea and just need to evaluate if you really want to do it or not, these are the building blocks.
It's no coincidence that when you think about this process, it leads much more easily to a bootstrap model of business than the other two (cookie-cutter business and VC-funded business). If you're starting with something that makes you happy it is most likely not going to be just copying someone else exactly. We all have our own ideas of how to run a business. If you're just reading a manual and following instructions, how likely are you to be following your happiest path? The VC path can seem glamorous and sexy, but remember my point about being motivated by money. As has been demonstrated by Dell, Microsoft, Southwest, there is not a business on the planet that absolutely cannot be bootstrapped. So why would you take VC money? Because it seems to make everything easier. But all money does is put a magnifying glass on everything. If you don't start out of the gates with every detail of your business figured out, you could end up with some huge problems.
Innovation comes from constraints, they say. And not the constraint of someone telling you what to do. So many things were really important, but I couldn't do them all. So I had to pick the most important ones to do first. How do you discern which are most important? Constraints help, however painful they are.
I believe the only way for you to freely manifest your values and strengths in a start-up is through a bootstrap model. Figure out what you love and demo, sell, build. Bootstrapping forced me to look deeper at my business and make sure I was doing the right thing at the right time.
Mason Arnold - Greenling Organic Delivery
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Gas used in delivery
So, we occasionally get people who say they don't think a delivery service is very environmentally friendly. Our trucks driving around all day they think is very polluting.
These people have just not thought all the way through the comparison. Polluting compared to what? What we compare it to is each of our customers driving to the grocery store, in particular a natural food grocery store. This comparison leaves out some other neat facts about Greenling, but let's start there. On average in Austin people live 3 miles from a grocery store. This includes all grocery stores. I would say that on average people live 4-5 miles from a Whole Foods/Central Market/Sun Harvest/Wheatsville Coop, if not more. That's 8-10 miles round trip to go to the store.
Greenling trucks leave the warehouse with 60-80 baskets of food in them and drive about 100 miles to deliver all of them. That's 1.25-1.66 miles per delivery. Taking an average of 70 customers, driving to and from the grocery store themselves, that's 560-700 miles total, compared to our 100. So, just looking at the "last mile", or grocery-store-to-the-table, we get your food there with up to 86% less fuel. Amazing! 86% less energy just in the last leg of the food's trip. It's a straight comparison because our vans, completely packed with boxes and with a refrigeration unit blasting STILL get gas mileage as good as the average CAR! over 20 MPG. And I'm guessing there's more than average SUV and truck drivers in Austin, which get worse gas mileage. We get this kind of mileage because we use the most fuel efficient delivery vehicles available in the US, if you were wondering...it's not common for a delivery company to say that. They were 30% more expensive than the competition, but we're fairing the rising gas prices much better than our competition because of that choice AND to us it was an investment in the planet. It goes beyond the bottom-line...though we keep an eye on that too.
Now, considering we buy more than half of our food locally, that takes about another 1000 miles off the average product's food-mile total. Did you know that often when you buy a locally produced product from the grocery store it is actually shipped from a local producer to a national distributor as far away as Colorado, California, or all the way to the East Coast and then shipped back to your grocery store?! I find it rather disgusting. And it's true. Or, it's produced on the East Coast and shipped to the West Coast for distribution before it's shipped back here to the grocery stores. It's a horrible symptom of scaling distribution up and using mega distribution centers instead of regional ones. Squeeze out some extra profit...or at least with cheap gas it squeezes out extra profit. With fuel prices climbing, regional distribution centers are becoming more competitive with the mega ones.
These people have just not thought all the way through the comparison. Polluting compared to what? What we compare it to is each of our customers driving to the grocery store, in particular a natural food grocery store. This comparison leaves out some other neat facts about Greenling, but let's start there. On average in Austin people live 3 miles from a grocery store. This includes all grocery stores. I would say that on average people live 4-5 miles from a Whole Foods/Central Market/Sun Harvest/Wheatsville Coop, if not more. That's 8-10 miles round trip to go to the store.
Greenling trucks leave the warehouse with 60-80 baskets of food in them and drive about 100 miles to deliver all of them. That's 1.25-1.66 miles per delivery. Taking an average of 70 customers, driving to and from the grocery store themselves, that's 560-700 miles total, compared to our 100. So, just looking at the "last mile", or grocery-store-to-the-table, we get your food there with up to 86% less fuel. Amazing! 86% less energy just in the last leg of the food's trip. It's a straight comparison because our vans, completely packed with boxes and with a refrigeration unit blasting STILL get gas mileage as good as the average CAR! over 20 MPG. And I'm guessing there's more than average SUV and truck drivers in Austin, which get worse gas mileage. We get this kind of mileage because we use the most fuel efficient delivery vehicles available in the US, if you were wondering...it's not common for a delivery company to say that. They were 30% more expensive than the competition, but we're fairing the rising gas prices much better than our competition because of that choice AND to us it was an investment in the planet. It goes beyond the bottom-line...though we keep an eye on that too.
Now, considering we buy more than half of our food locally, that takes about another 1000 miles off the average product's food-mile total. Did you know that often when you buy a locally produced product from the grocery store it is actually shipped from a local producer to a national distributor as far away as Colorado, California, or all the way to the East Coast and then shipped back to your grocery store?! I find it rather disgusting. And it's true. Or, it's produced on the East Coast and shipped to the West Coast for distribution before it's shipped back here to the grocery stores. It's a horrible symptom of scaling distribution up and using mega distribution centers instead of regional ones. Squeeze out some extra profit...or at least with cheap gas it squeezes out extra profit. With fuel prices climbing, regional distribution centers are becoming more competitive with the mega ones.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Organic Trade Association annual conference
this is my 4th year to go and every year I am impressed with the growth. I guess 50% growth each year that I have gone. some really great products are hitting the market and the companies really have some good marketing behind them. And that's good considering the competition the industry has from conventional food and how small the organic market still is compared to conventional food.
One worrisome tone of the conference was the impending supply shortage. There are just not enough organic farmers in the US and there are not enough people converting to organics. On one hand it's hard to believe, considering the incredible opportunities there are. But on the other hand it just seems like a cultural shift as America evolves into a more highly-skilled labor force. It certainly takes skill to grow organically, but not the same type of skill it takes to create nano-machines.
so, this supply shortage will mean rising prices in a slumping economy....not the best combination. some people are going to be turned away by the prices. Lots of people, I think. My only hope is that their opinion of Organics is not tarnished by the prices and when the supply crunch is abated they will return as consumers.
I got to catch up with some of the veterans of the industry. Karen wilcox, who has ushered the OTA into a new era with clout in DC, will be leaving. She did some really hard work and won some much needed concessions in the Farm Bill. Can you believe that right now Organic farmers have to pay a premium for farm insurance? Even though their practices are healthier for the land and they are shown to be more resistant to drought, disease, and pests? Incredible. Also, when Organic farmers do make an insurance claim, they are only reimbursed at the conventional price for the product, not the Organic price. Thanks to Karen, both of these will change. Also, she was able to secure more funding for Organic research.
Lynn Clarkson seems to be getting more involved in politics and less in business. That's good because he seems to really understand what it takes to pitch the Organic message to all sorts of people.
and best of all....one of my favorite little snacks - sour gummi worms - is now available organically. And they're made with fruit puree instead of what seems like plastic. They're awesome.
The conference really invigorated me to keep fighting the good fight. I also attended a Sustainability meeting where industry leaders were addressing how they could not only produce Organic goodness, but do it sustainably. It was great to see this issue being tackled.
and, on the way home, I was on the same plane as Margaret Wittenberg, an incredible industry veteran who has done wonderful things for Whole Foods and who is apparently starting to branch out on her own with a couple of books she's publishing. I hope she let's me buy her coffee or lunch sometime so I can hear more of her story.
One worrisome tone of the conference was the impending supply shortage. There are just not enough organic farmers in the US and there are not enough people converting to organics. On one hand it's hard to believe, considering the incredible opportunities there are. But on the other hand it just seems like a cultural shift as America evolves into a more highly-skilled labor force. It certainly takes skill to grow organically, but not the same type of skill it takes to create nano-machines.
so, this supply shortage will mean rising prices in a slumping economy....not the best combination. some people are going to be turned away by the prices. Lots of people, I think. My only hope is that their opinion of Organics is not tarnished by the prices and when the supply crunch is abated they will return as consumers.
I got to catch up with some of the veterans of the industry. Karen wilcox, who has ushered the OTA into a new era with clout in DC, will be leaving. She did some really hard work and won some much needed concessions in the Farm Bill. Can you believe that right now Organic farmers have to pay a premium for farm insurance? Even though their practices are healthier for the land and they are shown to be more resistant to drought, disease, and pests? Incredible. Also, when Organic farmers do make an insurance claim, they are only reimbursed at the conventional price for the product, not the Organic price. Thanks to Karen, both of these will change. Also, she was able to secure more funding for Organic research.
Lynn Clarkson seems to be getting more involved in politics and less in business. That's good because he seems to really understand what it takes to pitch the Organic message to all sorts of people.
and best of all....one of my favorite little snacks - sour gummi worms - is now available organically. And they're made with fruit puree instead of what seems like plastic. They're awesome.
The conference really invigorated me to keep fighting the good fight. I also attended a Sustainability meeting where industry leaders were addressing how they could not only produce Organic goodness, but do it sustainably. It was great to see this issue being tackled.
and, on the way home, I was on the same plane as Margaret Wittenberg, an incredible industry veteran who has done wonderful things for Whole Foods and who is apparently starting to branch out on her own with a couple of books she's publishing. I hope she let's me buy her coffee or lunch sometime so I can hear more of her story.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
My first vacation in 3 years
Mylie and I will go on a belated honeymoon. We eloped in Vegas over a weekend, so didn't have an immediate honeymoon planned. We're going to San Miguel de Allende in the mountains of Mexico. I'll be gone from April 18th-25th, but then the next day we fly out to the annual OTA (Organic Trade Association) conference in Chicago until the 29th.
The OTA show is really awesome and I highly suggest anyone who would like to get up to date on what's going on in Organics attend it. They have speaker panels with some incredible market research that you would normally have to pay thousands of dollars for. They gather all of the industry's biggest and brightest. It's really fun to see the dedication that still exists to the Organic principles even in the large companies. Nobody can make everyone happy, but the OTA is fighting hard to promote the Organic agenda at the national level.
The OTA show is really awesome and I highly suggest anyone who would like to get up to date on what's going on in Organics attend it. They have speaker panels with some incredible market research that you would normally have to pay thousands of dollars for. They gather all of the industry's biggest and brightest. It's really fun to see the dedication that still exists to the Organic principles even in the large companies. Nobody can make everyone happy, but the OTA is fighting hard to promote the Organic agenda at the national level.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Greenling Wins Another Award (#8)!!
The Austin Business Journal gave out awards this year titled "Going Green Awards" and highlight companies that are leading the way in working towards sustainability. Greenling won in the 'Small Business' category! This is a very exciting award and is exactly what we want to be recognized for. We not only deliver healthy, local, and Organic foods that support the local community and help heal the environment...that's a mouthful...WE ALSO strive to be sustainable in everything we do as a business. In our operations. This can be much more expensive financially than focusing on profit, but focusing on profit can be much more expensive to our planet so we make the sacrifice. Thanks to the judges at Austin Business Journal and to all of our supporters!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
The only constant is change
I became very depressed last week when Brooke, our Vegetable Vixen, came into my office and told me she was moving back to Lubbock. It broke my heart. We love her so much here. She said it has been the best job she's ever had, but Zac (We call him Daniel), her husband, was not enjoying his job and all of their family was back in Lubbock and a few other reasons that just led them to believe it was best. It took me a couple of days to forgive her and I choose to believe she will come back some day.
So the whole week I was depressed until I received a note from a vendor that we had been trying to work into our offering, Dishalicious. Elizabeth Winslow said she was interested in combining resources with Greenling and joining the team. We had a great lunch at Austin Java on Sunday to talk about the position and the two companies. I'm so excited to have her coming on board. I think she's going to help take Greenling to the next level and help us help our customers use their newfound freshness and organic goodies. So, a sad day leads to the beginning of a new era.
So the whole week I was depressed until I received a note from a vendor that we had been trying to work into our offering, Dishalicious. Elizabeth Winslow said she was interested in combining resources with Greenling and joining the team. We had a great lunch at Austin Java on Sunday to talk about the position and the two companies. I'm so excited to have her coming on board. I think she's going to help take Greenling to the next level and help us help our customers use their newfound freshness and organic goodies. So, a sad day leads to the beginning of a new era.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Go Dance
Some of you may already know that my wife owns the largest dance studio in town. They do all partner dancing, so country, salsa, ballroom, etc. They have been caught in the middle of the whole Urban Wal-Mart battle at Northcross Mall because that is where her studio is located. Long story short is that she had to move out of her old space and into a new space on the other side of the mall so they could demolish her current space.
Well, this weekend she finally moved in and it is amazing! What a cool space. She will be having a Grand Opening party on the 22nd of this month so if you feel like dropping by please do.
Me, I'm a little sore from helping her move furniture, etc., but not nearly as sore and tired as she is. She's running on pure adrenaline right now as she tries to get settled in the new space. Since permitting problems with the city have delayed her move several times she couldn't risk closing the studio every weekend thinking this one would be the one so when they finally moved this weekend, she had a full schedule and didn't even get 1 day to settle in. They had to run classes while moving. What a feat!
So, go check out the new Go Dance in Northcross Mall sometime and take some lessons.
Well, this weekend she finally moved in and it is amazing! What a cool space. She will be having a Grand Opening party on the 22nd of this month so if you feel like dropping by please do.
Me, I'm a little sore from helping her move furniture, etc., but not nearly as sore and tired as she is. She's running on pure adrenaline right now as she tries to get settled in the new space. Since permitting problems with the city have delayed her move several times she couldn't risk closing the studio every weekend thinking this one would be the one so when they finally moved this weekend, she had a full schedule and didn't even get 1 day to settle in. They had to run classes while moving. What a feat!
So, go check out the new Go Dance in Northcross Mall sometime and take some lessons.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Grain Crisis!
This is going to be a pretty big challenge for the Organic industry and may chase away some people. Grain prices have exploded and are driving prices significantly higher and driving some bakers and producers out of the business. The farmers are going to make a killing, which is always nice, but we may see prices of organic grains and breads jump 100%-150% in the next 6-12 months if nothing is done. Here's an article about it:
Fallout Expected From Super High Grain Prices
The explosion of record high prices on the conventional has pushed the organic sector even higher and the fallout is already happening—organic bakers are pulling out.
“The whole thing is chaos,” said Bob Quinn, who runs the Kamut Association, which is based in Big Sandy MT. “It is so extremely out of control, I don’t know how it is going to play out.” Farmers under contract to plant organic Kamut, a high protein hard red spring wheat, will plant 60,000 acres in Montana and Canada this year.
In trading at the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, hard red spring wheat closed at a record $24 a bushel Feb. 27. The asking price for organic hard spring wheat has now soared to between $30 and $36 a bushel.
“Prices like that are sustainable,” said Travis Sitter, a buyer for Hesco in Watertown, SD. He said some organic cattle and dairy farmers can no longer afford the high price of organic soybean and corn meal, and are switching back to conventional. Bakers are already up in arms and planning a March 12 “Crisis” March on Washington, DC where they will meet congressmen and USDA officials.
“Commodity prices for every item we use are out of control and rising faster than we could ever hope to catch them,” said Michael Kalupa, president of the Retail Bakers of America. “If there is not some type of relief, many businesses will fail.” Ben Volk with Dakota Organic Prairie Flour in Harvey, ND said two east coast bakeries that were buying organic flour switched back to conventional.
What worries Ron Schlecht, a buyer for SK Foods International in Fargo, ND, is that expanded spring planting of hard red spring wheat will prevent farmers from growing other crops such as edible beans. “I don’t know if we can get any flax,” he said. He said one wheat processor told him he did not have conventional grain seed for his customers. Schlect and others said that most organic farmers have set aside enough organic seed for this year’s planting. They all expect more acreage to be planted both in the US and Canada.
Lynn Clarkson, who heads Clarkson Grain in Cerro Gordo, IL, blames the burst in commodity prices on ethanol. He said that subsidies totaling 40% on corn and processing have thrown everything else off. “Land values are going up and the biggest hedge funds are dumping funds into the commodities market,” Clarkson said.
quoted from : http://obn.hotlineprinting.com/obnbreaking.html
Fallout Expected From Super High Grain Prices
The explosion of record high prices on the conventional has pushed the organic sector even higher and the fallout is already happening—organic bakers are pulling out.
“The whole thing is chaos,” said Bob Quinn, who runs the Kamut Association, which is based in Big Sandy MT. “It is so extremely out of control, I don’t know how it is going to play out.” Farmers under contract to plant organic Kamut, a high protein hard red spring wheat, will plant 60,000 acres in Montana and Canada this year.
In trading at the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, hard red spring wheat closed at a record $24 a bushel Feb. 27. The asking price for organic hard spring wheat has now soared to between $30 and $36 a bushel.
“Prices like that are sustainable,” said Travis Sitter, a buyer for Hesco in Watertown, SD. He said some organic cattle and dairy farmers can no longer afford the high price of organic soybean and corn meal, and are switching back to conventional. Bakers are already up in arms and planning a March 12 “Crisis” March on Washington, DC where they will meet congressmen and USDA officials.
“Commodity prices for every item we use are out of control and rising faster than we could ever hope to catch them,” said Michael Kalupa, president of the Retail Bakers of America. “If there is not some type of relief, many businesses will fail.” Ben Volk with Dakota Organic Prairie Flour in Harvey, ND said two east coast bakeries that were buying organic flour switched back to conventional.
What worries Ron Schlecht, a buyer for SK Foods International in Fargo, ND, is that expanded spring planting of hard red spring wheat will prevent farmers from growing other crops such as edible beans. “I don’t know if we can get any flax,” he said. He said one wheat processor told him he did not have conventional grain seed for his customers. Schlect and others said that most organic farmers have set aside enough organic seed for this year’s planting. They all expect more acreage to be planted both in the US and Canada.
Lynn Clarkson, who heads Clarkson Grain in Cerro Gordo, IL, blames the burst in commodity prices on ethanol. He said that subsidies totaling 40% on corn and processing have thrown everything else off. “Land values are going up and the biggest hedge funds are dumping funds into the commodities market,” Clarkson said.
quoted from : http://obn.hotlineprinting.com/obnbreaking.html
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Degree on experience
Someone called my cell phone (thought they couldn't do that) asking if I was interested in obtaining a degree based on my life experience. I was so excited, of course I'm interested! Who wouldn't be?
So she asks me to tell me a little about my background and I interrupt her. I already know what degree I want - "that's great" she said, "what field are you interested in?" "Well, I think I'm an expert in Chocolate Chip cookies and would like a degree in them."
"Sir, you can't get a degree in cookies."
"Why not? Hear me out. I'm very much a connoisseur and could tell you more about the subtle differences between cookie recipes than most people around. I've eaten them my entire life and in most cases can tell you if they"Sir, we can't give you a degree in cookies. goodbye."
Rather rude, I would say. Especially since I think it's a valid request. If I don't qualify for one in cookies, I was also thinking of obtaining one in Hair Shampooing. I've been doing that a long time, too. While I'm not nearly as interested in it as Chocolate Chip cookies, just my long years of experience with it should earn me a degree. Oh well. Maybe next time.
So she asks me to tell me a little about my background and I interrupt her. I already know what degree I want - "that's great" she said, "what field are you interested in?" "Well, I think I'm an expert in Chocolate Chip cookies and would like a degree in them."
"Sir, you can't get a degree in cookies."
"Why not? Hear me out. I'm very much a connoisseur and could tell you more about the subtle differences between cookie recipes than most people around. I've eaten them my entire life and in most cases can tell you if they
Rather rude, I would say. Especially since I think it's a valid request. If I don't qualify for one in cookies, I was also thinking of obtaining one in Hair Shampooing. I've been doing that a long time, too. While I'm not nearly as interested in it as Chocolate Chip cookies, just my long years of experience with it should earn me a degree. Oh well. Maybe next time.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
I was quoted in an article I didn't even know about...
Not a bad article either....kinda glad a few people are listening:
See the Article Here
I had to post the cached page to get around the subscription vice...let me know if it doesn't work for you.
We just started carrying this amazing pork. I have tried the sausage, cutlets, and bacon so far and they are all awesome!
Also, our Brix meters are on their way. Brix testing is a way to help determine the quality of fresh produce in terms of mineral content. Even if something is grown organically, that doesn't mean there are minerals in the soil...which are needed for minerals to be present in the plants and vegetables. Odds are much better - most organic farmers take care of their soil and replenish minerals, but here at Greenling we looked for more conclusive evidence. The Brix testers help us make sure that everything we deliver is the best possible quality.
See the Article Here
I had to post the cached page to get around the subscription vice...let me know if it doesn't work for you.
We just started carrying this amazing pork. I have tried the sausage, cutlets, and bacon so far and they are all awesome!
Also, our Brix meters are on their way. Brix testing is a way to help determine the quality of fresh produce in terms of mineral content. Even if something is grown organically, that doesn't mean there are minerals in the soil...which are needed for minerals to be present in the plants and vegetables. Odds are much better - most organic farmers take care of their soil and replenish minerals, but here at Greenling we looked for more conclusive evidence. The Brix testers help us make sure that everything we deliver is the best possible quality.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Home Delivery more sustainable
Great article from WorldChanging, a resource on sustainability:
http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/007820.html
http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/007820.html
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
More Articles
Article about a peer-reviewed study on kids and pesticide levels in their saliva and urine. Kids who ate conventional foods had unhealthy levels of pesticides in both, kids who ate organic foods had none. Obvious for most of us, but there are a lot of people who are still on the fence about the benefits of Organics. please read if you have any doubt:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/349263_pesticide30.html
Great article on the link between antibiotic resistant bacteria and Honey Bee colony collapse disorder:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/16/magazine/16wwln-lede-t.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=magazine%3E
Here's a great article about Greenling from Tribeza magazine:
http://www.tribeza.com/?q=pd/articledetail&nid=2320
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/349263_pesticide30.html
Great article on the link between antibiotic resistant bacteria and Honey Bee colony collapse disorder:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/16/magazine/16wwln-lede-t.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=magazine%3E
Here's a great article about Greenling from Tribeza magazine:
http://www.tribeza.com/?q=pd/articledetail&nid=2320
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