Conversations with Growing City

I absolutely love watching Dragon's Den, especially when there are amazing new innovations or services that have the potential to make major changes. Back in January of 2013, a company called Growing City made their sales pitch to the dragons. Green Earth Organics member and Growing City employee, Genevieve, agreed to speak with us about this fast growing company and the impact they've had on improving our planet.

Can you tell me a little about what Growing City does?

Of course! Growing City is an Organics and Recycling service provider. In a nutshell, we provide offices, restaurants, hotels, cafés as well as commercial and residential buildings organics and recycling collection services.

How has Growing City evolved since we saw you on Dragon’s Den?

Oh boy! Well, for one, I was hired as the first full-time sales manager in order to manage the influx of requests we got from that first appearance on the show. After that, we were able to hire 2 more staff members for our operations side of things, one driver and one operations manager. And, at the beginning of this year we also added a new vehicle to our fleet. So needless to say, things are going great!

So, break it down for me. What happens to the organic waste after you pick it up?

After we collect your organics, our driving team brings the materials to one of [your city's] approved organics processing facilities. We’ve been working with Enviro-Smart Organics and they’re great! At the facility, our load gets weighed and then dumped into a pile in order to start the composting process. The materials get turned every once in a while and, after a few months, you have nutrient rich soil which is distributed... to farmers who will grow more fruits and vegetables to go into your client’s bins. We literally come back full-circle, so neat!

What is the best way for the average person to get started?

Growing City is currently only just in the Metro Vancouver area, but the company is looking for partners in Alberta and the rest of Canada as well, so that soon everyone can take advantage of composting whether at home or at work.

Absolute best way is to contact us. There are a few ways you can do that:

Send us a request online: http://www.growingcity.com/get-started-free-quote-today

Call us: 1-855-WE-COMPO (932-6676)

Send us an email: info@growingcity.ca

Tweet to us: @GrowingCity

Send us a note on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/yourGrowingCity 

Following is for Metro Vancouver Members:

Does Growing City have any suggestions to help people living in cities or buildings without a compost service?

Yes of course! The City of Vancouver has extended collection to apartment buildings that already have city provided waste hauling services so, if you’re one of those, send them a note to get your green bin. If your building is not eligible for then, that’s where we come in.

Just contact us through the channels noted above, whether or not you’re on strata council, we can help you get them on board!

Metro Vancouver has a ban on organics at their landfills coming into effect January in 2015. How do you think this will affect residents of Vancouver and their neighbors?

From the last meeting we had with Metro Vancouver, this is what will happen in January 2015:

The accepted threshold for organics in a load of garbage will be 5%

The garbage haulers who go over this 5% threshold will be fined 50% of their regular tipping fee (108$ /metric tonne at the moment)

Metro Vancouver will begin giving out fines as of June 2015

Since it will be difficult for haulers to determine which clients are contaminating their loads, the thought is that the fines will be redistributed among all of their clients, unless it can be shown that an organics program is already in place. 

So although this ban will not impact residents directly, the costs will end up coming back to them indirectly. We say, better safe than sorry, call us today so we can get you to start recycling your food scraps.

Natural Fruit Fly Traps

Have you noticed that fruit flies tend to be more plentiful in the summer months? Here's a quick vinegar based trap to get rid of them. 

Take a piece of paper and twist it into a cone until there is only a very tiny opening. Tape the cone so it won't come apart.

Then, take a tall glass jar and pour in about an inch of apple cider vinegar. Add a few drops of dish soap. Tape the cone into place inside the jar and seal with more tape.

Flies will be attracted to the vinegar and crawl through the holes, then get trapped inside. Switch out your trap every couple days until you are no longer catching flies.

"Lizard Island: Observation" by Budding Biologist

I was recently given the opportunity to demo a new game created by a new and upcoming company called Budding Biologists. A team of two moms, Dr. Kristine (Kris) Callis-Duehl and Katy Castronovo, who were appalled by the accuracy of the books and games that were available for their kids.

The two women have already written several successful children's books, such as Am I an Insect? and Where do I live?. Both books feature illustrations drawn by Katy which are designed to be as accurate as possible to the living creature. They want to create educational materials for kids that not only match up with core standards, but also look and feel just as fun as any other book or game.

Lizard Island: Observation is the first game of three that gradually introduces children, ranging from kindergarten age to fifth grade, into thinking and playing like scientists. The graphic design of the world you play in is incredibly realistic and the tools are easy to learn and fun to use, especially when a lizard is on the run and you are trying to tilt the screen just right to snap a picture.

One technique the game uses to get kids thinking teaches basic permutations for tagging each lizard when you catch it. You are only given three colours to work with and, as more and more lizards show up each level, you need to get creative in creating as many new combinations as possible so no lizard has the same tag as another.

The two sequels are designed to build on the knowledge gained from playing the first game, while increasing the range of topics covered.

Lizard Island: Hypothesis changes your point of view from playing as the scientist, whose goal is to study and collect data on the different lizard, but as one of the very lizards you were previously studying. Now, your goal becomes survival by learning how lizards find food, water, and shelter, while also hiding from any predators that are hanging around.

The third game in the series will be called Lizard Island: Experiment, which takes players a step further by combining what they learned from both previous games and teaching them how to build a stable ecosystems while creating their very own Lizard Island. Little scientists will get to choose which plants to grow in different areas of their island and also choose which animals will live there, then see how their ecosystem thrives.

Lizard Island is a great way to boost your child’s knowledge of biology at an earlier age or supplement a science program. Just be warned, you may soon have to hunt down a lab coat and magnifying glass for your “budding biologist.”

Organic Panic! An Original TV Series

"Is your food killing you? Is your makeup toxic? Are your clothes destroying the planet? Or, is "organic" just a scam?" Airing September 1st at 2:30 ET, on the digital channel ONE, starts a five part original TV series that will pit an organic "Believer" against an organic "Skeptic" in every episode in an effort to show which is better. There will be interviews with experts on both sides of the debate, plus a closer look into the organic industry to expose myths and misleading information that has developed over the years. From Cosmetics to Food to Fashion to your Home, the show tours all aspects of organic living. Check out Organic Panic for your local listing.

Biofuels Made From Algae?

Graph Courtesy of Biodiesel Kits

Studies have long proven that the Algae floating across our vast oceans is what provides the planet with the majority of our oxygen. Isn't it amazing then, that at least two companies are developing ways to turn algae into fuel as well.

Specific strains of algae secrete oils which can be converted into biofuels. The growth tanks can be set up anywhere there is spare land and enough sunshine to encourage growth. 

Algae grow much faster than traditional crops, and may even be able to use wastewater or ocean water during their development, rather than precious fresh water. Both Sapphire Energy in California and Algenol in Florida are nearing commercial development stage for their fuels.

Plan It Green! A Videogame for the Environment

Most video games feature unlimited resources with little to no environmental impact for using them. Researchers are urging developers to start teaching costs and benefits of resource management into every day video games in order to start teaching kids early how their choices affect the world around them. In Plan it Green, players are given the chance to be mayor of their own city. They get to build and can invest in different renewable resources to try and keep their city green.

Help! My Greens Are Brown!

We have had a lot of questions over the last couple weeks about why the greens have been turning brown more quickly in the summer than in the winter. The short answer is heat.

Greens are out in a field under the hot sun until they’re picked. Once picked, a large commercial farm will immediately run the greens through either a hydro cooler, vacuum cooler, or a pressure cooler. Hydro coolers run produce through an icy cold bath and are commonly used for avocados and other stone fruits. This method isn’t great since it can leave you with water soaked and transparent leaves that have to be trimmed off. Vacuum coolers are perfect for greens, but can take more than five years for a high volume farm to pay off.

A pressure cooler is created by using a fork lift to place stacks of produce pallets in two rows on either of a large cooler fan. The pallets create a tunnel and are covered by a tarp to force the air from the fan through the tunnel. The pressurized cold air leaches any remaining sun heat out of the plants and temporarily stops the breakdown of the plants’ cells.

Small local farms don’t usually have access to these types of advanced and expensive cooling systems. They are a serious investment for such a low profit market and require a lot of open space to use that most small farms can’t really spare. Small farms usually use walk-in style coolers, which take a bit longer to remove the same amount of heat as the other types of coolers.

The time of day they are harvested impacts the amount of heat that is carried into the cooler. A one acre field of romaine lettuce harvested in the morning contains about the same amount of heat as 1/4th of an acre field harvested in the early afternoon. Another factor is how fast the greens are placed in the cooler after being picked. The longer the greens have to wait before going into the cooler, the less shelf life they will have.

Knowing the shelf life of your greens can help you plan which greens to use first when planning meals throughout the week. According to the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA), lettuce variety greens, like romaine, green & red leaf, or spinach, only last about one week in refrigerated storage. It is recommended to wash them before storing. Other varieties of greens, like collards, kale, and chard, only last between 2 – 4 days refrigerated before they start to develop spotting and it is recommended that you do not wash them before storing. So use the chard or kale right away and save the lettuce for later in the week.

There is also a great technique from Discovery Organics for extending the life of your greens that you can do right away. Immediately remove any brown or over-saturated leaves and trim the stem, so that it is freshly cut. Then, immerse the lettuce in bath temperature water for about one minute. Immediately immerse the lettuce into icy water following the warm water and leave for 2-3 minutes. Plants are made up of cells, just like we are, so this technique works similar to washing your face. The warm water opens all the pores on the leaves and allows them to suck in water. The cold water is quickly absorbed and causes the pores to seal in all that fresh cold water. Just make sure to dry any excess water off of your kales and chards before sticking them into the fridge.

Our newsletter is written for you, so feel free to let us know what interests you! I’m always happy to write articles regarding questions you might have or topics you’re interested in. ~ Rachel

Dish-washing versus Dishwasher?

Believe it or not, washing your dishes by hand is less environmentally friendly than running your dishwasher! The average dishwasher uses six gallons of water per load (four or less for energy efficient models) while the average faucet pumps out two gallons per minute.

Now, imagine hand washing all of your dishes while using only two minutes worth of water. Even with electricity use factored in, a dishwasher uses less electricity than is used to heat the water running through the faucet.

Save the Bees and Ban “Neoinic” Pesticides

If you’ve been paying vague attention to the news over the last decade, you probably know that we’ve been seeing an alarming decrease in bee populations since the early 2000s. Considering that our produce doesn’t actually grow itself and bees are our primary source of pollination, this is a bit of a concern for future life on our planet. Various governments have thrown cabals of scientists at the problem and, while they spent the usual amount of time arguing with each other, recently we have begun seeing results from various studies.

The most widely agreed upon cause of colony collapse is neonicotinoid pesticide usage.

So, what are “neonic” pesticides and what have they been doing to both humans and bees? They were first developed in the 1990s by Shell and Bayer as a reduced toxicity alternative to current pesticides on the market that would only target pests and not helpful insects. Its base is a compound chemically similar to nicotine, which acts as a natural insecticide. FYI: I honestly don’t understand why people voluntarily smoke poison.

The first pesticide developed by Shell was found not to be photosoluable, meaning that it didn’t break down in sunlight and was not viable for use with human consumables, so it was never released for public use. The second, which has been commercially available since the early 2000s, is water-soluable and will break down slowly when left in the environment. Since then, two other varieties have been developed and virtually all GMO corn grown in the Midwestern USA is treated with one of these types of pesticide. (Yay! They’ve basically been adding nicotine to food!)

So now that we’ve established this pesticide as not the best thing in the world, although better than what we used to use, what is the impact of “neonics” on bee populations? It is true that they aren’t killed. However, when this type of pesticide is applied to plants and a bee lands on them, the bee loses its ability to learn and remember navigation routes from its hive to their pollen sources. Simply put, they can no longer find their way home.

If that wasn’t enough, the bees that do make it back to their hive with infected pollen have unwittingly brought back a slow acting poison. In low doses on plants the pesticide doesn’t kill bees, but when concentrated while making the honey that provides the hive with nourishment, it often becomes lethal. To put it plainly, the bees are making their own food poisonous, which begs the question… what about the honey and produce that the everyday human is eating? With our larger bodies and such small amounts there aren’t the lethal effects seen in bees, but what about the neurological effects that are keeping bees from remembering where their hive is? It would be interesting to find out if those who developed memory disorders have had a wide exposure to this type of pesticide.

The European Union has already banned this class of pesticide, but Canada and the United States have not yet done so. There are initiatives by environmentalists and beekeepers to ban neonicotinoids in the United States and they have even filed a lawsuit against the Enviromental Protection Agency. Until they succeed, and here in Canada, that still puts even the regular garden bee at risk because garden centers regularly spray their plants with pesticides. You could buy a “bee-friendly” plant in the spring that has already been sprayed with the same pesticide that has been harming them!

Help Canada take action by signing the Suzuki Foundation’s “Petition to Ban Bee Killing Pesticides”

Have Solar Power, Will Travel

When challenged by an environmentalist to figure out how to provide water, electricity, and internet access to people located in even the most remote regions of the world, EcoSphere Technologies developed the PowerCube. Essentially a set of extendable and retractable solar panels, the PowerCube can be transported anywhere it's 15 kilowatt generator is needed.

The PowerCube also has atmospheric water generators, which provide water directly from air humidity, as well as internet connectivity and satellite communications. Designed specifically for disaster relief, humanitarian, and military uses, it can be flown in via helicopter to remote villages for schools and medical clinics and to disaster sites.

Beeless Honey?

So, thought only bees could make honey? Think again! People have been making honey on their own for decades, but only now have we started to see an emergence into the public market.

With the risk to honey bees so high, demand for a more stable source of honey has been rising as well. Most of these beeless honeys use clover, rose hip, and alum as a base, but there are a few which use apples and other fruits as well. These honeys are Vegan, Gluten-free, and great for anyone with an allergy to traditional honey.

Organic Versus Convential Farming. Go!

Controversy makes amazing news and nothing is more controversial than organic farming. Debates have already sprung up on the legitimacy of a recently released paper by Rodale Institute, the world’s leading advocate of organic farming practices - going back to 1947.

The company ran a 33-year Farm System Trial designed to compare the results of conventional farming with that of organic farming on CO2 emissions.  Despite citing sources from 75 different peer reviewed and unaffiliated studies, there are an amazing number of skeptics who would be more than happy to debunk every word in the report.

The trial compares neighbouring plots of land, one farmed organic and the other conventional. Both types of plots were divided into till and no-till sections to reflect farmers who use both methods. The organic fields used typical organic farming techniques like crop-rotation and cover crops, while the conventional fields used the most common forms of synthetic pesticides and GMOs.

According to the study: “Recent data from farming systems and pasture trials around the globe show that we could sequester more than 100% of current annual CO2 emissions with a switch to widely available and inexpensive organic management practices, which we term “regenerative organic agriculture.” These practices work to maximize carbon fixation while minimizing the loss of that carbon once returned to the soil, reversing the greenhouse effect” ~ Read about the White Paper ~

The downside, since no potential solution is ever perfect, is that the first few years those farms switch their produce to organic, the yields aren’t as high due to previous soil depletion and they don’t qualify as organic yet so farmers are investing a lot of money without equivalent return.

This prevents a great deal of farmers from switching, especially when they have such a low profit margin as it is. With so many farms already in trouble due to drought and pest problems, we’re not likely to see a rapid increase unless they apply for grants or subsidies from the government or private investors.

The Lovely Ladies of Healing House Teas!

Hi Everyone! I was able to track down the ladies of Healing House Teas in Calgary for you this week.

So, how long have you owned Healing House Tea?
We just had our official launch date on May 4th, 2014.

That recently? Wow, Congratulations! I wish you luck! What was your inspiration for starting a business in Tea?
We’ve been long time friends (since grade 8) and we’ve pursued several dreams together including going to college and university together, travelling together, and now building a business together. We both have an entrepreneurial spirit and we want to work for ourselves. We just had to find something we would be passionate about. We LOVE tea and we love providing a product that not only tastes good but is good for you. We focus on the healing aspects and ingredients in tea and we make it a priority to choose teas with only the best healing ingredients. Another huge aspect of Healing House Tea is our Cup for Cup program, it’s so important to us to give back and this program is a great first step.

What was your ultimate goal when you started and has that goal changed?
We want to make a difference in the world. Our goal of opening this business is to keep people healthy and keep tea the way it should be – whole ingredients, all natural and free of any preservatives and artificial additives. When we first started Healing House our vision was small – we wanted to serve high quality tea and deliver to people’s homes. In the process of creating our product it has blossomed way beyond our dreams and expectations. We are now carried in high quality retail shops, organic vendors (GEO) and in restaurants. Our goals have evolved to meet the market, we stay true to our original vision but we are ensuring we are expanding and being flexible to all opportunities.

What experience did you have before starting Healing House Tea?
We both have a background in business. Angela has a Masters in International relations and Arla has an MBA with a focus on entrepreneurship. We’ve both travelled extensively and through our travels have come to know that tea is a huge way of life in many countries. In many eastern countries, tea is known for its healing properties. We are passionate about tea, the countries it is grown in and the people who work so hard to get this tea out into the world.

Did anyone discourage you from this?
No one came straight out to tell us not to do this but we definitely encountered skeptics. Many people don’t understand why we would spend our hard earned money in starting a business that may or may not be successful. When you step out and do something ‘out of the norm’ there will always be people who don’t understand or think that you should be doing something else. However, with every little bit of skepticism that we’ve encountered we have had a lot more support from our family & friends.

Has it been harder than you thought it would be?
Without a doubt it is more difficult than we thought. When we first thought of this idea we had no idea how much time, effort, and money would be going into our business. Every day we run into something new – a new challenge or a new idea. I think when opening your own business you have to remain flexible and be able to roll-with-the-punches so to speak.
But you would do it all again?
YES!!!! It’s been difficult and stressful at times but every second has been worth it and there is nothing like seeing your idea become reality.

What would you do differently?
We’ve made a few mistakes, which have been great to learn from, but some of our mistakes have been our best ideas. For example, we ordered around 700 tins to package our tea in that were the wrong size of tin. We thought the tins would be about 5 times bigger (we somehow majorly messed up the measurements) but we made labels for those tins anyways and they have been one of our best selling products. They’ve turned out to be great for sampling our teas. So, long story short we have made mistakes, like every new business has, but instead of dwelling on them we learn from them, so back to the original question; would we have done anything differently? Probably not.

What advice would you give another person who wants to set up their own business?
Do something you’re positively passionate about. One of our favorite quotes is from Steve Jobs, “your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

And if you have an idea, execute it, so many people have amazing ideas but if you never execute those ideas someone else will, take initiative!

What inspired you to start the Cup for Cup program?
We wanted to incorporate a way to give back to the countries that we get our tea from. After travelling to these countries it became very obvious that fresh water is a luxury and many communities don’t have access to fresh water. We donate a portion of the proceeds of each sale to provide wells in areas that don’t have fresh drinking water these countries include India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, China and Africa.

How has the Cup for Cup program impacted your suppliers so far?
Because we have only been open one month, the impact would not have been noticed or felt yet. Our plan is to every year in December build a well in a different country where our tea comes from. This December will be our first well. In the coming year, we will be adding a map to our website so our tea customers can see exactly where the wells have been built and keep track of how many wells their purchases have helped to build.

California Produce Problems Continue

June in Los Angeles. 21 degrees Celsius with not a cloud in the sky and a slight breeze coming off the ocean. The perfect weather for my trip this week, but the source of stress and worry amongst Californian farmers and ranchers. With a rainy season lasting only from December to March, residents have no relief in sight. Farmers react by planting less and less crops, leaving now over 800,000 acres (over 324,000 hectares) barren and empty. Previous estimates for this year’s growing season had only 500,000 acres (200,000 hectares) left unplanted. 

These dry fields quickly suck up what little rain does fall and increase the risk of dust-bowl conditions. When the hot dry winds blow through the San Joaquin valley, whirlwinds kick up dust and cut a swath across the landscape. It isn’t anywhere close to the Dust Bowl conditions seen in the 1930s, where storms of dust clouds trapped people indoors and droves of farmers fled their homes with only what they could carry with them, but it certainly isn’t looking good  for the future either.

As if the drought conditions from lack of rain haven’t been bad enough, researchers have been looking at other factors to see what else may be impacting produce growth in California. While growing up, even during the hottest weeks of August, there was always a bank of fog covering the entire coastline in the early mornings. It burned off as the sun rose, but it made those early mornings in summer nice and cool. Fog was especially prevalent in the valleys during the late winter and early spring, where it would get trapped by the mountainous ridges on either side and create lower temperatures and shade the newly planted sprouts.

Researchers looking at satellite images have found that over the last 15 years, the amount of fog appearing in the valley areas of California has decreased by 46%. What does this mean for growers? Less fog means more hot sun and warmer temperatures that can scorch and wither more sensitive plants. Without shade for part of the day, lettuce greens are struggling significantly and many fruit and nut trees are producing less quantities than they would without constant direct sunlight. More direct sunlight during the day also means that what ground water is available is evaporating more quickly, contributing to the drought conditions.

These cooler temperatures before the spring growing season starts are necessary for almonds, pistachios, cherries, apricots and peaches. The trees use the cool and shaded days to develop the buds that eventually become the nuts and fruit we eat. Without the sufficient “rest period” the trees become stressed, produce less buds, and those buds that do form have a harder time developing properly. Already, many farmers are looking for alternate locations to replant established groves where they will have a better chance of producing higher yields. 

Some farmers may still be saying “if I can survive this year, then the rain will come,” but for most farmers… they have already been just “surviving to the next planting” for a couple years and have now reached the tipping point that could put their farms under for good.

Watching my mom unpack the latest haul from the local Santa Monica Farmer’s Market was just as enlightening. “These were really expensive,” she stresses as she pulls a small bag of rainier cherries and two white peaches from her bag. “I’ve never seen them so expensive.” Even here in California, where the produce is locally grown, prices have skyrocketed, people are noticing and all the average person can do is keep hoping for rain.

Solar Roadways: Driving Green

Testing the Solar Roadway Panels with a Tractor

Imagine driving down a road that is powering your car, your city, and itself all at the same time. No more paint lines, just use LEDs lights that can also tell you road speed or when someone is crossing the street. Snow? Ice? Not a problem, internal heaters keep snow and ice from forming on the road. What powers this amazing roadway? Light. Sun, headlamps, anything that produces light that the panels can transform into electricity.  Brilliant! (Pun intended)

Check them out! Solar Roadways

Greenhouse Project

The Manhattan School for Children wanted to give their students a solid foundation in the environmental concerns about living in a big city. So they built a greenhouse science lab on their roof! The idea was that students “grow food, while learning hands-on about nutrition, water resource management, efficient land use, climate change, biodiversity, conservation, contamination, pollution, waste management, and sustainable development.” The project was so successful that there are now 25 labs at schools throughout New York City and their goal is 100 labs by 2020. NYSunWorks

Non-Dipped vs Dipped Fruit??

Tommy Atkins Mangoes

"Dipping" is a process that submerges fruit in 40 degree Celsius water to kill any fruit fly eggs that may be hiding on them. Any fruit that travels to the USA is always dipped. Dipping can cause uneven ripening, stringy textures, and a loss of flavour by ripening too quickly for the sugars to develop. Thankfully, since Canadian winters kill off any fruit flies that may make it north, we don't require fruit to be dipped before entering the country. We still receive dipped fruit from the USA, but anything that travels directly and by-passes the USA does not need to be dipped. Non-dipped fruit ends up having a much longer shelf life and richer flavour.

Avocados & Mangoes & Twisters, Oh My!

Two tornadoes recently touched down in Michoacan, Mexico, a sight normally seen in the "Tornado Alley" regions of the United States (and occasionally in southern California). Most people would head for the basement or nearest bathtub, but residents in Michoacan were filmed standing in the streets in shock and horror.

One twister cut a 2 km swath through  mango groves, leaving behind unripened mangoes in a carpet on the ground. The other touched down in the Avocado area of the state. While only a small percentage of the areas crops or avocados and mangoes were affected, there are quite a few growers who have no crop insurance and are seriously feeling the damage.

Good Guide Website & Mobile App

In honour of Earth Day, I want to share an amazing website and mobile app that allows you to find out the “Good” rating of products on the market, as well as companies. Products are analyzed for their health, environmental, and social impacts. Companies are rated on environmental and society impacts; which includes their sustainability practices, their employee policies, and how the company gives back to the community. Check out Good Guide, their database is growing quickly and even includes appliances, cell phones, and cars!

Creatively United for the Planet's 3rd Annual Festival - Saturday April 26th

Creatively United for the Planet is exactly what it sounds like, communities and individuals united together in creative ways to promote taking care of our planet. “We focus on education and awareness,” states founder Frances Litman. “We want to create a positive atmosphere and attitude towards approaching a difficult/negative subject [like the current state of the environment].”

Recently in June 2013, they created Vancouver Island Green Scene, another non-profit that specifically focuses on “building, enhancing and supporting a values-based green economy” which “promotes sustainable choices and responsible practices.” Members range from individuals and businesses to local agriculture and the regional government. As the list grows, Frances hopes that it can be used as a resource not just for members, but also the local community.

As a non-profit organization, their projects mostly involve bringing people together to share ideas and talk. A local company in Victoria has helped them create a community blog where anyone can share ideas, articles, stories, and anything that interests them or might interest others. This new program is called TicTalking and is an innovative new way to use technology to gather people together. Say goodbye to the old staple covered bulletin board at the community centre and instead just log on to TicTalk for all the latest in your community.

Founded in 2010, the society has hosted two community festivals, which last year drew over 5,000 Victoria residents. Amazingly, in spite of having over 5,000 attendees, the festival only had 4.5 bags of garbage! Everything else was either composted or recycled.

This year they are proud to present this year’s third annual Creatively United for the Planet Festival 2014 on Saturday April 26^th, which will coincide with the 33^rd annual Earth Walk parade. Gather together at Centennial Square at noon because the walk takes off at 12:30pm sharp to bring everyone to St Ann’s Academy, the festival hosts. With tons of food, arts and crafts, dancing and other events, the festival will be a great day out for people of all ages.

If you enjoyed our interview article on Level Ground Trading, co-founder Stacey Toews will be joining Deebee’s Organic Tea Pops founder Dionne Laslo-Baker in an educational talk. I had the great fortune of trying Dionne’s Tea Pop’s at a trade show last weekend and was incredibly impressed.

Stacey and Dionne will be sharing their experience and ideas on how everyone can integrate healthy eating, living, and being into their business. From how employees interact with each other, to product quality, relationships with suppliers, keeping your business environmentally healthy, and reinvesting profits back into the community.  The talk will be in St. Ann’s auditorium on Saturday April 26^th and goes from Noon until 1:30pm. It is a ticketed event (only $12 pre-sale, $25 at the door) and all proceeds go straight back into the society for planning their next event.

Another light hearted and fun family event will be the screening of “The Clean Bin Project,” a film where partners Grant and Jen go head to head to see which of them can “swear off consumerism and produce the least garbage in one year.” The film has won over six different awards since its release, including Best Canadian Documentary Projecting Change in 2011. It has been described as “An Inconvenient Truth meets Super Size Me.” It is also a ticked event $12 pre-sale and $20 at the door.

We hope to see you there!