Lots of samples to introduce new foods, products too
As seen in A Fresh Squeeze, Sept. 29, 2009
By Jessica Tobacman
Chicago is about to experience a festival that celebrates all things vegan and will showcase how living a vegan lifestyle is about more than food.
The free, first Chicago VeganMania is coming up on Saturday, Oct. 10, at Wicker Park's Pulaski Park field house between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Free samples of vegan food, live music, an art show, speakers, vendors and a fashion exhibit are on the schedule of events. The first 100 people who show up will be awarded bags of food and body care samples donated by a wide array of companies, says John Beske, co-founder of the event with his wife Marla Rose.
Along with free admission, all attendees will receive free tickets for five samples among the vendors at the festival. There will be many tastes available, from vendors including The Chicago Diner, Delicious Cafe, Great Taste Cafe (formerly The Balanced Kitchen), and Chicago SoyDairy.
"We know diet is such a huge factor in the future of the planet," Rose says, "This deserves a place in sustainability. We want to show it [veganism] is eminently possible."
Rose and her husband also are co-founders of EarthSave Chicago, which educates individuals about healthy food choices. After organizing five conferences in five years for EarthSave Chicago, Beske and Rose decided to celebrate veganism. "We felt like it was time to dedicate an entire festival to the vegan options in town, including food, non-profits, clothing and cruelty-free" organizations, Rose says. Everyone involved in the event is a volunteer, she notes.
Chicago VeganMania will showcase at least four bands and different genres of music, including contemporary acoustic folk by Bryan Harrell, energetic funk rock by Darmata, electronica by Dreamlogicc, and teenage riot-girl rock by Circular Convention. SPUNN will perform spinning poi and dance, and Deserae will delight the audience with belly dancing.
"It should be a really good, fun mix of entertainment," Beske says.
The festival will also include a room with speakers, including Nathan Runkle of Mercy for Animals, who has done exposes of the food industry, Dr. Michael Greger of the Humane Society of the United States and Caryn Hartglass, executive director of EarthSave International, who created EarthSave TV and hosts its signature show, "Going Green with Caryn Hartglass."
There will also be an inspirational workshop on vegan food conducted by Rae Sikora and JC Corcoran of Plant Peace Daily. Chicago VeganMania will feature a children's room, too.
Every presenter at the festival is vegan. "We wanted to show veganism in a different light, to showcase the diversity of the community," says Rose.
Showing posts with label 2009- A Fresh Squeeze. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2009- A Fresh Squeeze. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
A new local eco-friendly clothing line is launched
Wearing green is catching on in the Windy CityAs seen in A Fresh Squeeze, Aug. 4, 2009
By Jessica Tobacman
A growing number of local environmentally friendly clothing designers are hitting the fashion scene in Chicago. And as green clothing becomes more mainstream, Chicago-area stores Connect Chicago and Pivot are leading the way, offering customers an array of eco-friendly lines.
Most recently, Connect Chicago , at 1330 N. Milwaukee Ave., launched artless, a house brand that is environmentally and socially responsible, says Jonathan Shaun, the store's co-owner. Connect Chicago will begin selling the artless collection to other retailers in February 2010 and will offer it online in the fall. The collection includes T-shirts, V-necks, polo shirts, long-sleeved shirts and fleece, zip, organic hoodies made from reclaimed materials, some of which are limited-run bolts of fabric from old Burberry and Armani clothing, Shaun says. If not resold, this surplus clothing would be dumped into landfills, he adds.
"Each piece is a very special and a rare piece," he observes. "There are no more than 12 of the same one. In the future, we're ramping up production to 1000."
Pivot, at 1101 W. Fulton Market, has carried environmentally sound clothing choices since it opened in September 2007, including dresses, tops, sweaters, pants, skirts and jackets, says Jessa Brinkmeyer, store owner. "I'm very excited to be part of the green community, and to raise the profile of eco-design and fashion in the city," she says.
The boutique sells clothes by several designers who make sustainable clothing and products with organic cotton that are chemical-free, Brinkmeyer says. Pivot sells clothing by local designers, including Lara Miller, Frei Designs, and Elise Bergman. "We're lucky to have a number of great eco-fashion designers and my goal is to support them as well as I can and to [support] customers learning about eco-fashion," Brinkmeyer says.
Connect Chicago's artless collection are priced from $36 for the T-shirts to $88 for the hoodies, Shaun says. The hoodies, in particular, are environmentally friendly partly because local retailer Wired makes the zipper pulls from reclaimed bicycle chains that would otherwise be thrown away, Shaun says.
The brand name, "artless," means purely unaffected by the outside world, Shaun explains. Many of the clothes are produced in solar- and wind-powered factories in Pennsylvania and India, Shaun says. Connect Chicago also carries organic cottons by the Portland-based Nau brand and Topo Ranch; it also sells Holden outerwear, another eco-friendly brand.
"Our manifesto is to be aesthetically pleasing, highly sustainable and performance-oriented," Shaun says.
Brinkmeyer has a similar vision for Pivot.
"I thought it was really important to highlight eco-fashion and show the more conscious side of the fashion industry," Brinkmeyer says. "Eco-fashion has a long way to go; people, in general, are not aware of the difference with buying organic." She compares the delayed awareness with the local and organic food movement, which took some time to grow in popularity. "Eco-fashion has been gaining more ground in the past four to five years," Brinkmeyer says.
Brinkmeyer's business is growing. She recently launched online commerce at her Web site, and she incorporated a vintage section into the store last winter. Brinkmeyer also holds events about once a month, often designed with educational and community-building components, she says.
The next one is scheduled for Aug. 19, with a vegan theme that includes food and will feature vegan clothes, including coats from the local business, Vaute Couture.
Connect Chicago hosts events as well, about once every six weeks, including fundraisers. A fashion show is in the planning stages for late August. The retailer also donates 3 percent of all online proceeds to the nonprofit organization, the Central Asia Institute, and, within the next month, will donate proceeds from artless sales, too, says Nate Lindsay, another Connect Chicago co-owner. The Central Asia Institute promotes and supports community-based education, especially for girls, according to the group's Web site.
[Update: Brinkmeyer's store has since closed in Chicago, but her clothes are still available online.]
Chicago banking goes green
Some promoting their own green practices and for lenders too
As seen in A Fresh Squeeze, July 7, 2009
By Jessica Tobacman
A handful of Chicago banks are making environmental friendliness part of their daily business. ShoreBank, a local lending institution with branches on the South and near West sides of the city, and in the northwest suburbs, is leading the way with a $35 million tax credit from the federal government’s economic stimulus package, says Joel Freehling, manager of ShoreBank’s Triple Bottom Line Innovations program. The New Markets Tax Credit will help ShoreBank focus on environmental and community development, to promote energy efficiency, renewable energy and green building. Its borrowers include nonprofit and faith-based organizations, individuals, and small business and real estate owners.
ShoreBank will achieve these goals by helping small businesses decrease carbon emissions by offering new services and products, and commercial building owners to make their properties more energy-efficient by including green design in remodeling efforts.
If individuals are interested in retrofitting their homes with environmentally friendly features or systems, they can benefit from ShoreBank’s green lending practices by applying for mortgage loans that cover these improvements. These types of loans are available to current or future homeowners, according to the bank.
Another newcomer expected to join the Chicago green banking scene soon is GreenChoice Bank, which received approval by federal regulators to open, with a target date slated for November. “We’re not even open yet, but people are demonstrating their desire to bank with us on a daily basis via e-mail and phone calls,” says Jon Levey, the bank’s chief lending officer and a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP)
“Our community is responding to the values-based option for banking we represent,” says Levey. Half of GreenChoice Bank’s management team has earned the LEED AP accreditation, which indicates expertise in green building. The bank aims to add a boost to the local economy by lending to individuals that, despite strong financial records, are currently unable to renew their bank loans because of the recession, says Levey.
GreenChoice Bank’s offices will be located in the Green Exchange, a building under construction on the North Side of Chicago that aims to house America’s largest green business community. The Green Exchange and GreenChoice Bank will apply for LEED Platinum status after construction is completed, Levey says. Platinum is the highest level in the internationally recognized LEED certification system. GreenChoice Bank plans to attain Platinum level by incorporating specific green materials in its construction and work environment, including energy-efficient lighting and reclaimed wood, Levey says.
Both ShoreBank and GreenChoice Bank abide by the philosophy, “People, planet, profit,” known as the Triple Bottom Line (TBL). Coined in 1994 by John Elkington, the phrase means taking into account not only company profits, but also the impact on community and environment.
ShoreBank is investing in this idea through its financial services and educational initiatives, partly by encouraging customers to make green home improvements with competitive loans it’s offering, Freehling says. The bank’s educational programs for customers, including 1,200 non-profits, offer solutions to green problems, including where to find, and how to use, healthy cleaning products, Freehling notes.
“Sometimes you need a ladder to reach the low-hanging fruit,” Freehling says. “We try to show people how easy it is to reduce energy costs and consumption.”
Like ShoreBank, GreenChoice will offer consumers competitive options, like higher rates of interest on deposits. It will also work to limit paper usage by offering banking services electronically, an option that is also available through most other mainstream banks.
“Sustainable business practices have informed each aspect of the bank’s operations and we will be rewarding our clients for the sustainable greener choices that they make,” says GreenChoice’s Levey.
As seen in A Fresh Squeeze, July 7, 2009
By Jessica Tobacman
A handful of Chicago banks are making environmental friendliness part of their daily business. ShoreBank, a local lending institution with branches on the South and near West sides of the city, and in the northwest suburbs, is leading the way with a $35 million tax credit from the federal government’s economic stimulus package, says Joel Freehling, manager of ShoreBank’s Triple Bottom Line Innovations program. The New Markets Tax Credit will help ShoreBank focus on environmental and community development, to promote energy efficiency, renewable energy and green building. Its borrowers include nonprofit and faith-based organizations, individuals, and small business and real estate owners.
ShoreBank will achieve these goals by helping small businesses decrease carbon emissions by offering new services and products, and commercial building owners to make their properties more energy-efficient by including green design in remodeling efforts.
If individuals are interested in retrofitting their homes with environmentally friendly features or systems, they can benefit from ShoreBank’s green lending practices by applying for mortgage loans that cover these improvements. These types of loans are available to current or future homeowners, according to the bank.
Another newcomer expected to join the Chicago green banking scene soon is GreenChoice Bank, which received approval by federal regulators to open, with a target date slated for November. “We’re not even open yet, but people are demonstrating their desire to bank with us on a daily basis via e-mail and phone calls,” says Jon Levey, the bank’s chief lending officer and a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP)
“Our community is responding to the values-based option for banking we represent,” says Levey. Half of GreenChoice Bank’s management team has earned the LEED AP accreditation, which indicates expertise in green building. The bank aims to add a boost to the local economy by lending to individuals that, despite strong financial records, are currently unable to renew their bank loans because of the recession, says Levey.
GreenChoice Bank’s offices will be located in the Green Exchange, a building under construction on the North Side of Chicago that aims to house America’s largest green business community. The Green Exchange and GreenChoice Bank will apply for LEED Platinum status after construction is completed, Levey says. Platinum is the highest level in the internationally recognized LEED certification system. GreenChoice Bank plans to attain Platinum level by incorporating specific green materials in its construction and work environment, including energy-efficient lighting and reclaimed wood, Levey says.
Both ShoreBank and GreenChoice Bank abide by the philosophy, “People, planet, profit,” known as the Triple Bottom Line (TBL). Coined in 1994 by John Elkington, the phrase means taking into account not only company profits, but also the impact on community and environment.
ShoreBank is investing in this idea through its financial services and educational initiatives, partly by encouraging customers to make green home improvements with competitive loans it’s offering, Freehling says. The bank’s educational programs for customers, including 1,200 non-profits, offer solutions to green problems, including where to find, and how to use, healthy cleaning products, Freehling notes.
“Sometimes you need a ladder to reach the low-hanging fruit,” Freehling says. “We try to show people how easy it is to reduce energy costs and consumption.”
Like ShoreBank, GreenChoice will offer consumers competitive options, like higher rates of interest on deposits. It will also work to limit paper usage by offering banking services electronically, an option that is also available through most other mainstream banks.
“Sustainable business practices have informed each aspect of the bank’s operations and we will be rewarding our clients for the sustainable greener choices that they make,” says GreenChoice’s Levey.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)