Gatherings 8: Local Area "Green Business"

October 2002 -- Issue 8

Local Area "Green Business"
by Sally Van Vleck
We are thankful to all of the business sponsors for the Bioneers Conference, who have given us a financial donation and are helping to promote the Bioneers Conference. These businesses all follow basic "green business" principles of sustainability. Recently, I posed the following questions (slightly adapted for each business) to the owners of three of these businesses, Food for Thought, Green Island, and the Pleasanton Brick Oven Bakery, so that we can better understand what makes a business "green", and why people undertake such a project. When you need some yummy jam, a loaf of unbelievable bread, or a gift that is made from sustainable and/or recycled products, please support these businesses.
Questions:
1. Why did you decide to go into this type of business?
2. What is the philosophy behind your business?
3. Tell us about some of the products that you carry? Or why are your products special?
4. How has the community response been?
5. Do you think the average person thinks about the consequences of their buying (or eating) habits?
Their responses are on the following pages.

Food For Thought
By Timothy Young
The relationship between human exploitation and food hit me like a ton of bricks when I witnessed a small boy die of starvation 50 feet from a roadside fruit stand in Honduras. Somehow all my years of study and relief work in Central America came together resulting in a personal commitment to bring greater consciousness to my decisions in life. That consciousness has been brought to the creation of Food For Thought and our products. We hope to serve customers who can make the connection between a jar of gourmet fruit preserves and sustainable farming practices, or a pair of tennis shoes and child labor issues in Asia. We also strive to get the attention of those customers that don't make the connection. Indeed, because most consumers do not think about the consequences of their buying and eating habits, it is a core of our mission to strive to be a vehicle for educating people that have yet to realize the relationship between their consumer choices and the resulting human and environmental condition on the planet.
As just a small part of our effort to have a positive impact both our local and global community, we remain ever committed to the use of, and education about, organic foods. Local farmers are always our first choice when seeking fruit suppliers.We also pay our staff members to volunteer in our community and we donate 1% of our gross earnings to non-profit organizations that seek to improve and protect our human and natural environment.
While Food For Thought brings to its customers a full line of gourmet organic and wildcrafted foods and gifts, our specialty is in the fruit preserve category. We've been the first to bring gourmet quality organic products to the market with unique combinations of wine and herb infused preserves. Examples include Strawberry Basil, Wild Blueberry Merlot, Cherry Cabernet and Blueberry Lavender. Other unique products include pickled wild leeks and the first dried organic tart cherries on the market. New products due out this fall include premium maple cream and wildflower honey creams infused with organic fruit, just to name a few.
Food For Thought -- 10610 Oviatt Rd -- Honor, MI 49636
(888) 935-2748 -- Fax: (231) 326-2649 -- www.giftsthatmatter.com -- wildfood@wildjam.com
Pleasanton Brick Oven Bakery
Gerard Grabowski & Jan Shireman
1. Why did you start this business?
Building a brick oven bakery as a part of our homestead seemed like an ideal way to connect all of the various ideas we had about "conscious living". How can we provide a livelihood for ourselves and have it be sustainable and "valuable" to ourselves and others? Bread making with natural leavens and organically grown grains was not happening in Northern Michigan, so we made it happen, and it worked!

2. What is the philosophy of your business?
We strive to make the best naturally leavened organic breads that we can. Certainly the "philosophy" of a green business is not that difficult to attain. Many more businesses and endeavors could easily be "green" if they just had a modicum of desire and discernment.

3. Why is the Pleasanton Brick Oven Bakery so special?
In order to make hearth baked naturally leavened (yeast-free) organic breads we are compelled to: 1) mill our grains on-site into fresh flours; 2) wood fire a Brick Hearth to provide the perfect environment to make the bread: 3) cultivate a "starter" (which is nine years old now) so our bread can be made yeast-free.

4. What has been the community response?
Due to the labor intensive methods involved in making this kind of bread, we have had an interesting relationship with our "consumers". We deliver only certain days and can make only a certain amount so our demand and supply seem to be just right. We seem to continue to sell all the bread we make.

5. Do you think the average person cares about the quality of the food they consume?
We have noticed that at least 70% of our sales come from the "average consumer' and of that half or more are buying our bread because it works for them dietarily. It seems that more and more "mainstream consumers' are interested in whole foods, organic food and food that at least has some flavor and taste!

6. What is the greatest challenge in your business?
It is integrating our family life, homestead, social and cultural demands into a life that is as calm and reflective as possible! While embarking on a sustainable-do-it-yourself-from-scratch lifestyle and business, we recognize this means a commitment and effort of our whole beings!
Also, it is challenging to operate an artisan occupation in a world where Wal-Mart and Nestlé set the "standard".

Pleasanton Brick Oven Bakery -- 10040 Alkire Road -- Bear Lake, MI 49614 -- (231) 864-2203
Green Island
Sean & Lori Burns
1. Why did you decide to go into this type of business?
In a way, Green Island is compilation of our passions and interests. Lori and I have long been active in environmental issues and are very concerned about the way the products we use are manufactured. I had worked for over 10 years in the natural products industry (Herbal and Vitamin/Mineral Supplements) in which we used primarily organically grown crops. When I left my Corporate job, and Lori left her teaching position, we decided to start a business that offered a wide range of products that were made the right way.

2. What is the philosophy behind Green Island?
We utilize what is called the "Triple Bottom Line". As a business we are concerned with our own Profitability, but we try to balance this with the company's impact on Society, and on the Environment.
Our tag line is "Earth Friendly Goods for Home, Body, and Baby". We sell only products that are made using environmentally sound practices, i.e. organically grown, recycled, non-toxic, etc.. We are also very particular about the types of companies we work with. We look for companies that are socially responsible; ones that pay fair wages and provide a safe, non-hazardeous working conditions. A good example is Garuda Wooven Art.
Garuda produces hand woven rugs made in a village outside Kathmandu, Nepal by Tibetan refugees. The rugs are made from organic wool and non-toxic, vegetable dyes. The use of purely natural dyes protects the health of the local waterways as well as the workers, and creates a market for indigenous dye plants grown by rural Nepalese people. Garuda further helps support the refugees by providing their workers fair and decent wages, medical care, clothing, and schooling.

3. Tell us about some of the OTHER products that you carry?
We also offer home finishings made from recycled class and aluminum; extremely durable patio furniture made from recycled plastic: organically grown cotton bed linens and baby clothes; hand made, non-toxic mattresses; natural personal care lotions and soaps; soy and beeswax candles; and of course, the Tibetan wool rugs.

4. How has the response been so far to Green Island?
The response has been fantastic. We often hear comments "It's exactly what Traverse City needed," or "We're so happy you're here." The environmental awareness is so strong here in Traverse City, we feel very luck to be part of this community.

5. Do you think the average person thinks about the consequences of their buying habits?
That's a difficult question. I think the average person is probably not often aware about the impact their buying decisions have on the rest of the world. This being said, there is a very real portion of our population that is very concerned about how products are made.
This demographic, sometimes referred to as Cultural Creatives, represents about 30% of our population and is growing at 20-25% per year. You see examples of this growth in the increased offering of organic and recycled products in our larger grocery chains, the increased interest in alternative medicine and religions, and in the increase of natural living retailers like Green Island. So while the average consumer may not be there yet, it's only a matter of time!

6. Anything else you'd like to say?
I could go on and on, but will leave it at "Thank you!".

Green Island Earth Friendly Goods -- 116 S. Union St. -- Traverse City, MI 49684
(231) 933.8465 -- FAX (231)933.8466 -- info@gogreenisland.com

October 2002-- Issue 8

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		October 2002 -- Issue 8
Local Area "Green Business" by Sally Van Vleck We are thankful to all of the business sponsors for the Bioneers Conference, who have given us a financial donation and are helping to promote the Bioneers Conference. These businesses all follow basic "green business" principles of sustainability. Recently, I posed the following questions (slightly adapted for each business) to the owners of three of these businesses, Food for Thought, Green Island, and the Pleasanton Brick Oven Bakery, so that we can better understand what makes a business "green", and why people undertake such a project. When you need some yummy jam, a loaf of unbelievable bread, or a gift that is made from sustainable and/or recycled products, please support these businesses. Questions: 1. Why did you decide to go into this type of business? 2. What is the philosophy behind your business? 3. Tell us about some of the products that you carry? Or why are your products special? 4. How has the community response been? 5. Do you think the average person thinks about the consequences of their buying (or eating) habits? Their responses are on the following pages. Food For Thought By Timothy Young The relationship between human exploitation and food hit me like a ton of bricks when I witnessed a small boy die of starvation 50 feet from a roadside fruit stand in Honduras. Somehow all my years of study and relief work in Central America came together resulting in a personal commitment to bring greater consciousness to my decisions in life. That consciousness has been brought to the creation of Food For Thought and our products. We hope to serve customers who can make the connection between a jar of gourmet fruit preserves and sustainable farming practices, or a pair of tennis shoes and child labor issues in Asia. We also strive to get the attention of those customers that don't make the connection. Indeed, because most consumers do not think about the consequences of their buying and eating habits, it is a core of our mission to strive to be a vehicle for educating people that have yet to realize the relationship between their consumer choices and the resulting human and environmental condition on the planet. As just a small part of our effort to have a positive impact both our local and global community, we remain ever committed to the use of, and education about, organic foods. Local farmers are always our first choice when seeking fruit suppliers.We also pay our staff members to volunteer in our community and we donate 1% of our gross earnings to non-profit organizations that seek to improve and protect our human and natural environment. While Food For Thought brings to its customers a full line of gourmet organic and wildcrafted foods and gifts, our specialty is in the fruit preserve category. We've been the first to bring gourmet quality organic products to the market with unique combinations of wine and herb infused preserves. Examples include Strawberry Basil, Wild Blueberry Merlot, Cherry Cabernet and Blueberry Lavender. Other unique products include pickled wild leeks and the first dried organic tart cherries on the market. New products due out this fall include premium maple cream and wildflower honey creams infused with organic fruit, just to name a few. *Food For Thought* -- 10610 Oviatt Rd -- Honor, MI 49636 (888) 935-2748 -- Fax: (231) 326-2649 -- www.giftsthatmatter.com -- wildfood@wildjam.com Pleasanton Brick Oven Bakery Gerard Grabowski & Jan Shireman 1. Why did you start this business? Building a brick oven bakery as a part of our homestead seemed like an ideal way to connect all of the various ideas we had about "conscious living". How can we provide a livelihood for ourselves and have it be sustainable and "valuable" to ourselves and others? Bread making with natural leavens and organically grown grains was not happening in Northern Michigan, so we made it happen, and it worked! 2. What is the philosophy of your business? We strive to make the best naturally leavened organic breads that we can. Certainly the "philosophy" of a green business is not that difficult to attain. Many more businesses and endeavors could easily be "green" if they just had a modicum of desire and discernment. 3. Why is the Pleasanton Brick Oven Bakery so special? In order to make hearth baked naturally leavened (yeast-free) organic breads we are compelled to: 1) mill our grains on-site into fresh flours; 2) wood fire a Brick Hearth to provide the perfect environment to make the bread: 3) cultivate a "starter" (which is nine years old now) so our bread can be made yeast-free. 4. What has been the community response? Due to the labor intensive methods involved in making this kind of bread, we have had an interesting relationship with our "consumers". We deliver only certain days and can make only a certain amount so our demand and supply seem to be just right. We seem to continue to sell all the bread we make. 5. Do you think the average person cares about the quality of the food they consume? We have noticed that at least 70% of our sales come from the "average consumer' and of that half or more are buying our bread because it works for them dietarily. It seems that more and more "mainstream consumers' are interested in whole foods, organic food and food that at least has some flavor and taste! 6. What is the greatest challenge in your business? It is integrating our family life, homestead, social and cultural demands into a life that is as calm and reflective as possible! While embarking on a sustainable-do-it-yourself-from-scratch lifestyle and business, we recognize this means a commitment and effort of our whole beings! Also, it is challenging to operate an artisan occupation in a world where Wal-Mart and Nestlé set the "standard". *Pleasanton Brick Oven Bakery* -- 10040 Alkire Road -- Bear Lake, MI 49614 -- (231) 864-2203 Green Island Sean & Lori Burns 1. Why did you decide to go into this type of business? In a way, Green Island is compilation of our passions and interests. Lori and I have long been active in environmental issues and are very concerned about the way the products we use are manufactured. I had worked for over 10 years in the natural products industry (Herbal and Vitamin/Mineral Supplements) in which we used primarily organically grown crops. When I left my Corporate job, and Lori left her teaching position, we decided to start a business that offered a wide range of products that were made the right way. 2. What is the philosophy behind Green Island? We utilize what is called the "Triple Bottom Line". As a business we are concerned with our own Profitability, but we try to balance this with the company's impact on Society, and on the Environment. Our tag line is "Earth Friendly Goods for Home, Body, and Baby". We sell only products that are made using environmentally sound practices, i.e. organically grown, recycled, non-toxic, etc.. We are also very particular about the types of companies we work with. We look for companies that are socially responsible; ones that pay fair wages and provide a safe, non-hazardeous working conditions. A good example is Garuda Wooven Art. Garuda produces hand woven rugs made in a village outside Kathmandu, Nepal by Tibetan refugees. The rugs are made from organic wool and non-toxic, vegetable dyes. The use of purely natural dyes protects the health of the local waterways as well as the workers, and creates a market for indigenous dye plants grown by rural Nepalese people. Garuda further helps support the refugees by providing their workers fair and decent wages, medical care, clothing, and schooling. 3. Tell us about some of the OTHER products that you carry? We also offer home finishings made from recycled class and aluminum; extremely durable patio furniture made from recycled plastic: organically grown cotton bed linens and baby clothes; hand made, non-toxic mattresses; natural personal care lotions and soaps; soy and beeswax candles; and of course, the Tibetan wool rugs. 4. How has the response been so far to Green Island? The response has been fantastic. We often hear comments "It's exactly what Traverse City needed," or "We're so happy you're here." The environmental awareness is so strong here in Traverse City, we feel very luck to be part of this community. 5. Do you think the average person thinks about the consequences of their buying habits? That's a difficult question. I think the average person is probably not often aware about the impact their buying decisions have on the rest of the world. This being said, there is a very real portion of our population that is very concerned about how products are made. This demographic, sometimes referred to as Cultural Creatives, represents about 30% of our population and is growing at 20-25% per year. You see examples of this growth in the increased offering of organic and recycled products in our larger grocery chains, the increased interest in alternative medicine and religions, and in the increase of natural living retailers like Green Island. So while the average consumer may not be there yet, it's only a matter of time! 6. Anything else you'd like to say? I could go on and on, but will leave it at "Thank you!". *Green Island Earth Friendly Goods* -- 116 S. Union St. -- Traverse City, MI 49684 (231) 933.8465 -- FAX (231)933.8466 -- info@gogreenisland.com

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