Serge the Concierge

Gourmet Raw Food to L.A.T.E Ride, an All Night Bike Ride, July 09 Green Events in Chicago

Sniffing around for fresh ideas like a pig hunting for precious truffles, I found a new squeeze named A Fresh Squeeze which started 'in the spring of 2006 with the idea of making it easier for Chicagoans to live a greener life.'

In their July Events Calendar, I noted:

"On July 10 at 7:00 pm a GOURMET RAW FOOD CUISINE CLASS; With Chef Linda Szarkowski of Green Spirit Living; Cost: $65 at Whole Foods Market - Lakeview... Learn How to Make: Old-Fashioned Chocolate Milkshakes, a Vegetable Platter with Mock Sour Cream and Chive Dip, Garden Burgers with BBQ Sauce, Coleslaw, Southern Greens, and Peach Cobbler."

Not sure what a Raw Peach Cobbler looks and tastes like though

In a different register is the L.A.T.E. Ride in Grant Park, July 12-13:

"Non-profit Friends of the Parks is sponsoring the 21st Edition of L.A.T.E Ride, an all-night bike riding affair. Join 10,000 other bikers as you pedal 25 miles throughout Chicago’s neighborhoods and lakefront. Proceeds benefit the creation of new Chicago parks as well as better management of resources, not to mention your heart."

The band Lubriphonic which appropriately plays (I quote) groovy organic funk-rock will warm up the riders around 11pm at Buckingham Fountain.

In the windy city for Green Day # 84

Previously on Green Day: Give and Get your Green Caffeine Fix with One Village Coffee

Other Nocturnal Happenings on 'Serge the Concierge':
October 31st, Halloween on Skates in France with Pari Roller

Give and Get your Green Caffeine Fix with One Village Coffee

Sometimes topics just show up announced.

Such was the case this past Saturday when Steve Hackman happened to be offering samples of his drink local, think global coffee.

I tasted the espresso which was great.

What got my interest as much as the caffeine fix was the fact that his One Village Coffee company (based in Pennsylvania) is a 'social business' and that they are certified organic.

What is social about their business model you might ask?

The answer: part of the profits generated by One Village Coffee will go towards funding the Intercontinental Education Community Center whose goal is to provide schooling to children K to 12 as well as adult education (via its e-learning center) in Nigeria.

Some of their offerings are also Fair Trade certified.

They inform us that for example, one of their purveyors,  Cafe Mesa de Los Santos Estate in the Santander region of eastern Columbia besides "paying above average wages offers free health care for the workers and their 548 family members, education allowance for children, insurance coverage for temporary or permanent work disability, and a pension fund to provide retirement benefits."

I learned from Mesa de los Santos Revisited (John Cossette, 2003) that adding to its green credential Cafe Mesa is "certified by the Smithsonian as Bird Friendly for its shade tree cover, in addition to being one of the first certified organic farms in the country."

Java on higher ground for Green Day # 83

Previously on Green Day:  An Organic Verdejo with a Montrachet Bent, Ossian 2006 from Rueda

An Organic Verdejo with a Montrachet Bent, Ossian 2006 from Rueda

I am ashamed to say it but I have to confess that I have barely scratched the surface in sharing the wines that caught my eye and my attention at the numerous tastings I attended in the Spring 2009.

Let me get at least one off my list today with the Ossian 2006.

The wine is 100% Verdejo, from 180 years old, organically farmed vineyards near Rueda in Castilla y Leon.

This is the fruit of a collaboration between Aalto’s Javier Zaccagnini and Burgundian enologist Pierre Millemann and its style was inspired by the great Montrachets.

The 2007 Vintage has also now been released.

This is not a mega production.

Eric Asimov sings the praise of Rueda's white wines in Emerging, in Spain, to Warm Applause (NY Times, March 2008)

Green with a Spanish Tinge for Green Day # 82

Previously: Will Personal Farmers make Lawn Services obsolete?

Will Personal Farmers make Lawn Services obsolete?

Sarah Amandolare asks Is Personal Farming the Next Big Green Business? (Finding Dulcinea, June 15).

From buying organic at the store, a number of people are turning some if not all of their gardens and lawns from grass to productive.

Not everyone has the skills, the time or the envy to get their hands dirty which has brought a new crop of services.

As Sarah Amandolare notes "the newest way to achieve such lofty ecological goals is to hire a personal farmer, a professional who builds a garden of healthy fruits and vegetables, and returns weekly to tend to it."

Gary Vosejpka, owner of Thorn Crest Farms in Dundas (Minnesota) is one of them.

As Sarah also notes another way to support local farming and fresh and seasonal produce is taking part in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) offered across the US by many such as Thorn Crest Farms in Dundas (Minnesota).

Dedicated to the idea, Local Harvest outlines what CSA brings to the table:

Advantages for farmers:

• Get to spend time marketing the food early in the year, before their 16 hour days in the field begin
• Receive payment early in the season, which helps with the farm's cash flow
• Have an opportunity to get to know the people who eat the food they grow

Advantages for consumers:

• Eat ultra-fresh food, with all the flavor and vitamin benefits
• Get exposed to new vegetables and new ways of cooking
• Usually get to visit the farm at least once a season
• Find that kids typically favor food from "their" farm – even veggies they've never been known to eat
• Develop a relationship with the farmer who grows their food and learn more about how food is grown

Let's not forget community gardens where urban dwellers might be able to get their hands dirty while benefiting of the knowledge of veterans.

In the garden for Green Day # 81

June 9, Foraging through this Month Green Calendar like International Clothesline Week

Rather than being single minded about what topic Green Day should cover on June 9, I thought let's see what others are offering or talking about.

Could not find a better place to start than The green agenda: June by Caroline White (Guardian, June 1) in which she 'rounds up some of this month's green-themed debates, campaigns and activities' mostly around the UK.

Since a week has gone already, let's start with works in progress.

First time I hear about International Clothesline Week, June 6 to June 14 which suggests that during that time we pick a day (not today for me as it is raining cats and dogs) where we give the dryer a rest and let the sun and the breeze do the work (illustration from their site).

On June 21, Miles Irving of Forager UK gives a Foraging Course in Chartham, Kent. You will learn how to identify (edible) plants and gather them.

June 9 is/was actually Liftshare Day in the UK, what we would call car pooling in the US.

In South Africa, Cape Town Green Map was one of the actors in the global launch of Open Green Map on June 5th for World Environment Day which we covered. 

It allows you to 'explore Cape Town's green spaces, nature reserves, organic eateries, farmers' markets, recycling drop-offs, sustainable living projects, eco products and other green choices'...

Down Under, o2 Western Australia, a 'network for sustainable designers' explores 5 Ways Your Bedroom is Killing You (June 4), a bit somber maybe.

A world tour of eco-friendly happenings for Green Day # 80

Last week: Yes You Can...Travel Around Europe this Summer with Rail Europe, Reduce Carbon Fooprint

Yes You Can...Travel Around Europe this Summer with Rail Europe, Reduce Carbon Fooprint, Save Big Time

OK money's tight, gas is expensive in Europe and you want to reduce your carbon footprint.

Rather than use one of the budget airlines, hop on the train.

The people at Rail Europe are offering a lot of sweet deals for Summer 2009 US travelers.

Amongst the carrots they are dangling in from of us is a Going, Going, Gone Thalys Special

Here are the details as offered on Rail Europe site:

"Thalys trains link Paris to Brussels, Amsterdam, Antwerp and Cologne. When you book Thalys travel with Rail Europe between May 27-August 15, 2009* you’ll receive up to 50% off your first or second-class Regular tickets on most Thalys routes traveling direct to as many as 17 cities with over 50 Thalys round trips a day, taking you from Paris to Brussels in less than ninety minutes. *Valid for travel between June 10-August 29, 2009. All pricing noted is per person, one way. Space is subject to availablity. Not valid on Group Bookings. Not valid on domestic routes in Belgium."

If you are a Jacques Brel fan you might want to visit Oostende, one of the cities served or Cologne if Kraftwerk was once a fav...

Not to be chauvinistic, let me put my beret on and sing the praise of another great Rail Europe offer, the Anywhere Anytime France deals.

Here's how it works (in Rail Europe's own words):

How do you save with Anywhere Anytime France™?

• Just one flat fee; no hidden costs, no complex processes and no high currency exchange rates and no shipping fees.
  
• The first trip costs $159.00.
  Each e-ticket bought within the first Anywhere Anytime France™ purchase is $50 per trip.
  Additional trips, after the initial Anywhere Anytime France™ purchase, will cost $70 per trip.
  

See how you can save.

• One-way flexible tickets typically cost over $200.
  For example you would pay:
  Paris – Avignon: $241
  Avignon – Nice: $133
  Nice – Paris: $275 Total price $649

• But, with the Anywhere Anytime France™ you would pay:
  $159 Paris – Avignon: included
  Avignon – Nice: $50
  Nice – Paris: $50 Total Price $259

That’s a savings of $390

End of quote...

City options are endless as the French Rail Network Map above (from Rail Europe site) proves...

Is the ferry from Marseille to Corsica included?

For full disclosure, you might have noticed the 'Rail Europe' ads running on this side but it had no influence on this piece.

I just like the idea of traveling, polluting less and saving some green in our Consumed to Thrifty times.

We will be on the lookout for more train deals around the globe in the coming weeks.

Bon voyage!

All aboard for Green Day # 79

Previously: This Summer, Make your Moving Experience a Green One

This Summer, Make your Moving Experience a Green One

For many people, at least those with school age kids, summer is the time when changing homes, cities, states, countries happen.
Back in April 2007, I mentioned Earth Friendly Moving now renamed Rent a Green Box which provides part of California with a solution to the cardboard box waste (see video below).

They work in their area with Go Green Moving whose vehicles are powered by bio-diesel.

Ariel Schwartz In Eco-Friendly Moving Companies Rapidly Gaining Customers (Green Biz, January 2009) mentions Brooklyn's Movers Not Shakers and Santa Barbara's Movegreen.

I did find as well Green Van Lines in Texas.

Emily B. Hager took a look at some of these companies and services in Moving Day Without All the Waste (NY Times, January 2009).

On Earth Day 2008, Moishe's , a New York area Moving and Storage company announced it was going green.
The company also shares practical tips on their Moving Guide if you go local. Going abroad, check their  Expat Central whose most recent story is Moving to Mexico (May 26, 2009).

I was pleasantly surprised to see Henkel share some best Green practices on Making Your Move with planning, recycling and waste prevention advice.

Planting seeds of green for Green Day # 78

Previously: Stalled Growth for Organic Foods: Soil Association Report and Whole Foods Numbers

Stalled Growth for Organic Foods: Soil Association Report and Whole Foods Numbers

In his slightly polemical column Consumers are savvy about organic food (FT, May 19), Michael Skapinker expresses doubts on the health and environmental benefits of organic foods in general and sees confirmations of that in report of a 32% Fall in Second Quarter Net Income (Motley Fool, May 18) at Whole Foods.

He also mentions the recently released 2009 Organic Market Report by the Soil Association which points to a small increase in organic food sales in the UK of 1.7% for 2008.

Compare this 1.7% to the 22% growth in 2007 reported by the same Soil Association writes Caroline Stacey in a Detailed Look at Organic Foods for Food Matters (BBC, May 2009).

The fall in sales might have more to do with people being more careful with their spending than any reflection on the pros and cons of Organic Foods.

I for one purchase some organic salad greens at my traditional supermarket as they charge a dollar or so less than Whole Foods (which some call 'Whole Paycheck').

As the Soil Association report reminds us the economic conditions shine light on various ways we have to purchase healthier and/or tastier foods be it free-range, local (farmers markets), pesticide-free, fair trade, seasonal and 'natural' foods, not to forget local which as the weather gets more clement can be bought at farmers markets such as the Oakmont Farmers Market in Havertown, Pennsylvania showcased by my friend David McDuff.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Food and Shrinking Budgets for Green Day # 77

Previously: Velo-City 2009, How Cycling Transforms Cities, Brussels, May 12-15

Velo-City 2009, How Cycling Transforms Cities, Brussels, May 12-15

I don't know how far back you have to go but there was a time when you could find more bicycles than cars on the streets of many cities in the developed world.

It was still the case not that long ago in China.

Big cities around the world have started to bring back this light mode of transportation.

The biggest experiment so far must be Velib in Paris. Their site announces that 30 suburban cities around it are joining the program.

A few thousand sturdy bikes (picture above) have already been made available.

A conference aims to help expand this type of initiative to make towns and countries.

Named Velo-City, it takes place every other year. Previous one in 2007 was in Munich.

They describe the event as "generally considered to be the largest conference devoted to cycling in the world. Cycling is a good, healthy, quick and environmentally-friendly means of transport and the meetings being held during the Velo-city conference will promote cycling as both a fun and functional means of getting around."

It comes in many shades and flavors as their video below suggests.

Velo-city brings together policy makers, urban planners, bike companies, non governmental agencies and other non-profits to share ideas and hopefully implement a few.

From May 12 to May 15, Brussels is the host of Velo-city 2009.

On a fun note, for the traveler in you,  if you want a guided tour of the French capital on 2 wheels, Paris à vélo c'est sympa! does just that from April to October. Choose between Paris at Dawn, Unusual Paris or Heart of Paris or even from May to September, Nocturnal Paris.

Don't sweat it!

Green Mexico for Cinco de Mayo 2009

Since Cinco de Mayo 2009 falls on a Tuesday (Green Day), a good way to mark the holiday is to check Green projects in Mexico.

Let's start with Efizia, a Green Tower whose construction should start late 2009 in Mexico City. It is a project designed by Space Architects and World Architecture News reports that green attributes are its "dual façade, a double glazed glass façade with a distinctive, irregularly shaped stainless steel mesh that places less stress on the air conditioning and should reduce energy consumption by some 37%. And whilst the steel has been brought in from Germany, the project’s sustainable credentials – which include grey water recycling, 30% recycled materials and green roofs – have already gained a ‘gold’ standard at pre-certification in the LEED process."

A green referendum in June 2008 in the Mexican capital offered various initiatives (reported by Worldchanging) including:

• Swapping the city government car fleet in its entirety for environmentally friendly vehicles. (Similarly, 5000 of Mexico’s micro-buses will be replaced with less polluting alternatives.)
• Extending the "day without a car" program to Saturdays. Currently the program limits car use by one day during weekdays.
• Launching a new social housing model that incorporates green areas, public spaces and environmental design.
• Building 300 kilometers of bicycle highways by the year 2012 that will help reach the mark targeted by the government of at least 5 percent of person-trips to be done by bike.
• Developing green corridors that will expand the amount of green space in the city to nine square meters per inhabitant.

For eco-friendly tourism, I did not think of the area around Cancun as a place to consider, yet 45 minutes from Cancun airport, luxury resort Hacienda Tres Rios opened in November 2008 is located amongst a 326-acre pristine nature park in the Riviera Maya and has both foot firmly grounded in sustainability. They celebrate their Mayan and Mexican heritage (picture below, from their site).



Lena Katz in Go green: eco-friendly Mexico vacations (Orbitz Travel Blog, March 2009) shares some of the must see spots in the Riviera Maya area.

Even though about 90% of their production most popular being include coffee, sesame, hibiscus and nopal (prickly pear cactus) is exported, Mexico boasts the highest number of organic farms reports Green Planet (April 10, 2009).

Green your Salsa and Tortilla Chips, Happy Cinco de Mayo

Tipping my hat to Mexico for Green Day # 75

Previously: Meatless Monday: Cut your Carbon Footprint, Improve your Health?