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July 2015 - In This Issue:
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Upcoming Events
July 13 . 8am - 5pm
Melissa Blackall Headshot Event
*Discounted rate for SBN Members
@ SBN Boardroom
August 18 . 7pm - 9:30pm
SBN Summer Soiree
Harvard Sq. Cambridge
September 20 . 11am - 5pm
Boston Local Food Festival
@ The Greenway
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Dear SBN Members and Friends,
Don't we love the warm weather. After all that snow it feels so sweet to walk outside and not be cold. :-) And we're now in season when New England local food is growing and producing a delightful bounty of delicious locally grown food of all types. The health and joy of eating local and when possible organic food is a major cause for celebration.
Speaking of celebration, this newsletter talks about three terrific local food and drink celebrations. Just a few weeks ago SBN's Fourth Hyper-Local Brewfest was held at the Somerville Arts at the Armory and it was great fun and celebrated a wide variety of local brews from New England.
SBN is excited to invite you to our Summer Soiree on August 18 featuring a local potluck! Bring a dish made with New England ingredients and help us celebrate what SBN and our members have accomplished over the year.
And it's hard to believe, but on September 20th, SBN will be hosting our Sixth Boston Local Food Festival at the Greenway! This is a `must attend' event and it keeps getting better every year! We're particularly excited that new to the Greenway this year is a very special large net sculpture suspended over one end of the Greenway that was designed by the world renown and good friend of mine, Jane Echelman. Seeing this unique sculpture is on it's own worth the trip to the Festival!
The SBN staff wishes you all a peaceful and lovely summer!
Sustainably yours,
Laury Hammel
Executive Director
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6th Annual Boston Local Food Festival to be held on September 20th!
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For one spectacular day each year, SBN transforms the Rose Kennedy Greenway into the nation's largest local & sustainable food hub! The Boston Local Food Festival is a
free
outdoor festival that showcases farmers, local restaurants, food trucks, specialty food producers, fisher folks, and organizations focusing on healthy food and fitness from New England. The Festival features lively chef & DIY demos, a seafood throwdown competition, diverse music, a family fun zone and more.
Festival goers learn about the benefits of sustainably grown and produced food, shop the market, eat delicious local food, participate in fun, educational activities and exhibits, engage with top local chefs and enjoy local music. Themed "Healthy Local Food for All", the Festival connects Massachusetts and New England eaters of all backgrounds with the abundance of fresh, nutritious local food choices available close to home. There are several ways to get involved with this great event:
*
RSVP not required but will keep you up to date with festival announcements!
The Festival is a
zero-waste
event, meaning we divert over 90% of our waste each year and we offset
100%
of our energy use! All perishable items sold are made from locally sourced products. Best of all, we bring this annual event to the community free of charge. So grab your reusable water bottles and bags and enjoy New England's largest one day farmers market, while celebrating "
Healthy Local Food for All
"
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SBN Celebrates at Hyper-Local Craft Brewfest!
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Independent Fermentations with SBN Staff member, Alex
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SBN hosted our 4th Annual Hyper-Local Craft Brewfest at the Armory on June 12 and 13. It was a packed house as people from near and far gathered to enjoy their favorite local brews and discover new ones that can only be found here in New England.
Independent Fermentations was one of many brewers that returned to the Hyper-Local Craft Brewfest. With malt from Valley Malt in Hadley, hops from Four Star Farms in Northfield and some homemade yeast from blueberries, Inde Ferm fit the 'hyper-local' bill perfectly.
SBN is beginning planning our Local Craft Brewfest for November - more information will be announced in the coming months!
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Congratulations Eastern Bank!
SBLP is excited to announce that Eastern Bank has certified four branches as Sustainable Business Leaders. Central Square, Davis Square, Downtown Crossing, and Harvard Square branch locations have all graduated from the Program. The four branches worked hard to reduce resource consumption and energy usage. Many of the branch employees have embraced the changes at work, and have started improving their energy and sustainability practices at home! Please help us congratulate Eastern Bank on this wonderful accomplishment!
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Join us for SBN's Summer Soiree!
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What better way to celebrate summer and the good work SBN and friends have been doing to create a sustainable economy than to have a local food pot luck party!!
You're all cordially invited by Robin Young to join the party and here are the details:
When: Tuesday, August 18
Where:
10 Hilliard St.
Cambridge, MA
What to Bring:
Last name beginning with:
A-H Salads or Starter
I-Q Main Dish
R-Z Desserts
SBN will provide the drinks and will be your 'bartenders' for the evening! Tips will support SBN's work!
Food Requirements:
At least one item in the dish must be a product of New England with a location labeled where the food was grown or raised. Listing the specific farm or ranch or town is preferred.
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SBN Educates Business Owners with
'Bring Your Own Bag' Community Forum
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On Tuesday, June 23, SBN hosted a group of 30
s
mall
business owners and Cambridge city
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Panelists: Owen O'Riordan - Cambridge Public Works Commissioner, Quinton Zondervan - CABA, City Councillor Mark McGovern, State Rep Marjorie Decker and Jim Solomon of The Fireplace Restaurant.
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leaders
to discuss the Bring Your Own Bag Community Forum. This ordinance bans the use of plastic bags in Cambridge and requires a fee to be charged for any bag given at the checkout. The ordinance will take effect as of April 1, 2016.
SBN and the City of Cambridge are working together to create a list of local bag vendors to make the search easier on business owners. Please take our survey to share who your preferred vendor is!
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SBN Staff Connect with Local Business Leaders at the BALLE Conference in Phoenix
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Photo Credit: Elaine Patarini
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As many of you know, Laury Hammel, SBN's founder and Executive Director also founded the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) in 2001. SBN was honored to be the host of the BALLE Conference in 2008. All four of the SBN staff attended the recent BALLE Conference themed 'What's Working Locally' and came back home with many terrific ideas and many new friends.
The staff attended an Urban Agriculture Tour and learned how Phoenix is transforming vacant spaces and abandoned buildings into vibrant gardens, making it possible for residents to source more of their food locally.
It was inspirational to hear presentations by many local leaders who are doing impressive and exciting work that we can all learn from.The staff is currently in the process of incorporating many of the ideas into the programming of SBN for the coming 12 months.
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Welcome to the Newest Members of our Growing Network!
Duval Roofing
is the premier roofer of the greater Reading area and has over 5,000 references from satisfied customers! As a GAF Certified Green Roofer, all of their waste is separated and recycled at their own transfer facility. All debris is removed same day and no driveway dumpsters are ever used. For a top quality, environmentally roof job, contact Duval Roofing!
Welcome
Future Wear to the SBN family! Future Wear is Boston's hot spot for eco-friendly fashion whether you're a designer, a brand, or a customer. Future Wear will provide just what you need to know for your eco-lifestyle! Contact them to learn more.
Land Escapes is where a passion for the natural world and a dream collide forming unique, environmentally friendly, low-maintenance landscape designs and custom cutting edge floral inspirations. Land Escapes specializes in landscape design, water features, rain harvesting systems and rain gardens, living wall and living roof systems as well as complete event design. Land Escapes team will work with you to create the design you envision!
Renewing Members
Intelligent Labor and Moving is a five-crew moving company located in North Cambridge
and Arlington
, MA serving Cambridge, Somerville, Arlington and the greater Boston area
. They provide the kind of attention to detail and quality that only a small business can. We have simple
and easy to understand pricing. Their
movers are better paid, highly experienced and sincerely motivated. Their trucks are well maintained and fully equipped. Our office staff is knowledgeable, pleasant and ready to help.
Preserve has been dedicated to sustainability since the very beginning. Sustainable design is integral to the ways they identify consumer needs, assess feasibility and develop products. Check out their recycled products that where designed with the planet in mind!
Red Sun Press
is a cooperatively-managed printing and graphic design shop in Jamaica Plain, a diverse and burgeoning neighborhood in Boston, MA. They have a small plant with fully equipped offset presses, electronic design and pre-press capabilities, digital copy and bindery departments, and a growing customer base of non-profit organizations, socially responsible businesses and government agencies.
At ThinkLite, they designed and brought to market a supply chain that revolves around mass customization - because they understand that every facility is different, every application is different, and sacrificing quality is not an option. Choose ThinkLite to make your lighting as efficient as possible, contact them to see how they can help save your business money and lessen your environmental impact!
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Somerville Local First
July 15 . E-Commerce Workshop @ The Indo . 5-7 pm . Register (Free for SLF Members)
Presented by Gift Boston & Somerville Local First
Want to start selling products on your website? Learn how to get started in our Ecommerce Workshop, from picking a platform to managing payments and inventory.
Cambridge Local First
July 15 . Driving Your Business' Value @ Cambridge Trust Co . 9-11 am . Register ($20/$35)
Presented by Cambridge Trust Company & Cambridge Local First
How much is your business worth? Whether you are planning to sell your business, grant stock options/ restricted stock to employees or transfer shares to family members for estate planning purposes, it's important to know what drives the value of your business. Join CLF on July 15 at Cambridge Trust, 1336 Massachusetts Ave, for an in-depth and personalized seminar. Refreshments will be provided. |
 Green Tip of the Month Go on a Picnic - and make it Green! It's the perfect time of year to get outside and have a picnic! New England is full of accessible parks and it's the perfect time of year to eat and drink local! Here are some tips for keeping your picnic green: * Pack local, in-season fruits & vegetables - Click here to see what's in season * Use your canvas grocery bags as picnic bags! * Choose a picnic destination that accessible by bike, foot, or public transit. - Find a Park! * Use a cooler instead of individually packaged drinks. * Use reusable cloth napkins and tablecloths. * Bring your own reusable utensils. Trying to pack light? Make sure disposable utensils are biodegradable! * Use sunscreen and insect repellents without chemicals - Find sunscreens that are best for you and the environment * Leave no trace! When you leave, make sure that your spot looks the same as when you arrived. Source: Earthshare.org |
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Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts
