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October 2015 - In This Issue:
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Upcoming Events
October 23 . 9:30 - 11:30am
Food Day
@ MA State House
October 27 . 9:30 - 11:30am
Joint Committee on Telecommunication, Energy & Utilities
Public Hearing on Carbon Pricing Bill
November 1
Natural Awakenings presents
Revolution of Conciousness Film Festival & Expo
@ The Westin, Waltham
November 3 - 5
Rising Seas Summit
Featuring CABA
@ Sheraton Hotel, Boston
November 4 . 6pm-8pm
Increasing Sales through Marketing
@ Fairmount Innovation Center
November 20 . 6-9pm
Local Craft Brewfest
@ Boston Cruiseport
December 10 . 7-10pm
SBN's 14th Annual Winter Gala
@ Arts at the Armory
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Dear SBN Members and Friends,
If you missed the Sixth Boston Local Food Festival I send you my heartfelt condolences! :-) It was a quintessentially beautiful New England autumn day and the delightful weather helped make the Festival sparkle with aliveness and an ever-expanding sense of community! Check out the article below for just a few of the highlights of this important celebration of local food, farming, and fishing! I offer my heartfelt thanks to the following people who made this local food party a humongous success:
- The SBN staff who did an incredible job organizing this gargantuan event and did this good work with passion and joy!
- Nicola and The Williams Agency who were instrumental in every aspect of the production and promotion of the Festival.
- Our sponsors and vendors who were big attractions and without them the festival wouldn't happen.
- The Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Resources and Bonita Oehlke and Mary Jordan for partnering with SBN to make this Festival a vibrant reality.
- Save That Stuff who sponsored and helped make the Festival a Zero Waste event.
- The hundreds of volunteers who happily provided the complex logistical work necessary to make this event a smooth and customer-friendly event.
- The Rose Kennedy Greenway which is the perfect location for this special event!
The SBN team is already planning for the 2016 Festival and we will be sending out a date as soon as it is finalized.
And please put on your calendar our Local Craft Brewfest which is set for a new location at Boston Cruiseport on November 20th. SBN's Brewfests are really fun events that feature a veritable cornucopia of emerging brewers in this exciting and growing local and independent industry. Get your tickets now!
Sustainably yours,
Laury
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SBN's 6th Boston Local Food Festival is
Biggest & Best Yet!
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A view of the Festival from above.
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On Sunday, September 20th, nearly 60,000 locavores made their way to the Rose F Kennedy Greenway for the 6th Annual Boston Local Food Festival. With over 140 vendors, this was the largest gathering of local food producers thus far. The gorgeous New England autumn day set the stage for a spectacular day of food, fun, and fellowship!
This signature event for the Massachusetts Local Food Movement offered the opportunity to support local agriculture and fishing. The
Festival featured the Le Cordon Bleu
Chef Demo, The Seafood Throwdown, The New England Village and the "50 by 60" New England Food Vision expansion, interactive Family Fun Zone,
local music
and more!
- Food Solutions New England (FSNE), a Festival sponsor & partner, hosted a media briefing
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Future Chefs serving up their delicious chili!
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to give an update on a New England 50 by 60 Food Vision.The 50 by 60 vision calls for our region to build the capacity to produce at least 50% of clean, fair, just and accessible food for all New Englanders by 2060.
- "The New England Village" presented by FSNE & SBN was a follow up to the Massachusetts launch and announcement of FSNE's 50 by 60 vision at last year's food festival. The New England Village highlighted a select few of the New England vendors who are closely aligned with the Vision and are dedicated to supporting and celebrating our region's interconnection, making a vision of 50 by 60 come to life!
- This year's "Seafood Throwdown" organized by Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance (NAMA), focused on Women in Fisheries and Food Systems. The Dream
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| Spring Rain Farm, selling cranberries in the New England Village. |
teams were Women of Fishing Families, Chatham MA vs. Women of New England Fish Mongers out of Dover, NH - Great gals, great cooking, and great stories!!
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- * The Festival also featured CommonWealth Kitchen, a Festival sponsor. The Festival gave CWK a chance to showcase the emerging food entrepreneurs that are being producing amazing products in their kitchens.
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- * This year's Family Fun Zone was filled with exciting interactive games and activities for the whole family. From getting physical, to being in touch with our animals of the land and sea, there was something for everyone!
A huge thank you to our sponsors: Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, Backyard Farms, Boston Foundation, Boston Organics, CommonWealth Kitchen, Eastern Bank, Gentle Giant, Harvest Coop, Le Cordon Bleu, Longfellow Clubs, MA Dairy Promotion Board, Neighborhood Health Plan, Save that Stuff & The Trustees.
And to our partners: Cambridge Science Festival, City of Boston, Edible Boston, Future Chefs, KAS Consulting, Melissa Blackall Photography, My MilkCrate, NAMA, Natural Awakenings, Pencil One Commercial Photography, & Rose F Kennedy Greenway.
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Check out the 6th Annual Local Craft Brewfest at
Boston Cruiseport on November 20!
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Join us for the 6th Annual Local Craft Brewfest at the Cruiseport Boston located at 1 Black Falcon Ave - our new location on Boston harbor. We'll be the first Brewfest at the Cruiseport! Hosted by SBN and the Boston Local Food Festival Committee, the Local Craft Brewfest has grown every year since 2010. Expanded this year with a new location, the Local Craft Brewfest will gather over 1,000 local brew fans to celebrate together with dozens of local vendors. Come taste, discover, socialize and network with dozens of local craft breweries, distilleries, cideries, meaderies, artisan beverage brewers, and local food producers! While celebrating local brews, you can participate in Chef Demos, cocktail demos and cool games while savoring live music by local musicians and enjoy views of the Boston Harbor.
The Local Craft Brewfest is a fundraiser for the Boston Local Food Festival, considered New England's largest one day Farmers Market and a celebration of local food. The brewfest will take place inside and outside of the Cruiseport Boston with more than 75 local tastings and local food bites and local food will be on sale for only $6 or less per serving size. It's a great opportunity to meet local brewmasters and owners of local eateries who are as passionate about local food as you are! VIP tickets are back and this year we're amping them up!
We are putting more value towards your VIP tickets with:
- Early admission starting at 6:00 pm
- Fast lane check-in + swag
- One meal voucher to redeem at any of the participating food vendors (including food trucks)
- $10 off towards the 2016 SBN's 5th Hyper-Local Craft Brewfest at The Armory, Somerville
- More surprises to come!
What's included with the general admission ticket?
- Unlimited tastings from our participating brewers, craft brewers, distilleries, cideries, meaderies, artisan beverage vendors
- Unlimited samples from participating local food vendors
- Access to purchase delicious local food for only $6 or less per serving
- Live music and entertainment
- Festival Guide with listing of all vendors Compostable tasting cup
- Chef Demos
- Cocktail demos
- Cool games
- Supporting the local food movement by raising much needed funds for the Boston Local Food Program
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Celebrate with SBN at the 14th Annual Winter Gala!
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On Thursday, December 10, SBN will host our annual Winter Gala and fundraiser at
Arts at the Armory in Somerville. The evening will be a casual, festive affair to celebrate the accomplishments of SBN and our members and partners in 2015. You can expect a delicious, locally sourced meal from
Basil Tree Catering, soda from
Spindrift, cider from
Downeast Cider House, desserts from
Dancing Deer and more! The Gala will feature a silent auction to help SBN raise critical funds to sustain and grow our programming in 2016. Expect more details in the coming month and pick up tickets for a memorable event!
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Massachusetts to Unveil Food System Plan at Food Day!
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Join us on Friday, October 23, from 9:30- 11:30AM at the Massachusetts State House in Boston, 24 Beacon St., 2nd floor for a Food Day event to release the first public draft of the Massachusetts Food System Plan. Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Commissioner John Lebeaux will join plan authors, advocates, stakeholders and policy makers to release the draft plan, which represents nearly two years of work and input from more than 1,000 farmers, consumers, advocates, policymakers, and other food system stakeholders. This will be an opportunity to learn about the plan and talk to people about how the goals and recommendations it proposes can help grow the Commonwealth's food system
The plan will be made available for download that morning at
www.mafoodplan.org, and public comments on the draft will be accepted through November 6, 2015. Public comments will be included in the final plan, which will be completed in December. Further details about the events are available
here.
Network at the MA Supplier Diversity Regional Series in Roxbury on November 5!
Join The Operational Services Division's Supplier Diversity Office, in collaboration with Governor Baker's Office of Access and Opportunity and the Massachusetts Office of Business Development for the MA Supplier Diversity Regional Series for a morning of networking and workshops designed to provide capacity building and expanded procurement opportunities for the small and diverse enterprises currently conducting or interested in pursuing supply-chain engagements with state, municipal, or private buyers in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Developed through a collaborative effort by Governor Baker's Office of Access and Opportunity, the Massachusetts Office of Business Development, the Operational Services Division (OSD), and the OSD Supplier Diversity Office, The Series aims to develop a partnership between the Commonwealth, local municipalities, and private buyers that will assist small and diverse businesses.
Agenda
8:30 - 9:00 Registration
9:00 - 9:15 Introduction
9:15 - 10:45 Business Development Networking
10:45 - 11:30 Optional Workshops
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Learn How to Increase Sales through Marketing from SBN Member, Good Egg Marketing!
 Is posting on Facebook a good way to increase sales? Will a newspaper ad attract new customers? There's no one-size-fits-all answer, but having a marketing plan helps ensure that the time and/or money you invest in marketing gets the results you seek.
This
free workshop will walk you through the steps of creating a basic plan to match your marketing with your goals. While primarily focused on brick-and-mortar businesses, entrepreneurs of all sizes can apply this approach to jump-start their marketing plan.
You'll receive a worksheet and template to help you create your plan. In addition, you can also get free on-the-spot coaching from business advisors.
Presenter Myrna Greenfield of
Good Egg Marketing is an SBN Board Member and a seasoned business coach and marketer who works with start-ups and solopreneurs as well as established small businesses. She's an adviser with the City of Boston's On Site Business Assistance program.
When: Wednesday, November 4
Where: Fairmount Innovation Lab
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Cost: FREE
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Welcome to the Newest Members of our Growing Network!
Born in Toledo OH, created in Boston MA, and available all over the US, Glenwood Garden is a for-profit business with a social mission - to provide US based nonprofits a new source of financial support generated by the sale of artisan made foods and other products through our e-market. Every purchase gives up to 50% of the gross profit to a charity. Visit their Shopping for a Cause page to find out who you can support by living well and doing good at Glenwood Garden.
 It's time consuming to plan, cook, or wait in line for food when you're hungry. Not to mention, trying to find sustainably sourced food! With Farm Feedery, sign up for a 1, 3, or 5 day a week plan & tell them your preferences. Each day, their chef + dietitian cook up a new, healthy, restaurant-quality surprise customized to your taste & made with local, sustainable ingredients! Food is delivered by noon
so you can have it for lunch or dinner (keeps for 2-3 days chilled). For all that, meals are only $10 to $14 depending on the plan. SBNMass members exclusively can get a free meal + 4 week cancel-anytime trial with this link!
Artisan Beverage Cooperative are the makers of Ginger Libation, Katalyst Kombucha and Green River Ambrosia. They pride themselves in the Kombucha, Mead and Libation that they make!
Find their products in stores and try it for yourself!
Renewing Members
Intercreativa is a full-service design studio specializing in graphic and web design for companies and not-for-profit organizations in Latin America and the United States. Their core focus is assisting not-for-profit organizations and small businesses establish their visual identity and branding.
Recycled Paper Printing
is the nation's oldest environmentally sensitive printer using FSC-certified, recycled and carbon neutral papers, soy-based inks, and 100% wind-energy in all printing operations!
Solect
owns and operates solar PV systems and understands what it's like to go through the financial and installation process firsthand. This unique perspective allows them to properly assess a project's feasibility from the customer's point of view, ensuring that it's in the best interest of their customers and community. Their collaborative and practical approach of developing "smart solar" solutions ensures simplified and reliable results that best fit our customers' needs, and has earned Solect a reputation for integrity and quality.
The Williams Agency is a full service marketing, events & promotions firm based in Cambridge, MA. Specializing in marketing with a mission and events that matter, The Williams Agency is one of the driving forces behind events such as the Boston Local Food Festival, Local Craft Brewfest, Boston Jerkfest, Cambridge Carnival and many others.
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Apply TODAY for 3rd annual
Fair Food Business Boot Camp! |
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WHO
: Food system entrepreneurs who are remaking our food system to support the viability of small and mid-size farms in the Northeastern United States
WHAT:
3-day intensive program giving good food entrepreneurs the skills and resources they need to thrive-plus the potential to win up to $10,000 in consulting services. Led by Jay Friedlander, College of the Atlantic's Sustainable Business Program chair and food entrepreneur, the Boot Camp is FREE for selected entrepreneurs
WHEN: December 1-3, 2015
WHERE: Hosted by Food Sol at Babson College in Wellesley, MA
Ideal applicants:
- Support the long-term financial viability of small and mid-size farms in the Northeastern United States (CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, and VT)
- Provide processing and marketing, local food distribution, or information technology platforms that link farms with consumers and wholesale customers
- Should be seeking financing to grow their enterprise in the next 6-12 months.
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Join Natural Awakenings for the Revolution of Consciousness Film Festival & Expo!
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This day-long film festival includes screenings of three enlightening documentaries, 80+ exhibitors, hands-on body and energy workers, and a diverse selection of workshops relating to mind-body medicine, personal growth and higher consciousness.
Opposite the film screenings, attendees will have the opportunity to experience Labyrinth Meditation independently or with a certified labyrinth facilitator walking through a 7-circuit Labyrinth. This space will also feature live harp music performed by award winning composer and sound therapist, Christine Tulis.
Following the screening of The Power of the Heart, film co-creator and author of the book of the same title, Baptist de Pape will be conducting a Q&A with audience members and a book/DVD signing.
To get your tickets: https://TROC.eventbrite.com
PGN members, use discount code "PGN" to get your admission ticket for only $5! This special discount is not available at the door.
Website: http://www.TheRevolutionOfConsciousness.com
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| Come To West Roxbury: Stop New Fossil
Fuel Infrastructure
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Texas-based Spectra Energy is building the West Roxbury Lateral Pipeline, a connection of the Algonquin Pipeline. The high pressure pipe, with fracked gas from the Marcellus Play, is routed into densely populated residential neighborhood past 3 schools and an active blasting quarry.
The community as well as elected officials including Mayor Walsh, the entire Boston City Council, our state legislators and US representative Stephen Lynch are opposed to Spectra who sued to begin construction on September 22.
Business leaders are being called upon to voice their concerns about public safety and climate change and join the vigil to prevent expansion of the pipeline.
Learn more and take the pledge to resist this pipeline: www.resistthepipeline.org or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/resistthepipeline See coverage of the first wave of civil disobedience:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7upc4FXssQ&feature=share
To join area business leaders, contact Joseph Rotella owner of Spencer Organ Company, Inc. of Waltham at
[email protected]
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 Five Scary Things You Didn't Know About Your Home From Next Step Living 1. Your home contains 'Vampire Energy' Phantom loads use energy from electronics even when in standby mode. Turn off your power strips to save energy! 2. Your indoor air quality may be ghastly! Indoor air quality can be up to 5 times more polluted than the air outside your home. Keep humidity between 30% and 60%. 3. Your dry-cleaning bill could make the planet a zombie! An estimated 300 million pounds of single-use dry-cleaning bags are disposed in landfills each year! Ask the drycleaner to skip the bag and bring your own hanger. 4. Your creaky windows are creeping into your wallet. Energy-efficient windows can save up to 25% of your utility costs. Replace your old, inefficient windows, it will pay off. 5. Your dripping faucet is harming the planet. Household leaks waste more than 1 trillion gallons of water annually. That's equal to the water usage of more than 11 million homes! Fix your leaks, help the planet. |
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Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts
