SBN MA Banner
September 2015 - In This Issue:
Upcoming Events

September 20 . 11am - 5pm
Boston Local Food Festival
@ The Greenway
 RSVP
 
September 23 . 9am - 11am
Effective Communication: Negotiate, Address Conflict & Work Together
@Cambridge Trust Company

September 25 
Carbon Pricing Luncheon

October 7 . 2pm - 4pm
World Climate Event at the Climate Change Initiative
@ UMASS Lowell

October 17 . 2-5pm/7-10pm
Harvest Fest
@ Arts at the Armory

November 3
Rising Seas Summit
@ Sheraton Hotel

November 20
Local Craft Brewfest
More information coming soon!

Check out our Event Calendar for more information and tickets!
Dear Members and Friends,

The Sixth Boston Local Food Festival is in ten days! Our staff and The Williams Agency team have been working tirelessly to make this year's festival even more exciting and alive! Please join us and bring your friends and family to our Festival on the Greenway in downtown Boston for a day of delicious local food and great fun and entertainment.   

It will also be a day of learning about how the local food system is growing and strengthening throughout Massachusetts and New England. For the second year there will be a presentation from New England Food Solutions about the exciting new New England local food vision of `50 by 60'--50% of food eaten in New England to be sourced in New England by 2060. 

It was wonderful to be with old and new friends at SBN's Summer Soiree.The local food was scrumptious and the conversations and spirit were even better. We hope to make this party an annual event that gives SBN folks a chance to be together and enjoy each other's presence in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere.  

SBN is thrilled to welcome Eastern Bank as a Sponsoring Member of SBN. They are a leader in sustainability and we're fortunate to have them in Massachusetts and a part of SBN.  

I hope to see you all on Sunday, September 20th, chomping on some delightful local and tasty treats!

Sustainably yours,

Laury Hammel
Executive Director

Join us at the 6th Annual Boston Local Food Festival  on September 20th!
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.

 

This year, we have teamed up with My Milkcrate - an app that helps you shop locally and   

sustainably - to bring you a digital version of the Festival map! It's FREE in the app store, make sure that you have it on your phone so you don't miss any of your favorite vendors or activities!

 

There are still a few ways for you to get involved with the Festival!

* RSVP
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 "
SBN Members & Friends Gather for SBN's
 Summer Soiree!
On Tuesday, August 18, SBN members and friends gathered at Robin Young's home in Cambridge for a time of food and gathering and celebrating a wonderful summer! Attendees brought a variety of homemade, locally sourced dishes resulting in a delicious pot luck. Spindrift soda and Harpoon Brewery provided beverages for everyone to enjoy as they chatted with old friends and new acquaintances.

Thank you to everyone who attended, we look forward to connecting with everyone again soon!

Welcome our newest addition to the Sustainable Business Leader Program: 

AC General Contracting Inc. is a family owned and operated business servicing the construction industry since 2000. They have adopted the tradition of providing our clientele with service, quality and schedules that 
meet or exceed the diverse requirements of our clients' expectations. 


    AC General Contracting 
specializes in new construction, refurbishment of existing homes, and commercial facilities. Since all of their trades are long standing relationships, they are able to offer very competitive rates with greater control and never compromising their commitment to quality and service. Customer service is the cornerstone of their business. They are proud of our company's 
high rate of customer satisfaction as demonstrated by repeat business. We take pride in our work and strive everyday to be the best in what they do. We will keep you posted on their progress as they work to become a more sustainable business!
 
Sustainable Business Blog
Beginning with this issue, SBN newsletters will feature articles and blog postings that benefit our members and help us build a strong economy that is local, green, and fair. The first posting is from SBN Board Member and local economy leader, Joe Grafton. 

Empowering We: Open Book Strategy for the Millennial Workforce
By Joe Grafton of the Delta Group

If you're involved in business or management, it's likely that you've had a discussion recently about Millennials in the workplace.  To be sure, it's a trendy topic and one that carries increasing importance as the demographics of the workforce shift.  I've seen managers strategize, lament and poke fun at Millennials (If you haven't watched this video, you should).

This topic is especially important in the foodservice industry, where Millennials comprise a disproportionate percentage of the workforce.

As I get older, I'm wary of falling into the trap of being too critical of younger generations.  After all, who among us didn't hear similar complaints as young people ourselves? But I also try to remember that differences among generations do exist.  And, as leaders, identifying the ways to best connect with, motivate and support those who may look at things differently is not only important, it's our job.

To date, my experience with Millennials as a manager and a leader has been mixed.  With some team members, I've been blown away by their entrepreneurial attitude and their effectiveness and speed in problem solving.  With others, I've seen a sense of entitlement and selfishness that has, frankly, been a real turn-off.

And therein lies the challenge: how to unlock the power of problem solving and creativity of this generation while also orienting them to the Team First attitude necessary for a business to succeed? Read More
Effective Communication: Negotiate, Address Conflict & Work Together
Tuesday, September 23 - 9:00am - 11:00am @ Cambridge Trust Co - REGISTER
Effective communication is critical for any business. In this seminar, Caleb Dean will introduce a simple tool to help you and your team understand one another better and work more effectively together. Participants from any role within an organization will benefit from attending. 

Harvest Fest
Saturday, October 17 - 2:00pm - 5:00pm or 7:00pm - 10:00pm @ Arts at the Armory - GET TICKETS
Join Somerville Local First and local economy advocates far and wide on Saturday October 17th for a day or evening (or both!) of delicious food from some of Somerville's best local restaurants, local beer from some of your favorite independent brewers around New England and much more. See below for our current list of confirmed participants.  Harvest Fest is Somerville Local First's major annual fundraiser. All event proceeds go towards SLF's operating budget to build and strengthen the local movement and local business community in Somerville all year long.
Welcome SBN's Newest Sponsoring Member: Eastern Bank!
 
SBN is thrilled to welcome Eastern Bank as our most recent Sponsoring Member. Eastern Bank is the largest and oldest mutual bank in the country and the largest community bank in Massachusetts. Eastern Bank has been a dedicated supporter of SBN and a leader in sustainability. They are known for social activism and their dedication to nonprofit organizations. Eastern Bank has been a proud sponsor of the Boston Local Food Festival since the beginning and they also a sponsor several Local First networks.  

SBN has worked closely with this fine local institution to help make this bank the greenest bank possible and they have been an innovator in dramatically reducing carbon emissions. Eastern Bank has graduated four branches from the Sustainable Business Leader Program and they are in the process of enrolling more branches in this important program. Our thanks to Eastern Bank leaders, David Dolbashian and Tom Dunn, for their leadership in building a business that walks the talk of sustainable business practices.  

Welcome to the Newest Members of our Growing Network! 

AC General Contracting  is a family owned and operated business located in Cambridge servicing the construction industry since 2000. We have adopted the tradition of providing our clientele with service, quality and schedules that meet or exceed the diverse requirements of our clients' expectations. 


Renewing Members
    
Boston Solar Company offers full service solar panel installation, weatherization and more! Take a look attheir website to learn how they can save you money and make your business or home more environmentally friendly.
creates delicious cookies and brownies with local and natural ingredients. Just try one and you'll soo n be  reaching for another! Order from their website or find them in local stores.

is a printing and mail service company and is the oldest in the country that prints everything on recy cled  paper! When you have to print, make it more environmentally friendly by choosing Recycled Paper Printing.



is an independent telecommunications and data communications sales consulting firm specializing in helping businesses control costs and optimize service levels. See how they can help your business!
Green Tip of the Month:
Fall Planting Tips
 
Though many people gear up to work on their yards and gardens in the spring, fall is actually an ideal time for yard work. Here are a few ideas for bringing your garden to life in the fall:
  • Compost the leaves. Falling leaves are beautiful to look at but may seem like an inconvenience when planning your garden. Instead of bagging the leaves and leaving them out with the trash, consider collecting them and composting them to create nutrient-rich, organic soil that will be ready for use by the spring. Check out our tips on collecting leaves and how to compost here. 
  • Fertilize organically. When preparing your soil for next year, add organic, slow-release fertilizers that will help enhance your soil over time. These fertilizers are made of natural materials, contain vital nutrients to help your plants grow, and prevent plants from getting nitrogen. Most garden stores today carry a wide variety of organic fertilizers; many catalog companies also sell organic products.
  • Plant trees. By the time autumn rolls around, summer heat waves are long past, rainfall is usually more plentiful, and new trees, bushes and flowers have a greater chance of surviving than they would if they were planted during a hotter season. Choose species native to your area as well as those that are drought and pest resistant and can grow in the kind of soil and amount of sunlight available on your property.
  • Other ideas. If you have a vegetable or fruit garden that you want to maintain throughout the winter, consider planting root bulbs and leafcrops that will continue to produce despite the colder weather. This will work in many regions of the country, but some places might still be too cold. Building a greenhouse or a hot beds to cultivate your veggies could keep the fresh food coming throughout the winter!
Can't sustain your crops through the winter? Find local farms that do. There are Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs and farmer's markets in many cities and towns that allow farmers to sell their locally grown, fresh food all year long!
      Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts
      99 Bishop Allen Dr Suite 100 Cambridge, MA 02139
      www.sbnmass.org . info@sbnmass.org . 617-395-0250