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Welcome to the Newest Members of our Growing Network! 

Balin by Design  provides digital strategy, information architecture, platform evaluation and project management services for institutions ready to transform their online web and community presence. Clients include healthcare and educational technology organization. 

Biggest Little Popcorn Company creates English Butter Toffee Baked PopCorn is air popped and baked in a process that sets them apart. The popcorn is light, crunchy and tender and cooked and baked in small batches in their Warren, Rhode Island. Using only the finest ingredients; sweet cream butter, pure cane sugar, non-GMO PopCorn, the best oils and spices to achieve what they believe is the world's best PopCorn. Try it for yourself and learn more on their website!

BlueSel Home Solar has a history of experience and quality. They have installed hundreds of Massachusetts solar energy systems for very satisfied customers. BlueSel is locally owned, a Master Dealer and provide their customers with all of the information they need to make an informed decision about going solar. 

More and more of us want to support businesses doing good for people and the planet. The DoneGood app makes that possible! With the DoneGood app you can easily find businesses in Boston that share your values. Members of SBN are automatically listed in the app! Available for both Apple and Android devices, download it for free in the app store! 

 

Dottie's Delights is home to artisan, classic and imported sweets online and in Massachusetts. Visit their website and peruse their selection of caramels, fudge, meringues, gourmet apples and cookies. Find the perfect gift for events, special occasions or just because and consider them for your next corporate or wholesale order!

Essentially Coconut is like a vacation in a jar! Slowly and carefully crafted in small batches, we never add anything extra, unnecessary, or artificial. Just tender coconut meat pureed to silky, smooth perfection. Except when they throw in a handful of nuts. Try one of their unique blends of sweet almond, creamy cashew and honey pecan.

Hosta Hill makes small batches of lacto-fermented vegetables and fresh-frozen  unpasteurized tempeh here in the Berkshires since 2011. Fro m the start, they've used  local ingredients, working closely with nearby organic farms to source what they can't grow themselves. They're proud to be part of the vibrant local food scene in Western Massachusetts, where their foods are available at cafes, restaurants and wellness centers as well

as at farm stands and independent grocery stores from the Berkshires to Boston.

Lotus Media Management helps you establish a presence, a community and a voice in the social media world. With years in the travel industry, experience in online marketing, travel writing, social media and business management, Lotus Media Management will help you reach and captivate clients. Look to them to leverage the power of online and social media by expanding your business to reach the consumers who will benefit most from your brand.

Mark's Moving & Storage is made up of a team of professionals that have been growing the company for almost 30 years. Named as one of the top moving companies in the Northeast. Mark's offers both local and long distance moving, office, warehouse moving, portable storage containers and more! Visit their website and consider them for your next move. 

MOJO cold brewed coffees are uniquely flavorful, potent and magical. Produce d us ing locally roasted fair-trade arabica coffee beans, a traditional New Orleans cold brewing method and a  beloved recipe, their prepared coffee drink is completely unique. Visit the website to see where you can try some for yourself! 

Ozioli's Italian Cookie Company  creates delicious Italian cookies using an authentic Italian recipe handed down from their grandmother and using the finest, freshest ingredients. Try their Italian Almond, Italian Anisette, Italian Pizette and Italian Lemon. Treat yourself and your family and you'll keep coming back for more! Their cookies are available on their online shop and can be shipped directly to your home!

SBN is excited to announce our 6th Annual Local Craft Brewfest on June 10 and 11 at Arts at the Armory in Somerville. Tickets are available now!

Choose from 3 sessions:

Friday, June 10, 2016, 6:30 - 9:30pm (plus Cask-conditioned beers from selected brewers)
Saturday, June 11, 2016, 3:00 - 6:00pm
Saturday, June 11, 2016, 7:00 - 10:00pm

Hyper-Local Craft Brewfest is an annual tasting fundraiser presented by the Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts (SBN) that highlights and promotes local brewers of beer, newly established breweries, cider & mead, artisan beverage makers, and local food vendors.

The Hyper-Local Craft Brewfest is a unique event that not only showcases local beverage producers, but also showcases local brews incorporating local ingredients. SBN's definition of local starts in Massachusetts and encompasses all of New England. Hyper-Local means local producers (from New England) making products with ingredients from New England. Examples in the past have included brews made with local hops, apples, cranberries, grapes and even local oysters. While having unlimited 2oz tastings from local brewers, you can also sample and purchase delicious local food from local food vendors.

Join us on Friday night for Hyper-Local Craft Brewfest with a special Beer on Cask Tasting "conditioned" by Randy Baril, Head Cellarman of NERAX (the New England Real Ale eXhibition). Try unfiltered, unpasteurized beer with no nitrogen or carbon dioxide added. Compare with the commercial version and tell us which one you love! The Showcase, also featuring a series of 'Brew Chats' with up and coming local brewers, will open dialogues between craft brewers and local craft brew fans. Additionally, attendees will get the chance to interact with other aspiring beer fans, hear from experts, and taste a selection of the brews that will be showcased during the Saturday Sessions. In doubt? Attend both days!

What's included with admission? 

Unlimited tastings from our participating brewers, craft brewers, cideries, meaderies, artisan beverage vendors + Unlimited samples from participating local food vendors, serving size food for sale + Live music and entertainment + Festival Guide with listing of all vendors + Compostable tasting cup + Supporting the local food movement by raising much needed funds for the Boston Local Food Program

On Friday, Feb 5 ^th  the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) announced that the SREC-II program has been fully subscribed having received an influx of applications. The Solar Carve-Out II (SREC-II) program is a market-based incentive to support residential, commercial, public, and non-profit entities in developing new solar photovoltaic installations across the Commonwealth.

While those customers who already receive SRECs remain eligible, due to the rapid influx of applications the DOER received, the potential exists that customers who have made decisions to invest in solar energy systems, could be left without access to the state's SREC-II incentive. In short, the Commonwealth is currently left without a viable program for investing in solar energy until the next program is designed and rolled out, which could take a year.

 

Net Metering is Being Threatened

Meanwhile, for the past seven months, our representatives continue to "evaluate" extension of net metering caps; preventing hundreds of towns, schools and businesses from going solar as they are unable to receive a fair rate for the excess energy  produced from their solar array, and  thus recoup the full value of their clean energy investment.

 

Late last year, both the Senate (S-2058) and the House (H-3854) passed legislation with varying approaches to the long-term future of the state's solar programs. L egislators have failed to reach an agreement on the two bills, leaving the solar industry's over 15,000 employees and thousands of stakeholders' futures at stake.  

 

We need your HELP!

While severe restrictions on two of the key incentives for solar is far from good news, we remain optimistic. We are hopeful that an attractive "SREC-III" program will materialize quickly, but the solar industry and its customers do not have the leisure of waiting several months or longer for new solar policy to formalize.

 

Affect change through two key actions:

 

1) Sign the open letter to voice your support for solar energy  (click here to access letter) . The letter is drafted from customer perspective and will be sent to Governor Baker and the  Telecommunications, Utilities & Energy conference committee members responsible for reconciling  the Senate (S-2058) and the House (H-3854) Bills on net metering and solar policy. [Please note that letters sent to legislators are public.]

And;

2) Write an email to your local state legislators asking them to lift the net metering cap, institute the next "SREC" program, and ask that they escalate your request to the Speaker of the House, Mr. Robert DeLeo. 

 

Use this template, drafted by Solect, an email template you can use to urge your state legislators to take action in support of solar.  Simply visit  Find a Legislator  or view the full contact list of  Legislators by Town  to locate your state representative and senator(s), and send them the email today.  (Click here to download email template)

A large national survey has found that public support for independent businesses led to brisk sales and a sharp increase in hiring in 2015. This survey is in it's ninth year and once again shows that the Local First Movement and organizations like the Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts and its several affiliated Local First networks are strengthening independent businesses. Local businesses in cities with a Local First initiatives report stronger sales growth than those without a buy local campaign.

Local First initiatives are part of what's strengthening independent businesses, the survey found. Two-thirds of respondents in cities with an active Local First, or "buy local," campaign said that the initiative is having a noticeable positive impact on their business, citing benefits such as new customers and increased loyalty among existing customers. Survey respondents shared such comments as, "I see the 'Local First Movement' as critical, and growing."

Along with several other benefits, businesses in Local First cities saw revenue growth of 7.4 percent in 2015, compared to 4.2 percent for those in places without a Local First initiative. The survey also gives us important information about the challenges independent businesses are facing, many of which relate to public policy.

Independent businesses experienced healthy sales growth in 2015, buoyed by their strong community ties and growing public awareness of the benefits of locally owned businesses, according to a large national survey released today. ( Download the full report.) 

 
The Independent Business Survey, which is conducted by the  Institute for Local Self-Reliance in partnership with the Advocates for Independent Business and is now in its 9th year, gathered data from over 3,200 independent businesses. The respondents reported brisk sales in 2015, with revenue growing an average of 6.6 percent. Among independent retailers, who comprised just under half of survey respondents, revenue increased 4.7 percent in 2015, including a 3.1 percent gain during the holiday season. These figures contrast sharply with the performance of many national retail chains, and overall holiday retail sales, which rose just 1.6 percent in December according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

This growth led to a significant increase in hiring. Overall employment at the independent businesses surveyed expanded by 5.6 percent in 2015, with more than 30 percent of respondents reporting the addition of at least one employee.

About one-third of businesses in Local First cities also said that the initiative had led them to become more engaged in advocating on public policy issues, and 44 percent said that the campaign had made elected officials more aware and supportive of independent businesses.