Archive for the ‘food’ Category

So, yeah, the folks at Larry’s Beans have a new bio bag. So how does it work?

Click here to find out.

Plans are in the works to make a Cary McDonalds go green, according to the News & Observer.  Read Full Story

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - Fort Bragg has been chosen as one of six installations to participate in a Defense Energy Security Command (DESC) sponsored Biomass Waste-to-Fuel demonstration project, the Installation Management Command said Tuesday.

The two-year demonstration project will take biomass waste such as wood chips or cardboard and process it into diesel fuel and soil/compost. The purpose is to ascertain the technical feasibility of a mobile unit capable of being used in a field environment to support a unit’s fuel requirements.

 ”Fort Bragg is continuously looking for opportunities to reduce our waste streams,” said Dave Heins, chief, Environmental Division, Directorate of Public Works. “Through a demonstration project we will evaluate the ability to turn wood waste and cardboard into fuel for tactical vehicles.  The goal of the demonstration project is to develop a portable unit that could be used by deployed units to minimize their waste while producing vehicular fuel.”

Fort Bragg is scheduled to begin the project demonstration first quarter of fiscal year 2009. Other installations participating in this project include: Fort Drum, N.Y.; Fort AP Hill, Va.; Fort Stewart, Ga.; Fort Lewis, Wash.; and Fort Benning, Ga.

According to the DENR, composting really helps:

• About 12 to 15 percent of all the waste going into the landfill is food waste
• On average, food waste and yard waste can add up to one-third of a ton per household each year
• Junk mail/paper that can’t be recycled – could be compost in back yard (hand towels, napkins, paper plates, toilet paper tubes etc.)

Source: Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance

DURHAM, N.C. — Old, withered vegetables. Crinkled-up coffee filters. Fruit peelings that are days old. Most people think kitchen garbage is disgusting. But Richard Stenz has gotten used to the site of it all. 

“I’ve kind of got passed that,” he said laughing as he put two and five gallon buckets on his bicycle.

Read his story here. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency launched a new Web site at www.epa.gov/fishadvisories/kids/ to help children and their parents choose the healthiest fish to eat, using interactive stories and games. The site has been selected as the August site of the month by kids.gov, the official kids’ portal for the U.S. government.

“Our new Web site is a fun way for kids and parents to learn about the importance of fish in a healthy diet and how to choose the healthiest fish to eat,” said Benjamin H. Grumbles, EPA’s assistant administrator for water.

According to a release from the EPA, whether they catch their own fish or buy it at a store, children and their parents can use the Web site to learn how to select fish that are low in contaminants. The Web site includes stories focusing on different methods of obtaining fish, along with interactive games, to teach children ages 8-12 how to recognize common fish species and use fish advisories.

Raleigh’s Sue Sturgis reminds everyone that a screening of ‘End Of Suburbia’ is planned for 7 p.m. Thursday at the Cameron Village library location.

Read more about it in her Raleigh Eco News blog here.

A colleague of mine recently had me meet Pete Pagano of Green Planet Catering here in Raleigh, NC.

NBC 17 covered the company recently.  The catering company has only been catering for about half a year, but the concept has been growing much much longer.

I have to admit, the “greenie” in me is deeply suspicious anytime someone mentions to me a business claiming their “greenness”. I agreed to meet and told myself I would keep an open mind, but truthfully, I expected very little as we met at Tir Na Nog’s “The Cottage” room.

Pete quickly wowed us, however, with sharing that Green Planet Catering uses as much local and/or organic produce as possible. They use spudware and compostable materials. They create their own bio-diesel and work with a farm, headed by Ben and Charles Keefer here in Raleigh. “We work to be as sustainable as possible,” Pete says.

Green Planet Catering, a team comprised of six members with over a 100 cumulative years of restaurant experience (at least a decade under each of their belt’s), also collaborates with other area partners for composting events. Partnerships for composting and events they’ve covered include Burt’s Bees (headquartered in Durham), NCSU, UNC, Matchbox 20, the Cary Wine Experience, Southern Energy, weddings and private parties.

While the company is already taking impressive strides to show their dedication to a healthy environmental philosophy, Pete’s own education and passion is what sold me.

Referencing Native American philosophy, the Weston A. Price Foundation and movement toward traditional food and knowledge of pesticide and chemical use in mainstream American food industries, I found myself enthralled with Pete’s passion and mission. And I liked that he was not one to put down other companies and their efforts, or arrogantly praise all of their own implemented environmentalism. He is about encouraging the movement by spotlighting positive steps of each company.

Pete explained the importance of READ THE REST OF THIS STORY!

… that’s because his cooking-Highness Emeril Lagasse is delivering the goods.  And so is Raleigh’s own Pete Pagano from Green Planet Catering. 

Take a look for some great advice from these go-green guys.  And please… chime in after watching with your own tips on buying and cooking organic and/or local!

A life without chocolate?

Future generations may never have a sweet tooth to feed. John Mason, the executive director and founder of the Ghana based organization Nature Conversation Research Council (NCRC) believes that in 20 years times, chocolate will be much like caviar today. Read the story here.