The list of companies claiming natural and green efforts grows every day, and often, unfortunately, these companies have little to offer.  Two national companies, however, showing progress in their sustainability practices are Reynolds and Kerr Drug.

What do these two companies have to offer?

Reynolds finally caught on to recycled foil.  For an Earth Day promotion, they gave away coupons for a free roll of their 100% recycled aluminum foil.  I am partly excited by this because I do think Reynolds foil is often better quality than many off-brand foils.  Plus, Aluminum, which can be recycled countless times, is a great way to practice your Rs.  When you finish with using foil, you can recycle it or reuse it yourself.  No matter what, make sure you clean off the foil.  Any foil with residual grease and oil cannot be used by recycling facilities, and you certainly do not want to reuse sticky foil.

Kerr Drug, which I never thought I would be giving thumbs-up, sent a “Naturally Kerr” flier in the mail this week.  Claiming to carry “over 3,000 natural and organic products for a healthy lifestyle”, I opened the paper and gave it a look.

Honestly, I was thrilled to see how many legit products they stock.  From organic groceries such as sugar, Late July brand crackers, FEED granola, JASON and Avalon Organics toiletries, natracare tampons and organic cotton pads, Seventh Generation products, Amy’s Organics, gluten-free foods, vegan foods, and even Pirate’s Booty snacks (I wonder if they carry Tings), Naturally Kerr by Kerr Drug is setting a standard for what a chain pharmacy/store can provide for their communities.  Who knows where this chain can go and where they are headed!

If you have not noticed, I rarely give chains a shout-out, so this post is a big deal for me.  Naturally Kerr, which is located at Harvest Plaza, 9650 Strickland Road, Suite 105, Raleigh, and 1124 Patton Ave. in Asheville, even had an Earth Day celebration today.  They gave away free reusable tote bags filled with natural and organic goodies.  The store also had drawings for a free mountain bike, as well as gift certificates to my absolute favorite Raleigh restaurant Irregardless Cafe and Flying Biscuit (never been).  I love the local aspect of this.

So, Kerr and Reynolds, cheers.  Keep up the amazing progress and set even higher standards.  Ready, set, go!

Sustainably yours, Ashley Sue

Tonight for Tasty Tuesday, Asheville offers the opportunity to support any of over 50 local restaurants and cafes for dinner ~ and 10% of all proceeds go to the Animal Compassion Network to spay and neuter animals.  I found out through Blog Asheville.

Supporting local establishments, in your own community, is the best way to weather these economic times.  By buying local, you support local business owners, who can then employ local residents.  If these businesses are not supported, people lose their jobs. 

Buying local gives you a say in their business practices.  Most of my favorite eateries in Asheville use organic ingredients, many of which are from local WNC farms, fair trade coffees, and even carry art from local creative minds.  Beautiful settings, locals with jobs they enjoy, family farm being supported, and tasty foods?  What is NOT to love about buying local?

And for tonight, by eating at one of the locations, you help prevent more animals from roaming the streets, from adding to the pet population, from being euthanized here in our municipalities.  When our cities have to spend their government money on housing an overwhelming amount of homeless and stray animals, money is taken away from other local government funding, such as for conservation efforts.  Then, many of the animals are never adopted… and with only so much space for caging these sweet creatures, many are euthanized with toxins, gas, etc. every week, just to keep them moving.

Do us all a favor:  If you live in WNC, spend your Fat Tuesday eating somewhere great and locally-owned… and know that a bit of your money is going to a fantastic cause.  You’ve got great options, including:

Bone-a-Fide Bakery

Cats & Dawgs

Doc Chey’s Noodle House

Filo

Laughing Seed Cafe

Perk’s Coffee Shop & Deli

Pomodoros

Scratch

Sunny Point Cafe (an absolute FAV of mine)

Thai Basil

Urban Burrito

West End Bakery and Cafe

12 Bones Smokehouse (WILDLY popular)

Sustainably yours,

Ashley Sue Allen

So, I went to another coffee den that my sister and bro-inlaw recommend:  West End Bakery ~ A Neighborhood Cafe, on Haywood Road in West Asheville.  Again, needing some reliable internet connection, I headed out in hopes of finding somewhere to call home.

Initial impressions:  

Smells much less like coffee and more like savory foods… which is a good smell, but not the comforting smell of espresso that I expected.

Yellow.  Tons of yellow.  I’m not a fan of yellow, but on this grey winter day, the warmth of the room is nice.

RAD art.  I love love love love the art here… It’s by Marie Knight, whom I obviously will have to look more into. 

Good coffee.  Really good coffee.  And though I’m not partaking of food today, I hear their food is super excellent as well.  Major bonus points for a big sign of all the foods they use that are locally grown.  Very cool.

Also have signs up sharing the cafe policy of recycling and composting.  Right on.

Big white C9 Christmas lights and silver plastic garland around their front windows.  Not eco, but reminds me of my childhood.  I hope they have them up year-round.  And I can’t judge.  For all I know, these were salvaged from some thrift store or an employees basement.

Neat plant life and real flowers in bud vases throughout the cafe.  Very very nice touch.  I despise finding artificial plant life in cafes and restaurants.

I’ve been here for a couple hours, gotten a lot done, and know I’ll be visiting again.  It’s down the road from where I am staying, it’s homey and interesting, and I have to say, the people who’ve come and gone have intrigued me immensely.  I hope I eventually get to meet some of them.  They just further compel me to come back and come often.

It’s not my Global Village, but again, like I said in part 1, I don’t know if anyone else is.

Sustainably yours,  Ashley Sue

I adore Global Village Coffeehouse in Raleigh.  It is, and has been, my favorite hideaway anywhere, ever, for five years.  And Mike Ritchie has been my favorite business owner.

But now I find myself on the other side of North Carolina, holed up in the mountains of Asheville without the comfort of my Marc (for a few months, nothing permanent) or a Global Village.
 

Due to a lack of strong internet connection chez familia, I hijacked their laptop and decided to find my Westside Global Village.  And unlike Raleigh and Durham, which have relatively limited coffee house options that offer proper ambiance, lack of pretention, organic fairtrade brew that is locally roasted, with a great staff to boot, Asheville supposedly has a plethora.  Throw a reuseable coffee mug, and you’re bound to hit one.

The options were plenty, I am sure, but I am unfamiliar with this city.  I have seen Green Sage repeatedly as I get lost in downtown, so I went to get lost and find it again.

Eureka.  Instantly, I enjoy the warm, hardwood floors, beautiful bakery case with organic carrot cake and vegan ginger snaps, a recycle and compost center, and a display of Larry’s Beans for your homebrewing needs (yay, Larry’s Beans!  A little taste of Raleigh here in Asheville!). So I’m spending some time in a place that feels like a sophisticated friend’s downtown penthouse loft (on the ground floor), and I’m spending that time with ten of my closest strangers who seem to be having a dinner party (furthering the friend’s sweet pad vibe). This group is obnoxiously loud, which would not be the case at GV, but the music playing is a great eclectic mix, and the furniture is pleasing to the eye as well as comfortable.

It’s too early to tell if I’ll like Green Sage… much less love it like I love Global Village.  But I have dozens of other coffeehouses to try.  Frankly, I doubt I’ll find another Global Village.  Green Sage impresses me instantly, however, and I know when I need somewhere comfortable downtown, this place has promise.  The ambiance is a little polished and impersonal, but again, it’s an easy find.  And I’m sure to like it more without ten cackling women deafening me.  Honestly, they are so loud, they’ve made me completely regret coming here.

In a city where I still feel lost, and honestly, a little trapped too, I’m letting her introduce herself to me as I introduce myself to her… and in time, hope to love her like I love Durham.  And that means trying new coffeehouses to find a homebase.  Better luck next time.

Cheers to new chapters, new promise, and a great internet connection.

Sustainably yours,  Ashley Sue

In the sticky transition I am in, lodged back and forth amidst my new home (Asheville) and the home we’re leaving (Raleigh), I was lucky enough last week to have two goodbye outings with work colleagues.  The first was fun and official.  The second one was impromptu.  On a whim, four of us went to my favorite pizza place in all of the Triangle (or anywhere I’ve been, actually):  Moonlight Pizza. 

(That’s Lisa on her blackberry in the pic.)

My sister discovered this place several years ago and introduced me to its wonderfulness.  I love that it is locally-owned and better than anywhere else around.  I love the funky, warm ambiance of its inside area.  I love the essence of Raleigh you feel when you eat on their patio, which we did being the great night it was (plus Doug brought his buddy-dog Willow Bee ~ btw, thank you, Doug, for suggesting Moonlight!). 

I love that I can order a tasty pizza without cheese and have avocado and pistachios on my marinara instead.  I love that two of the four beers they had on draft were Angry Angel (my favorite Raleigh beer) and Highland Oatmeal Porter (an Asheville brewery).

Then, when I asked for the to-go box for my leftovers, I found another thing to love about Moonlight:

100% Recycled-content box.  Heck yeah!  Locally-owned and steps toward a more sustainable business practice and smaller footprint!

Cheers to what is wonderful about Raleigh and Moonlight!  ~ Ashley Sue

No, Amber Valletta is not looking for a green-hued ocean, but by teaming up with Oceana.org (and the likes of Ted Danson), she is advocating a healthier environment and healthier eating.

Back in May, Valletta began speaking out and campaigning against mercury exposure.  Now a mother, the cover girl is using her face as spokesperson for change.

I had no idea she (nor Danson) were using their celebrity to talk about this under-campaigned mission until my sister told me a couple days ago.

Enjoy the video, and enjoy something yummy, nutritious and responsible for dinner too. And if you by chance catch yourself yearning for that less-than-environmentally-friendly Yellowfin Tuna tonight, don’t beat yourself up. You’re aware of the situation, and you can make a positive impact in another capacity today… avoid the TV tonight to save energy. Or sleep with only a sheet over you instead of running the AC.

Just don’t make a habit out of shirking your eco-stewardship when reaching for your plate.

Back when I enjoyed eating seafood (who’s kidding me?  I will always love and miss seafood), I would chow down about any fish, not worrying for a second what environmental impact it may have.  Fish flesh was just too good.

Things have changed a bit in my world, and now I only consume of any fauna flesh once a year:  during a summer getaway weekend.  In those lusty moments of leaving the world’s cares and my daily duties behind, I make sure to enjoy one dinner with crab meat, my all-time favorite of anything I have ever eaten.

Indeed, I am a vegetarian (minus the annual ritual) that drools over the sight of a crab running along the beach.  I want to pick it up and begin feasting right there, Darryl Hannah-style circa the movie Splash (forgive me, Ms. Hannah, as I know you are a devout veg*n, and acting out the lobster scene strongly disturbed you ~ and I respect you for that).

Back to the point, I clicked to my MSN homepage today and saw two articles on 10 Eco-Worst Fish and 10 Eco-Best Fish to Consume, as defined by the Environmental Defence Fund.

Topping the worst list?

Atlantic Cod (a.k.a. Gadus morhua, rock cod, codling, scrod cod), Chilean Sea Bass, Orange Roughy, Atlantic Salmon, certain imported fish and shrimp, Tunas, and Shark!

On the other hand, if you just cannot stave off your desire, these are a few topping the eco-friendliest list:

Anchovies (pizza and worchester sauce, anyone?), Mackerel (one of my own favorites), oysters, Wild Alaskan Salmon, Sardines (I’ve never eaten one yet have so many memories of them), Rainbow Trout, Albacore, and Mussels.

Notes on standards the Environmental Defense Fund used to establish eco-worst from eco-best: 

These standards included endangerment to the species; overfishing of the ocean that disturbs the natural ecosystem; pollution, harm to the fish and damage caused farming; and pollution, health problems and mercury-intake in humans.

There are so many reasons to give up seafood in order to live healthier and promote healthier life for our Earth, but in my own opinion, if you are going to eat meat at all, be responsible and informed with the choices you make.  Choose healthier and less endangered animals that are hunted more sustainably than the chicken and burgers so many Americans normally eat for dinner.

Sustainably yours, Ashley Sue

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

NBC 17 covered the company recently, and though 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 educating yourself and making your own decisions for your health and beliefs, saying that eating better and taking care of the environment can go together beautifully. “You’re not twisting your arm. It’s not a New Year Resolution. It’s a way of life.”

“Some people say ‘green’ is a fad. It’s not a fad. It’s a necessity,” Pete says. “We have to do something. We have X amount of resources, and we have a growing population.”

Pete furthers his point, explaining “Seventy-thousand new chemicals have been added to our daily lives in the last 50 years.” Put that together with dramatic increases in unexplained diseases such as autism, ADD and Alzheimer’s, and I myself am asking (more…)

I figure my money talks, so when I had to have a recent meeting at Starbucks, I chose to let them know I will only use my money for their fair trade and organic coffees. 

I walked up to the counter where two pleasant young women greet me and ask what I would like.

“A regular coffee please, but make it your fair trade or organic option,” I say.

One looks a little stumped and says, “We have so-and-so medium roast, so-and-so french roast and so-and-so decaf brewed today.”

I repeat, “Are any of your coffees today fair trade or organic, please?”

They both look a smidge stumped before one speaks up.  “No, the coffees we brewed today are not, but we can make you a french press of one.  Here are your options…” she rambles off.  I choose the one of the three fair trade, organic options that she says is her favorite.

I do apologize to them for seeming complicated and explain that my money needs to go to coffee I can feel good about since Starbucks carries so few.

The two ladies are very nice and gracious, agreeing that when you pay money, you should get what you want.

My $3.40 got me a carafe of two large cups of somethinanother tasty brew that I can feel OK about.  Not great.  I was still at Starbucks afterall. 

But I can feel at least OK because I voiced where my money would go.  And my money will go to appropriately paying farmers for the work they do… to making sure coffee farmers and families are not living in pesticide-laden lands… to making sure I help someone else live in a humane way.  At least, that is where I try to put my money.

Despite playing somre really great tunes while I was there, I will not go to Starbucks (I call them Starcruds) by choice.  And the fact that I had to make them brew a special pot for me is exactly why. 

Starbucks… you change your policies, and I’ll change mine.  And you’ll make even more money.

A press release today told me a giant shopping cart with a Chevy engine on it is back, racing around the Triangle this month.  It’s the “Got to Be NC Big Cart”, which I remember seeing at the 2007 N.C. State Fair.

This cart is showing off for the NC Dept of Ag “Got to Be NC” campaign, which is the first official marketing campaign of “Goodness Grows in North Carolina” (like the pretty sign at the Fairgrounds animates).

Apparently, this giant Chevy-powered cart is “an effort to support NC farmers and food producers by increasing consumer awareness about the availability and benefits of buying locally grown or produced foods”.

Is anyone else as confused by the sponsorship as I am?

What in the world does Chevy have to do with locally grown foods?  I mean, I know they have all their commercials about having the first hybrid SUV and longer running electric cars, but is this all about the money of sponsorship, or am I missing a link somewhere (which is possible)?

Just humored, and honestly, slightly annoyed.  But aren’t most of us “treehuggin’ liberals” considered cranky pants cynics anyhow? 

Well, in case you’re in need of seeing a gigundo shopping cart with a big honkin’ car engine, check it here and then.  If you want to question the sponsorship tie-in, email the NC Dept of Ag.

May 9 – Wal-Mart in Zebulon @ 11:00 am
May 12 – Durham Bulls @ 10:00 am
May 16 – Kroger in Apex @ 11:00 am
May 23 – Whole Foods in Raleigh @ 11:00 am
May 24 – Carolina Railhawks @ 4:00 pm
May 30 – Food Lion in Garner @ 11:00 am

Sustainably yours, Ashley Sue