Watch ME Grow!!!!

LIL
GREEN
MACHINE








Yes! This is what happens when we are involved! Don't be jealous! :)

Tonight was full of LOVE! Love this group and love watching it grow! We spent the first part of the night talking about the film FOODINC. and how we felt about it and how it made us feel when watching it! We took a little time to review some facts we took away from seeing it and also discussed the businesses and people that were part of it. We are still "digesting" it and researching it's avenues, but the discussion was a great start.

***GOOD***

• Polyface Farms- Obviously, they do not ship anywhere! Virginia - Joel & Teresa Salatin - owners. #504-887-8194. Their mission: To develop emotionally, economically, environmentally enhancing agricultural enterprises and facilitate their duplication throughout the world. They do tours and seminars.
• Natural Products Expo- Education & Events . . .Trade show. #866-458-4935 & 303-390-1776. http://www.expowest.com/. They are affiliated with New Hope natural media. http://www.newhope.com/ . It is 30 years old this year.
• Stonyfield Farm- Healthy Food-Healthy People-Healthy Planet-"The Future is Green". Gary Hirshberg is the CEO and founder - this company started off small and organic. Online videos on their site of how their dairy products are made. #1-800-PRO-COWS - New Hampshire.
• Lilac Ridge Farms- Stonyfield's supplier. Sheep & goat farm. Wisconsin.
  

***BAD***

• Smithfield-slaughterhouse-Tar Heel North Carolina. Click here and choose for yourself.
• Tyson Meats, formerly IBP (Iowa Beef Processors, Inc.) The butchering industries have really lost their standards and ethics here! Wikipedia reference here but still still need to watch FOODINC., Fast Food Nation, and other docs to understand their lack of ethics and humanity.
• Monsanto-St. Louis Missouri-They invented "round up" & "seed saving" as to paton their own soybean & they have "genetically modified crops".

***Contacts from movie***

• Troy Roush-VP of America's Corn Growers Association.
• Moe Parr-Seed Cleaner from Indiana.

Our very own Christina DeCarlo said it best, "The articles are exhaustive on how they are poisoning our food supply.Very eye-opening. Happy reading!"

http://www.organicconsumers.org/monlink.cfm

http://www.ethicalinvesting.com/monsanto/

Here is how we can take immediate action!

• BUY LOCALLY AND ORGANICALLY!!!
• Ask a food company to go GE free!
• Email a politician.
• Talk to local media.
• Shop RESPONSIBLY!

Edible Communities Site READ READ READ & READ!

After that, we went downstairs from my condo to look at the supplies I bought for my "container" / "balcony" gardening that I will be doing and also looked at my outside composting spot. I took about 15 minutes to do a mini-lecture on gardening - honestly, I just parroted all that I learned from this awesome guy named Kris at the Lowe's on Hayden & McDowell. Go there - tell him you are part of our group - he is great and very helpful and extremely knowledgeable! In short, it's easy! Just getting into it & with it is the most challenging . . . one reminder from Kris - don't forget even missing one day of watering in AZ!!

Little side note: Our very own Jami Thompson has stimulated and is organizing efforts to grow a "Corporate garden at work" at Kahala Corp. in AZ! Way to go Jami - this is huge and very inspiring! Also - our very own Anna Jones is working to make P.E. at the office an option and a priority in corporate America! Inquire here!!!

As an added bonus, we had one of my favorite people & dearest friends, Kristin Hannah Skype in from Lake Geneva Wisconsin!!! She will definitely be a HUGE contribution to this group - I can't wait to see this group continue to "GROW"! xo

So - moving on!!! See ya next week! ;)