Being “real” is the new perfect. Social media is bursting with memes of lazy days with sweatpants and pizza, in celebration of “imperfections” and minor slips of willpower. We’re told it’s okay to be human, and yet, why do all these women gobbling gorgeous looking cupcakes look so damn perfect? Then there are the accounts that only highlight vibrant green juices, or elegant yoga poses, or perfectly-plated raw meals, and its like, do you ever just eat a brownie that isn’t date-sweetened, gluten-free and low glycemic? We all strive for wellness, but sometimes it can seem like a never-ending pursuit – always in sight but never quite there. In comes the GOOD Fest.

The GOOD Fest helps women to realize that they can still be health-conscious and enjoy a tall stack of gluten-heavy pancakes. This one-day event features a plethora of wellness topics, breakout sessions, yoga, and a supporting community of experts and like-minded attendees.

It all started in a coffee shop when the founders Kate, Jen, and Jess, decided to curate the “The. Best. Day. Ever for a wellness-lover.” Each of these dynamic women came to wellness after leaving their established careers in the marketing and restaurant industries. Now, they work as bloggers, yoga instructors, and health coaches.

Kate, Jen, and Jess are thrilled to host the second GOOD Fest at the Hudson Loft in Los Angeles on February 3, 2018, to share their love of wellness with four hundred women from around the world. People are traveling from the East Coast, as well as other countries, to attend this empowering festival. To keep the conversation relevant and intimate for everyone, each attendee has been assigned one of five unique wellness tracks. Each track addresses various wellness interests through its specific breakout sessions and panels.

“This day is designed to give you a taste of multiple facets of wellness so you can find what works for you. It might be crystals or it might be an inspiring career talk – our goal is for everyone to walk away from this day feeling inspired in some way,” said the founders.

Although the tracks are unique in themselves, each includes a yoga session with a local instructor, a veggie-centric lunch courtesy of Sweetgreen, time to shop the marketplace of wellness vendors, and of course, a concluding cocktail hour to mix, mingle, and make new friends. Plus, everyone will receive an epic swag bag loaded with healthy goodies from over a dozen festival partners – like Hu Chocolate, Nektar, and Rebbl. 

Attendees can look forward to hearing from prestigious speakers who are both knowledgeable yet relatable. Panelists include Sophie Jaffe of Philosophie, Katie Horowitz of Women Against Negative Talk, Jordan Younger of the Balanced Blonde, Lynn Chen of The Actor’s Diet, and so many more. The panels are packed with nutritionists, powerhouse female entrepreneurs, natural healers, and successful creatives.

If you’re getting the “woo-woo” vibe, its true, some opinions may be considered a bit out there. There is a discussion on crystals, and you are likely to hear the words “high vibrations” and “energy,” and perhaps even a few “the universe has your back”s. However, the founders ensured that all feel welcome, no matter their beliefs.

“In the end, it’s all knowledge, and you can do with it what you’d like. Maybe you’ll brush it off, or maybe it will be the thing that inspires you and changes your life.  We have speakers covering everything from living a more eco-friendly lifestyle to taking charge of your sexual health – so if you’re anti-woo – woo, no worries, we’ve got you covered too.”

The most important role of the GOOD Fest is creating a safe and nurturing space to foster a wellness community and personal growth. “If there’s something we’re most proud of, it’s being a place for people to truly connect & support each other,” said the founders. They hope to inspire the attendees to continue on their wellness journeys, no matter where they are, and support them when they feel less than perfect.

“We all have each others backs as we navigate and define this wellness space for ourselves. We aren’t ashamed that that we love a good burrito and IPA as much as a green juice and a Kundalini class. When we are real about our own lives, it creates a safe and accepting space for [attendees] to share theirs!”

There are still a few spots left. If you’re interested in wellness, or even just looking to meet a new friend or two, tickets and the full agenda are available here.

Tanya Flink is a vegan, foodie, and certified Master Personal Trainer based in Orange County, CA. She is also the host of the podcast, “The Vegan Potluck.”

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Asher Brown is no celebrity. Although widely recognized among the vegan creatives and brands of Los Angeles, Brown is little known to the mainstream audience. However, there is no doubt you have seen his work. From Tide commercials to niche animal rights YouTube Videos, Brown helps brands and influencers expand their reach and tell their stories via his creative content lab, Pollution Studios. His exceptional work has allowed him to run a successful business while advancing social change, specifically within the plant-based movement. In between a Little Tykes commercial and a fire dancer shoot, we sat down with Brown over a jug of ginger kombucha to chat about content creation, passion projects, and the power of community.

Unlike many within the film industry, Brown did not grow up with stars in his eyes. He is soft-spoken and relaxed, a complete foil to the megaphone-toting, high energy personality associated with the director’s role. In college, he declared Pre-Med. He said he was a “science and numbers guy.” Brown stumbled into a film course “so [he] could watch movies with [his] friends.” He then found his true calling after enrolling in a film production class.

“Everything changed for me. I had never seen myself as an artist or a creative person, but working in film collaboratively with all these amazing people spoke to me in a way that nothing ever had before that.”

Brown graduated and began working in the industry, first in Australia, then in Los Angeles. He became a set lighting technician and worked on feature films and prime-time television shows, where he was exposed to what could be accomplished with a top budget and unlimited resources. “Even now when I work on small Instagram and YouTube projects, I still come from the idea of what could we do if we had as many resources we needed, and then how do we scale that down to fit the budget.”

During his free time, he shot “passion projects” with his film friends. Eventually, the group decided to take the plunge and devote their time to these projects. Pollution Studios was born. They rented out a warehouse, filming whatever they could get their hands on (mostly music videos). Over the past nine years, the company has blossomed into an expansive, three studio lot with back offices, a kitchen, and parking lot. Pollution is now the go-to for Perrier, Tide, Little Tykes, and a plethora of music artists, such as Charli XCX.

Despite its growth, Brown asserts that the studio’s core has not changed. “Its heart is still this amazing community of creative people. Pollution is a toolkit that everyone can use. We run it like a business but that’s so we can do non-profit work and passion projects. Nobody came out here because they wanted to make money doing things they didn’t love. They do this because they’re passionate about it.”

A vegan for over a decade, Brown’s passion lies within the animal rights and plant-based movement. He uses his platform to advance these causes, from big-budget brands to up-and-coming social media activists and influencers. Established plant-based clients include Gardein, Beyond Meat, Follow Your Heart, Veggie Grill, and So Delicious. In contrast, Pollution has created content for local, home-based chefs, such as The Vegan MacGyver, a YouTube channel showcasing how to make substantial vegan meals out of a hotel room.

No matter the size of the project, Brown is dedicated to helping them tell their story. It’s not about selling, its about creating a narrative to engage the consumer and incite action. According to Brown, “Broadcast commercials aren’t the thing anymore. Its social media content. Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram campaigns. Brands are focusing on social engagement.”

For example, Brown recently produced a social media campaign for GoodBelly Probiotics by partnering with Instagram celebrity, Vegan Fat Kid, and farm sanctuary non-profit, Gentle Barn. The campaign, “How to Hug a Farm Animal,” showcased the celebrity hugging various rescued farm animals. This collaboration between a celebrity, private business, and a non-profit not only spurred business for the brand, but also brought positive attention to Gentle Barn and its animal advocacy. It was a smaller campaign with a restricted budget, but Brown’s excellent reputation made it work. “I am invested in this community. I know if I call them and say this is important to me, I can count on them. For us, its not about money; its about telling a story. These people are my family. We work because we want to do something meaningful.”

On a larger scale, Brown documented Leilani Munter’s campaign at Talladega to introduce vegan food to the masses. Munter, a female NASCAR driver, uses her platform to advance the environmentalist and vegan movements. She partnered with Follow Your Heart and Gardein to serve free samples of vegan chicken wings and ranch dressing to thousands of race attendees. The fans were pleasantly surprised to find that vegan food is just as satisfying (or more so) than its animal counterparts.

Like Munter, Brown leverages his resources to help vegan brands launch into the mainstream, without using bullhorn tactics. “I think we’ve hit critical mass in the plant-based market. People used to buy a product because they felt bad buying something else, but now they buy it because its better than anything else. They might not even care about the issues; they just love the Beyond Burger. With that, plant based food is able to tap into this broader market.”

Brown also helps to connect and expand the vegan community by hosting three annual parties at the studio each year. His Birthday Bash in August, Friendsgving in November, and Spring Fling in May or June draw hundreds of people from a variety of backgrounds. Film makers, freelancers, influencers and creatives all gather to indulge in exceptional vegan food and endless entertainment within an open and accepting environment. Brown hopes to foster relationships and encourage collaborations to support the plant-based community and help it thrive. “I know how incredible each one of these people are. The goal of our parties is all about using our physical space to connect these really great people.”

“In L.A.,” Brown says, “you can be anything.” We all have the power to decide what we want to be, and what we choose to do. Brown reminds us that we are not alone in the pursuit of our passions; it takes a community. “I very intentionally want Pollution to physically and emotionally connect all these people.”

Find Tanya on Instagram and The Vegan Potluck Podcast. 

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Democracy only works if you work at it. Become a more active citizen with these tips.

While the Presidential election season may have you doubting our political system (not to mention whether you want to remain a citizen of the United States of Trump or not), we actually have a pretty good thing going on here. We may not have the “more perfect Union” envisioned by the founders of our nation, but there are plenty of opportunities for each and every citizen to get involved and contribute to that vision. And there is plenty our Founding Fathers didn’t envision that we can improve upon now, too. So, read on to discover ways that you can become a more active, engaged, and informed citizen.

Be a More Active Citizen

1. Get a library card and check out the library programs.
2. Support and read the local paper.
3. Attend city council meetings.
4. Write letters to the editor of your local paper.
5. Start a blog about local issues.
6. Organize a community garden.
7. Work on raising the awareness around a particular issue impacting your community.
8. Read the Constitution of the United States of America.
9. Volunteer at a local food bank.
10. Learn the laws of your local community.
11. Organize neighbors to influence legislators to overturn unjust laws of your community.
12. Organize neighbors to influence legislators to enact laws that will benefit your community.
13. Visit and support local parks and other open spaces.
14. Volunteer on local clean up days to help keep your community beautiful.
15. Regularly contact legislators to let know them know your views on upcoming legislation.
16. Join the social media platform Nextdoor to connect with your neighbors.
17. Join organizations like the League of Women Voters, Americans for Democratic Action, Common Cause, and others dedicated to protecting open and transparent government.
18. Attend school board meetings–even if you don’t have children.
19. Learn about your community’s history at your local historical society and/or history museum.
20. Check out your community’s calendar of events for ways you can get involved.
21. Support local businesses by frequenting them and organizing shop local events to raise the importance of shopping locally.
22. Attend performances of the local ballet, theater, musical, and other local cultural groups.
23. Walk or bike where and when you can to get to know your neighbors and your community.
24. Start a Little Free Library.
25. Volunteer as a volunteer firefighter, mentor, or neighborhood watch member.

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Community kids image via Shutterstock

The post 25 Super Rewarding Ways to Become a More Active Citizen appeared first on EcoSalon.

Promote community-building and make your town or city a greener place to live.

Looking for easy ideas to promote sustainability and community building at the same time? We got you covered.

1. Get Involved with Government and Politics – If you aren’t already involved within your community’s government, you might be surprised at the opportunities for everyday residents to influence policy decisions. Make sure to attend public meetings, reach out to elected officials, and even serve on local boards and commissions.
2. Start a Community Garden – Growing food together in a sustainable way isn’t a radical new idea in community building. It’s one that our grandparents and great-grandparents practiced to grow food and to help communities work together. A community garden is about more than just fresh fruits and vegetables; it’s about creating connections with neighbors to create a better and more resilient community.
3. Become a Bike Advocate – Here in my home state, we have two local bike groups–the Urban Bike Project and the Newark Bike Project. They are nonprofit groups with the goal of encouraging and supporting bicycling as a healthy, affordable, and practical means of transportation, recreation, and community building. Maybe you could start something like this in your town.
4. Pick an Issue and Work on It – There are plenty of worthy, local issues that need advocates just like you. Promoting backyard egg-laying chickens, curbing the use of plastic bags, allowing backyard beehives, and more are all great issues that you promote along with your neighbors. Make change in your community while you build relationships with neighbors!
5. Advocate for Local Food – Whether it’s getting a farmers market started in your town, getting a community garden off the ground, working on policy to allow fruit trees and foraging on public lands, there are so many worthwhile local food projects to advocate for while community building.
6. Certified Wildlife Habitat –  Work with your neighbors to turn your lawns into certified wildlife habitats through the National Wildlife Federation and allow nature to flourish in your town. The antiquated idea of what a yard is supposed to look like dates backs to the 16th-century aristocracy!
7. Promote Open Space – Walking paths and parks are one of the quickest and most effective ways to build a sense of community and improve the quality of life. Gather your neighbors together to reach out to your elected officials to identify and protect open spaces in your community.

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The post 7 Simple Community-Building Ideas for a Greener Space appeared first on EcoSalon.

Column Want to build a more sustainable food system? Think a little less about yourself and a little more about your community. 

We live in an individualistic culture, where everything is about me, me, me and very little about us, us, us.

In the Western world, our important life questions are most often about what studies we do, which get us thinking about which job we will have, and whether or not it will be well paying enough so that we can buy a big house, and so that hopefully there will be enough for us to take fancy vacations to help us relax.

Our general cultural dialogue is very rarely about our impact on our community. Instead, it’s about what we as individuals need and want. You could look at this individualistic way of thinking as biological; we are trying to survive, and therefore, to each their own. Of course we make decisions based upon our own well-being. But there’s also the other way of looking at it, considering the necessity of more communal thinking for our success and survival; if we tribe together with those around us, we protect ourselves, better our situation.

The me is a part of the us.

We are all a part of a community, and our actions that affect the community in turn affect ourselves. When we only consider the me, we don’t consider our individual impact on the people and planet around us. We take, take and take some more, because there are no immediate consequences to pay. But someone, somewhere in the world, pays those consequences.

In food, this plays out in many ways. When people argue about the benefits of organic, it’s about whether or not organic produce is healthier for them the consumer, as opposed to healthier for the environment and the producer, whose health isn’t threatened by pesticides. When people talk about buying local, it’s often about how the purchase makes them feel good, not that it actually helps to improve the social network and economy of the community around them.

Your actions have a larger impact than the nutritional value of what’s on your plate. Fortunately, thinking about the impact of those actions is good for your health too. What’s good for the community as a whole is also good for us as individuals.

If we started putting communal benefits in front of individual, not only would we create a food system that was better for the environment and people producing the food, but we would build one that would improve our own lives as well, providing us access to healthier, more sustainable food.

When we focus on more sustainable food, we build community. And when we focus on the benefit of our community, we build more sustainable food systems. The way forward isn’t an individualistic one, it’s a communal one.

Building a more sustainable food system means more collective thinking. It requires thinking about the whole – the soil, the plant, the animals, the humans – and not just the me.

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Image: Mosman Council

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On a sunny, warm morning in May – one of New York’s first this year – I sit on a sidewalk bench in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood, observing a quiet stretch of what has come to be, perhaps, one of the hottest neighborhoods in the borough. Next to me is Hunter Vurbeff, community relations manager of Pure House. He’s explaining to me what exactly Pure House is: In short, a collective of communal residences, mentorship opportunities, events and even amenities like cleaning, laundry, and dinners for an membership-only community of, as Hunter says they’ve come to be known, “creators.”

Pure House currently consists of thirteen apartments, all in Williamsburg, in buildings ranging from artist lofts to six-bedroom units with large communal apartments. All are within roughly five minutes walking distance from the community’s kitchen facility, which has come to be used as a clubhouse where Pure House hosts events like acoustic music concerts (recent performers include one of Thievery Corporation’s lead musicians), dinners with celebrity chefs, and yoga classes, among other functions. The lower level of that building is decorated with plush furniture, uniquely crafted coffee tables, and the walls are adorned with original photography: The product, of course, from an alumni of Pure House’s artist residency program.

And who are the residents who go through the application, interview and somewhat impressively rigorous vetting process? “People range from directors, to actors, to entrepreneurs, to social activists,” Vurbeff says. In other words, yes: creators with a passion.

“Why don’t we take away all the menial stuff they have to do,” he continues, “so they can just focus on the passion project?”

Pure House carries a very avant-garde model: One that’s reminiscent of the original purpose of the Soho House and, while perhaps raising the eyebrows of some entrepreneurs, makes many secretly jealous. It’s the brainchild of founder Ryan Fix, who, since the age of 14, says he has known what he wants to do.

“It was a kid’s vision,” he says, “and it was that I wanted to help people live their dreams.”

Some kid, really. The aspiration largely stems from Fix’s near-death experience early in life, when he had a brain tumor and accompanying surgery, during which he was constantly surrounded by a very close, very supportive group of friends.

“My mom would ask, ‘Ryan, you’ve got this second chance on life. What are you going to do when you grow up?” he explains. “So, at 14, I thought, ‘I’m going to help people make their dreams come true. I didn’t know how, but I did know that I was going to make a bunch of money, retire young, and invest in people’s dreams.”

It’s the road that led Fix to New York: Where there’s Wall Street, there’s money, leading him to work in finance, followed by stint in real estate: Both experiences he describes as “miserable” and “ethically challenging.” After a sabbatical spent writing and meditating, and a few years of working on various passion projects, a thought occurred to Fix: “Wow. I would really like to build a house where we can do this stuff.”

Today, Pure House is 100 percent occupied, with a waitlist for applicants: One that grows such each day that it’s hard to say how many people are on it, at any given moment. Roughly fifty new inquiries are received each day, ten of which result in applications. The only reason why that latter number isn’t higher, Fix says, is “because they think it’s too good to be true. It’s a common thing we get: ‘This sounds like a scam.’ And it’s because our pricing is a bit low.”

Right now, resident membership is priced between roughly $1800 – $2000 per month; practically pocket change in New York, especially considering the services and amenities.

“In order to attract our core audience, we’ve had to price things at the bare minimum,” Fix explains. “Right now, we’re just doing it at a break-even, but eventually, as the program gets stronger and we start to educate our target audience and attract people that understand what we’re doing, we’ll be able to raise prices.”

It’s also important to note that Pure House is, first and foremost, a social enterprise with a similarly natured goal. “Our passion,” says Fix, “is to support people in being successful at living their passions.”

It’s not entirely unrelated to what the community has discovered to be the entrepreneur’s – or creator’s – lament: Investing so much care into the passion, that one forgets to care for him or herself.

“One of the undertones that’s driving this,” Fix elaborates, “is that with a lot of creative people who are super, super passionate, they tend to be up in their heads all the time, just thinking about how they’re going to make their dreams happen. Just, ‘go, go, go, go, go,’ and their bodies start to fall to shit.

“We’re helping to create a lifestyle that helps them to address these things in a very accessible way,” he continues, “even if it’s having all of the fridges stocked with healthy food, or having a nutrition program, or having a laundry service so that they don’t have to worry about their laundry.”

As a small business owner myself, it’s hard to deny: This all sounds totally rad. Here’s the thing: I, like many other industrious entrepreneurs,  enjoy living in my own space. I like spending the occasional Friday night with my sweatpants, carbohydrates, British murder mysteries, and dog. Those amenities, thought: How can I, the selective recluse, sign up?

“Right now, our members are all residents, but we’re hearing from more and more people who want to have access to this kind of programming,” Fix says, engendering a moment of glee. “We want to offer a membership where this space can be their clubhouse. We’re going to offer that as a membership, as well.”

Those rates, too, will be “super-accessible,” at a $200 – $500 per month.

What does Pure House look for in members, anyway? Simply put: “People who are really committed to following their passion, and willing to do the work,” Fix answers. “There’s also a lens of doing good in the world; so, people who, whatever they’re doing, they’re doing it because they want to make the world a better place.”

I ask if he’s ever met anyone who was able to follow the direct road to his/her dream from the very beginning, without the detours to which so many of us fall victim. It’s not a myth: His answer is yes.

“The common thread, for the most part,” he says, “is they were raised by two parents that were very, very supporting and unconditionally loving. And, the relationship between the parents is really great, as well.”

What’s next for Pure House? Fix, of course, is thinking big, but approaching it patiently. “We’re not trying to push a model of massive scale,” he says. “However, we have intentions of where this will go, and we know that by focusing on really serving our members in a powerful way, that opportunities are going to come to us.”

And those intentions, naturally, are far from modest. “I’m exploring building a technology layer that allows people to upload their properties onto a platform, but focusing on this Pure House experience, and having an application process that’s all member-driven, but that members can upload their properties.”

For example, a Pure House resident living in New York, but owns a property in Missouri, can upload that property to the platform. Another, more social example? A social entrepreneur working in Haiti, and in need of housing.

It goes back to the social intention of Pure House. Really, it seems, this model is intended to extend to developing parts of the world; to those members who do what they do to achieve improvement on a global scale.

“The vision is that I see,” Fix states, “is a global, distributed network of these communal living spaces.”

I like the sound of that. From one entrepreneur to another: Perhaps the British murder mysteries can wait.

Say hey to Amanda on Twitter or Instagram

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Images: Pure House Official Website and on Facebook

The post Brooklyn’s Pure House: Communal Living and a Social Entrepreneur’s Disneyland appeared first on EcoSalon.

Column Spend your money at farmers market and the money stays in the community. Spend it at the big box grocery store and it goes elsewhere.

After a lot of road trips in many different places, I have come to a conclusion. When you drive through the countryside and come across a small town, one of two things happens:

1. You think to yourself, “ugh, this place is full of box stores and has no feeling at all. Get me out of here!” You proceed to drive to the next destination on your map.

2. You think to yourself, “ah, look at all these independent stores and quaint streets, I want to live here!” You stay and hang out, grab a coffee, and maybe even stay for lunch.

I had this feeling recently as I passed through Willunga, Australia. Willunga is a small town south of Adelaide, equidistant from the ocean and vineyards; the kind of landscape that feels like paradise. The main street of town is a collection of small, independent stores. There’s the organic grocer, the butcher and the handful of cafes and wine shops which remind you that you’re in a hub of agriculture and viticulture. It was nearing lunch time and people were out; the small town felt vibrant and active.

Immediately I had the “I want to move here” feeling.

I mentioned this to a woman working in one of the cellar doors (that’s Australian for “tasting room”).

“There’s so much going on here, so many places selling local produce and food.”

“That’s because the city decided to invest in the farmers market,” she responded.

It’s true. Nowadays Willunga is known for its weekend organic farmers market. People drive in from around the area. According to the woman working at the cellar door, it was thanks to this that the town had exploded.

I started thinking about this and community building.

What is it that makes us have that feeling of “I want to live here”? It’s not just a street full of stores. It’s a sense of community; a feeling that there’s a thread that ties everyone together. So often, that thread is food. Food is essential; it’s what keeps us alive. It nourishes us both in the physical and the emotional sense, and it’s what brings us together.

It brings us around the table in the home, and it’s what brings us around the proverbial community table, so often a market.

Think about your local grocery store for a second. Are you compelled to stay a little longer and chat with a neighbor? Do you feel the same sense of pride when you pick up a jar of honey that comes from across the world as the one that comes from 10 miles down the road?

Community doesn’t just come together on its own. It takes work. As we think about how we continue to evolve our communities, and build new ones, some people have started using the phrase “placemaking.”

According to the Project for Public Spaces, “Placemaking is how we collectively shape our public realm to maximize shared value. Rooted in community-based participation, Placemaking involves the planning, design, management and programming of public spaces.”

As our world population grows, we have to think serious about our management of public spaces, and for me, that means thinking about food. Because investing in food and farmers markets has a positive economic impact.

When it comes to farmers markets specifically, there are the direct and indirect benefits. Certainly a farmer benefits when he or she can sell their produce without a middleman, but there are also economic benefits for the community that come from keeping things local.

In 2009, a study found that farmers markets in Oklahoma had generated a total of $3.3 million in direct sales, but $6 million in total economic impact. That’s almost double.

A study done by the USDA found that fruit and vegetable farms engaged in local food sales (i.e. local and regional markets) employ 13 full-time workers per $1 million of sales. Those fruit and vegetable farms that not engaged in local sales (think: big farming)? They only account for 3 full time employees per $1 million of sales. A local food economy creates more jobs.

According to a UK report, “spending in smaller independent local food outlets supports three times the number of jobs than at national grocery chains.” And in another study done in Salt Lake City, locally run businesses return 52 percent of their revenue to the local economy, whereas for national chain retailers, or box stores, it’s only 14 percent. Above and beyond that, when it comes to restaurants, local operation put 79 percent of their revenue back into the local economy, but for big national chains it’s only 30 percent.

This can face a huge impact, particularly when we’re looking at growth of farmers markets. Portland Farmers Market recently accounted that it would stay open all year round. And around the US, int he last decade, farmers markets have grown exponentially. Imagine if they kept growing, if they kept supporting local agriculture and they kept ensuring that local communities could eat well. Shopping locally doesn’t just put hands in the pocket of the farmer; it’s a direct investment in community health and when it comes to placemaking, supporting more farmers markets is a smart move.

We live in a world of “bigger is better.” We strive for efficiency and high production at low cost. But let’s not kid ourselves: we don’t need bigger with more choice. We need smaller with more quality. We don’t need to consume more; we need to consume better.

We need farmers and we need farmers markets. Because above all, we need community. And if you want to build community, you have to invest in it.

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This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’ weekly column at EcoSalon: Foodie Underground, an exploration of what’s new and different in the underground movement, and how we make the topic of good food more accessible to everyone. More musings on the topic can be found at www.foodieunderground.com.

Image: Anna Brones

The post Farmers Markets, Food, Placemaking and Smarter, Stronger Communities: Foodie Underground appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnIf you want to better the community around you, start with food.

Over the last year I have been following Three Course Story, a project launched by my friend Rosie Spinks to document stories at the intersection of food and community.

The setting is St Paul’s Church West Hackney in London, where every Monday afternoon and Wednesday evening the community-based project North London Action for the Homeless (NLAH) serves up a three course vegetarian meal to whomever wants it, providing healthy, locally grown food to those who may not otherwise have access to it. A budget of £8 for two weeks of food is something most of us would have a hard time sustaining ourselves with, and it’s operations like this that keep people healthy and eating well.

But it’s not just the food that is the draw. As Rosie, herself a volunteer with NLAH, puts it “twice a week, dozens of people show up for dozens of different reasons to share a meal and some conversation.”

Three Course Story tells the story of the people, from recovering addicts to opera fanatics, that attend the meals and provide a deeper understanding of their own livelihoods and perceptions of the world around them.

What’s touching about the people highlighted is that though they often come for the free meals – many, but not all, are in situations of extreme hardship – but even for those individuals, it’s not just about the food. It’s about the community. It’s about sharing. “They need to eat but they need to talk to people too,” says Spinks.

Food is a means to conversation, it provides us the space to interact with fellow human beings, something that we so very much crave.

As one woman said during an interview:

“When you’re homeless—and I have been and so has Arthur, living in hostels and all that—you can’t underestimate the power of social contact. So coming here is important because we all live in different parts of London

You need a certain social contact that comes from meeting other people and realising that they’re all in the same boat. And also not eating on your own is very important.”

Ultimately, we care about food not just because it sustains but because it helps us be with others; no matter who we are we need social contact, crave community, and food makes that contact much more attainable. Cook a meal and there are few that will say no to sitting down around a table to eat it with you.

Food nourishes us, but so does being with people. As Theresa, one of the Three Course Story interviewees, mentioned in regards to the benefit of the shared meals, “It does definitely help me. I was actually thinking of not coming today because of the rain and everything but I suppose I was hungry so I made more of an effort to come. But I can leave here feeling a bit better because I’ve had a bit of socialising and a filling meal.”

Food is after all a building block for creating community. It’s a reason to have conversation. Talk with our neighbors. Connect with someone we otherwise would have never had an interaction with.

If you want to better the community around you, start with food. And don’t just serve it, share it.

To celebrate the completion of the Three Course Story project, it’s coming to life with an exhibition devoted to the stories and a fundraiser for NLAH with illustration prints for sale, held on October 1, 2013. If you’re in London, be sure to check it out: Three Course Story: An Exhibition.

Related on EcoSalon:

Foodie Underground: Local Food, Local Community

Foodie Underground: Good Food Takes Time

This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’ weekly column at EcoSalon: Foodie Underground, an exploration of what’s new and different in the underground movement, and how we make the topic of good food more accessible to everyone. More musings on the topic can be found at www.foodieunderground.com.

Images: Three Course Story

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Self-reliance. Life-changing art and music. Community. Welcome to the modern world of festival culture. But is it all it’s cracked up to be?   

Some would say it was a different world before 1969’s seminal 3-day Woodstock festival. And then, there’s everything that came after. The momentous event left an indelible mark on our culture. For those who were there, countless stories have no doubt been told, over and over. For those who didn’t go, but wanted to, life has surely never been the same.

Fast-forward more than 40 years, and we’re now inundated with a moneymaking festival industry (something Woodstock failed to do). From coast to coast, north to south, the counterculture gatherings grow every year, and continue to aim to outdo previous incarnations.

The first time you experience the ultimate modern festival, Burning Man, is hopefully one of profound “wow.” If not for the drive (unless you’re one of the few who fly in to the desert located hours from virtually anything else) and the magnificent environment, there are many reasons to look out at the spectacle in sheer awe.

For the uninitiated, it’s the ultimate collective human experience: Radical self-expression is the name of the game where some 50,000 people pour into an otherwise deserted dried up lake bed for a week and transform it into something hard to describe beyond “magical.” No money changes hands there (besides your ticket and the occasional cup of coffee or ice). Everyone is invited to participate, to share, to express. Garish costumes, dancing like no one’s watching, the mood enhancers—be they caffeine, alcohol, cannabis or other street drugs—they’re most often used responsibly to enhance the experience (and in some cases, enable attendees to endure the long nights of music and dancing without falling asleep). There are the unabashed conversations and make-out sessions with strangers–if you so desire. And many do. In short, it’s a freaking incredible place to freak out without freaking people out who are afraid of freaks. (Like Hunter S. Thompson said: “The Edge… there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over.”)

Burning Man’s influence has spread rapidly over the last two and half decades—taking Woodstock’s humble ambition to a 3D blockbuster degree with artistic communities across the globe essentially revolving around the yearly pilgrimage to the desert. It’s said to have helped evolve electronic dance music to its modern frenzied peak, as well as influenced art and film, technology and everything in-between. Noteworthy non-profit efforts such as Burners Without Borders have emerged, and perhaps Burning Man’s most cherished byproduct: the profoundly personal liberation attendees feel during, and most often, long after, the experience.

It has, like Woodstock, prompted its fair share of copycat festivals, which have now become nearly as essential as Burning Man itself: Lightning in a Bottle, Envision, Lucidity, Harmony and so on. Even the strict music or yoga festivals (Coachella, SXSW, Lollapalooza, Wanderlust, Bhakti Fest) have taken on an air of “the weirder the better.” And if you’re not there, well, you surely missed out on something.

Interspersed throughout most of the events are talks and lectures, community building workshops, therapeutic healing sessions and more. This programming attracts some of the top names in counterculture movements: experts on alternative economics, permaculture, sustainability, technology, sexuality, psychedelic medicines, aliens—you name it. Combine that with all night dancing, lots of new faces, a little dehydration, and whatever else you may be altering your consciousness with, and you’ve got yourself a serious experiential encounter.

There is no question about the huge value our own personal transformation has. Self-discovery is key to finding our place in the world and how we can participate (and, hopefully, make it better). The intensity of these festival settings can make every experience more profoundly memorable; so, what you learn in a hot, dusty tent about organic farming on your 3^rd day at Burning Man, may stick with you longer than, say, reading about it here on this website. But are you going to act on it once you get home? Will you eat better? Plant a garden? Write Abbott Laboratories about their use of GMOs in Similac infant formula?

What’s become increasingly more evident is the addictive nature of these events. It strikes many adventurous attendees with a what’s-around-the-next-corner type of affliction; to not go to as many of these events as possible becomes uncomfortable, unfair. Connection with the “community” is often cited as the most common reason for going; and a noble one at that. Certainly, ideas, projects and collaborations emerge out of the days or weeks spent together with fellow unshowered seekers.

But are festivals really the answer to our problems?

Regardless of what we may take away from a journey as profound as a festival, they’re still privileged events only few people in the world can afford to attend. While we party in the desert and dance the night away in costume, be certain that some people in the nearest town still don’t have enough to eat. Honeybees are still dying from pesticide exposure. Corruption is still plaguing our politics and corporate citizens. That’s not to put a damper on our need to dance—perhaps our politicians could use an MDMA-infused partially-nude night out in the desert themselves—but it is the reality we’re not directly addressing while we’re lost in liberating ourselves.

And what’s become more of a reality in light of the booming festival culture is the number of people who seem more concerned with the next tented outing rather than what can be done in the “real world” to bring that “community vibe” to a more applicable realization…in the bigger community at large.

Like Woodstock proved, there’s something to be said of common values—particularly when they include kindness, sharing, taking care of each other, self-expression, and a collective appreciation of art and music—good things can indeed happen. Something about these festivals resonate on the ever-important I-am-more-than-my-life-at-home level. After all, the personal awakening is a reflection of what’s happening collectively. And just like the world needs both the profound experience of repeated awakenings, it also needs practical boots on the ground tactics for dealing with immediate and less sexy issues than what to wear to the Temple Burn.

Beyond Burning Man’s relevant ‘radical self expression’ moniker, there is also the ‘radical self-reliance’ declaration festivalgoers must adhere to. Aside from the toilets, everything you need to survive for a week in a 100-degree F desert is your responsibility to bring in—and out—of the festival. It’s pretty darn good advice for living in a world where reliance on others often means supporting corporate agendas and crooked politics. And since we’re talking new paradigm or waste of time, it seems that the only thing we really need to remember is that it is indeed a waste of time if we don’t take these new paradigm experiences and infuse them into every aspect of our lives, wherever we are, and whenever we get there.

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Image: Christopher.Michel

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This is third post in our series on the Sharing Economy. Part One explained how sharing services can help you save money. Part Two highlighted ways collaborative consumption can reduce waste and our impact on the planet. Today’s installment will demonstrate how participation in the sharing economy can boost local economies and rebuild important community ties.

The sharing economy is more than swapping clothes or finding a cheap place to stay on vacation. While saving money and reducing waste are pleasant by-products of a sharing lifestyle, they’re not the end goal. The most exciting, promising, and truly revolutionary thing about moving from a “that’s mine” culture to a “this is ours” mentality is a refocusing of our attention on what’s really important: each other.

Embracing collaborative consumption, especially peer-to-peer sharing, requires us to acknowledge the wants, needs, talents, and resources of those around us. Consumerism teaches us that everyone is competition. We compare ourselves to our peers, using ownership of material possessions as a measuring stick of self-worth. That kind of judgement won’t last in the sharing economy.

When liberated from the burden of ownership, we gain access to knowledge and resources, become more active citizens, and are supported by a network of friends and neighbors who collaborate to solve problems. Simply put, when people share, communities become stronger. Here’s how:

1. Restores Relationships

Whether it’s made up of neighbors on a cul-de-sac, members of a church, or far flung friends on a social networking site, community is what makes sharing economy possible. In fact, some have even suggested calling it “the relationship economy.” Unfortunately, we’ve become very isolated as a society. Sure, we talk with coworkers and hang out with friends. But when’s the last time you greeted a passerby or borrowed a cup of sugar from your neighbor? We’ve become withdrawn, reluctant to share our thoughts and feelings, never mind our precious possessions. But in order to swap, barter, or rent, we must initiate contact, negotiate terms, and sometimes, go out of our way for our fellow humans. This exercises our relationship muscle, and helps us reconnect with those we previously ignored.

2. Creates Stability

Whether it’s debt, unemployment, illness, or family issues, our communities are full of unstable families, just barely making it from day to day. When times our tough, collaborative consumption reminds us to utilize the wealth we have, and share it with others. Lending libraries, food swaps, ride sharing, nanny sharing, time banks and community supported agriculture allow those with limited liquid assets to access tools, food, transportation, child care, and perhaps even work with dignity. These sharing services require a small investment on the part of each member so that all can reap a big reward. Participants realize they are not alone, and that sharing is a shortcut to accessing what they need.

Generates Solidarity

When people know and share with each other, they become unified. Instead of fearful isolation, sharing communities live with openness, generosity, and solidarity. Once we remember how awesome it is to be a part of each others’ lives, we’re more willing to become involved in other aspects of our communities as well. Being part of a community means sharing responsibility as well as rewards. The sharing economy encourages us to crowdsource solutions to community-wide problems as well as our own. All over the world, citizens are reengaging with their governments, looking for ways to get involved in the planning of budgets, support of local business, and development of neighborhoods. Sharing forces us to realize our similarities, and helps organize our efforts to realize common goals.

Image: pushthisbutton

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