Brewed in partnership with Hopworks Urban Brewery in Portland, Oregon, this Northwest-style pale ale is the first ever beer to be made with Kernza, a “superwheat” perennial developed at The Land Institute in Salina, Kansas.

“Beer holds a critical role in society and history. It is the center of many tables, uniting us with its common language,” notes Birgit Cameron, senior director of Patagonia Provisions.

“Patagonia Provisions saw an opportunity to use such a widely influential product to tell the story of organic regenerative agriculture, via Kernza, to a wide swath of people with a product we can all enjoy and get behind. All it takes is a small tweak in the way we make our beer to effect big change – we are hoping this message reaches the big brewers of the world.”

Kernza, an organic grain derived from an ancient form of wheatgrass, is the ideal grain for this project, given how it is perfectly suited to organic restorative agriculture.

The eponymous “long roots” of this organic beer come from Kernza’s perennial growth; these two characteristics combined allow the grain to thrive without pesticides and with less water than conventional wheat. Its long roots also help Kernza to reduce reduce erosion and remove more carbon from the atmosphere than annual grains.

“As organic brewers we are really excited about the ‘grain to glass’ model and Long Root Ale is just that,” notes Christian Ettinger, founder and brewmaster of Hopworks Urban Brewery.

The organic beer is made with a grain mix of 15 percent Kernza and organic two-row barley. It offers a citrus hoppiness that offsets the mild maltiness of the grain blend quite nicely. It’s a refreshing beer with a good effervescence and lasting flavor that would pair very nicely with grilled meats and vegetables.

Long Root Ale is available in 16-ounce cans at select Whole Foods Market stores in California, Oregon, and Washington.

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Images care of Patagonia Provisions

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What happens when, for just a moment, we focus on the champions of our food world, rather than the villains? That’s what Patagonia Provisions and filmmaker Chris Malloy sought to discover with “Unbroken Ground”; the result is sure to be a rousing success.

In Malloy’s 25-minute film, he details the critical role food will play in solving the environmental crisis, exploring this theme through the work of four pioneers of regenerative agriculture, ranging from land to sea.

The film features Wes Jackson, founder of The Land Institute and developer of perennial-grain crops designed to save and regenerate soil; Dan and Jill O’Brien, of Cheyenne River Ranch, who are working at the forefront of restorative grazing by transitioning from cattle to native, free-roaming wild buffalo; Stephen Jones of The Bread Lab, developing diversity with locally grown organic grains; and Ian Kirouac, Keith Carpenter, and Riley Starks of Lummi Island Wild, who target specific fish species using reef-netting, a technique that has been used for thousands of years by the First Nations people of Lummi Island.

“Everybody in this film has been doing what they’re doing for decades,” says Malloy. “It’s a real commitment and it’s a way of life. The blood, sweat, and tears that you see with all of them is something that’s just super inspiring.”

This inspiration is something that Malloy clearly exhibits in the film, from his insightful interviews with the four pioneers and other experts to his in-depth visual exploration of their work. In a mere 25 minutes, the viewer gets a keen sense of what it is to raise buffalo on the plains of South Dakota or fish for salmon in the Pacific Northwest, and not only that; the viewer also begins to understand just why each of these endeavors is so important.

“Steve Jones says we can fight the big bad guys, the conventional farming and the GMO and Monsanto — we can do that, and that’s important, but at some point, it’s not fun anymore,” explains Malloy. “He said, in his life, that rather than fighting the system, he needed to go out and just change it. That’s what all of these folks are doing. You could talk about what’s wrong with Ag in the world, but they’re all a lot more excited to talk about what the hope is, out there.”

While each of these groups contributes in some way to Patagonia Provisions, the artistry in the film is such that the viewer doesn’t feel he’s being sold to.

“I sort of wrestled with that in the film,” Malloy explains, crediting Patagonia with the artistic license needed to render the film resolutely uncommercial. “I really set out to give the audience just an informative, inspiring experience.”

And he does. The individuals featured in the film are both inspired and inspiring, and by the end of the 25 minutes, the viewer is left with a palpable feeling of, “What next? What can I do to help?”

Despite the clear removal from Patagonia in the film, it’s hard not to equate the steps taken by these four distinct groups of people with what Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard sought to do, twenty years ago, with organic cotton. Even when it seemed no one was selling – or buying – organic cotton, Chouinard sought to fill this niche in the market, due to his own beliefs in the product; two decades later, he has succeeded.

“Revolutions start from the bottom,” Chouinard says in the film. “They never start from the top. At the bottom are these people who are willing to break the paradigm. Putting a small group together, all believing in the same thing, all going in the same direction… you can’t believe what we could accomplish with that.”

And it’s far from over, at least, as far as Malloy is concerned.

“I wanted this film to feel like the tip of the spear,” says Malloy. “I didn’t want at the end of the film for this to be like this big sight of relief, and ‘Oh, thank God, they fixed it.’ This isn’t a victory, this film, this is more of a — I don’t want to say battle cry, but I wanted to inspire people to start on a journey.”

A journey of discovery, a journey of education; with one or all of these individuals as a guide, anyone, from the accomplished activist to the uninitiated interested party can discover the merit of the work of these food revolutionaries and begin to uncover the steps that he or she can take to continue the fight.

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Image care of Patagonia Provisions

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Patagonia is furthering its dedication to operate as sustainably as possible. The outdoor fashion brand recently made a public statement that its Nano Puff collection will now include 55 percent recycled PrimaLoft® Gold Insulation Eco.

And die-hard Patagonia lovers, rest assured—the high-performance brand’s collection will still perform as well as always in the great outdoors.

What is PrimaLoft® Gold Insulation Eco?

PrimaLoft® Gold Insulation Eco is made of eco-friendly, premium synthetic insulation. It contains 55 percent recycled content. In addition, starting in 2017, PrimaLoft will replace all of its Gold Insulation with 55 percent recycled Gold Eco.

Gold Eco is lightweight—it won’t weigh you down while you traipse on mountain trails. It also will keep the human body warm even when it’s wet.

In addition to performing well, the Gold Eco-switch will allow the Ventura, Calif., company to save two million plastic bottles from the landfill in the first year of the swap.

“PrimaLoft’s significant commitment to use Gold Eco across the board starting next year goes well beyond Patagonia’s initial challenge and the impact will be seen in the outdoor community as well as any industry that currently uses the Gold Insulation,” Jenna Johnson, senior director of Global Technical Outdoor at Patagonia, says.

“The new Nano Puff exemplifies the three pillars of our mission—to build the best product, do no unnecessary harm, and equally as important, to use business to help solve the environmental crisis.”

And Mike Joyce, president and CEO of PrimaLoft, Inc., is equally excited about the change Patagonia is making. “Sustaining an ethical and environmentally sound business has always been one of the core values for us at PrimaLoft,” he adds.

“Partnering with Patagonia, an industry leader in sustainable practices, to introduce Gold Eco is a natural fit. With this latest innovation, we believe we’ve found that elusive balance of using recycled content while maintaining the high level of performance consumers expect from both PrimaLoft and Patagonia.”

Want to get one of the new and improved pieces before winter gets here? Men and women can get hold of the environmentally-friendly Nano Puff collection, which includes the Nano Puff Jacket, Nano Puff Bivy Pullover, Nano Puff Hoody, Nano Puff Pullover and Nano Puff Vest, at Patagonia retail and partner stores, and at Patagonia.com this autumn.

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Image of a Nano Puff jacket via Patagonia

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Patagonia, the leading outdoor clothing company, is hungry for change.

Patagonia recently released a short movie, “Unbroken Ground.” The film “examines some of the areas of agriculture that have, and will, change our relationship with both the land and the oceans, and explores the stories of four groups that are pioneering change through regenerative agriculture, regenerative grazing, restorative fishing, and diversified crop development,” Treehugger reports.

Check out the film below.

Unbroken Ground from Patagonia Provisions on Vimeo.

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The post A Clothing Company Wants to Improve the Food System? [Video] appeared first on EcoSalon.

“The first time I came to realize the power of an individual to effect major change was in the early seventies,” writes Yvon Chouinard in the introduction to “Tools for Grassroots Activists,” a recently published guide to the world of grassroots activism.

The mission of Chouinard’s book is not only to ensure that readers come to this same realization but also to inspire them to take action to succeed. Both missions are fulfilled in the pages that follow.

The book was created by Patagonia based on 20 years of the Patagonia Tools Conference, an event that has united some of the most important activists to share wisdom, thoughts, and advice. The best of this information is captured within the book, organized into thematic chapters, from fundraising to organizing to marketing.

Each of the chapters begins with a straightforward, well-written introduction before launching into case studies, keynotes, and how-tos written by big names in grassroots activism like Karen Gardner, Shoko Tsuro, and even Jane Goodall. The book thusly offers the ideal balance of useful information for would-be grassroots activists and inspiration for those who are attracted by the milieu but aren’t too sure where to start.

From the very first chapter, “The Business of Changing the World,” this balance is struck effortlessly.

“For environmental activism, progress can be hard to spot, let alone measure,” writes Vincent Stanley. He highlights the locality of so many successful movements, such as the move away from cigarette smoking in public, which gradually sprung up regionally before becoming the norm nearly everywhere, and he encourages readers to believe that their own efforts in grassroots activism will come to the same fruition.

That said, hoping is not enough; inspiration leads people to grassroots activism, but it isn’t the key to success. There is a great deal of hard work involved in ensuring the success of any environmental activism program. Fortunately, this book provides the tools that any activist needs, from examples of successful campaign strategies to an outline of the rules of marketing and communication for beginners.

While the inspirational stories within are enough to hold an armchair activist, this book is designed for a true person of action, someone looking to take a stand and really make a difference. With this book in hand, whatever project you have in mind, from encouraging recycling in your neighborhood to developing more urban green spaces in your city can easily become a reality.

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Image care of Patagonia

The post The Complete Guide to Grassroots Activism: Awaken the Activist Within appeared first on EcoSalon.

Say what you will about PETA’s shock-and-awe tactics – the animal rights organization knows how to get things done. (And by things, we mean achieving justice for poorly treated animals.)

The most recent big name company that PETA called out for its questionable sourcing is the uber-ethical and sustainably committed outdoor gear retailer, Patagonia. According to Ecouterre, one of Patagonia’s suppliers was grossly mistreating lambs and sheep. PETA filmed undercover footage of the Argentinean wool supplier in question. The company was supposedly a supplier of “responsibly sourced wool,” but PETA’s video footage showed a very different story:

“The animal-rights group has posted on its website video that shows livestock workers slitting lambs’ throats, skinning them alive, or otherwise abusing and mutilating the animals. The footage, according to PETA, was obtained from farms that are part of the Ovis 21 (sometimes styled Ovis XXI), a network of some 140 ranches that has been working with the Nature Conservancy to reverse 100 years of overgrazing on 15 million acres of Patagonian grasslands,” reports Ecouterre.

This was a pretty big “to do,” considering Patagonia is known for its environmental and social responsibility efforts.

Since PETA posted the video, there has been a deafening rally cry from companies, people, and organizations calling for Patagonia to dump their terrible supplier. And – thank goodness – Patagonia was smart enough to listen. Rose Marcario, Patagonia’s CEO, was quoted in the SFGate, saying that “ ‘Patagonia’s partnership with Ovis 21 has been a source of pride because of the program’s genuine commitment to regenerating the grassland ecosystem, but this work must come equally with respectful and humane treatment of the animals that contribute to this endeavor.’ ” Until Patagonia finds a new supplier, it will finish using “its existing stock of wool.”

Right about now, you may be thinking, “yeesh. I never, ever want to buy wool again, but I love how it makes me feel – what alternative can I turn to?” Care2 has a few humane, alternative wool suggestions:

1. Bamboo
2. Banana
3. Hemp
4. Flax
5. Organic cotton
6. Tencel
7. Recycled plastic

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Image from Patagonia’s Facebook page

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This Father’s Day, don’ t forget to give daddy a gift that has more meaning than meets the eye. The following eco-conscious gifts warrant applause, not only for their usage points but also for their role in saving the world.

Instead of crafting a makeshift present at the last hour, put some thought into Father’s Day this year and consider one of these 7 eco-friendly gifts for the eco-conscious daddy that will put a smile on his (and Mother Nature’s) face.

1. Peak Performance Socks

If your father is active and an avid runner, he probably could use socks that keep his feet dry and blister free. Injinji sells toe socks that properly align toes, promoting posture and balance as well as preventing the wear and tear on his toes. Injinji currently has a buy-2-get-1-free sale for Father’s Day.

2. Recycled Shorts

Just in time for the summer, Patagonia offers board shorts that stay strong in prolonged exposure to salt water and UV rays and are designed to reduce inner thigh chafing. Better yet, Pantagonia ensures that dad can keep his gear out of landfills by participating in its recycle program, which allows the company to re-use the shorts and make them into new products.

3. Fair Trade Soccer

Is your father a soccer fan? Gift him a Fair Trade soccer ball from Senda Athletics. The company not only meets Fair Trade standards but also fuels money back into a communal fund to improve producers’ social, economic and environmental conditions.

4. Next Level TOMS

If dad is not already wearing TOMS, get him started this Father’s Day with the help of Ben Affleck’s Eastern Congo Initiative. This limited edition collection of shoes with a special significance is inspired by Congolese textiles, with two styles for men. For each pair sold, $5 goes to the youth and families in the region. This is on top of TOMS promise to provide a child in need with a new pair of shoes.

5. Reclaimed Golf Balls

This may be the perfect gift for the eco-conscious golfer. Lost Golf Balls is a company that retrieves golf balls from lakes and surrounding natural terrain of resorts, private facilities and courses in the U.S. After being cleaned and sorted based on brand, model and condition, prices are determined.

6. Solar-Powered Watch

Dad will never have to worry about replacing the battery on this watch. The Citizen Blue Angels Skyhawk Watch uses solar power to charge its battery both indoors and outdoors. It has a five-year warranty.

7. Solar Bicycle Trunk Bag

Dad is already saving the world by biking to and fro, but now he can store his belongings and charge electronics with the Nomad Solar Bicycle Trunk Bag. Powered by solar energy, the bag has a universal fit and keeps dad charged while he rides.

Photo Credit: Jurvetson

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Patagonia has set the benchmark when it comes to sustainable fashion and sustainable business. But there’s plenty of room at the top, and they’ve launched a fund for investing in environmentally responsible startup businesses.

It’s hard not to love Patagonia products. Anyone who has invested in their offerings—clothes, bags, luggage, etc—has likely enjoyed years of high quality performance from something that may have been a soda bottle before it was a fleece.  What’s more appealing than a sustainably made, durable, superior piece of luggage? How about a company that also offers a lifetime guarantee on the product too? (Trust me, they take them back and replace them if they can’t fix ’em, no questions.) Customer service, quality and a decreased impact on the environment fuel Patagonia’s business model, and it’s no wonder they have a dedicated hardcore consumer base.

They’ve got quite a business model, growing out of founder Yvon Chouinard’s vision for progressive leadership in outdoor lifestyle gear and socially responsible business practices. Chouinard also helped fund the popular 1% for the Planet organization that allows members to donate one percent of their annual revenue to various environmental causes. And Patagonia knows they’re not the only ones with great ideas; which is driving the company’s newest fund, entitled $20 Million & Change.

Chouinard says the money will go to help like-minded startups, focused on improving the environment primarily in the apparel industry. While some details haven’t been released yet (how many companies and which ones), Patagonia executives say the substantial investments will range from $500,000 to $5 million, unless the products directly compete with Patagonia’s offerings.

According to a post on the company website, Patagonia has also formed a new holding company, Patagonia Works, which houses the clothing company, Patagonia Media and Patagonia Provisions. “Others might see Patagonia Works and $20 Million & Change as revolutionary business ventures; we think both are just next logical steps to doing business more responsibly,” said Chouinard. “Economic growth for the past two centuries has been tied to an ever-spiraling carbon bonfire. Business – and human – success in the next 100 years will have to come from working with nature rather than using it up.”

Interested in learning more about the $20 Million and Change fund? email: info@patagoniaworks.com or call (805) 667-2300.

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Image: patagonia

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Is sustainable consumption an oxymoron? Forward-thinking companies are increasingly using storytelling as a branding device to educate and engage consumers who want to know the impact of their purchases.

Another fire in another factory. The murder of a labor leader fighting for garment worker’s rights. Rivers turned indigo by waste water from denim manufacturing. How long can we keep yet another worrying headline separate from our love for cheap clothing?

As we recognize what consumption is doing to our planet, changing consumer patterns reflects both a yearning for simplicity and an expectation of transparency – especially among the younger consumers companies covet. That quality of wholeness we prioritize in our food – the connection to the handmade, local and distinctive, quality ingredients, and the story behind the artisan and the passion for her craft – is beginning to inform all of our purchasing decisions.

One way brands are beginning to respond is by using video to simply and powerfully communicate the story of sustainability behind the products and services they’re selling.  While the ability to reach out to style-lovers without negating fashion’s design and feel-good focus can be challenging, evocative visual stories can be a powerful tool in sharing the importance of a more considered approach. Here are some of our favorite video visions for the future of fashion:

Honest Us from Vinícius Bobsin on Vimeo.

1. Honest By founder Bruno Pieters tells the story of his enigmatic brand and what it means to live an authentic life in ‘Honest Us.’ Directed by Vinicius Bobsin and lasting only a few seconds, the mesmerizing short captures the mood of the innovative Honest By collection perfectly.

piece x piece from Elizabeth Brunner on Vimeo.

2. In this video, San Francisco-based designer Elizabeth Brunner shares the inspiration and process behind her visionary line, Piece x Piece. Bringing to life the story behind her innovative garments – which take months of collaboration, exploration and experimentation to make – she illustrates the power of how a simple decision skillfully executed can create meaningful change.

Organic Cotton – Grown in the USA from Patagonia on Vimeo.

3. An industry trail blazer, Patagonia was one of the first companies to tell consumers about the eco impact of its product line via the ‘Footprint Chronicles.’ In their latest video, they document the characters involved in the Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative (TOCMC) one of the company’s first suppliers of organic cotton grown in West Texas.

Detox Fashion by Greenpeace.

4. Greenpeace effectively used Anime to describe a futuristic warning of things to come their latest  for their Detox Fashioncampaign. Overcoming difficult messages by using a fun, comic book style, the film remains a thoughtful and provoking on-topic perspective on why beautiful fashion shouldn’t cause toxic pollution.

Top Image: Piece x Piece

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Leading outerwear manufacturer Patagonia is partaking in an initiative to restore the grasslands of Argentina.

In an effort to reverse the 100 years of overgrazing on Patagonia’s 15 million acres of grasslands, Patagonia, Inc. has placed the first order of wool from the ranchers of its namesake region. The restoration program has been launched as a collaborative effort between The Nature Conservancy, Argentine rancher network Ovis XXI and Patagonia, Inc. to encourage ranchers to raise and graze their sheep in a sustainable method that protects wildlife and restores native plant species.

Patagonia, Inc. announced this new venture in January 2013, and is the first apparel manufacturer to support the restoration scheme. As the company has learned, sourcing and selling organic wool isn’t enough, as the organic standard does not take into consideration grazing practices. Patagonia’s agreement with Ovis XXI mandates that the ranchers raise their animals in a way that supports the long-term health of the region, and allows native species of plants and wildlife to re-establish healthy populations. Alongside restoration, this collaboration aims to provide a market incentive to attract additional partners and buyers, and more importantly, to encourage adoption of sustainable grazing and raising practices on a larger scale.

A new product line of Patagonia merino wool base layers will be made from this Patagonian wool, and will be available in stores and online in the autumn 2013 collection. The company says that from then on, every single merino baselayer, down to their merino socks, will be made from wool that is sustainably sourced from Patagonian grasslands. The wool from this region is of exceptional quality, and will likely continue to hold up to Patagonia’s reputation as one of the top providers of active and outdoor gear. The product types won’t change, just the origin of the wool, providing the company with their first opportunity to be “able to improve an environment by placing business there,” as Director of Environmental Strategy, Jill Dumain, says.

The complying ranchers use the Grassland Regeneration and Sustainability Standard (GRASS), which align conservation goals and land management protocols set forth by Ovis XXI and The Nature Conservancy. These protocols imitate wildlife grazing patterns, meaning that sheep will be moved from pasture to pasture depending on the condition of grasses. It is projected that proper management of flock sizes, lands and streams will promote higher ground coverage and encourage diversity of native grass species, allowing ranchers, sheep and native flora and fauna to flourish together.

Ranching on the grasslands is a source of livelihood for many of Patagonia’s inhabitants, but has become detrimental to the natural landscape as overgrazing has caused land erosion and desertification. The Southern Temperate Grasslands of Argentina reach over 400 million acres (nearly the size of 3 Californias), of which 20 million acres (10 Yellowstone National Parks) have already turned into deserts due to unsustainable grazing, rendering them unfit for native wildlife or ranching. The collaboration with Patagonia, Inc. is seen as a way to sustain the local economy, alongside restoring the unique ecosystem of the grasslands. The region is home to species such as the guanaco, a relative of the llama, the rhea, a flightless bird similar to an ostrich, and the last large population of the massive Andean condors, all of which are found nowhere else on the planet.

It is hoped that this partnership, which demonstrates a collaborative spirit in co-creating active change, will inspire and advance the implementation of globally sustainable grazing methods in order for sheep ranching and natural habitats to thrive side-by-side. “By working together we can ensure that the ranchers make a good living and that future generations will still know Patagonia as a wild place at the edge of the Earth,” said Chris Pague, an ecologist with the Nature Conservancy.

Images: Patagonia/Tim Davis

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