Seattle wild-foods café Nettletown might be shoulder to shoulder with a Subway, but their produce comes from the ground, not a vacuum-sealed bag. Put down the hoagie and listen:

From activists to politicians, everybody loves to talk about the promise of green jobs. But in reality, who the heck actually has a green job, and how do you get one? In our new column, “I Have a Green Job,” Grist will be regularly profiling one of the lucky employed who has landed a job in the new green economy, or a green job in the old economy.

The café has an unusual location. In the middle of the city in a strip mall, the eatery calls Subway its next door neighbor. And guess which one my hungover friend wanted to eat at? “It’s a bit pricey,” he sighed, ordering a huckleberry mimosa that cost about the same as a foot-long sub. He wondered why he could get a full meal out of a Biggest, Meatiest, Tastiest, while his smaller fried egg sandwich cost a dollar more.

Continue reading the full story over on Grist.

Editor’s note: Article by Darby Minow Smith. Originally published by our friends at Grist.org. Grist is a media organization that has been dishing out environmental news and commentary with a humorous twist since 1999. Be sure to visit them and say hi, and follow Grist on Twitter, too!

Image: brian glanz

The post New Café Owner Forages and Finds a Fresh Take on Sustainability appeared first on EcoSalon.

Organic John Patrick

Everywhere you look you see them, even on the non-hog riding gang. Call them rebels with a cause – a need to look trendy while making a statement about planet-friendly fibers.

Biker jackets! The fashion trend comes full circle once again.

Think back to Marlon Brando in his 1953 cult flick, The Wild One, where just manly men wore the hardware-ridden jackets.

Fast forward to Seattle grunge hitting the scene in the mid 80s. Women and men clad in biker jackets, oversized flannel shirts and combat boots were the sensation. Scores of us  identified with popular bands like Sonic Youth and The Pixies with an additional nod to grittier punk rock. Both sexes opted out of the mainstream, took their drugs, listened to Nirvana and gave the finger to fitting in.

This time around, babes in biker jackets rule supreme in styles that speak more softly thanks to eco-designers utilizing alternative fabrics. This one from KellyB, made from 50% organic cotton and 50% recycled polyester, is a hot substitute for leather while still doing the job of keeping you warm.

Raw Earth’s take on the trend in the color purple is right in gear for 2009.

Reif, out of Portland, Oregon has her own hip take on the biker jacket in her Spring 2010 collection which just might be my go-to piece if I move fast enough.

No longer are we expected to carry the weight of leather a la Brando. Now, it goes one further, getting notice not just for the cool factor, but the integrity of the design. Even Brando would have to agree: This is the real deal.

The post Zip Is Hip, Again! Babes in Biker Jackets Go Organic appeared first on EcoSalon.