Posts Tagged ‘Sustainable’

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Sat.3

Photo Courtesy of Portland Farmer’s Market.

The Wednesday market at Shemanski Park is held downtown at the north end of the South Park Blocks between Salmon & Main. Held May 5 through October 27 from 10am-2pm. This market is located in Portland’s beautiful park blocks and provides for a lovely outing or lunch options for those living and working in the downtown area. Enjoy local produce, eat healthy, support the local economy, encourage awareness, become part of your community, think sustainability, and live a conscience life.

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carrotsScallions_r_c2

Photo Courtesy of Portland Farmer’s Market.

Mondays: Portland Farmer’s Market at Pioneer Square held June 21 through October 25 from 10am-2pm. Beyond being a tremendously enjoyable activity, attending and purchasing local products boosts the economy and provides support for your fellow community members. Enjoy local produce, eat healthy, support the local economy, encourage awareness, become part of your community, think sustainability, and live a conscience life.

The Monday Market at Pioneer Courthouse Square is located between SW Broadway & SW 6th and SW Morrison & SW Yamhill.

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wholefoods

Whole Foods 30th Birthday Party, Just Around the Corner from Indigo!

Whole Foods Market turns 30 today- September 17th, and the birthday bash isn’t to be missed! Stop in for cake, prizes, sales, and more throughout their birthday weekend, Friday September 16th-Sunday September 18th.

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Saturday_Farmer
Photo Courtesy of the Portland Farmers Market

Getting out on Saturday to visit the Portland Farmer’s Market at PSU (one of many locations) has always been a favorite of mine. For starters, the Portland State University Park blocks are stunning and add a charm to the Downtown City of Portland. Combining this already beautiful landscape with the Portland Farmer’s Market is simply wonderful. The market, which offers local produce and food products, provides for a fine activity that can continue to boost your soul/body throughout the week-due to all the delicious and organic eats!

Beyond being a tremendously enjoyable activity, attending and purchasing local products boosts the economy and provides support for your fellow community members. Enjoy local produce, eat healthy, support the local economy, encourage awareness, become part of your community, think sustainability, and live a conscience life.

Some words of wisdom provided by Portland Farmers Market: “From farm-fresh produce, baked goods, meats, cheeses, seafood and other artisan goods, our markets are bursting with local offerings from more than 200 vendors at the height of the season. Whether you are wondering who carries spring asparagus, fresh salmon, heirloom tomatoes or homemade berry jam, use the product search function to find which vendors have what you are looking for”.

The Saturday Market is located at Portland State University in the South Park Blocks (between SW Hall & SW Montgomery), held March 20 through December 18 from 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (March thru October) and 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (November & December).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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It wasn’t so long ago that wine snobs scoffed at organic wines. These early experiments certainly produced some less than appealing results. However, concerns about the environmental and health effects of synthetic fertilizers and vineyard pesticides have led many growers to go organic and many of these vintages have first-rate quality and taste.

 

While there are many distinctions between what is truly “organic” and what is simply deceiving marketing, be sure to check your wine label for the following key phrases:

The LIVE, or “Low Input Viticulture and Enology”, label currently certifies vineyards in Oregon and Washington that utilize natural resources like native insects and pest-deterring plants to reduce reliance on chemical pesticides.

“Salmon Safe,” another certification applied to vineyards in the Northwest, ensures that farmers use agricultural practices, such as planting trees, growing cover crops and applying natural pest control methods, that don’t harm salmon habitats.

"You did remember to get the Salmon Safe wine, didn't you?"

"You did remember to get the Salmon Safe wine, didn't you?"

Certified Organic wines are made entirely of organic ingredients and processed without synthetic agents. Organic wine producers claim that it helps produce flavorful wines: Flourishing soil microorganisms and careful attention to the health of the vines, they claim, make a great contribution to taste. Organic wines contain no added sulfites (though some may exist in the wine naturally), which make them better for those with sulfite allergies.

Wines labeled “made with organic grapes” must be made from certified organic grapes but don’t adhere to the same rigorous processing standards.

Some of My Favorite Local Organic/Biodynamic/Salmon Safe Oregon Wineries:

  1. Winderlea
  2. Witness Tree
  3. Lange
  4. Sokol Blosser
  5. Bethel Heights

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indigo

Photo Courtesy of Timothy Hursley

Our beloved architectural neighbors, ZGF, were recently featured in Metropolis magazine. Check it out here. Lead architect, Eugene Sandoval, tells the interesting story of designing his own firms world headquarter office building.  You can also catch explanations of all the complicated sustainable features in the building. It’s worth the read.

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eco.logo

Did you know Eco Drycleaner offers a sustainable dry cleaning service right at your doorstep? Have you signed up ? If not, now is your chance! New customers will receive 5 Men’s Dress Shirts free! Current customer’s will receive 2 Men’s Dress Shirts Free. This offer is good February 8-13, 2010. Simply drop off your dry cleaning with the concierge and pick it up within a matter of days as you are arriving home. Eco Drycleaner offers free pick-up and delivery for Indigo residents.

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 groceries2

                     Photo provided by Food Front website.

Seek out your local grocers and eateries that place high-standards in the foods and products they are seeking out and serving up. If your grocery store doesn’t care what they put on their shelves, you may not either. It’s a New Year and a great time to start thinking about some healthy changes in your daily routine. Perhaps that means taking some more time out of your day for you, bringing the dog out for a walk, taking a hike in Forest Park, or simply catching a few more moments of rest. Whatever it is, seeing the importance in small changes and how those changes are beneficial is the first step, following up with these simply shows you care about you. Why not start with the foods you are eating? Think Sustainable. Local. Organic.

Find local resources that will lend a helping hand in making healthier choices in your daily eats. It’s that much easier on you.  The following are words of wisdom from Food Front:

“Food Front is your Community Grocery Store where everyone can shop and anyone can be an owner. At Food Front Cooperative Grocery, we seek out high quality foods and merchandise from local, organic, and sustainable producers. Here’s what’s in store for you:

Organic Fare ~ Local Produce
World Cuisine ~ Fine Wines
Artisan Breads & Cheeses
Fresh, Local Meats ~ Gourmet Deli
Fair Trade Coffee ~ Cruelty-Free Wellness Products

Whether you’re looking for daily essentials or delightful indulgences, you’ll find it at Food Front, naturally”.

Food Front’s Commitment to Quality: “At Food Front we actively seek out and support local producers and trusted suppliers who share our values so you can feel good about the things you’re putting in your cart, and on your table”.

Food Front Northwest, 2375 NW Thurman St. , Portland, Oregon 97210, 503.222.5658
Food Front Hillsdale, 6344 SW Capitol Highway, Hillsdale Shopping Center
Portland, Oregon 97239, 503.546.6559

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Courier Coffee

Courier Coffee proudly served here at Indigo! Courier Coffee is not only great for waking up but it’s good on the environment. The Courier Coffee team bikes around the city come rain or shine to deliver great coffee with little cost on the environment.

Courier Coffee is freshly brewed and ground each morning (and all day) for our residents…stop by, grab a cup, take a tour, and find your new home. We’ll get the coffee roasting, deliver the paper to your apartment home, you can squeeze in a small workout in our fitness center, and enjoy the morning with more time!

For additional locations or more information please contact Joel at 503.545.6444, located at SE 40th & Hawthorne.

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story of stuff

The following Information is provided from The Story of Stuff website:

“From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It’ll teach you something, it’ll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever”.

March 22, 2010, 7:30PM- See Annie Leonard Live at Powell’s Books.

The Film

“The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute film that takes viewers on a provocative and eye-opening tour of the real costs of our consumer driven culture—from resource extraction to iPod incineration.

Annie Leonard, an activist who has spent the past 10 years traveling the globe fighting environmental threats, narrates the Story of Stuff, delivering a rapid-fire, often humorous and always engaging story about “all our stuff—where it comes from and where it goes when we throw it away.”

Leonard examines the real costs of extraction, production, distribution, consumption and disposal, and she isolates the moment in history where she says the trend of consumption mania began. The Story of Stuff examines how economic policies of the post-World War II era ushered in notions of “planned obsolescence” and “perceived obsolescence” —and how these notions are still driving much of the U.S. and global economies today. Leonard’s inspiration for the film began as a personal musing over the question, “Where does all the stuff we buy come from, and where does it go when we throw it out?” She traveled the world in pursuit of the answer to this seemingly innocent question, and what she found along the way were some very guilty participants and their unfortunate victims.

Written by Leonard, the film was produced by Free Range Studios, the makers of other highly popular web-based films such as “The Meatrix” and “Grocery Store Wars.” Funding for the project came from The Funders Workgroup for Sustainable Production and Consumption and Tides Foundation”.

For more information visit The Story of Stuff. Watch it Now!