November, 2014  

Friday, November 21st: 

SBN's Local Craft Brewfest

Thursday, December 11th: 

SBN's 13th Annual Holiday Celebration

Friday, November 21st from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Tickets are on sale for SBN's 5th Annual Local Craft Brewfest at the Moakley U.S. Courthouse located on the Boston waterfront--where the city meets the sea! 

Purchase tickets now!

+ Supporting the local food movement by raising much needed funds for the

Follow us on Twitter: @BostonLocalFood, #LocalCraftBrew

Follow us on Instagram: @BostonLocalFood 

CERO Cooperative, Boston, MA. A worker owned zero-waste recycling and composting company - does it get any better than this?  CERO which stands for Cooperative Energy Recycling and Organics - helps local restaurants and other area businesses save money and improve the environment by helping them sort a substantial amount of their waste, and then partnering with CERO to collect and sell it. CERO is zero in Spanish - meaning zero waste.

 Metis Communications, Boston, MA. A local PR firm founded with a goal to create a place where public relations is measurable and impactful. They employ a unique combination of journalism, social media, content marketing and public relations to help their clients get in front of the right audiences at the right time, with messages that make them sound like a human being, not some PR super bot.

 

The Juicery, Boston, MA. Just opened in Boston's North End. Try their all-natural smoothies, organic juices, salads, vegan wraps and wheatgrass shots. We love that all their to-go ware is eco-friendly and compostable.

 

Welcome back to renewing SBN Members:

The Williams Agency, Cambridge, MA. This event planning and marketing firm is a great partner with SBN for our Boston Local Food Festival, Local Food Trade Show and Local Brewfests! They also organize other well known local events like Boston Jerkfest and Cambridge Carnival. 

 Interested in becoming a member?  

Take a look & see what you think! Feel free to reach out to Charlotte with any questions regarding your individual, student or business membership!

Thank you all for your partnership and commitment to building a Massachusetts economy that is Local, Green and Fair!  

Remember: Think Members First! What better way to support the local economy and each other than to support SBN members who share your values and commitment to the principals of Local, Green and Fair. SBN is working on new programs to encourage and support greater B2B exchange within the network. Stay tuned for ways to get engaged!   

The Patrick Administration's Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) just announced $300,000 in funding for seven Buy Local Groups, including SBN, to enhance agriculture in communities across the state.

SBN is the Buy Local representative for the Boston area, and we are thrilled to 

announce that our 2014 grant will go towards funding our Boston Local Food Festival in Fall 2015!

"Sustainable Business Network (SBN) will receive $30,000 to increase local food sales and business collaborations across Massachusetts through the Boston Local Food Festival which aims to promote 'Healthy Local Food for All' annual event. SBN is headquartered in Cambridge." 

"Buy Local groups create and foster a successful, personal relationship between regional agriculture and their communities," said MDAR Commissioner Greg Watson. "The Patrick Administration is thrilled to support these organizations and looking forward to the central Massachusetts region benefitting from the Buy Local movement."

Regional Buy Local groups connect farmers to their surrounding communities and vice versa. Buy Local groups began in 1993 in the Pioneer Valley and are committed to the idea that knowing where your food comes from makes both good health and economic sense. Originally formed to identify and address marketing challenges in specific geographical communities across the Commonwealth, these groups have grown as a sustainable business movement that includes innovative marketing and educational programs.

"The 'Buy Local' initiative is something we have vigorously supported since coming into the legislature in 2011," said Representative Chris Markey. "Supplying our farmers with the resources they need is essential to local agriculture and the Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership has done a great job of doing so throughout the South Coast.  We are pleased to have supported these grants in the legislature and even more excited to see them at work in the South Coast."

For more information, visit MDAR's website at www.mass.gov/agr, and follow MDAR on twitter at twitter.com/mdarcommish!

There is nothing like taking a relaxing stroll to enjoy the beautiful fall foliage - that is, until it is all over your yard! Raking is a seasonal pain, and we often do whatever it takes to get rid of those leaves as quickly as possible. 

This season, think about the benefits of properly disposing of your fallen leaves. Here are some quick tips to help get the job done in a responsible, green way!

1) Compost: Fallen leaves play a crucial role in composting on the forest floor. Microorganisms found on leaves help start the composting process once fallen. Add fallen leaves to your existing compost pile, or compost on their own. Remember to keep your compost pile moist since autumn leaves are very dry. Oxygen is also required for decomposition to occur, therefore turning over your compost pile from time to time will produce a higher quality compost.

2) Mulch: Mulching is the process of using a lawn mower with a mulching blade to chop up leaves into fine pieces. These small pieces of leaves can be directly used as supplemental mulch around trees or plants in your yard. This organic layer helps to benefit earthworms and underground microbes, whose presence increases soil health.

3) City/Town Disposal: Some cities and towns offer a leaf and yard waste collection service in fall months. The City of Boston collects leaves and yard debris to use as mulch in public parks. Contact your city or town offices for more information. Boston residents can visit the City of Boston Public Works site.

4) Get creative: Try pressing leaves between books and laminating for autumn place-mats or painting leaves as cute critters! Use different leaves as prints, painting and stamping them into a notebook as a guide to autumn leaves.

5) Don't Burn: Though it may seem tempting, burning leaves is extremely bad for the environment. According to the EPA, burning leaves can release particulate matter and hydrocarbons into the air, which increase your chances for respiratory problems and even contain cancer-causing compounds.

Sourced from: Chesapeake Bay Program