Green Business » Organic

SPIN Farming

robertludvig — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 02:38:29 +0000

SPIN farming is part of organic horticulture and is this weeks focus on green business. SPIN farming stands for Small Plot INtensive farming. It is essentially a small scale gardening method but organic gardeners with business savvy use a collection of urban lawns, either rented or bartered from the lawn owner, to create a green business in the urban environment. Much of the produce is sold in local farmers markets or through word of mouth.

Reasons to SPIN farm

Environmentally focused
Entrepreneurially driven and fuelling regional economy
Building community
Close to market

The two largest barriers to farming are side-stepped by SPIN farming. Those two barriers are the extremely high cost of land, and the significant amount of capital needed to set up a farming infrastructure. Do you wonder if SPIN farmers can make a decent living doing what they love? Paula Sobie and her partner set up an urban agriculture business in Victoria, BC, Canada called City Harvest. She explains how she and her partner SPIN farm to raise a family. Their motives are clear, they want to make a living with a clean conscience. She states that some SPIN farmers can make $50,000 in a single year!

Organic Seeds

robertludvig — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 04:50:45 +0000

We have forgotten about those businesses that were green businesses before the term was even part of the average person’s vocabulary. A green business that has been around a long time that most people do not give a second thought to is organic seeds. Sellers of organic seeds focus on the primary building blocks of today’s family – food. By planting organic vegetable and flower gardens we respect the earth and the environment, sustainability is key.

I have randomly picked Seeds of Change as an example of one of these green businesses.

Environmentally Friendly Farmers Market

robertludvig — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 22:21:15 +0000

One might say that a more traditional form of green business is a farmers market. A non-profit organization, eatlocal.org located in Vancouver, BC, Canada offers vendors a medium to sell their organic fruits & vegetables, free-range chickens and a vast array of other amazing eco-friendly products. The market offers space for vendors in the following categories; farm, prepared food, and crafts. They also designate space for service providers, from on-site coffee vendors and bike repair to massage therapy. Many farmers markets, such as those put on eatlocal.org, support eco-friendly vendors. Do some research to find a farmers market in your area so you can support a local small green business owner.

Greenwashing Part 2

robertludvig — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:05:00 +0000

Yesterday I wrote a little bit about greenwashing. The subject is so compelling that I did some more research and stumbled upon the following video – a very entertaining piece from RANvideo (Rainforest Action Network). They talk about Wal-Mart’s sustainability initiative and the potential that the company has to drastically reduce the negative impact it has on the environment. Is Wal-Mart greenwashing or are they serious about their green initiative?

Greenwashing In Green Business

robertludvig — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 05:32:38 +0000

The marketing of green businesses and the products they sell is on the rise, and so are ethical concerns. In the following video Dave Michael Garg investigates the relatively new phenomenon of greenwashing. The term greenwashing has to do with businesses misleading the public as to the true environmental impact of their ‘green’ product.

Online Green Business: Buy Green

robertludvig — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:54:50 +0000

One of the things I love doing is promoting green businesses. A cool online green business I recently found is BuyGreen.com. Check out the site below to find all the earth-friendly products you will ever need. On a side note, this company not only sells eco-friendly products but they are consciously developing BuyGreen.com to be a sustainable business. From reducing waste to conserving energy this company seems to be the very definiton of a green business.

How Green Is That Green Business?

robertludvig — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 22:41:51 +0000

How environmentally friendly are those green products you are buying? This video answers the question and makes us ask a few more. This video originated from our friends at living green channel

Green Business Going To The Dogs

robertludvig — Sun, 11 May 2008 21:16:36 +0000

I came across the following site and I just smiled. Here you will find a company dedicated to our four-legged friends. Paw Luxury, an online store, specializes in providing dogs with organic food and other eco-friendly products. From beds & mats to clothing, Paw luxury has all the bases covered if you are looking to care for your dog in an environmentally friendly way. What a smart green business Paw Luxury has created. Animals have become part of our family, and with a bit of intelligence and a lot of hard work this green business is going places.

You can click the image below to check out their website.

Bringing Back The Handkerchief

robertludvig — Fri, 02 May 2008 08:26:08 +0000

Rugula Appenzeller is owner of the green business Hank&Cheef. Using organic cotton ethically sourced from Turkey, Hank&Cheef has brought back the handkerchief, finally. Kudos to them for reinventing an indispensable but forgotten product. I hope they are successful.

Pizza Company Goes Green

robertludvig — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 02:16:11 +0000

Here is a really cool video that follows Pizza Fusion. This pizza parlor sells only organic pizzas and they are thriving, selling franchises at a rapid rate. In my opinion pizza is one of the most popular foods in America, and Pizza Fusion is doing it right, selling great tasting pizza while thinking about the environment. An amazing concept from an amazing company. Thumbs up from Green Business to Pizza Fusion for taking a saturated pizza market and creating something new, exciting and green!