Monday, November 2, 2009

Join us on November 4th for our next Green Drinks event!


SCH has its own chapter of this popular social and business networking happy hour that brings together a wide array of environmentally minded people each month over beverages to discuss green and sustainable solutions, ideas, concepts and much more.

This laid back, unstructured gathering is part of an international movement and a collaborative effort with Green Drinks Philadelphia.

And remember, the efforts of SCH are regional and inclusive... you do not need to be a Cherry Hill resident to participate with us.

Stop by the first Wednesday of EVERY month at PJ Whelihan's on Rt. 70 and Greentree Rds in Cherry Hill from 6-8 pm to hang with us and other like minded folks in the community. Everyone is friendly and eager to meet new people!

Cheers!

Sustainable Cherry Hill

Note: SCH provides the "GREEN" opportunity to network, but not the "DRINKS"! Everyone either runs a tab or pays by the drink.


For more info, contact:

Lori.Braunstein@sustainablecherryhill.org

Check out our new website, courtesy of World Wide Web Communications at

www.sustainablecherryhill.org

Sunday, November 1, 2009

South Jersey gets "FRESH"


About 100 people took a break from Phillies Fever to attend a screening of the film FRESH and stayed for a panel discussion about sustainable food practices. This film highlights the differences between food that is produced and processed in an industrial "monoculture" fashion and that from small to medium sized sustainable farms. These smaller, family owned and operated farms use sustainable practices, like growing a variety of crops and raising smaller quantities of animals in healthier, more natural settings. This results in healthier soil (needing no added fertilizer or chemicals) and healthier livestock (needing no antibiotics or animal byproduct feeds). Other benefits to this type of food production include more ethical treatment of the animals and laborers, a way to save our diminishing family farms and of course, the delicious end result of fresh, local and nutrient rich foods. The movie was educational and inspirational as it showed example after example of successful sustainable farming. From the midwestern farmer who went cold turkey from his factory hog farm and all the chemicals and waste that went with it to the urban farmer growing fresh, organic fruits and veggies for his underserved neighbors.

The panel, moderated by Sustainable Cherry Hill Executive Director, Lori Braunstein, included Ana Joanes, the film maker, Joe Palombo, Chef/Owner of Mirabella Cafe and Executive Director of the South Jersey Green Restaurant Association, Stacey Keannely of Green Faith and Nati Passow of The Jewish Farm School. Each panelist talked about their inspiration and contribution to the sustainable food movement with the common theme of individual and grassroots action making a real difference in creating a different future. The audience asked compelling and often difficult quesions about food choices, the difference between local and organic and recommended other films and books on the subject. Most people agreed that our current industrialized food system is unnatural and unhealthy and they seemed to truly be looking for ways to reconnect with the source of the food they eat.

This program, held at the Ritz Theatre in Haddon Township, was co-sponsored by Sustainable Cherry Hill and Tuv HaAretz, a local Jewish CSA (community supported agriculture) and was funded in part by The Jewish Community Foundation of Southern New Jersey.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Cheap food is an illusion. Learn more tomorrow!


FRESH: New Thinking About What We're Eating

Join Sustainable Cherry Hill and Tuv Ha'Aretz for a screening of the new documentary, FRESH on Sunday, November 1, 7pm at the Ritz Theatre, 915 White Horse Pike in Haddon Township, NJ.
(NOT the Ritz Movie Theatre!)

FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system.

Among several main characters, FRESH features urban farmer and activist, Will Allen, a 2008 MacArthur's "Genius Award" fellow; sustainable farmer and entrepreneur, Joel Salatin, made famous by Michael Pollan's book, the Omnivore's Dilemma; and supermarket owner, David Ball, who is creating a new market model for our family farmers. FRESH's focus on these inspiring individuals and their initiatives around the US provides the audience with actionable solutions.

Great for teens!

FRESH is a call to action. Watch the trailer here.

Stay for a dynamic panel discussion following the film with the filmaker, Ana Sophia Joanes, Joe Palombo, Executive Director of the South Jersey Green Dining Association, Stacey Kennealy, Green Faith Director of Sustainability and Nati Passow, Co-founder and Director of The Jewish Farm School. SCH's own Lori Braunstein will be moderating the panel.

Click HERE to purchase tickets for $12 (plus online fee) or buy your tickets at the door.

Tuv HaAretz is funded in part by The Jewish Community Foundation of Southern New Jersey.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Chef Joe receives proclamation from Camden County Freeholders


Last week, our own Joe Palombo, Chef/Owner of Mirabella Cafe, received a proclamation from the Camden County Board of Freeholders. Joe, an active Sustainable Cherry Hill Board Member, was honored for his commitment to sustainability and community. In addition to being Executive Director of The South Jersey Green Dining Association, Joe has raised thousands of dollars for such charities as Make a Wish and The Rock Foundation.

Sustainable Cherry Hill is very proud of Joe’s accomplishments. Our community is a better place to live (and eat!) because of Joe’s tireless efforts. Stop by Mirabella Cafe for a bite and to say congratulations to Chef Joe!

Also pictured is Cherry Hill’s own, Freeholder Jeff Nash, a strong advocate for sustainability in his own right!


Check out our new website at www.sustainablecherryhill.org

Monday, October 26, 2009

Community enjoys great live music for a cause


Last night, members of the South Jersey community enjoyed live, high energy music by the award winning band, The Bullbuckers, while raising money for Sustainable Cherry Hill. With their distinctive blend of classic Ska, Funk and Soul- tinged with a modern Hip-Hop sensibility, the Bullbuckers brought the party and rocked the house. SCH would like to thank the band for donating their time and talent, as well as thank those who attended the event. PJ Whelihans was a great host and made the planning easy! All funds raised will support the community education programming of Sustainable Cherry Hill. For more photos, check out the Courier Post Gallery.
Check out our new website www.sustainablecherryhill.org

Saturday, October 24, 2009

350 or Bust




Did you know that 350 is the most important number in the world?

About two years ago, NASA’s Jim Hansen and his team of scientists published a paper that illustrated their belief that they finally had enough information to draw a red line for our planet.  They said that when atmospheric concentrations of CO2 were above 350 parts per million, that global warming would be dangerously out of control. They actually stated that above 350, “you couldn’t have a planet similar to the one on which civilization developed and to which life on earth is adapted”. Treehugger.com explains it like this… “It’s as if we suddenly discover what normal body temperature was, so we’d be able to tell when we were running a fever”.

And given that we are already past it, at 390 and rising 2 ppm annually, it’s a pretty devastating revelation.

And it’s not just Hansen’s team.  New data supports 350 as nature’s bottom line for CO2.

Today is the International Day of Climate Action, where the goal is to show the world’s leaders that there is a global movement for them to come to an agreement on a carbon emissions treaty at the UN Climate talks in Copenhagen in December. 350.org is spearheading this effort and is named after the number that scientists think is upper level of parts per million of safe carbon dioxide in the atmosphere — we have already passed this number, making action all the more critical.

News reports and photos are coming in from all over the world as people take to the streets, the oceans, the parks and more with creative and passionate displays of the number 350 to bring attention to the urgency of the situation.  Check them out here

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Live Where You Work Housing Fair in Cherry Hill

An old concept: Done high tech

"Everything old is new again", as the song by Peter Allen goes. When it comes to food waste composting, this sentiment says it all. Composting dates back at least to Roman times and has been used by farms for hundreds of years to both get rid of excess food/organic waste and to cultivate the rich "black gold" needed to keep their soils healthy and fertile. These days, composting seems to be having a renaissance of sorts as industry and local governments have become more aware of the costs of just throwing organic matter out in the garbage. These costs, both financial and environmental, have become hard to ignore. In Cherry Hill, the township pays almost $65 per ton to dispose of our trash. Most of it goes straight to the incinerator in Camden, where our garbage gets burned, leaving us with questional air quality and toxic fly ash to contend with. Other counties send their waste to landfills, the largest man made source of methane, a green house gas more harmful than CO2, emitted when tons and tons of buried and decaying organic materials start to decompose. According to the USEPA, food, yard and wood waste accounts for approximately 31 percent of the Municipal Solid Waste stream in the US. What if we could save money, cut back on harmful methane produced in landfills and and decrease the toxic byproducts of incinerators?

That is just the question that our Composting Task Force has been asking. Led by our fearless leader, Melisa Skrym, we have been collecting information from near and far about how communities, businesses and the waste industry are taking the lead on this issue. Melisa has visited Converted Organics, a company in Woodbridge, NJ, whose use of a biodigester process to compost food waste results in an organic fertilizer pellet or liquid, Cedar Grove Composting in Seattle, where weekly curbside pick up of food waste is now in effect and finally, to Delaware, where I joined the task force for a tour of the soon to be opened Peninsula Composting Company.

Our tour took place on a cold, damp Friday in October, as a group of us carpooled down to the Port of Wilmington for a tour of the almost completed facility. We were met by Nelson Widell, Partner and Brian Schaffer, Exec VP and GM and got the full tour. Unlike Converted Organics, who use a digester to process their food waste, Peninsula uses patented "Gore" technology to cover and aerate the developing compost. Think "Goretex" covering the piles, with monitoring for oxygen and periodic bursts of air puffed into the piles, ballooning out the "Gore" tarp and energizing the natural composting process. Both facilities use oxygen to compost the food waste, thus eliminating the methane gas that results from decomposition of organic matter in an air deprived landfill environment. Nelson and Brian showed us the technology to be used to keep odor down and to reduce liquid leachate from the decaying piles. The byproduct of Peninsula's process is rich, beautiful compost that can be sold for landscaping and agricultural purposes. Take a look at some photos from our field trip. We hope to go back in the spring to see this place in action. They are due to open for business next month.

It seems like composting food waste, rather than throwing it out can be at least a break even endeavor for towns, businesses and industry and potentially could even save them some money. We plan to continue our process of researching and facilitating best practices and opportunities for both backyard composting and large scale community composting. Stay tuned!

Check out the new SCH Website at www.sustainablecherryhill.org!

Pictured in no particular order: Nelson Widell, Brian Schaffer, Melisa Skyrm, Mark Smith, Sandi Lichtman and me. Photos taken by Elliot Braunstein.

Friday, October 16, 2009

1 Single Mom/50 States/52 Weeks: A Journey to find the people moving America Forward


New-JerseyAbout a month ago, I received an email from Dafna Michaelson, the founder of 50 in 52 Journey, a non profit organization with the mission of creating positive impact and civic engagement nationwide by meeting America’s problem solvers, listening to its idea generators and empowering its public. Dafna is nearing the end of her quest to visit 50 states in 52 weeks meeting and interviewing people who are actively trying to solve community problems. Her website says: “It’s about YOUR community. It’s about collective CREATIVITY. It’s about changing OUR COUNTRY one American at a time. Get inspired!”

Dafna asked if she could sit down with me for a chat as she wound her way through the state of New Jersey.  She joined us for our September 30th program, “The ABC’s of a Home Energy Audit” and then we sat down for an interview later that night. Daphna’s journey fascinated  and inspired me.  She met people from all over the country who responded to local challenges by citizen activism, like the man from Maine who has spent his life building community support and acceptance for refugees or the woman in in Arkansas, the Voice of Water, who advocates for clean water to be available to everyone.  Dafna has interviewed almost 350 people who are making a difference.  She is primarily self funded and pays for her own expenses as she travels each week from her home in Denver to each new state. She hopes to form a foundation to raise money for groups like these around the country and who knows, maybe a documentary is in her future!

Check out the NJ State video page to see my interview and learn what other folks are doing to help their communities!


Check out the new www.SustainableCherryHill.org website!!

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Township needs volunteers to participate in Natl. Public Lands Day this Saturday, Oct. 10

On Saturday, Oct. 10, volunteers throughout the township will converge at Croft Farm and the Barclay Farmstead to improve and enhance these shared Cherry Hill recreational spaces in honor of National Public Lands Day.

The township is one of only a handful in New Jersey that participates in this annual day of roll-up-your-sleeves outdoor civic service, and with two project sites this year, township officials are hoping to draw out a large number of volunteers. Those who head to Croft Farm will assist the Cherry Hill Environmental Advisory Committee (CHEAC) with trail clean-up, maintenance, and new-trail development, including spreading wood chips down walking pathways and posting educational signage.

Nearby, at the Barclay Farmstead Community Gardens, volunteers will join the Sustainable Cherry Hill (SCH) Composting Task Force in helping gardeners recycle their end-of-season supplies, in addition to distributing information about next year’s composting pilot program that will take at the public gardening site. The site’s Nature Trail will also be targeted for cleanup.

NPLD is the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the public lands Americans enjoy. Last year, nearly 30 Cherry Hill residents were part of a 120,000-strong volunteer effort across the country, joining CHEAC and SCH at Town Hall for tree maintenance and mulching.

“We are all stewards of our public lands, and this day is a great opportunity for residents to take part in the ongoing care and nurturing they require,” said Mayor Bernie Platt.
“I take pride in the fact that Cherry Hill participates in this special event each year, and I’m also proud that we have residents here willing to volunteer their time to improve our special outdoor spaces.”
Platt plans to thank those who take part in NPLD at the Oct. 12 Township Council meeting with a special proclamation ceremony.

Those interested in volunteering at either site this Saturday do not need to pre-register. For more information, call the Cherry Hill Mayor’s Office: (856) 488-7878.