fair shares is a great local organization that helps match up local produce and other goods with consumers. their website says it best,

"Would you like to support local, but don't have the means to do so easily? Do you have difficulty getting to farmers' markets? Are you interested in learning how to cook seasonally, thereby eating the best-tasting, most nutritious food available?

Fair Shares is a non-profit organization dedicated to getting fresh, local, seasonal food into the hands of more St. Louisans--regardless of their income. We think it's important to know the origin of your food--who grew it and where. With all the horrifying stories of food contamination in the news lately, it's a health risk not to know. We're also committed to spreading the wisdom of eating seasonally (if you've ever eaten a grocery store tomato in the winter, you know what we're talking about).

Sustainable farming techniques are important to us as well. Organic is great, but certification isn't a must for us. We know our farmers use minimal chemicals only when necessary and more importantly they use practices that don't rob the earth of resources or harm the delicate equilibrium. Nature had it right to begin with, so we love it when farmers know how to work with nature instead of against it. Our food loves it, too. So do our bodies.

We believe that eating healthy shouldn't just be an elite privilege, but a right for every individual, regardless of income. Fair Shares will donate profits and work with other organizations to help low-income families gain access to "real" food. Fair Shares is working with local farmers and producers to form a Combined CSA* (CCSA). Each week, we'll collect, organize and distribute a well-rounded example of the freshest, seasonal, sustainably-produced foods available in St. Louis all year long.

* Community Supported Agriculture is a partnership between consumers interested in safe, fresh, local foods and farmers interested in a stable market for their products. Consumers pledge to support the farms as co-producers, sharing in the bounty and the risks of farming, including poor harvests due to pests or weather conditions."

there are still shares available for this year. it may seem expensive at first, but consider what you spend on regular groceries each week and the quality of produce and meat you receive. in addition to produce, shares will include local breads, pastas and meats. we're excited to expand our commitment to our great city of st. louis this spring by purchasing a share.

Labels: GoodIdeas, green

UPDATE 03.05.08 oh couturebook how i wanted to love you! you are just not a good fit for us. i need you to stay together and stay strong!

the roma from couturebook just arrived this week. it's beautiful. take a look for yourself! (they don't come in cases, btw, so i made the one you see.) this is the roma. it's a very different and special, fine art, kind of book. its pages have a very organic feel and overall, it just exudes handmade loveliness. the cover is a velvety-soft, worn in a good way, leather with a buckle type closure.

Labels: BentonParkPhotographyCo, CoutureBook, GoodIdeas, green, StLouisWeddingPhotographers

i just had to share. botanical paperworks has a great variety of plantable invitations, notecards and favors. i LOVE this idea.

favorite discoveries include the plantable journal, the eco calendar, and the celebration grow favors.

check them out!

Labels: GoodIdeas, green

with couture | book. i am even considering a trip out to phoenix to see these babies in person. they just fit so well with our business. beautifully hand-bound books that use pages of 50% recycled content. oooooohhhhhhhhhhhhh, they are fantabulicious! they have a highly entertaining and fresh website, so do check them out. what do you think? should we add these to our collections?

Labels: Albums, BentonParkPhotographyCo, GoodIdeas, green, StLouisWeddingPhotographers

a growing trend these days is the wedding website. mywedding.com is one option that allows you to create a free site using templates. i love this idea. it's a great, environmentally friendly way to keep guests posted on the latest info.

ben and laura of last year's stlove wedding hunt fame have a fun site for their upcoming august nuptials. and check out janet lackey schmalfeldt (our awesome designer's wedding website from her 2007 wedding,) here.

domain registration is inexpensive at only $9.95/year or less, so it's worth it to register a unique web address.

Labels: GoodIdeas, green

in our ongoing efforts to conduct business in the most eco-friendly way possible, we're waiting for our juicy new biz cards to arrive from greenerprinter.com- printed on 100% recycled paper with soy and vegetable-based inks. from their website, "Using recycled papers and soy inks is only part of the story: We are a green certified company with a mission of sustainability that extends into every facet of our operations. We have been certified by the Bay Area Association of Green Businesses and the Forest Stewardship Council. All our shipping is certified carbon-free, AND we're 100% wind-powered!" love it love it love it!

Labels: BentonParkPhotographyCo, green, StLouisWeddingPhotographers

a discussion on npr this morning about increasing fuel efficiency in automobiles inspired this post about greener living. adam and i have spent a lot of time examining how we can lead a more environmentally friendly existence. discussions from hey, let's research installing solar panels on our roof to hey, what if we one day lived in a completely self-sustaining structure like an earthship. eventually we'd love to be a one-hybrid-car-family, biking and taking public transportation to any engagements when possible. for now, we recycle as much as our city will accept (it's INCREDIBLE how much piles up in a week), we use flourescent bulbs, reuse what we can creatively in birthday and holiday cards, wedding announcements, etc., try not to throw away too much food waste...
lately i have been looking into ways to greenify the business. i'm excited about ordering new business cards with our soon-to-come new logo, printed on 100% recycled materials with soy and vegetable based inks from greener printer. and i just stumbled upon the green office, which also looks fabulous.
so, we're making a small start and hope to find more efficient ways of doing things as we go. i truly believe that every little bit helps. too many people say, "i'm just one person, what can i do?" if everyone says that, we're left with nothing.
i just found out that tomorrow is fittingly dump the pump day to raise awareness to utilize public transportation. here are some stats courtesy of the american public transportation association.

*Each year, public transportation use in the U.S. saves 1.4 billion gallons of gasoline. This represents almost 4 million gallons of gasoline per day.
*Public transportation use saves the equivalent of 300,000 fewer automobile fill-ups every day - 108 million fewer cars filling up annually.
*Each year, public transportation use saves the equivalent of 34 supertankers of oil, or a supertanker leaving the Middle East every 11 days.
*Each year, public transportation use saves the equivalent of 140,769 service station tanker truck trips clogging our streets.
*The typical public transit rider consumes, on average, one half of the oil consumed by an automobile rider.

Labels: BentonParkPhotographyCo, green, StLouisWeddingPhotographers