Nicole Eisenberg has been a veganadvocate for seven years. Realizing how difficult it could be for those with a plant-based lifestyle to have conversations with omnivores, she founded Veg Option Allies & Advocates (VOAA).
VOAA aims to knock down walls between
vegans and non-vegans by joining them together to break bread at delicious events to respectfully engage in conversation.
Hear more about VOAA and upcoming events from Nicole at the Vegetarian Food Festival in NYC.
Trying to share information about the impact eating vegetarian, vegan, or less meat in general has on the body, mind, environment and economy is no easy task. Vegheads are usually met with sighs, eye-rolling and complaints about their food choices being respected.
Fortunately, pictures are worth a thousand words, and Christopher Baez of GuerrillaWearfare has brought his message down to street level with thought provoking tees for every day wear.
I love gardening, but living in an apartment in Queens, NY, options are limited. I made the main window area in the front of my apartment a sun room, full of house plants some some edible plants I have growing in containers. My basil is doing great, and I've grown several more plants from cuttings of it. I also have an avocado tree growing from a pit, and pineapple from the scrap top of one that I ate one time.
While I adore picking off basil to eat fresh in my recipes, or dry out to save for later, I could live without all the dirt. Especially since I seem to get spider mites on the edible plants. I found them hiding out in the dirt during the winter. I've changed the dirt and cleaned the plants which did help, but all it takes is one hiding out somewhere to find its way back. I just need to dump everything and start again, but getting some hydroponics in my apartment would definitely stop them from hiding out inside the soil.
The Amphora by Cloud Farms is an indoor, hydroponics, "vase" that grows herbs without the use of soil. It holds enough water for the life time of your plant, so it never needs to be watered, which is great for conservation and efficiency. And laziness and forgetfulness, let's be real. Up to 8 plants can be grown with a single kit, for about a years worth of herby goodness. For more about Amphora, check out my video below with it's inventor, Bradley Ferrada at the Green Festival in NYC.
I have always loved Terrariums! Mini, self sustaining eco-systems inside of glass that remind us of the interconnections of life, and our part as humans in maintaining that system. Applying that to the bigger picture of the Earth's environment, just leave shit alone and stop messing with it so much, it knows what it's doing.
Plus, terrariums are miniature worlds, and who doesn't love a good tiny thing? Twig Terrariums from Brooklyn, NY do just that, creating small worlds you can hold in your hands.
Katy Maslow, co-founder of Twig, invited me to the Philadelphia Flower Show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center March 5-13th where they were exhibiting. I took the time to do a quick video with them in all the hub bub, so come dive into the tiny world of Twig.
This Memorial Day weekend several million people all around the globe gathered for a worldwide march against multinational chemical, pesticide, herbicide and agricultural biotech company, Monsanto.
March Against Monsanto - Union Square, NYC
Monsanto is known for it's production of Saccharine, Agent Orange, Pesticides, Herbicides and Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). All of which are associated with various cancers, allergies, intolerances, and chronic illnesses.
In the case of Agent Orange, diseases and disorders have occurred in Vietnam soldiers who were physically exposed to it, as well as their offspring conceived after the war. In Vietnam, citizens continue to get sick, and birth defects have become the norm land as well.
So why is a chemical company with a less than desirable track record in charge of our food supply? With chronic diseases, illnesses and medical issues on the rise, people are beginning to question their food. How is it made, where does it come from, and is it safe? With all roads leading back to Monsanto, concerned citizens have taken to the streets to ask questions, start discussions, bring awareness, and ultimately come together to grow a safer, healthierworld without GMO's, pesticides and harmful chemicals in our environment.
Attending the Green Festival this weekend in NYC was a fairly last minute decision. What makes it even more exciting is that The Green Monger is going in as press! This is my first and biggest event for this blog, so I must say that I am nervous. If I would have found out about it earlier, I could have prepared better. I feel like such a scatter brain! I hope that I don't go in there seeming like a complete amatuer. I have done work with NY Comic Con before, so I am not intimidated by crowds, but this seems different.
Since this was last minute, and I never needed business cards before, I had to fandangle some. This IS a green event, so why not get completely in the DIY, reuse, recycle mode? With some paper I kept from previous print job screw-ups, and some brown paper bag I had lying around, I made up some business cards.
I have a microphone for interviews, and am currently working on a microphone flag. (A flag is the logo box you see on the medias microphone).
I have online storage ready and The Green Mongers YouTube account is set for videos to be uploaded directly from Green Festival in case I start to run out of room.
I don't know what else I need aside from a comfortable pair of footwear, and some confidence!
If you are an eco-friendly or eco-curious New Yorker, The Green Festival should be an educational and fun day for you to check out all the latest products and services in green living. I'm looking forward to it big time!
