July | 2011

July 15, 2011

Good Food Awards

Following our passion and support for all things sustainable and organic, DPEM began a new venture – Seedling Projects – with Sarah Weiner, former Content Director for Slow Food Nation in January of 2010. In its inaugural year, Seedling Projects developed the first ever Good Food Awards and brought together a nationally renowned group of food writers, grocers, farmers, craft food producers and chefs.

The Good Food Awards launches its second year with a call for entries July 5 to September 1. Seedling Projects, the “‘do tank’ for the food movement” behind the initiative, invites food producers from across the country to submit their beer, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, coffee, pickles and preserves to a blind tasting with Alice Waters, Ruth Reichl, Amanda Hesser, Nell Newman and 80 other food movement leaders. This year, they have also added a new category – check the website on July 5 to find out! The catch: everything must be produced in an environmentally and socially responsible manner to be eligible to enter the blind tasting.

Last year’s 71 winners received some unexpected perks, from special placements in Whole Foods Market and Williams Sonoma stores nationwide to media coverage in the San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post and New York Times. All winners are honored in a ceremony and marketplace at the San Francisco Ferry Building and receive the Good Food Awards Seal to place on their winning products all year long.

You can review the sustainability criteria and enter online at www.goodfoodawards.org. The entry fee is $35.

Posted by: admin, Upcoming Events

July 14, 2011

Tips of the Trade

We at DPEM support the environment both daily and through the events we plan. We ensure that every event that has the DPEM named attached is an eco-friendly event and produces as little waste as possible. We have compiled a list of the Top 10 Tips for throwing your very own green event. Start planning!

1. Use washable plates and utensils – It’s always best to use what can be reused again and again. So ditch the disposables or opt for recycled/compostable plates that can go right into the compost and biodegrade quickly.

2. Go organic and local – Go to your local farmer’s market and talk directly to the farmer and find out exactly where your food came from.

3. Use cloth napkins – Not only do they look nicer at an event, guest will also appreciate the extra attention to detail. Besides, they absorb a lot more than paper towels or napkins.

4. Rely on natural light – With all this wonderful spring weather we’ve been having, consider hosting your event outdoors and leave the lights off for as long as possible. Rely on sunlight and candles for lighting.

5. Flowers – Use what’s seasonal and readily available from your garden, local farmers’ market or park. Stay away from freshly cut flowers which last only a few days. Instead, use succulents or orchids that you can take in and out of pots and reuse.

6. Decor – Try to avoid a theme party, unless you already have decorations lying around the house. Most decorations are paper products and most likely won’t be used more than once. Otherwise, decorate for your party with the rest of the season in mind.

7. Let guests do the sorting – Leave recycling bins and compost bins next to the garbage bin so they’re obligated to get rid of their waste responsibly.

8. Send out electronic invitations instead of relying on snail mail – E-vites have come a long way and a lot of websites offer chic and contemporary invites for free

9. Green Music – Consider providing live acoustics – guitar, piano, etc – rather than playing amplified instruments/iPod playlists.

10. Gifts – Think less commercial and more creative than gift giving. Bake a special recipe or give away your flowers as a gift. These gifts often have much more meaning than a purchased product.