FarmTina

Backwards Beekeeping in Brooklyn: FREE!

I contributed my design skills (in the flyer below) to help promote the free Backwards Beekeeping event coming up on July 9 and 10 in Brooklyn. This is going to be such a neat weekend of lectures, conversations, and of course, hands-on beekeeping for all! No need to register or buy tickets, just drop in to learn about bees for one day or all weekend.

 

Is Earth Day Legit?

So. Everybody is all a-buzz about Earth Day today.

Maybe it's the fact that I work in marketing so I know the tricks, or just that I'm skeptical of anything generating buzz online, but my first thought when I heard the morning Earth Day stories on the radio today was this: Is this holiday actually legit or is it just another fake holiday meant to push sales- in this case, sales of greenwashed products, crappy women's magazine stories about "going green", and events where they serve green-colored cocktails?

Luckily, my coworker Andrew had all the answers. Andrew Rozas developed a youth outreach campaign for Earth Day 2010, a mass gathering in Washington, D.C. to celebrate our world, educate the public, and raise awareness for current environmental issues. Andrew told me that, yes, Earth Day actually is a legitimate grassroots holiday that has gained momentum over the years and become a world-wide celebration, and yes, it is a positive and educational movement. (And by the way ladies, Andrew is single and he's a cutie.)

The first Earth Day was meant to be an environmental education "teach-in" in April of 1970, and through strong activism and networking, it ended up drawing participants in 2,000 colleges and universities, plus communities and schools around the country. It is estimated that 20 million Americans participated in the first Earth Day!

A demonstration during the first Earth Day, 1970

Something that I found very interesting-- Earth Day founder Senator Nelson has stated that the first Earth Day was directly responsible for persuading U.S. politicians that environmental issues were important to the people of this country, and therefore would be an important thing for the government to act on.

If you're stuck in your cubicle today and want to find a way to contribute to Earth Day, download the E4RTH mixtape from WeAreE4RTH.com. Every download donates 10 cents to the Earth Day Network. And if you want to check out Earth from an outsider's point of view, NASA is tweeting Earth images all day.

So what have you been doing to inspire Earth-love today?

Culinary Event to Benefit Japan

My good friend Jess Kantor (I've mentioned her before-- the chef behind CookBakeLove.com) is organizing a food event to raise money for Japan. Eat Pray Heal Japan is bringing together chefs and musicians for an event that is stocked with goodies from Kirin beer and Henriot champange (open bar!), food from Top Chef winners, and a raffle of products from a whole slew of sponsors. Funds raised will be donated to unicef to benefit victims of the Japan earthquake and tsunami.

The event is April 14, 2011 at The Bowery Hotel here in NYC. Buy tickets in advance (online) or at the door (cash only).

Fourth Annual Brooklyn Pie Contest

Tomorrow I'll be heading to The Bedford in Williamsburg, Brooklyn for the Fourth Annual Brooklyn Pie Contest. I won't be baking, but I will definitely be tasting! My friend Jess from CookBakeLove has a genius creative pie planned but I don't want to ruin the flavor surprise... let's just say that the crust is porky and the filling is Frenchy.

Pies can be savory or sweet, and must arrive ready to eat before the 5:30 cutoff. The first 50 pies to arrive on the scene will be entered for judging, and any pies arriving after that are there for the eating! There are only two strict rules about the pies that can be entered:

1. You must make the pie crust yourself from scratch.
2. Pizza pies do not count.

The event is free if you submit a pie for judging, and $10 for all-you-can-eat pie tasting. They are raising money for Growing Chefs, an educational program to help people learn about gardening, farming, and the importance of local seasonal foods.

Sun, Jan 23, 2011

5:30 PM - 9:00 PM

The Bedford at 110 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY