Naturally Boulder Days 2008
Author: Drink Deep 
On October 29th and 30th, 2008, the 4th annual Naturally Boulder Days gave us an opportunity to check out the latest natural and organic products from Boulder and beyond. On Wednesday, we enjoyed a beautiful, warm fall day and took field trips to Udi’s Bakery and Seth Ellis Chocolatier. Heading home with loaves of bread and boxes of chocolate, everyone was glad to be involved in an industry with great food!
Thursday was a day packed full of informative sessions, networking, and a great room filled with product sample giveaways – including Pixie Maté! I look forward to Naturally Boulder Days each year as an opportunity to sample interesting new products. This year’s new products included Oogavé Natural Sodas, gluten-free snacks from Adaba Foods, and sauces from Simply Boulder. I did a little Christmas shopping, buying baskets from Basket Africa. The closing highlight of the event is the 60-second pitch slam where budding entrepreneurs pitch their business to industry experts for prizes and glory. This year’s winners were three mom’s from Sticky Fingers Cooking. It’s so exciting to be part of a community that is so entrepreneurial!
Category: Eco
Putting more miles on those wheels
Author: Drink Deep
In the U.S. we still hold on to our cars with a vengeance, but in Europe it’s all about the bike. When visiting Europe, a two wheel spin is the perfect way to see the sights at a leisurely pace and truly experience the local life (plus, gasp, get some exercise!). Thankfully, some ingenious companies across the continent are making it easier for the local touriste to take a quick spin.
In Paris, they are in the middle of what some call a Vélorution. Thanks to Vélib’ self-service bike stations, anyone with an appropriate credit card can rent a bike from hundreds of locations across the city. (Heads up on the website: only a few headers will appear in English, but you can get the info you need). This program for “vélo liberté” or bicycle freedom encourages short term use of the bike – the first half hour is free. An abundance of rental stations allow you to easily rent and return at every destination.
In Germany, tourists can use the Call a Bike service. This system uses a phone check-out and pass code system to activate the bike. Bikes are available in six German cities including Munich and Cologne. This system is a little more casual – users just lock to bikes to the closest street corner sign or bike stand – which can make locating a rental a bit more difficult!
Inspired by programs like these, several US cities are thinking about starting similar services. Here’s looking forward to a bicycle rental on every U.S. street corner!
Category: Eco
It Isn’t Easy Going Green
Author: Drink Deep
As each of us becomes more conscious of our effect on the environment, we are making changes to become more green. But as I’m sure you all know, there is always a trade-off that must me made – the impact of our effort versus the cost of that effort. The cost might be in dollars (wind energy costs more), time (biking versus driving to work), or limited choice (no new gadget because the manufacturer has poor environmental practices).
The green trade-off is an issue for everyone – both individuals and companies. As seen on Living with Ed, actor Ed Begley Jr.’s wife doesn’t agree with his assertion that riding a bike to power the toaster is a cost worth paying. Even Bill Gates (currently the 2nd wealthiest man on earth) can’t make the world entirely green – there are just too many non-green activities going on worldwide to eliminate all of them overnight.
So as a small company trying to make a difference, tradeoffs must be made. Spend too much money going green, and you go bankrupt, and then there are no $$’s to help improve the world. Is it better to spend precious funds buying compostable cups for events or donating the money instead to planting 40,000 trees in Argentina? If you feel that it’s important for events to be green, are you willing to pay more to cover the extra material cost? Or what about starting a movement where people sponsor the “green surcharge” of an event so that the small companies don’t carry the entire burden?
Just a little green food for thought.
Category: Eco
Life on the Fringe
Author: Drink Deep
12 days – 70 artists – 14 venues
Join the fun August 14-25th at the Boulder International Fringe Festival. The event features a thrilling array of performances – from live theatre to circus art, music to puppetry, and much, much more!
The lucky local and international artists that get to participate were chosen by lottery at the Laughing Goat coffee shop on February 21st. This unjuried format allows any artist with ideas and an application the chance to perform. A sample of this year’s local talent includes musical artists Free Range String Quartet and 66 Rising and theater and dance groups Waking Circus Productions, ballerina eight, The Octopus League, and The Schiff Dance Collective. Check out the BIFF website for more info on who, how, when, and where.
Attendees get to rate the performances of the shows they see. This encourages involvement and helps other attendees know what shows are best –the top rated shows get an extra performance on the last day of the show. Artists determine the admittance price for each show – from free to $15 – so the festival is affordable for all.
Come join us in Boulder for the Fringe festival. Heck, there’s so much great stuff going on here, bring your tent and stay the summer!
Category: Uncategorized, Eco
Keep the Cairns coming!
Author: Drink Deep 
Back in May, a HeyHeyMate entry introduced you to a cairn contest being organized by Cairn magazine and sponsored by Pixie Maté. Thanks to everyone who has participated. The photographs submitted by the first two winners – Matthew Angiono from Boulder, CO and Gregg Lowrimore from Erie, CO – are shown here. Love ‘em!
The contest is ongoing, so please keep sending submissions to the Cairn contest. Look to Cairn magazine – Colorado’s cultural guidepost – for a little inspiration when planning your next summer activity. Maybe you’ll check out a new Denver BBQ joint based on Cairn’s reviews or perhaps their article on camel riding in the Gobi desert will inspire a trip farther from home.
Whatever you do – don’t forget to create or enjoy a cairn on the way and enter the contest. Remember, your cairns don’t have to be rock formations – creativity counts. Maybe your next cairn can be made out of corn cobs, ketchup bottles, and sugar packets.
Have a great rest of the summer and keep exploring!
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