Chicago Community Ventures Blog

Whole Foods Supports Local Vendors and Suppliers with PROJECT: LOCAL

(Taken from Whole Foods website) You’ve probably heard us mention local products before, but we’re back with our biggest and best ever event to support local producers and vendors.  Project: Local is a call out to Chicago-area and Midwest producers and to customers who have local favorites they’d like to share with us.  If you want to get your products onto our shelves, we want to see what you’ve got!

September 23rd is the time to show us, here’s what’s in store for the event:

• Bring samples of your products for our panel to review
• Get great tips on organization and logistics
• Learn about packaging and labeling guidelines
• Talk face-to-face with our Local Forager and Regional Coordinators
• Get guidance on our application process
• Learn about our Local Producer Loan Program

It may be useful to review the following documents prior to the event:

Local Supplier Basic Product Application

Local Supplier Compliance Checklist

Our Quality Standards for Our Products

General Info about Locally Grown at Whole Foods Market

For more information and to rsvp to the event, please email julia.thomas (at) wholefoods (dot) com.

We can’t wait to meet you and learn about your products!

CCV Client Consolidated Printing in the News!

Despite the use of soy ink and recycled paper, the printing industry isn't one of the healthiest. But at least one Chicago company is trying to change that. Traditional printing operations use a bevy of substances -- heavy metals, cadmium, lead and toxic chemicals -- that can negatively affect the health of employees.

Chicago's Consolidated Printing is different. The Northwest side company has won national awards for its quality and sustainability and is considered to be 100 natural. "We have low absenteeism here. Our guys are healthy. They know they are breathing good air," said Consolidated's president and owner, Marilyn Jones.

Jones bought the company in the 70s for $5,000, and one of her first clients was a vitamin manufacturer who taught her that what a person touches and what they breathe can affect their health. In 1974, the company began the long journey to become totally green. "I started using household products like Crisco and vinegar. Crisco is a lubricant; vinegar is a neutralizer," said.

Indeed, cans of shortening still sit on top of the printers, vinegar lines the shelves and used cooking oil replaced toxic parts cleaners. "We finally removed the last chemical about a year and a half ago," Jones said. "Our ink is all natural, the pigments are all natural." The company's Environmental Director says the green doesn't stop at the printing. "The carpet is recycled, we understand from coke bottles. The lighting, everything was retrofitted to be sustainable," said Walter Jones. Marilyn Jones says the all-natural thing is worth it.

"You can do green printing and still print quality pieces. I don’t want to hear about anyone getting sick from being in print shops," she said.

First Published: Apr 22, 2010 7:29 PM CDT

View Original Article Here

Tax Credits Available from ShoreBank for Green Collar Jobs

News from ShoreBank

ShoreBank will use $35 million of Tax Credits to Promote Green Collar Jobs

ShoreBank was awarded $35 million in New Markets Tax Credits by the U.S. Treasury Department in June and is hard at work identifying energy-efficiency, alternative energy and green building projects in Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit that can benefit from the funds.

Of special interest:

• Grocery stores and retailers who want to reduce utility expenses or develop new green buildings
• Community organizations that would like to complete energy-efficiency retrofits or other green improvements to reduce operating costs
• Schools, affordable housing developers, and hospitals looking at installing alternative energy systems that will reduce costs

This allocation is the result of a competitive process, open to certified organizations investing in low- and moderate-income communities. To learn about this program, see www.cdfifund.gov.

2nd Annual Bronzeville Community Market

The Bronzeville Community Market (located on Cottage Grove Avenue & 44th Street) will launch Saturday, June 6th and run weekly through October 31st. The market, the first of its kind, will offer locally grown products as well as exotic produce and prepared foods. The community market is possible thanks to the efforts of Quad Communities Development Corporation (QCDC).

The market will feature a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables; a selection of meats, cooking oils, honey, and wine; a range of baked goods and prepared foods; vendors selling plants, beauty products and other non-food items, and a variety of fair trade vendors in cooperation with the Chicago Fair Trade Association. Market goers can also visit the market’s wellness area that will feature a chiropractor and health screenings provided by a local medical facility.

The Bronzeville Community Market is open from 8am - 1pm every Saturday

For more information please give us a call at 773-268-7232 or email Zuri Thompson.

Sustain Illinois Winners Announced!

The finalists for Sustain Illinois were announced last night at Chicago Green Drinks.  Read the below press release for details.

Chicago, IL (May 15, 2009) — Chicago Community Ventures, a non-profit business development organization, today announced the award winners of its Sustain Illinois competition. Sustain Illinois is a highly selective entrepreneurial competition meant to recognize and reward sustainable companies which not only benefit the business community, but the public health, welfare and environment through their business practices and products.

The winners of Sustain Illinois 2009 include:

• Sustainable Product or Service Award: Irv & Shelly’s Fresh Picks – Irv & Shelly's Fresh Picks offers year-round home delivery in the Chicago area of local and organic produce, meat, dairy, eggs, baked goods and more! We are partnering with sustainable farmers in the region to grow the supply of local food in a way that protects our health and the environment.
• Sustainable Process Award: City Provisions - City Provisions is a catering company that focuses on local, sustainable and organic foods, with a heavy focus on sustainable practices—including, but not limited to: compostable disposables, a strict recycling program, and a creative organic “composting” program (our organic waste is preserved and given to our farmers to use as feed for their livestock). All this is coupled with unparalleled service.
• Audience Choice Award Winners:
  1st place: Mindful Metropolis – a socially-conscious print magazine that brings conscious living ideas to its readers and shares what is happening in our community so we can become more connected and committed to socially-conscious living.
  2nd place: Earth Paint Collection Systems- Founded in 2007, the company disposes of unwanted latex paint through a system of collecting and consolidating post-consumer latex paint that allows it to be recycled into new consumer products.

“We’re absolutely thrilled at the response we received to our inaugural award program,” said Bryan Stubbs, director of the Chicago West Side Entrepreneurial Center and the Sustain Illinois program. “It definitely was difficult to wittle down our list of innovative and talented companies for this program since so many are doing amazing things for their customers and our community as a whole. They are true leaders and I hope other companies will take notice that it is possible to have a sustainable and profitable business model. The two terms are not mutually exclusive.”

Interested companies submitted an application last month and judges of the program narrowed down the applicants to the most enterprising companies and organizations to continue to the next phase of the application process. Those who were chosen to continue the competition convened at Sustainovate to give their “Fast Pitches” to a panel of judges yesterday afternoon. Two Audience Choice Awards also were awarded. The award winners will share in a combined cash prize of $22,500 in addition to the award recognition.