Green living is about making better choices, including about what we wear – but if the tree hugging lifestyle is not particularly your call, maybe it’s time for a little eco-chic indulgence, like the 2nd Annual Go Green Fashionista Fashion Show & Shoe Drive June 18.

This eco-fashion show, benefiting the non-profit Barefoot 4 Haiti, will feature styles ranging from vintage clothing to original eco-friendly accessories and wardrobe vamping.

Some of the interesting designers will include Blooming by Inta, who specializes in creating Avant Garde pieces with newspaper, magazines and other recycled materials; and Jewelry by Catalina Mora, who uses orange peels, tagua, and coffee beans to create her accessories while having an amazing aroma to it.

You’ll be able to also sample the new Sheba Cloth Collection made from natural jute fiber grown in Bangladesh known to be rich in antioxidants and vitamin E, and 100% biodegradable.

If you go:
What: 2nd Annual Go Green Fashionista: Fashion Show & Shoe Drive for Barefoot 4 Haiti
When: 7 p.m. June 18
Where: MIA at Biscayne Ultra Lounge & Restaurant, 20 Biscayne Blvd. Miami.
More info: $10 admission. Bring gently worn or new shoes to provide footwear to the people of Haiti. Half off special drinks from 7-8 p.m. Fashion show starts at 8 p.m. More info at Soul of Miami.

Image courtesy of Fabienne Claude from Go Green Fashionista 2009

I received my first iPhone bill today (sorry, BB) and there was also information on AT&T’s commitment to plant a tree for every customer that switches to paperless billing.

Between now and Dec. 31, the company will donate $1 to the Arbor Day Foundation to plant a tree for every customer that goes paperless -up to one million trees. Not only that, but you can choose among different reforestation projects, including one in Florida to replant trees in areas hurt by storms and hurricanes.

Yes, I know what you are thinking: greenwashing. The company saves a lot more than $1 by having you go paperless: no postage, no printing, no billing clerks.

But I think this is a win-win situation. Like it’s the case with many environmental issues, going paperless is the right thing to do no matter from which perspective you look at it, and how many companies are actually doing something extra to promote it?

>Check the facts: 1 million customers that switch to paperless billing means: continue

I’ve known about BunnieCakes for a while, but I finally made it to Juice & Java on the Beach last weekend and got to try these delicious vegan and organic cupcakes (see a video of my interview on the side video).

There I met Mariana, the baker behind BunnieCakes, who explained that she began looking into vegan baking after not being able to find sugar and gluten-free food for her children. After some experimentation in the kitchen and some tweaking of her grandma’s cupcake recipe, she developed her own recipe, which substitutes butter, wheat flour, sugar and eggs for things like apple sauce, agave and sugar cane.

Her vegan cupcakes come in mini and regular sizes ($1.50-$2.75) and in 15 flavors including red velvet, vanilla ginger, passion fruit, key lime and espresso. They are currently available at the natural food and juice emporium Juice & Java in South Beach and in Aventura, at Garden of Eat’in, and very soon at the Saturday Doral Farmers Market. You can also place orders online and delight your friends at your next get-together, or send your mom a yummy animal-cruelty-free treat for Mother’s Day.

For more information visit www.BunnieCakes.com continue

(Thanks to Betsy Martinez for contributing with this story and to Chris Cutro for the picture)

When Grisel Couto asked for a bundle of fresh cilantro, she got just what she asked for. The booth attendant hand picked them right in front of her and bagged the herbs – dirt clumps still clinging to the roots. That’s what makes this crop fields-meets-city veggie mart so unique: some of the produce is grown right before your eyes.

Roots in the City’s Urban Market, the first-of-its-kind farmer’s market, ran every Wednesday through April in Overtown, offering the freshest veggies and herbs in Miami.

And besides the freshness of the produce, or the fact that it’s grown on premises, or that it’s the first of its kind in South Florida, the market was special to the city because it offered those on food stamps twice continue

April is gone and with it all the cool Earth-Day related events that April brought us. However, there’s still a lot of fun and environmentally friendly things to do this week.

Wedneday, April 28
>Active lifestyle networking: Join Miami Active’s monthly meeting. The group encourages the free exchange of information and ideas to promote active lifestyles and business networks. Free. 8:30 a.m., Wednesday, April 28 at Whole Foods Coral Gables, 6701 Red Road. Meets in the Lifestyle Center,

>Hear environmentalist Bill McKibben discuss his new book, “Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet.” Believed to be one of the first to warn against climate change in his book “The End of Nature” 20 years ago, McKibben now insists that we need to acknowledge that we’ve waited too long, and that massive change is not only unavoidable but already under way. He’ll be at Books & Books in Coral Gables, 265 Aragon Ave. 8 p.m., Wednesday, April 28. Free.

>Stroll the gardens of Vizcaya under the moonlight: Don’t miss this romantic moonlight tour of the Vizcaya gardens. Enjoy live music, wine and delicious refreshments. 6:60 to 9 p.m., Wednesday, April 28. Tours leave at different intervals throughout the night. Vizcaya is located at 3251 South Miami Avenue Miami. Tickets: $15 for general admission, $10 for students, seniors and members.

Thursday, April 29
>Chilean food & wine tasting: Wanting to help Chile recover but can’t get on a plane? Support the country by supporting its cheese and wine at this free tasting. 5 to 7 p.m., Thursday, April 29. Whole Foods South Beach, 1020 Alton Rd.

>’80’s themed free yoga: SoBe Pilates is having an ’80s-themed grand opening party with MC Miss Elaine Lancaster. Stop by for free fitness demos, refreshments and raffles. 7-9 p.m., Thursday April 29. Located on 950 Arthur Godfrey Rd., Miami Beach. 305-763-8878. continue

Next Thursday, delight in organic and eco-friendly cocktails while meeting some of the up and coming green business owners in South Florida.

Green Drinks Miami has partnered with The Palms Hotel & Spa and the Everglades Foundation to celebrate Earth Day the sexy and sophisticated way only Miamians master: in an eco-stylish cocktail party and dinner by the beach.

Put on an eco-chic outfit and stop by The Palms for complimentary drinks, neck and shoulder massages, live beats by Agape, and free samples and presentations by eco-friendly companies and more.

This is the best way to learn about Green Drinks, the happy hour for green business owners and related professionals who wish to meet and network with other locals in the green industry.

The Palms is located at 3025 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. The event runs from 6 to 9 p.m. A $5 donation for the Everglades Foundation is encouraged. Hybrid and efficient cars park for free at the valet, otherwise it’s $9. For more networking time, stay for the two-course wholesome menu developed by Executive Chef Frank Jeannetti’s, which will be served for $29.

RSVP to gabriela@theagencypr.com by April 20.

Photo courtesy of pinksherbet

Earth Day-related promotions and sweepstakes are all over this year. Here are some of the sweepstakes and promotions The Ecozine compiled:

>Win a trip for two to Hawaii: Sierra Club wants to see which is the greenest State based on the number of people from each State willing to do a little more for the environment. All you have to do is agree to one of their five pledge choices such as using reusable bags for groceries, making an organic meal or biking for one trip instead of driving. Take the pledge and be automatically entered to win a trip to Hawaii for two. Looking at the interactive map, the Sunshine State doesn’t look that green at all, meaning we still need many Floridians to take the pledge. Learn more here

>Win a 9-day trip for two to Costa Rica: You might have noticed the new Whole Trade organic pineapples at Whole Foods. The grocery store recently awarded these pineapples with its own Whole Trade certification, meaning the fruits come from sustainable responsible farms and that the farmers are paid a decent wage and work in good conditions. To celebrate this, the market is sharing pineapple recipes in their site (try this fresh pineapple salsa) and is giving away a trip to Costa Rica. Sign up here.

>Win a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid dozens of energy efficient appliances: Target is giving away the Ford and more this month, including an electric scooter, a bicycle, a Clorox Greenworks home cleaning kit, a Burt’s Bees gift pack, a Kashi Klean Kanteen, a Planet Earth DVD Series and a Coca-Cola recycling bin or Coca-Cola RPET T-Shirt.Sign up here

>Win a 2011 Ford Fiesta: This month, Kellogg’s is giving away a 2011 Ford Fiesta worth $20,000. It takes a little longer to sign up because you actually have to register in their site, but it’s worth taking a efw minutes. Register here.

>Win a Ford Escape Hybrid Car: What is it with Ford and Earth Day Sweepstakes? Sprint is giving away this one. Just sign up here.

>Win $10,000 from eBay: Take eBay’s green challenge and be entered to win $10,000 worth of eBay credit. You need to open an eBay account to participate. Register here

>Win a $20,000 green home makeover: Purex, the clothes soap, is giving away this prize, along with a $1,000 daily prize. Win the home makeover by signing up here:

>Win a Ford Escape Hybrid You will need a 10-digit code from a Purina product to sign up at thePet Supplies site.

Photo courtesy of procsilas

I always keep an eye open for local green trends or eco-chic products, so I decided to start sharing what I find in the form of a regular post. Feel free to e-mail me your spottings to editor@theecozine.com.

Here are some of my weekend green spottings:

>Organic bamboo underwear at Touche Muah on Meridian Avenue:
The store was closed when I spotted this so I couldn’t get in for a better shot, but -as I later found out- Touche Muah is a line of organic bamboo fabric underwear created by Miami Beach resident Ivelin Giro. Check out their store on 1671 Meridian Ave, just off Lincoln Road.




>Organic sake at Sushi Siam: One of Miami’s favorite spots for sushi and Thai food, the restaurant is now selling Sho Chiku Bai Organic Nama (sorry for the terrible picture quality, long story).

>Recycling bins on Lincoln Road: They have been there for a few months now, but I’m so happy that we finally have them there that I wanted to share this pic with those who haven’t been to the beach in a while. While the City of Miami Beach could to a little more to encourage recycling, like putting the those bins all over the beach (including on the beach/ sand) and not only on Lincoln Road, this is a small step towards an eco-friendly SoBe.



Have you had any green spotting lately? E-mail you pics along with a description to editor@theecozine.com.

If your refrigerator is keeping you awake at night -and I don’t mean because of the munchies- it’s probably time to get a new one that will literally shut off at night.

You have no excuses now: Florida’s Energy Star Appliance Rebate program launches next Friday and over $17.5 million will be distributed in 66,000 rebates statewide on a first come, first served basis until April 25 or until the money runs out.

Get 20 percent rebates on freezers, clothes washers, refrigerators, dishwashers, gas tankless water heaters and room air conditioners. You can also get a $75 rebate if you submit proof of recycling.

The only catch is that all new appliances must qualify as Energy Star appliances. But because energy star appliances consume less energy, you’ll end up saving even more; an efficient refrigerator saves up to $100/ year in energy, so you get the idea.

Visit www.rebates.com/florida for more information.

Photo courtesy of gojeffrey

The number of Earth Day events in South Florida grows every year, but that’s no excuse to miss any of them. Here’s a list of South Florida Earth Day 2010 events.

If you don’t see an event, please e-mail me at editor@theecozine.com

LET’S RE-TAKE OUR PLATES FILM SERIES
WHEN: April 10-23
WHERE: Locations across South Florida
WHY: This is your best chance to watch some of the best and newest documentaries showcasing what really goes into your food and how much damage we’re doing to our planet. Documentaries include No Impact Man, The Garden, Food Inc,
ADMISSION: $5-$7
MORE INFO: Click here to read more on the film series

EARTH DAY EVERYDAY
WHEN: Saturday April 17
TIME: 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, 3109 E. Sunrise Blvd. Ft. Lauderdale.
WHY: Speakers all day and booths with great, local environmentalists and conservationists.
ADMISSION: regular park admission, $6/ car, $2/ pedestrian
MORE INFO: click here

EARTH MIAMI ON JUNGLE ISLAND
WHEN: April 17-18
WHERE:1111 Parrot Jungle Trail, Miami.
WHY: Two-day festival commemorates Earth Day with eco-tours a local horticulturist, recycle animal sculpture display by South Florida schools, interactive eco-conscious activities and stations
ADMISSION: $20 when you bring a can or bottle to recycle
MORE INFO: Call (305) 400-7000‎ or visit www.JungleIsland.com

THE FALLS’ “GO GREEN” EXPO
WHEN: Saturday, April 17
TIME: 1-5 p.m. The Little Planet Helper’s Club from 2-4 p.m.
WHERE: The Falls’ Center Court, U.S. 1 and SW 136th Street.
WHY: Expo will showcase various businesses that will educate families about the importance of keeping the environment clean.
ADMISSION: Free
MORE INFO:Call 305-255-4571

EARTHFEST 2010
WHEN: Sunday, April 18th,
TIME: 12 to 6 p.m.
WHERE: Crandon Park Visitors & Biscayne Nature Center, 6767 Crandon Blvd. Key Biscayne.
WHY: Celebrates 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Includes performances by Expand the Love and hands-on nature workshops on organic gardening, every child outdoors, raw food preparation, yoga and deep ecology. Must bring concert blanket or portable chair.
ADMISSION: regular park entrance, $6/ person
MORE INFO: Call 305-323-8858 or click here

GREEN DRINKS SOUTH FLORIDA
WHEN: Thursday, April 22
TIME: 6:30 to 10 p.m.
WHERE: Boca Raton Resort and Country Club
WHY: This is a black-tie event with a green-tie flair. Network with green business owners, enjoy an ECO fashion show, watch the ECO lifestyle awards, and have a delicious organic buffet dinner.
ADMISSION: $125
MORE INFO: www.southfloridagreendrinks.org

MIAMI GOING GREEN
WHEN: Saturday, April 24
TIME: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
WHERE: Bayfront Park, 301 Biscayne Blvd, Miami
WHY: The team onboard the Bahamas to U.S. Solar-Powered Crossing expedition will arrive to Bayfront Park. Also, dozens of local vendors and green organizations will be there.
ADMISSION: free
MORE INFO: Click here

Image courtesy of flyingsinger

After a little hesitation, I finally joined a produce buying club called the Organic Produce Buying Club of South Florida (read below for a complete list of CSA’s and buying clubs in South Florida). I got my first box of organic and locally-grown produce yesterday and I’m so pleased with my shipment!

Although a produce buying club is a little different than a Community Supported Agriculture group, they share a similar concept: you support local farmers and get cheaper organic produce.

Basically, a farmer will offer a number of “shares” or memberships to the public at a fixed price, and in turn, customers will receive a weekly -or bi-weekly- shipment of seasonal organic veggies and fruits. Prices are lower than at farmers markets because buyers, as a group, are buying in bulk. Another advantage is that most produce is picked up about 24 hours before the shipment, so you get incredibly fresh food.

This is as close as growing your own organic produce as you can get, even better than a farmer’s market.

The reason I didn’t join a CSA is because of you have to pay for the whole season in advance (about $600) whereas you pay-as-you-go in the buying club.

I have to admit my first shipment exceeded my expectations. I was hesitant because of the price: $49 per box, shipped to a local pickup location twice a month. They explained the box would be enough for a family of three or four who eat four home-prepared meals a week. We’re two at home, and I’m a working-from-home vegetarian who loves to cook, meaning I eat about eight or nine veggie-packed meals at home per week. My worry was that the produce might not be enough and that I would end up paying too much for it.

I decided to still give it a try, and I’m glad I did. This is what I got yesterday:

This is the detailed list:
7 bananas
4 yellow nectarines
7 Valencia oranges
13 ginger gold apples
cilantro
spinach
a red-tip leaf lettuce
an orange cauliflower
a red cabbage
a bag of Cremini mushrooms
baby tomatoes
3 yellow onions
2 garlic heads
11 carrots
2 acorn squashes
4 Russet potatoes

If you don’t like anything in the box, you can always exchange it, but it wasn’t my case.

I also loved the surprise factor à la Iron Chef. I drove back home thinking what would go good with what, what would be the best way to cook those squashes (any suggestions? I never cooked them before), and how I’d use the orange cauliflower to try an Indian recipe with curry that I found a while ago.

Anyway, I compiled a list of local CSAs and buying clubs:
Let me know if you don’t see your CSA here. Also, I’d like to hear your experience with CSAs, tips, which one has worked best for you?

ORGANIC PRODUCE BUYING CLUB OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Area served: Central pickup location in Bal Harbor Islands, satellite locations throughout SoFla.
Cost: $20 membership fee, $49 per shipment, which must be pre-paid during the previous pick-up.
Frequency: Every two weeks
Box size: 25-35 lbs of fruits and veggies.
Notes: Additional produce is available with prior notice. You can request half a shipment too, and they’ll help you find someone to split your share. Volunteer some hours and get a $10-$30 discount from your next share.
More info: Visit www.organicbuyingclubsofla.com

REDLAND ORGANICS
Area served: Located three miles north of Homestead, with additional pickup sites scattered between the Lower Keys and Pompano Beach.
Cost: As a CSA, you pay in advance for the five-month season, $630 for the full share, $375 for half, for 19 to 20 pickups, resulting in $31-$34 per share. Delivery at a pickup location has an additional fee: $40 for pickup in Miami-Dade, $60 in Broward, $100 in the Keys.
Frequency:Weekly
Box size: According to their site, a weekly full share is enough for a family of up to four.
Notes: The season runs for about 22 weeks from mid-November through mid-April. Four-week trial for $170. Additional produce available for purchase.
More info: Visit www.redlandorganics.com

FARM FRESH MIAMI
Area served: Pickups throughout Miami-Dade.
Cost: $50 per box, $30 for half a share, paid in advance during the previous pick-up. There is also a $30 one-time membership fee, and you must pay for your last share when joining to avoid “stand ups.”
Frequency: Every two weeks
Box size: 25-30lbs of produce in the full box, 15+lbs in the split share.
Notes: They are currently offering free one-week trials.
More info: Visit www.farmfreshmiami.com

GREEN CAY PRODUCE
Area served: Located in Boynton Beach, with additional pickup locations in central and southern Palm Beach County
Cost: $34 for a large box ($40 if delivered to a pickup site), $22 for the small box ($28 with delivery). Pay for the 34-week season in advance and get a free box at the end of the season.
Frequency: Either weekly or every other week.
Box size: Large box measures: 13″h x 12″w x 15″l, with eight to 10 items. Small box is 7″h x 11″w x 14″l, with six to eight items.
Notes: Different payment plans available.
More info: Visit Green Cay Produce of Farming Systems Research

WORDEN FARM
Area served: located in Punta Gorda, serves with pickup locations throughout Southwest Florida.
Cost:As a CSA, you pay $600 in advance for the 20-week season, resulting in $30 per share. Additional $60 fee for delivery at a pickup site.
Frequency: Weekly
Box size: According to their site, each shipment has eight or more items, enough for two people.
Notes:Currently open for enrollment. Season runs from the first week of December to the middle of April. Additional produce is available for purchase.
More info: Visit www.wordenfarm.com

09/16/09 update: I found a few more local CSAs I’d like to include in the list:

ANNIE’S ORGANIC PRODUCE BUYING CLUB OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Area served: Pickup locations throughout the tri-county area and the keys.
Cost: $45 per box, half share available for $35.
Frequency: Weekly or bi-weekly
Box size: Up to 35 lbs.
Notes: You can choose among different types of boxes: Florida-grown produce only, more veggies than fruits, veggies for juices only, etc. Also sells organic dairy, meats, nuts, prepared foods like hummus and more.
More info: Visit: www.anniesbuyingclub.com

Yes, Miami has long been the place where the rich, famous and sexy bask next to beachfront five-star resorts, but hotels and spas are figuring out a way to make all that pampering partly carbon-neutral.

An increasing number of Miami’s luxurious spas and hotels are becoming more eco-friendly by using organic and natural products, recycling more and even planting a tree in the Everglades for every facial given.

It has created such a buzz that TreeHugger.com did a feature on it.

Some of the spas and hotels featured include Uhma Spa, in downtown Miami, which sells and uses only 100% natural, organic and cruelty-free products.

There’s also the Mandarin Oriental Miami, which offers guests an excursion to the Everglades, and plants a native tree there for every Herbal Thai Compress Ritual its spa performs.

Here’s another one I’ve been hearing a lot about:

Tahira Salon, in Miami Springs, uses only organic, non-toxic, soy-based and vegan. They even have monthly raw and vegan cooking lessons.

Do you know any other eco-conscious spas in Miami or South Florida? What was your experience like? We’d love to read your comments.

Photo by Dennis Wong

Say goodbye to Doritos and soda dinners during those long days at the office.

You can thank local vegetarian-raised sisters Jennie and Rebecca Albano, who came up with the brilliant idea of developing vending machines that provide exclusively all-natural and organic snacks and drinks.

Jennie wrote in an e-mail:

“One day the idea of vending came to me. I thought of the long hours I used to work in an edit bay or stuck in the office in my tv job and that the vending machine was so wretched… Then it just clicked, if there was a vending machine that ONLY had healthy, nutritious and delicious options…how that would have changed my whole life at the time.”

Their company, Natural Choice Vending, is the first of its kind in South Florida, and already has machines at four locations: Florida International University, The Miami Herald, Ransom Everglades High School, and World Fuel Services.

The Albano sisters -who by they way got the money to start off singing karaoke on TV- carefully inspect every item going into the machine to make sure it doesn’t contain artificial flavor or color, preservatives, hydrogenated oils, trans fats or high fructose corn syrup. If a product doesn’t meet these requirements, it’s simply not sold.

But items must also pass a flavor test.

“We taste test everything and won’t put any products into our line if they are not totally and completely yummy. Once a machine has been at a location a while we see what sells more or less and are always switching things up to mirror the customers’ tastes,” Jennie wrote.

They currently carry over 100 products, selling for a prize range of $.80 to $1.75. See a complete product list here.

The sisters are currently working up the public school system bureaucracy, and hope to one day have healthy vending options available at more schools.

“One of our biggest concerns is the rise of childhood obesity and diabetes and we’d love to be at the forefront of the vending revolution for Miami’s schools,” Jennie wrote.

Ok, so it could take some time before one of these machines pops up at your office, but you can call 305-667-0812 or check out www.naturalchoicevending.net and let Jennie and Rebecca know you want a healthy foods machine there.

Where would you like to see a Natural Choice Vending machine? What do you usually snack on? We’d like to read your comments.

Photos courtesy of Natural Choice Vending.

Ignoring the environmental impact of their decision, Palm Beach County commissioners voted today to allow development by Florida Crystals on what was former Everglades land. Development will create more jobs, they argued.

The commission voted to change its development rules and allow industrial uses on 318 acres south of South Bay owned by sugar giant Florida Crystals, the Sun Sentinel reports.

The land is part of the hundreds of thousands of acres of former Everglades that was drained to make way for agriculture.

Commissioners argued that the warehouses that Florida Crystals plans to operate will create new jobs, even if this could happen years from now.

This was not an issue for the Everglades Coalition and 1000 Friends of Florida and other environmental groups such as that showed up at the meeting, worried that this decision will open the door to more development in the region, which will get in the way of Everglades restoration.

The commissioners did require that future development be planned in coordination with the South Florida Water Management District to make sure it doesn’t interfere with Everglades restoration.

State regulators must still sign off on the proposal. Let’s hope they have a problem with it.

Photo by bafefootinfla1