We are sorry to report that Ecolicious is no longer in business. Ecolicious – Charlotte, NC’s Most Environmentally Friendly Market Is Locally Sourced!

by Danielle Bussone

 

In one of the cutest little houses located in the heart of Charlotte is a general store like no other. From its humble beginning as a few shelves containing only a few items, housed within another business, Ecolicious has come into its own. “We came about just over three years ago,” says Ecolicous founder, Marley Claridge.  “My former partner and I saw a need in Charlotte for a place to buy vegan things. We started out with just a few items on a few shelves. Then people kind of took to it. I wanted to make it larger, and nicer, with more of a boutique feel to it. More than just a convenient store look.”

 

Ecolicious Exterior

Ecolicious Exterior

 

Marley has done just that. After her early partnership dissolved, she joined up with long time friend,  Fiona Humphrey,  who had previously worked in finance. Fiona had planned to sell her house and move to Oregon. As luck, or fate, would have it, the market crashed and selling her home was no longer an option. The opportunity to partner with Marley presented itself and the rest is Ecolicous history. The two share a vision for the company which has continued to foster a relationship with the community and an awareness of how our purchasing decisions impact our lives, the lives of innocent animals and the health of our planet. Buying locally affects our carbon footprint as well, which is a credo for the fledgeling business.

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New York City Celebrates Sustainability With Their Third Annual Green Festival!

by Danielle Bussone

 

Green Festivals, America’s largest and longest running sustainability and green living trade show, is having their annual event in New York City! It will be held this weekend, April 26-27, at Pier 94, from 8am to 6pm. Dedicated to the principles of creating a sustainable planet, Green Festivals will have over 200 exhibitors, partners, and sponsors at the New York City festival.  Dr. Corinne Basler, President of Green Festivals says, ” We believe Green Festivals is a dynamic marketplace that will have something for everyone.”

 

 

Green Festival 1

 

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Veggin’ Out in the Garden with the WCPL Seed Savers Library

by Laura Blankenship

 

Veggin' Out in the Garden:photo 1

A glimpse of my container garden with basil, parsley, cilantro, and Larry in the background.
In the foreground: first red onion of the year, 2013

 

Living on a tight budget, I’ve been doing a lot of veggin’ out… on my porch, that is. This is the third year I’ve grown my own food in containers at my apartment. It started out as one tomato and a couple basil plants in each of my four pots by the driveway. Now, this April, it’s an official container garden: at least 20 different pots/herb boxes/recycled storage bins that are already boasting spinach, kale, red onions, and brussels sprouts. As I write, I’m waiting for the first young sprouts of the leek, beet, and swiss chard seeds I planted last week to peek out through the soil.

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Omowale Adewale’s Vegan Rooftop Party Sets The Bar For Plant-Based Fun In The Sun!

by Danielle Bussone

 

Omowale Adewale's Vegan Rooftop PartyWEB

 

Last weekend may have been a first for New York City. Brooklyn Brawl Champion Boxer, Omowale Adewale created a vegan rooftop party that will be hard to beat. Vegans and non-vegans arrived from cities far and wide to welcome in the spring with healthy plant-based fare. The gods were clearly with us as the predicted rain abstained from intruding upon the affair. Overlooking the cityscape of New York, the sun gently caressed the throngs of diners, as colorful and varied as the food itself. Everyone was invited. One woman I spoke to was from California. She learned about the party on LinkedIn that very day and decided to join in. She was in town visiting relatives and decided to take a break to enjoy good food with like minded people.

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Gaia Fresh Food Café in Carlisle, PA, Serves Up Veggies Galore!

by Danielle Bussone

 

A year ago, Rich and I passed through Carlisle en-route to Central New York for an annual Easter visit with relatives.  Carlisle has a dearth of restaurants offering healthy, plant-based options.  There is a Tappas bar which claims to offer vegan options but when questioned closely you’ll find the fingerling potatoes are fried in beef tallow, the croutons contain eggs and the olives are just taken from a jar and dunked in a pool of flavored olive oil.  The pita bread is obviously store bought. They will remove the cheese and other offending products but offer nothing to compensate the diner for the loss.  No thanks, we’ll pass.

There is an excellent Japanese/Vietnamese noodle shop (we reviewed last year) called Essei Noodles and there is a wonderful market (also reviewed last year), Appalachian Whole Foods.  So, last year, following our lunch at Essei, we  stopped to check out a lovely little vegetarian café on West Pomfret Street called Gaia Fresh Food Café.  We spoke with Gaia’s owner, George Catselis. We didn’t try the food at the time since we had already eaten. However, we did get a look at the place and an earful from George on his plans to make this a community meeting place where people who care what goes into their bodies and care about what is happening to our planet can congregate. A year later, and George’s plans are coming to fruition.

 

Gaia Exterior

Gaia Exterior

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