Eco Columbia

Shop Columbia can be found at 623 S Wabash Ave.

The Columbia Recycling Program has partnered with ShopColumbia for “Sustainability in the City.”

The event will spotlight student work made from recycled or reused materials. It will be held in the Quincy Wong Center on April 7th from 11am-7pm and feature roughly fifteen different artists.

As early as April 4th, students are encouraged to drop off unused materials for an Art Supply Swap. Suggested materials include paper or canvas, fabric, notions, paint, buttons, zippers, or anything else that could be utilized in art of craft projects.

Students with questions should contact shop@colum.edu.

View photos from the 2010 Eco Fair.

It’s that time of year again, folks! Columbia’s Recycling Program has started planning the third annual Eco Fair to coincide with Earth Day on Friday, April 22nd. The event will be held in the Conaway Center at 1104 S Wabash.

The Eco Fair seeks to connect the public to businesses and organizations that strive to make a positive environmental and social impact. It is a time to celebrate and have fun while educating the community about environmental problems and their solutions. There are great ways to interact and become involved including crafts, food, local advocacy, a picture station, screen printing, games, and other things. (more…)

Farm Fresh Foodstuffs delivers fresh cheese year around.

Farmer’s market season is over, but that doesn’t mean you should go without fresh, unprocessed food. Chris Spoerl, a Columbia documentary film student, works at Farm Fresh Foodstuffs–a local company that provides Chicagoland with fresh, hormone-free meats, eggs, cheese and pasta.

Chris’ cousin started Farm Fresh Foodstuffs after he was laid off of his corporate job. With a baby on the way, Steve Spoerl turned to something he knew from his grandparents: farmed goods. The “menu” offered by Farm Fresh Foodstuffs isn’t exactly vegan friendly, but for the carnivores out there, it’s heaven.

Chris was attracted to helping out with the business when he was told “that [they’d] be selling meats, eggs, and cheeses that were made the old fashioned way – without chemicals and with the animals being treated with dignity.” A mission statement I’m sure we can all get behind. (more…)

This is part two of a two part series about local food. Just as promised, I wanted to spotlight some local food options that we have right here in the Chicago area. It’s exciting to see the options grow as awareness does!

Community Supported Agriculture
CSA programs offer a way of connecting local farmers to their communities. Citizens will generally purchase a share of a farm’s crops at the beginning of the season. This is an investment in the farmer that allows him/her to pay for start up costs on the farm (machinery, seed, fertilizer, etc.). Every week or two starting on a predetermined date (usually around June) the farmers deliver fresh tasting and healthy food to a pickup spot in the city. The boxes usually contain the best of what the growing season has to offer that week. (more…)

This is the first in a two part series that we will be running about local food. Here, I will concentrate on things to consider when buying your food and why buying local makes so much sense. In part two, next month, I will provide some local food options and resources that Chicagoans have that they may not even be aware of.

Buy local, fight against global warming.
In the United States, the average grocery store’s produce travels nearly 1,500 miles between the farm where it was grown and your refrigerator (www.goodgreenhome.com) which contributes to a huge and preventable release of fossil fuels into the earth’s atmosphere. Also, the refrigeration required to keep these various fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and meats from spoiling as they are shipped wastes energy that could be used more efficiently. When you buy locally you cut out the unnecessary travel as your food moves a minimal distance to get to your plate, cutting back on emissions and other pollutants. (more…)