A public voting period is now open for finalists of the fourth Green America “People & Planet” award recognizing America’s best green small businesses. Each of three winners will receive $5,000.

Voting for 10 finalists was opened to the public online beginning May 1, 2013 at www.greenamerica.org/green-business-people-and-planet-award and will continue until 5 p.m. on May 31, 2013.

The quarterly “People & Planet Awards” recognize innovative entrepreneurial U.S. businesses that integrate environmental and social considerations into their strategies and operations. This round of the Awards will focus on businesses that have overall green practices and are committed to a sustainable food system. Votes will be tallied and three quarterly winners will be announced during the week of June 3rd.

The 10 final contenders for this round of People & Planet Awards are: Alter Eco, San Francisco, CA; Archi’s Acres, Escondido, CA; Blue Ridge Produce, Elkwood, VA; The Chile Woman, Bloomington, IN; CleanFish, San Francisco, CA; Flying J Farm, Johnstown, OH; Frankferd Farms Foods, Saxonburg, PA; Green City Growers, Somerville, MA; in.gredients, Austin, TX; and Love & Carrots, Washington, DC.

• Alter Eco, San Francisco, CA., www.alterecofoods.com. Alter Eco believes whole, healthy, delicious food can make life better for people all over the world. By working directly with small-scale farmers who grow quinoa, rice, sugar, and chocolate, helping them institute Fair Trade and organic practices, and giving them the tools to improve the quality and value of their product, Alter Eco is creating a system that benefits everyone involved. Since their start in 2004, Alter Eco’s co-op partners have enjoyed improved yields, true living wages, profit-sharing, medical insurance and the capital to create better infrastructures, healthcare and conditions in their communities.

• Archi’s Acres, Escondido, CA., archisacres.com. Through their farm, Colin and Karen Archipley have found a way to support sustainable agriculture while serving our nation’s veterans. Now, Archi’s Acres is rolling out its VSAT program nationwide. This rollout has commenced with the construction of a 30,000 square foot “farm incubator” that can serve as the prototype for job-creating, water-saving, food-producing, veteran-led hydroponic organic greenhouses nationwide. … The intention is to create real value and good jobs in countless American communities, by harnessing the power of the 1 percent of Americans who served in the past decade of war.

• Blue Ridge Produce, Elkwood, VA., blueridgeproduce.net. Founded two years ago in the Northern Virginia Piedmont Region, Blue Ridge Produce aggregates produce from farms in Virginia for sale to wholesale customers in the Mid-Atlantic. Blue Ridge Produce lets farmers be farmers by giving them a consistent market for their produce and handling the marketing and distribution logistics. By taking the retail headache out of the equation, farmers can spend more time doing what they do best, growing crops in Virginia soil. This system keeps more money in the local economy, and significantly reduces food miles traveled.

• The Chile Woman, Bloomington, IN., www.thechilewoman.com. The Chile Woman is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and growing chile pepper varieties from all over the world, as well as preserving chile pepper biodiversity. The Chile Woman now maintains a seed bank of over 1800 chile pepper varieties, and excludes all hybrid, GMO or bioengineered seeds. The business was hit by a tornado in May 2011. While the rebuilding has been arduous, there has been an uplifting outcome. Because so much old-growth tree cover was lost, solar power became a possibility. The company is celebrating the installation of a 5.2 K solar array that went online in January of this year.

• CleanFish, San Francisco, CA., www.cleanfish.com. CleanFish has developed a trusted platform of both wild and farmed fisheries by turning their backs on industrial commodity fish operations. CleanFish looks to the artisanal, or family farm, levels of seafood production. The company has carefully cultivated regional networks of smaller, ethical fish producers whose principles and practices they know well through their proprietary screening and vetting processes. CleanFish has created access to native fisheries, such as Nunavut tribe’s Arctic Char that is uniquely available through CleanFish. They have promoted innovation such as the move to organic production of many fish farms. Additionally, some producers have gone to larger infrastructure innovations such as wind and solar energy powering of their farms

• Flying J Farm, Johnstown, OH., www.flyingjfarm.com. Flying J Farm believes that sustainability begins with human health and that humans were placed here with brains to care for the rest of creation. Therefore, recycling, waste management, alternative energy production and management, minimizing financial costs, and environmental care are essential to sustaining life on this planet. Highlights of Flying J Farm’s sustainability efforts include: 1) Outdoor wood furnace, 2) Solar thermal water heating, 3) An 11 KW solar electric system, 4) Biodiesel fuel produced from waste oil and used in most tractors, and much more.

• Frankferd Farms Foods, Saxonburg, PA., www.frankferd.com. “Frankferd Farms Foods has been providing the region with organic, natural, and bulk foods for over 35 years. In 1978, Betty and T. Lyle Ferderber launched Frankferd Farms Milling. They were some of the first organic farmers in the area, receiving just as much praise as they did raised eyebrows. After seven years of growing and milling grains on their 81-acre organic farm, Betty and T.Lyle expanded to become a food distributorship in 1985. Since then, the food business outgrew its space on the family farm and moved to a much larger warehouse a few miles away. Frankferd is the only company of its kind in the region and serves over 3000 customers in 7 states. Since the business essentially grew out of an organic farm, its ethics are rooted in stewardship to the land.”

• Green City Growers, Somerville, MA., growmycitygreen.com. Green City Growers (GCG) transforms unused space into thriving urban farms, providing clients with immediate access to nutritious food, while revitalizing city landscapes and inspiring self-sufficiency. GCG produces and installs raised-beds, cold frames, and rooftop farms in addition to providing farm maintenance, educational programming, and consulting services for all interested in growing fruits and vegetables. GCG’s clients include urban and suburban homeowners, corporate wellness programs, schools, healthcare facilities, and restaurant/food service providers, etc. Quality organic produce is expensive and difficult for the average family to procure. By bringing the farm to the consumer, GCG increases access to produce, fostering a stronger connection between people and the food they eat.

• in.gredients, Austin, TX., in.gredients.com. In.gredients is a zero-waste micro-grocer in Austin, Texas providing the community with real, local food. As a business, they are changing the way people shop for groceries. By providing a majority of products in bulk and sourcing from local farmers, ranchers and producers, the store has become a green food leader in the Austin community. Customers can bring their own containers, fill them with high quality, organic GMO-free food and household items and leave without any unnecessary packaging. The store has over 300 products, with a majority of them made and produced in Texas.

• Love & Carrots, Washington, DC., www.loveandcarrots.com. is a home organic gardening service which designs, installs, and maintains vegetable gardens in DC and the surrounding suburbs. Organic, locally grown food and fruitful green spaces are beautiful, healthy, and better for the soul. Founded by ecologist Meredith Sheperd, the vision of Love & Carrots is to educate people about the importance of local food and environmental stewardship through gardens. Love & Carrots promotes the growth of urban agriculture through a home-based garden education service that teaches families, businesses, and organizations how to grow their own food.”

Judges for this award include: Katie Galloway & Gigi Abbadie, Aveda; Justin Conway, Calvert Foundation; Elysa Hammond, Clif Bar; Lisa Stokke, Food Democracy Now; Jenny Burns, Honest Tea; Kristin Bower, Neighborhood Farm Initiative; Jonathan Reinbold , Organic Valley; John Lively, Preserve (winter winner!); Eric Henry, TS Designs; and Reed Doyle, Seventh Generation; Fran Teplitz & Andrew Korfhage, Green America..

Future rounds of the quarterly small business awards from Green America will focus on workplace innovations, and other sustainability practices.

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Green America is the nation’s leading green economy organization. Founded in 1982, Green America (formerly Co-op America) provides the economic strategies, organizing power and practical tools for businesses and individuals to solve today's social and environmental problems. www.GreenAmerica.org.

Green America

Green America

Green America is United States' leading green economy organization. Founded in 1982, Green America provides the economic strategies, organizing power and practical tools for businesses and individuals to solve today's social and environmental problems. Green America's green economy programs encourage corporate responsibility, tackle climate change, build fair trading systems, advance healthy, local communities, and provide green purchasing and investing information for families and businesses. To receive Green America's popular publications, including the Green American and the National Green Pages™, participate in Green Festivals, or to get its free e-newsletter, providing the latest green news, green discounts, and opportunities to take action for a green economy, visit http://www.GreenAmerica.org, email info@GreenAmericaToday.org, or call at 800-58-GREEN.

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