FOOD SECURITY ISSUE: If you live within The Capital Region, but outside of Edmonton, we need you.
WHAT: WE NEED DOZENS OF REGIONAL CITIZENS ON FEBRUARY 19TH, 2009- 9 A.M.
The Greater Edmonton Alliance has had a major impact in our work to preserve high yield farmland in the Capital Region.
The "This Land is our Land Campaign" has put food security, a local foods economy and land preservation firmly on the agenda of the City of Edmonton and the Capital Region Board of the twenty-five mayors.
BUT THERE IS STILL TENSION: The mayors of the rural counties are resisting the preservation of high yield farm land because they DON'T WANT TO BE TOLD WHAT TO DO WITH THEIR LAND!
They mostly believe they have the right to develop that land as they see fit and that food security and local food economies are not important.
The Vote on how much land will be preserved and how it will be preserved will likely take place on the 19th. The Greater Edmonton Alliance will be presenting a set of win-win solutions in conjunction with Green Hectares, a new group working to get young people into farming at the next CRB meeting.
* * *
WHO: We need dozens of REGIONAL CITIZENS to attend this meeting to show these regional mayors that working out a solution to preserve high yield farmland is critical.
People from the counties, towns and cities outside of Edmonton are needed
WHEN: Thursday, February 19th, 2009, 9:00 A.M.
WHERE: Chateau Louis Hotel Conference Centre, 117th Street and Kingsway
RSVP: If you can make it, please RSVP to jessie@thebluepear.com Please include what town or region you live in.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
No Interest Banking
Wow is it already February! Where did January go? Things are moving so fast these days, we've already had the food security conference, and our first 2 E-SAGE meetings.
Mark's talk last night was great! We had about 40 people out and we talked about everything from what is money and how do our banks work, to alternative banking models, local investment and alternative currencies. There was lots of discussion and we could have talked all night, but we decided instead to continue the discussion at another time. We had a sign up sheet for anyone who was interested in talking more and working with others to create a sustainable "money" system locally. If you are interested in being part of the discussion, you can contact Andrea Jones at andrea@raisingspaces.com.
Further Resources:
http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=3232
Paul Gringnon Money as Debt Video (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9050474362583451279
Mark's talk last night was great! We had about 40 people out and we talked about everything from what is money and how do our banks work, to alternative banking models, local investment and alternative currencies. There was lots of discussion and we could have talked all night, but we decided instead to continue the discussion at another time. We had a sign up sheet for anyone who was interested in talking more and working with others to create a sustainable "money" system locally. If you are interested in being part of the discussion, you can contact Andrea Jones at andrea@raisingspaces.com.
Further Resources:
http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=3232
Paul Gringnon Money as Debt Video (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9050474362583451279
Thursday, January 29, 2009
E-SAGE 2009
Hello everyone,
2009 Community Meeting Topics
We’ve decided that we are going to have one meeting a month where anyone can come to learn about sustainable topics and network with like-minded individuals. Here's what is going on for the next year.
Jan 23 – Food Security & the Global Food System
Feb 6 – No Interest Banking (Mark Anielski)
Feb 26 – Michael Shuman, “Small Mart Revolution”
Mar 11 – Nutritional Therapy
Mar 31 - Peter Brown, "Right Relationship Building a Whole Earth Economy"
Apr 4 – Go Green Eco Expo (U of A Butterdome)
Apr 16 – Urban Agriculture
May 8 – Green Homes & Eco-villages
June 4 - Alternative Energy (Solar Electric)
July 7 – How to be a Good Edmontonian
Aug 5 – Ancient Wisdom
Sept 10 – Organizing for Social Change
Oct 2 – Growing a Local Economy
Nov 2 – Arts & Transformation
Dec 11 – E-Sage 2nd Anniversary Party
You are welcome to attend the meetings!
Time: 7:00 – 9:30 pm
Place: Village Lifestyles (10429 – 79 Avenue)
The meetings start at 7:00, and our guests usually present for between 1 and 2 hours, and then we have a nice amount of time for mingling and networking.
Business Meetings
We've made a decision to try something different this year with the business meetings. Because everyone seems to really like the guest speakers and networking that goes on with the community meetings, we are going to have those every month - and encourage anyone who has a business connection to the topic to attend the meeting so that you can be involved in the discussion and networking that goes on. We are still going to set aside time and space for the business meetings, but that time is dedicated time for the committees working the projects below to meet and work on them. That being said, we are looking for people to be on the project committees. Read on for more details.
We been asked to collaborate on some exciting projects and we need your help. Please read the project summaries, if you have any interest in these projects & have a few hours to spare each month, we’d love to hear from you.
Email maureen@e-sage.ca or call 780-435-5683
1. Develop policies to support & encourage sustainable businesses
Last spring the City of Edmonton’s Office of Environment and Energy invited us to help develop policies to encourage more green businesses in the city. This year we are looking for people to be part of a committee to complete this task. We are starting from scratch: developing a method to collect information, conducting interviews and meetings, analyzing the results and making recommendations. One of the perks of this project is getting to work with Michael Shuman when he visits at the end of February.
2. Develop an online directory of sustainable, green, local, products, services, organizations, & events
E-SAGE is building an online directory that will act as a central link to all the great sustainable lifestyle resources that are available in the Edmonton area. This directory is unique because of our “sustainability” ranking system. For example, the first requirement is that a business or organization must be local, which means 51% of the ownership and decision-making power is located in Edmonton. After that there are a series of criteria which measure the commitment to meet environmental, social and economic standards that promote overall sustainability. We are looking for people to help refine the sustainability index, nominate possible candidates to include in the directory, interview them using the sustainability questionnaire, determine their rank, and add them to the online directory.
3. Organize and Host Green Trade Shows
One of the main purposes of E-SAGE is to facilitate connections and create synergy between the people in the “green economy”. We have met so many awesome people who do fantastic, creative work – we want them to meet each other and find out if there is some way they can work together. A regular series of trade shows would allow our business members to showcase what they do to other business people and the wider community, and maybe spark some collaborative projects!
4. Organize and Host Green Job Fairs
There are so many opportunities for the entrepreneurial types out there. We’ve had many comments at our meetings from people who wish they could find someone to do this or that – but no one is doing it...Yet. At the same time there are many people who have decided to leave the traditional careers they have trained for or worked in to find something more meaningful or fulfilling.
We believe there will be more and more opportunities to shift into green careers as our economy falters. There is already one green job fair being planned for March 5/09 to be held at the U of A campus, we are welcome to help with the planning of that event and host another one in the fall.
Further reading:
http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=2966
5. Co-Create our Organization
The fundamental question comes up in any group, “How do we make ourselves sustainable?” This is a question E-SAGE is considering right now. We’d like to know what our meeting attendees think of that. If we were to organize into some form, what form should it be? What are the pros and cons, and what value does E-SAGE hold in the community? If you are interested in exploring this question and helping to make sure E-SAGE can continue to provide great education, networking and action opportunities, we invite you to get involved.
2009 Community Meeting Topics
We’ve decided that we are going to have one meeting a month where anyone can come to learn about sustainable topics and network with like-minded individuals. Here's what is going on for the next year.
Jan 23 – Food Security & the Global Food System
Feb 6 – No Interest Banking (Mark Anielski)
Feb 26 – Michael Shuman, “Small Mart Revolution”
Mar 11 – Nutritional Therapy
Mar 31 - Peter Brown, "Right Relationship Building a Whole Earth Economy"
Apr 4 – Go Green Eco Expo (U of A Butterdome)
Apr 16 – Urban Agriculture
May 8 – Green Homes & Eco-villages
June 4 - Alternative Energy (Solar Electric)
July 7 – How to be a Good Edmontonian
Aug 5 – Ancient Wisdom
Sept 10 – Organizing for Social Change
Oct 2 – Growing a Local Economy
Nov 2 – Arts & Transformation
Dec 11 – E-Sage 2nd Anniversary Party
You are welcome to attend the meetings!
Time: 7:00 – 9:30 pm
Place: Village Lifestyles (10429 – 79 Avenue)
The meetings start at 7:00, and our guests usually present for between 1 and 2 hours, and then we have a nice amount of time for mingling and networking.
Business Meetings
We've made a decision to try something different this year with the business meetings. Because everyone seems to really like the guest speakers and networking that goes on with the community meetings, we are going to have those every month - and encourage anyone who has a business connection to the topic to attend the meeting so that you can be involved in the discussion and networking that goes on. We are still going to set aside time and space for the business meetings, but that time is dedicated time for the committees working the projects below to meet and work on them. That being said, we are looking for people to be on the project committees. Read on for more details.
We been asked to collaborate on some exciting projects and we need your help. Please read the project summaries, if you have any interest in these projects & have a few hours to spare each month, we’d love to hear from you.
Email maureen@e-sage.ca or call 780-435-5683
1. Develop policies to support & encourage sustainable businesses
Last spring the City of Edmonton’s Office of Environment and Energy invited us to help develop policies to encourage more green businesses in the city. This year we are looking for people to be part of a committee to complete this task. We are starting from scratch: developing a method to collect information, conducting interviews and meetings, analyzing the results and making recommendations. One of the perks of this project is getting to work with Michael Shuman when he visits at the end of February.
2. Develop an online directory of sustainable, green, local, products, services, organizations, & events
E-SAGE is building an online directory that will act as a central link to all the great sustainable lifestyle resources that are available in the Edmonton area. This directory is unique because of our “sustainability” ranking system. For example, the first requirement is that a business or organization must be local, which means 51% of the ownership and decision-making power is located in Edmonton. After that there are a series of criteria which measure the commitment to meet environmental, social and economic standards that promote overall sustainability. We are looking for people to help refine the sustainability index, nominate possible candidates to include in the directory, interview them using the sustainability questionnaire, determine their rank, and add them to the online directory.
3. Organize and Host Green Trade Shows
One of the main purposes of E-SAGE is to facilitate connections and create synergy between the people in the “green economy”. We have met so many awesome people who do fantastic, creative work – we want them to meet each other and find out if there is some way they can work together. A regular series of trade shows would allow our business members to showcase what they do to other business people and the wider community, and maybe spark some collaborative projects!
4. Organize and Host Green Job Fairs
There are so many opportunities for the entrepreneurial types out there. We’ve had many comments at our meetings from people who wish they could find someone to do this or that – but no one is doing it...Yet. At the same time there are many people who have decided to leave the traditional careers they have trained for or worked in to find something more meaningful or fulfilling.
We believe there will be more and more opportunities to shift into green careers as our economy falters. There is already one green job fair being planned for March 5/09 to be held at the U of A campus, we are welcome to help with the planning of that event and host another one in the fall.
Further reading:
http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=2966
5. Co-Create our Organization
The fundamental question comes up in any group, “How do we make ourselves sustainable?” This is a question E-SAGE is considering right now. We’d like to know what our meeting attendees think of that. If we were to organize into some form, what form should it be? What are the pros and cons, and what value does E-SAGE hold in the community? If you are interested in exploring this question and helping to make sure E-SAGE can continue to provide great education, networking and action opportunities, we invite you to get involved.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
E-SAGE 2009
Hello everyone!
this is going to be an exciting year! We've already planned out our talks for the year and they are going to be great. More details to come as the dates approach.
January 23/09 - Local Food Security and the global food system - who cares?
This is a note I saw posted at my local SAFEWAY store this week:
Due to extreme weather related issues and road closures; we are experiencing temporary gaps on supply with some commodities. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope to be back in full supply as soon as the conditions improve.
This really brings home the point that our food supply is vulnerable to all kinds of circumstances. Is it really a good idea to import 80% of our food? Is it smart to be that dependant on things out of our control? What is really going on with our food?
If these are things you have thought about or want to know more about, come to our meeting on January 23rd, at the Village Lifestyles (10429 - 79 Avenue) at 7pm.
this is going to be an exciting year! We've already planned out our talks for the year and they are going to be great. More details to come as the dates approach.
January 23/09 - Local Food Security and the global food system - who cares?
This is a note I saw posted at my local SAFEWAY store this week:
Due to extreme weather related issues and road closures; we are experiencing temporary gaps on supply with some commodities. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope to be back in full supply as soon as the conditions improve.
This really brings home the point that our food supply is vulnerable to all kinds of circumstances. Is it really a good idea to import 80% of our food? Is it smart to be that dependant on things out of our control? What is really going on with our food?
If these are things you have thought about or want to know more about, come to our meeting on January 23rd, at the Village Lifestyles (10429 - 79 Avenue) at 7pm.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Happy Holidays
Happy Holidays! As Christmas approaches we are wrapping up the year and getting ready for 2009.
We've finalized our meetings dates for 2009, all of them are held at the Village Lifestyles (10429-79 avenue) Community Meetings between 7 - 9:30pm, Business Meetings between 10am - 12 pm.
If we have details beside the date that means we have speakers or topics booked, but the blank dates are open for suggestions. If there is something you've been dying to know more about, or if you would like to do a presentation, please let us know by email maureen (at) e-sage.ca!
Community Meetings (7 - 9:30pm)
January 23
February 11
February 26 - Michael Shuman, Author of the Small-Mart Revolution will be giving a public talk on the importance of buying local, and the impact our habits have on local economics.
March 11
March 31 - Peter Brown, an ecological economist, is doing a tour to promote his new book - "Right Relationship: Building a Whole Earth Economy" (Berret-Koehler) His four co-authors, including environmental law consultant Geoffrey Garver, are all members of the Moral Economy Project, a Quaker initiative to promote a new vision of economics, that promotes environmental stewardship.
May 8
June 10
July 7
August 5
September 10
October 2
November 2
December 11 - E-SAGE 2nd Anniversary
Business Meetings (10am - 12pm)
This year we have lots of ideas of what we could do at the business meetings, but we are open to ideas from you. We know there are already lots of excellent resources for small business owners who want more information on day to day operations (BusinessLink) or networking events (Chamber of Commerce). But what do you want to get out of an E-SAGE business meeting? Why do you come? We have some ideas of our own what could happen at these meetings but we would like your feedback. Email us at maureen (at) e-sage.ca
Should we have a few tradeshows where you can showcase your products or services to the E-SAGE members?
How about a job fair to match up people who want sustainable careers, with opportunities waiting for someone to make it happen?
Is anyone interested in working with the City to do a focus group and develop policies for promoting local independant businesses? This would tie in with Michael Shuman's work with the BALLE organizations in the USA.
We would like to build a skills inventory along with the Sustainable Business Directory. Is that something you are interested in helping us develop?
January 26
February 24
March 26
April 24
May 25
June 22
July 21
August 20
September 18
October 16
November 16
Thanks again to the over 300 people who have come to meetings, spread the word about our group, and supported us over the past year. We look forward to seeing you in the new year!
Best Wishes for the holiday season and an joyful & abundant 2009!
Maureen, Terra & Tad
We've finalized our meetings dates for 2009, all of them are held at the Village Lifestyles (10429-79 avenue) Community Meetings between 7 - 9:30pm, Business Meetings between 10am - 12 pm.
If we have details beside the date that means we have speakers or topics booked, but the blank dates are open for suggestions. If there is something you've been dying to know more about, or if you would like to do a presentation, please let us know by email maureen (at) e-sage.ca!
Community Meetings (7 - 9:30pm)
January 23
February 11
February 26 - Michael Shuman, Author of the Small-Mart Revolution will be giving a public talk on the importance of buying local, and the impact our habits have on local economics.
March 11
March 31 - Peter Brown, an ecological economist, is doing a tour to promote his new book - "Right Relationship: Building a Whole Earth Economy" (Berret-Koehler) His four co-authors, including environmental law consultant Geoffrey Garver, are all members of the Moral Economy Project, a Quaker initiative to promote a new vision of economics, that promotes environmental stewardship.
May 8
June 10
July 7
August 5
September 10
October 2
November 2
December 11 - E-SAGE 2nd Anniversary
Business Meetings (10am - 12pm)
This year we have lots of ideas of what we could do at the business meetings, but we are open to ideas from you. We know there are already lots of excellent resources for small business owners who want more information on day to day operations (BusinessLink) or networking events (Chamber of Commerce). But what do you want to get out of an E-SAGE business meeting? Why do you come? We have some ideas of our own what could happen at these meetings but we would like your feedback. Email us at maureen (at) e-sage.ca
Should we have a few tradeshows where you can showcase your products or services to the E-SAGE members?
How about a job fair to match up people who want sustainable careers, with opportunities waiting for someone to make it happen?
Is anyone interested in working with the City to do a focus group and develop policies for promoting local independant businesses? This would tie in with Michael Shuman's work with the BALLE organizations in the USA.
We would like to build a skills inventory along with the Sustainable Business Directory. Is that something you are interested in helping us develop?
January 26
February 24
March 26
April 24
May 25
June 22
July 21
August 20
September 18
October 16
November 16
Thanks again to the over 300 people who have come to meetings, spread the word about our group, and supported us over the past year. We look forward to seeing you in the new year!
Best Wishes for the holiday season and an joyful & abundant 2009!
Maureen, Terra & Tad
Thursday, December 18, 2008
After the Party...
Well, our party was a great event. We had about 60 or so people come and go through the night. There was great music and entertainment, fabulous potluck food, wonderful local beer and wine, plus other holiday favorites.
Special thanks to Terra for all her help in organizing the event it wouldn't have been possible without her dedication and attention to detail!
Thanks also to Nina who came and helped set up for the evening, and to our "doormen" & bartenders Ron & Laura Berezan, and Laura Kate Jeffreys. Thanks also to our DJ - Pat from Joy One and all the muscians who came and entertained us - Tophie & Jenika, Nineca and Gord Oaks, Jill & her uke, & Khadija.
The silent auction was a success too - we raised about $1500 - which will go towards paying the rent for our meeting space for 2009. We appreciate the beautiful space provided by the Village, and thank them for their support over the past year.
Thanks to everyone who donated items to the auction, and thanks to everyone who bid on the items and helped us raise this money!
Seasons Greetings!
Maureen, Terra & Tad
Special thanks to Terra for all her help in organizing the event it wouldn't have been possible without her dedication and attention to detail!
Thanks also to Nina who came and helped set up for the evening, and to our "doormen" & bartenders Ron & Laura Berezan, and Laura Kate Jeffreys. Thanks also to our DJ - Pat from Joy One and all the muscians who came and entertained us - Tophie & Jenika, Nineca and Gord Oaks, Jill & her uke, & Khadija.
The silent auction was a success too - we raised about $1500 - which will go towards paying the rent for our meeting space for 2009. We appreciate the beautiful space provided by the Village, and thank them for their support over the past year.
Thanks to everyone who donated items to the auction, and thanks to everyone who bid on the items and helped us raise this money!
Seasons Greetings!
Maureen, Terra & Tad
Sunday, December 7, 2008
E-SAGE is 1 Year Old!
Well it's finally happened, we've been around for 1 year, and we couldn't have done it without you! So come and celebrate with us.
Party Details:
Date: Thursday December 11, 2008
Time: 6:00 – 11:30 pm
Place: Village Lifestyles
10429 – 79 Avenue
The potluck dinner starts at 6:00. We will have local wine from En Sante Winery, (including a dinner session about wine pairing and fruit wines) and local beer from Amber’s Brewing. We will also have live music and entertainment for your enjoyment. Bidding for the silent auction closes at 9:00 pm.
And for those of you have been looking for a way to support us to grow and do more in the coming year, now is your chance. We are having a silent auction to help raise funds for basic operations and building the online directory. If you have a business and could donate an item to the silent auction, please let us know by Dec 8 by replying to this email or calling 780.435.5683. If you need more information or reasons to donate, keep reading...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good Day!
We’re writing to invite your support for e-sage in helping us create a vital financial nest egg (without giving us a dime)
Seriously. We’re not asking for money.
There’s a way you help us (in a big way) and it will only take you about 5 minutes but could help us make big strides towards becoming more financially stable.
Here’s the deal:
Up until now we’ve done all our work (more on that below) through passing the hat at our meetings. However, to keep it up and take this group to the next level, we need to generate an operating fund.
Why? The main reason is that we want to be able to hire people to work on E-SAGE as a full time basis – not just a volunteer venture. A paid staff person will then have the time to do the more substantial work of grassroots fundraising and grant-writing.
So – here’s how you can help:
On Dec 11th we’re holding a silent auction at our anniversary party.
We’ve chosen to approach local independent businesses like yours because the unique products and services you offer appeal to our members. This is a great way to promote your product or service and a practical way to encourage people to shop locally.
Could you donate an item for the silent auction? If so, we need to pick it up by December 8, 2008, and would appreciate if you could include a slip of paper with the item that lists this information:
- your company name and contact info
- the name and description of the item being donated
- the approximate value of your donation
Two good reasons to donate something . . .
You might get more business for yourself. If you have your own product or service, this is an inexpensive way to promote it to a lot of new people (who may be just your kind of client). Silent auctions can be a great way to get exposure and also reduces anxiety for people who want to try something new.
It’s an easy way you can support Edmonton’s Green Economy without needing to donate any money (of course – financial donations are welcome as well). For the past year, E-SAGE has been one of the only groups in Edmonton providing consistent & energizing opportunities for green business owners and passionate people to gather and network about sustainable alternatives. And we think that’s worth celebrating (and supporting).
Who or what is E-SAGE?
This abbreviation stands for Edmontonians Supporting A Green Economy. E-SAGE is an Edmonton-based network that encourages Edmonton area businesses and community members to become greener, to think local first, and to make informed socially-responsible choices in the ways that they earn and spend their money. We work to support them in contributing to the development of a vibrant local living economy, community and environment through networking events and workshops.
What do we do?
We do what we say we will do.
When we started this group, we asked our members what they wanted most. Their top 3 wishes were:
to network with like-minded people.
to find out what others are doing, or where to find “green” businesses.
to DO something, not just talk about it.
We inspire people. Our meetings are energizing. People meet others they can REALLY talk to and connect with. In less than 1 year our mailing list has grown to over 320 members, and our Facebook group has over 480 members.
We educate and empower people. Our monthly meetings cover topics ranging from urban gardening, greening your home, eco-villages, alternative energy, local economics & business to the 100 mile diet. We are building an online directory of sustainable businesses, products, services, organizations and resources to help people take daily action on their decision to live more sustainably.
We support events & organizations that are making a difference.
We worked with the City, and Keep Edmonton Original to have November 2008 proclaimed as “Shop Local First” Month.
We worked with the Greater Edmonton Alliance to bring 600 people out to the hearings to preserve Edmonton’s agricultural lands at city hall on November 12, 2008.
We promote community events for other groups like the Sierra Club, ESPA, and help to bring in world-class speakers like Kevin Danahar, Michael Shuman and others.
Thanks you so much for your contribution,
Maureen, Terra & Tad
E-SAGE
maureen@e-sage.ca
780.435.5683
P.S. not sure what you could donate? It could be any product or service you think that a progressive minded crowd would appreciate. Here are some examples of other items being donated:
2 hour “Breakfast Conversation” with Mark Anielski –author of “The Economics of Happiness” at the Sugar Bowl. Approx value $300.
1 hour “Urban Landscape Consultation” with Ron Berezan, “The Urban Farmer”. Approx value $150.
½ hour “Marketing Consultations” with Tad Hargrave of “Radical Business”. Six sessions valued at $100 each.
1 hour Sustainability Consultation (for technology, economics, development and investment) With Joey Hundert. Approximate value $200.
Party Details:
Date: Thursday December 11, 2008
Time: 6:00 – 11:30 pm
Place: Village Lifestyles
10429 – 79 Avenue
The potluck dinner starts at 6:00. We will have local wine from En Sante Winery, (including a dinner session about wine pairing and fruit wines) and local beer from Amber’s Brewing. We will also have live music and entertainment for your enjoyment. Bidding for the silent auction closes at 9:00 pm.
And for those of you have been looking for a way to support us to grow and do more in the coming year, now is your chance. We are having a silent auction to help raise funds for basic operations and building the online directory. If you have a business and could donate an item to the silent auction, please let us know by Dec 8 by replying to this email or calling 780.435.5683. If you need more information or reasons to donate, keep reading...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good Day!
We’re writing to invite your support for e-sage in helping us create a vital financial nest egg (without giving us a dime)
Seriously. We’re not asking for money.
There’s a way you help us (in a big way) and it will only take you about 5 minutes but could help us make big strides towards becoming more financially stable.
Here’s the deal:
Up until now we’ve done all our work (more on that below) through passing the hat at our meetings. However, to keep it up and take this group to the next level, we need to generate an operating fund.
Why? The main reason is that we want to be able to hire people to work on E-SAGE as a full time basis – not just a volunteer venture. A paid staff person will then have the time to do the more substantial work of grassroots fundraising and grant-writing.
So – here’s how you can help:
On Dec 11th we’re holding a silent auction at our anniversary party.
We’ve chosen to approach local independent businesses like yours because the unique products and services you offer appeal to our members. This is a great way to promote your product or service and a practical way to encourage people to shop locally.
Could you donate an item for the silent auction? If so, we need to pick it up by December 8, 2008, and would appreciate if you could include a slip of paper with the item that lists this information:
- your company name and contact info
- the name and description of the item being donated
- the approximate value of your donation
Two good reasons to donate something . . .
You might get more business for yourself. If you have your own product or service, this is an inexpensive way to promote it to a lot of new people (who may be just your kind of client). Silent auctions can be a great way to get exposure and also reduces anxiety for people who want to try something new.
It’s an easy way you can support Edmonton’s Green Economy without needing to donate any money (of course – financial donations are welcome as well). For the past year, E-SAGE has been one of the only groups in Edmonton providing consistent & energizing opportunities for green business owners and passionate people to gather and network about sustainable alternatives. And we think that’s worth celebrating (and supporting).
Who or what is E-SAGE?
This abbreviation stands for Edmontonians Supporting A Green Economy. E-SAGE is an Edmonton-based network that encourages Edmonton area businesses and community members to become greener, to think local first, and to make informed socially-responsible choices in the ways that they earn and spend their money. We work to support them in contributing to the development of a vibrant local living economy, community and environment through networking events and workshops.
What do we do?
We do what we say we will do.
When we started this group, we asked our members what they wanted most. Their top 3 wishes were:
to network with like-minded people.
to find out what others are doing, or where to find “green” businesses.
to DO something, not just talk about it.
We inspire people. Our meetings are energizing. People meet others they can REALLY talk to and connect with. In less than 1 year our mailing list has grown to over 320 members, and our Facebook group has over 480 members.
We educate and empower people. Our monthly meetings cover topics ranging from urban gardening, greening your home, eco-villages, alternative energy, local economics & business to the 100 mile diet. We are building an online directory of sustainable businesses, products, services, organizations and resources to help people take daily action on their decision to live more sustainably.
We support events & organizations that are making a difference.
We worked with the City, and Keep Edmonton Original to have November 2008 proclaimed as “Shop Local First” Month.
We worked with the Greater Edmonton Alliance to bring 600 people out to the hearings to preserve Edmonton’s agricultural lands at city hall on November 12, 2008.
We promote community events for other groups like the Sierra Club, ESPA, and help to bring in world-class speakers like Kevin Danahar, Michael Shuman and others.
Thanks you so much for your contribution,
Maureen, Terra & Tad
E-SAGE
maureen@e-sage.ca
780.435.5683
P.S. not sure what you could donate? It could be any product or service you think that a progressive minded crowd would appreciate. Here are some examples of other items being donated:
2 hour “Breakfast Conversation” with Mark Anielski –author of “The Economics of Happiness” at the Sugar Bowl. Approx value $300.
1 hour “Urban Landscape Consultation” with Ron Berezan, “The Urban Farmer”. Approx value $150.
½ hour “Marketing Consultations” with Tad Hargrave of “Radical Business”. Six sessions valued at $100 each.
1 hour Sustainability Consultation (for technology, economics, development and investment) With Joey Hundert. Approximate value $200.
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