Green Halloween

Encounters with Cocoa

ryan — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 20:52:50 +0000

After nearly three years of campaigning on cocoa issues, it was very exciting to see real cocoa pods in person. Because cocoa can only grow in tropical climates, roughly 15 degrees north and south of the equator, it’s not a crop that will flourish in the United States. The cocoa pod is denser than I expected, and very much shaped like a football. (though smaller). The beans don’t seem too remarkable for being the basis of a multibillion dollar industry, and one of the most important exports of many West African nations. The butter is quite malleable, and can be used as a moisturizer, especially If you want to smell just like chocolate.

Here is cocoa in its various phases of production:

Cocoa Pods. The cocoa bean is in the center, surrounded by pulp.

Fermented and dried cocoa beans.

Cocoa mass or cocoa paste, made from drying, roasting and grinding the cocoa beans.

Cocoa butter, derived from the cocoa mass.

Cocoa powder, also derived from cocoa mass.

I can’t wait to go to actual farms next week!

This post is a part of a series of posts from Elizabeth O’Connell, the Fair Trade Campaigns Director for Green America. Elizabeth is currently in West Africa, representing Green America, the Raise the Bar Campaign, and thousands of conscientious American consumers at the World Cocoa Conference 2012.

To keep up with what is happening with this important opportunity, please check out the Green America Blog, which has additional posts, and will be updated more frequently by our Fair Trade Campaigns Director.

Brainard’s Natural Remedies®

ryan — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 19:54:58 +0000

Each year, Americans purchase a whopping 600 million pounds of candy to celebrate Halloween. What does this look like? Imagine 16 billion Snickers or 158 trillion pieces of Candy Corn. It has been reported that the average American eats 25 pounds of candy a year, much of which is likely consumed right around this time of year. But while sugar-laden candy sales continue strong, a growing population of heath-conscious individuals and concerned parents are seeking alternative options. Now, thanks to Green America and Brainard’s Natural Remedies All Natural Antacid®, Halloween can be celebrated as fun and healthy with Green Halloween® –a movement for healthier, more eco-friendly traditions.

This Halloween, Brainard’s Natural Remedies is teaming up with Green America as the proud sponsor of their Green Halloween® event. Green America has reached across the U.S.; in 2011 they hosted approximately 30 official public celebrations, where they replaced over 1 million pieces of conventional candy with healthier options. “It is an honor to team-up with Green America in this endeavor that aims to promote good health in celebrating the holidays,” says Elliott Brainard, Founder and President of Brainard’s Natural Remedies.

“Children often experience upset stomach, heartburn and indigestion from eating so much Halloween candy,” explains Brainard. “Fortunately, Brainard’s Natural Remedies All Natural Antacid, tastes good as well as provides the power and health benefits of blueberries. By incorporating the blueberry fiber and along with other essential berry extracts into the antacid, it becomes almost just as easy to eat as candy while providing much needed relief from occasional indigestion, naturally!”

Known for their anti-inflammatory abilities within the digestive tract, blueberries help to reduce the leading symptoms of indigestion, including stomach discomfort. Not only do blueberries aid in anti-inflammatory processes within the stomach, but the high amount of fiber that they contain creates a multitude of benefits for the lower gastrointestinal tract. Along with blueberries, Brainard’s All Natural Antacid is also powered by a unique blend of pomegranate, bilberry, and elderberry extracts. This antioxidant combination aids in the removal of free radicals from the body.

“Being aware of what we eat this holiday season can substantially effect how we feel,” adds Brainard. “Children as well as parents can benefit from this product because it helps with indigestion from the sugary sweets we are adding into our diets.”

About Brainard’s Natural Remedies®

Established in 2010, Brainard’s Natural Remedies All Natural Antacid is the result of a berry fruitful discovery. Founder and President, Elliott Brainard discovered the benefit of using blueberries to relieve stomach discomfort in his own personal life. Upon this discovery, Brainard researched the power of blueberries and other natural ingredients that promote good digestion. His findings led to the production of Brainard’s Natural Remedies, a healthy alternative to help relieve indigestion for everyone.

Currently, Brainard’s Natural Remedies All Natural Antacid comes in a chewable tablet form and is available in a 4 tablet pouch, 10 tablet refillable tube, 30 tablet bottle and 90 tablet bottle. Brainard’s Natural Remedies can be found in health food stores throughout the United States. For a complete list of retail stores, visit www.brainardsnaturalremedies.com.

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For more information on Brainard’s Natural Remedies, including request for samples and to schedule an interview with Founder and President Elliott Brainard, please contact Rajan De Los Santos at Christie Communications at (805) 969-3744 or rajan@christiecomm.com. ###

2012 Guide to a non-GMO Halloween

corey — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 15:48:26 +0000

by Corey

We are thrilled and honored to partner with Non-GMO Project again this year to present the 2012 Guide to a non-GMO Halloween!

Offered to parents as a toolkit, the 2012 Guide (pdf) contains a list of Non-GMO Project Verified Halloween treats, such as Endangered Species Chocolates, fun ideas for “treasures” (non-food goodies) and even a healthy recipe from our very own food blogger, Kia Robertson.

Get the facts about “Frankenfoods” and learn more about what actions you can take (throughout the year) to protect your family and planet at NonGMOProject.org. Then, if you live in California, vote yes of Prop 37!

Get the Guide here.

Learn more about GMOs and what you can do to fight “Frankenfoods”! Visit:

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Looking for more ways to green your holidays, celebrations and every-day? Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and authors of Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, and founders of Green Halloween®. Connect with Lynn and Corey on Facebook and Twitter.

5 Tips for a Rainforest-Friendly Halloween

corey — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 15:14:17 +0000

Guest post by our friends at Rainforest Alliance

Photo: “Cocoa Beans” credit Rainforest Alliance

With Halloween just around the corner, it’s time to stock up on chocolates and sweet treats for the inevitable rush of trick-or-treaters. Ensure your holiday is scary in spirit, but easy on the environment with the Rainforest Alliance’s five tips to green your Halloween.

1) Choose Rainforest Alliance Certified™ chocolate, such as by Endangered Species, for Halloween treats. Farmed on over 18 million acres of tropical land, some five million farmers rely on cocoa for their livelihoods. Unfortunately, many of these clear forests to expand their cocoa-growing lands. By choosing chocolate that features the green frog seal, you’re rewarding farmers that protect tropical forests and support the well-being of workers and local communities.

2) Make terrifyingly tasty treats with Rainforest Alliance Certified chocolate, bananas and coffee. Check out our “Haunted Halloween Recipes” and visit our Shop the Frog page to find certified products near you.

3) Teach your kids where their favorite chocolate treats come from and how they impact people, wildlife and the planet. Visit the Rainforest Alliance’s Kids’ Corner and play the online game Track it Back, to learn where chocolate comes from, where cocoa is grown and how it is harvested! Also visit our virtual rainforest, “Living in the Chocó Forests of Ecuador: The Chachi Cocoa Farmers.” (Brush up on your own knowledge about cocoa farming here.)

4) Ensure your little trick-or-treater collects candy with a reusable bag.

5) Instead of driving, walk your tick-or-treater around your local neighborhood. By walking, you are helping to save emissions, while also saving on your gas bill! It will also help to burn off the extra candy calories!

Keep it up! Supporting an eco-friendly lifestyle should be a daily event, not an occasional act. With a little thought, and some guidance from the Rainforest Alliance, you can easily apply these green Halloween tips to your everyday life.

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The Rainforest Alliance works with people whose livelihoods depend on the land, helping them transform the way they grow food, harvest wood and host travelers. From large multinational corporations to small, community-based cooperatives, businesses and consumers worldwide are involved in the Rainforest Alliance’s efforts to bring responsibly produced goods and services to a global marketplace where the demand for sustainability is growing steadily. For more information, visit www.rainforest-alliance.org.

8 Ways to Trick-or-Treat for GOOD

corey — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 21:22:05 +0000

by Corey

Halloween. It’s all about the candy, right? Well not long ago, kids in costume had just as much fun procuring pennies for a worthy cause as they did grabbing fistfuls of treats. Why? Because doing good deeds is fun and meaningful, even for the youngest of the bunch. So this year, consider trick-or-treating-for-good in lieu of (or in addition to) trick-or-treating-for-goodies and see what all the excitement is about.

How does your family put the “meaning in the greening” on Halloween? Do share the good!

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