Food, Nutrition, Agriculture

Last week, I had a chance to hear from a man who revolutionized the way I think about grocery stores: John Mackey, CEO, Chairman of the Board, and Co-Founder of Whole Foods Market. What began as a tiny organic food store in Austin, Texas has exploded into a phenomenon that has affected the way people think about the food they eat; on an even larger level, Whole Foods has provided an incredible example of the potential behind the topic of Mackey’s talk, conscious capitalism.

One of the best things about working with such amazing social entrepreneurs is that sometimes I open the paper and read about their work just like the rest of Americans. That's what happened when I started reading the New York Times this morning.

Kacie King at Greensgrow in Philadelphia

2002 Echoing Green Fellow Ian Marvy was recently quoted in a New York Times article on Greensgrow and the rise of urban farming. The idea behind this innovative practice is to create a sustainable means for producing fresh and organic foods that would otherwise not have been introduced to local urban communities, while creating alternative and seemingly unconventional jobs for young city-dwellers-turned-farmers.

We felt compelled to pass along this fantastic article from The American, which touts itself as “the new business magazine for people who think.”  Written by Alex Halperin, it details a visit with Andrew Youn, founder of One Acre Fund and 2006 Echoing Green Fellow.  Halperin gives us a look into Andrew’s organization, while describing life as a farmer in Bungoma and the rising trend of microfinance.  This combination makes for a fascinating read which celebrates Andrew’s fine work.

Echoing Green's Strategy Associate, Leslie Liao, recently returned from a two-week vacation to East Africa. While there, she had the opportunity to visit three recent fellows and took some beautiful photos (including this one from The One Acre Fund). Andrew Youn, founder of The Once Acre Fund and a 2006 fellow, wrote in with this update:

"Recently, one farmer was so grateful at her bumper harvest that she wanted to give me 100 pounds of her maize grains, enough to feed her family for a month."