Back in the United States!

Costa Rica was the experience of a life time.  Sustainability Marketing 421 is a tremendous opportunity that goes way beyond what students can learn sitting in a classroom.  This class allowed our small group of students to make farms, coffee plantations, recycling plants, the rainforest, and more exotic locations our classroom!  This class gave students the opportunity to learn about sustainability practices from people who live a lifestyle of sustainability in Costa Rica.  This class provided me with a learning opportunity but also allowed me to change the way I live my life on a day to day basis once experiencing how Costa Ricans live in person.

Fruit demonstration during our Highland Fruit Tour.

Being back at Bryant, I have attempted to change the way I live as well as influence others. Before going to sleep or when leaving my suite, I always make sure that all lights and appliances are shut off.  In addition, I have reduced the amount of food I take at Salmo, to reduce my own personal food waste.  I also reuse plates and cups at Salmo to reduce the amount of soap and water needed to clean more dishes.  While walking around campus, I make sure to help others be sustainable as well.  I have described my experiences in Costa Rica to others in an attempt to gain awareness for environmental issues.  I also love yelling at people to recycle when my friends get up to throw something away.

 I have also noticed the current sustainability efforts here on campus as well.  There are many organizations on campus here at Bryant who try to implement change on campus.  Aramark, Bryant’s food provider, also does a lot to promote sustainability.  Aramark weighed food waste one day for example, illustrating to students how they can be more cautious to help the environment.  Aramark also separates paper for compost.  There are signs all over Salmo which discuss sustainability issues as well.  This class was helpful because it allows more Bryant students to get involved in this change occurring on campus.

BryantMkt421 students learning about the coffee process.

Finally, this class was just plain fun.  This class allowed me to experience some once-in-a-lifetime activities, such as zip lining through the rain forest in Tortuguero, relaxing in natural hot springs with hot water sourcing from a volcano, and whitewater rafting with the beautiful scenery of Costa Rica.  This trip allowed me to learn, have fun, and bond with a group of Bryant University students and faculty for a life changing experience that I will never forget.  This course should be number one on students’ lists when registering for classes.  Sustainability is a topic that compliments business majors.  Sustainability practices are being adopted by a majority of companies in an attempt to create respectable business ethics.  I personally promise that taking this course will change your life and help you stand out when pursuing an internship or job.  Pura Vida! 

BryantMkt421 students learning about sustainability with our tour guide Jonathon.

-Ronald Wagner

@RonBURRgandy

@BryantMKT421

Whitewater rafting! #TeamHorsePower

Sustainability: Coffee and Produce

If you haven't had the chance to visit the Pawtucket/ Wintertime Farmers Market, I highly encourage you to check it out! It's filled with vendors dedicated to providing their communities with the highest quality and freshest products while remaining committed to sustainable practices.

New Harvest Coffee Roasters

Some of the best coffee in RI can be found right at the Pawtucket Farmer’s Market. New Harvest Coffee Roasters is dedicated to providing the highest quality coffee while practicing sustainable efforts. The entire coffee process from growing to harvesting to processing and roasting and ultimately brewing is acutely monitored with passion. What I found unique about New Harvest is their Source Direct program. They traveled to farms in Central and South America to connect directly with small farms producing coffee with greener efforts. This not only ensures a strong lasting relationship with farmers but also supports farmers taking good care of their land and paying their workers well. The strong relationship also ensures the highest quality for New Harvest’s expectations while benefitting coffee-growing communities at large.

Overall I learned there’s nothing easy about great coffee but New Harvest strives to provide the best and really takes each stage of the process a step further. If you can’t make it to the Farmer’s Market to try their coffee stop by their home Hope Artiste Village or look for their coffee supplied in cafés, restaurants, bakeries, groceries and households in all 50 states.

Freedom Food Farm

Freedom Food Farm was one of the many local farms at the market. Their mission is to provide healthy, nutritious food to members of the community throughout the socioeconomic spectrum. All of their produce, eggs, pork, and chickens are grown and raised with exclusively organic and biodynamic principles; their efforts are to mock a natural ecological cycle. All their hard work is just to provide healthy food for the community while reducing their foot print! I loved how they go beyond certified organic allowances. Even if it’s allowed they vow to never spray chemicals or pesticides on their fields and crops. They have endless practices with the compost and animal rotation to have the entire farm working as a natural ecosystem. Freedom Food Farm is a prime example of farming sustainable not just to provide healthy safe food to the community but to also preserve the farmland for future generation.

Freedom Food Farm was very knowledgeable about where they grow and raise their food and how it’s treated to arrive at the end results. I encourage you to buy local and direct from farmers with attempts to enhance food production overall, it will create a healthier world and a healthier you!

Learn more about sustainable practices as we head to Costa Rica! You can also follow us on Twitter! @BryantMKT421

-Krysia Syska

Buy Local!

The Pawtucket Winter Farmers Market was such a wonderful experience. I love going to farmers markets in the summer, but I had never been to an indoor farmers market. There was so much to take in at the Pawtucket Winter Farmers Market. The location (Hope Artiste Village) was great, the winding hallways and open spaces gave each vendor a unique setting. I loved the exposed brick, bright lights and the surrounding fresh and organic produce!

It is so important to buy local and to support the local economy. There were many vendors with varying products however they were all local and many supplied organic products. I found Langwater and Allen Farms to be outstanding family run vendors at the market.


Langwater Farm is a family run business located in North Easton, MA. The farm is USDA certified organic.the farm specializes in a diverse mix of Certified Organic vegetables, fruits, flowers, herbs, berries and pumpkins. They practice organic growing methods as well.

The family run farm has background in small-scale sustainable agriculture. The farmers are a passionate and energized crew. The farm provides healthy and delicious products to its local community. After speaking to those at Langwater Farm, I spoke with Tom from Allen Farms.

Meet Tom! Tom is from Allen Farms in Westport, MA. Allen Farms is a family operated farm that provides certified organic herbs, greens, vegetables and flowers since 1897.The farm utilizes seven greenhouses year round providing fresh and organics produce for the local areas. Allen Farms strives to be healthy and organic, providing great products to their local consumers. As a family owned and operated farm, Allen Farm's encourages sustainability and promotes health with their organic and wholesome products. Tom's mother, Debbie, is the owner of the farm. He was very helpful and enthusiastic about sharing information with me about his family's farm and what makes them unique. They had wonderful and fresh veggies!

  Highlight of the Day:  

Bridgette, Ethan, Krysia and I took Wheatgrass shots! Wheatgrass is full of nutrients and great for your body. I was a little nervous to try it...but it tasted much better than I originally thought it would and was a fun experience. I'm looking forward to the many new drinks and food we try in Costa Rica!

Thanks so much for reading,
Emily McLaughlin

Follow my adventures as I travel to Costa Rica to discover sustainable practices on twitter! @EmMcLaughlin
See what our class is up to as well @BryantMKT421 on twitter! 

Meat & Pickles!

As many of my classmates have posted, the Pawtucket Wintertime Farmers Market is an unexpected community of wonderful people and even better goods. It is located at 1005 Main St, Pawtucket, RI, and the venue is massive, featuring local food trucks that use local ingredients from all of the vendors. Two large hallways are packed with a variety of vendors of sustainable goods. I had the pleasure of speaking with a handful of these vendors about their sustainability and how their supply chain is local.

Fox Point Pickling

I met a local pickler named Ziggy, who followed his dream of making pickles. He founded Fox Point Pickling Company, and he conducts his business by making pickles on the weekends, and giving out samples of different types of pickles during the week. He makes two different kinds of pickles, dill and spicy dill, but continues to revise the recipes all the time in order to make them perfect. When he isn’t making pickles, he works for the local food vendors dropping off food to local supermarkets, keeping him in touch with the agricultural community. He recently won two awards at the pickle convention in New York City, and Bryant students have taught him how to handle his company's finances. His wife, who is in this picture, helps him sell pickles at the market.

Daniele Inc

After talking with Ziggy I met the distributors from Daniele, Inc. The local family has been making charcuterie in America for over fifty years, but they continue to be family-owned and operated since moving here from Northern Italy. They are extremely friendly at their table, just like the rest of the community. They offer plenty of samples to try and professionally sealed packaging of all sorts of meats from prosciutto to chorizo. They kept all of their farmers local and are able to ship all through out the U.S. and around the world.

FUN FACT:
Daniele, Inc won the Good Food Award for a new line of artisan charcuterie.




If you have not had the pleasure of trying either Daniele specialty meats or Fox Point Pickles, I strongly urge you to head out to the Wintertime Farmers Market this weekend to explore and taste for yourself. I personally will be going back because there are more incredible people to interact with. It is important for communities to support sustainable and local businesses.

Before you head out this weekend to the Farmers Market, make you sure you continue to read this blog to learn more about our experiences and different vendors. Also, continue to follow our blog as we will be posting while we are in Costa Rica exploring more sustainable companies and supply chains.

I will also be posting more information on my Twitter account for my personal experience down south.

Cheers,
Jake Lamar (@jakelamar29)

Learning New Things at the Farmer's Market

Growing up in a small town in Connecticut, I always knew that Farmer's Markets were the best place to find fresh produce, but the thought of visiting one never crossed my mind.  I never felt the need to go to a place where I believed they only sold fruits and vegetables.  As it turns out, the Farmer's Market is much more than that, and it is also quite interesting.  On December 6, I learned what a Farmer's Market actually looked like and saw the setups that people had in the Pawtucket Wintertime Farmer's Market.  

It was my first experience at a Farmer's Market, and being that it was a rainy day and we had to leave at 9:00 AM on a cold Saturday morning, I was not ready for what I envisioned the Farmer's Market to be like. However, once I was there, I was intrigued and learned a lot about the places there. 

I also learned a little bit about how the Farmer's Market works as well.  The vendors have a six month contract with the Farmer's Market, and most of them are repeat vendors. Thinking that there would be a lot of competition in such a small area, I asked if there are people here early to get prime locations or if there's ever any fighting among vendors.  To my surprise, most vendors rush in at the last minute before the market opens, not worrying much about where they are set up.  The vendors are also very friendly to each other and their customers, as they all respect the amount of work and effort that it takes to be in the farming industry.  They support each other and are even willing to occasionally help each other out.  This surprised me a little bit because they're all competitors, but at the same time it didn't based on how nice and friendly all of them were.

Seven Stars Bakery

Seven Stars Bakery is a local bakery in Rhode Island that has three restaurant-type locations.  I had visited on location once before, and due to that and the fact that it was one of the first tables, it was the first table that I stopped at.  Seven Stars has a baking facility in the building that the Farmer's Market is in, and so they take full advantage of their location by taking part.  

Seven Star's baking facility is being worked in constantly, with bread and pastries being cooked non-stop.  The reason for this is that the process to cook each of their products to perfection requires a lot of time to prepare it.  They use a unique process of long-fermentation, keeping their bread and pastries softer and more fresh for a longer period of time than competitors who produce bread quickly by shortening the fermentation process.  

Not only does Seven Stars produce quality food, but they are also focused on the community and are also focusing on becoming more environmentally friendly.  Seven Stars purchases all of their ingredients from suppliers that are as local as possible, and they rarely use suppliers that are further than Massachusetts and Connecticut.  While Seven Stars does not have set suppliers, they have a network, as they need to have a backup should a supplier be unable to deliver.  

Seven Stars also bakes more breads and pastries than they need at a given time.  This allows them to account for burnt and dropped food while not being slowed down in the process.  For all of the food that is dropped and is not any good, Seven Stars will compost it and has arrangements with a local farm to sell or trade it.  The leftover food that is still fresh gets donated to people who are struggling to provide food for themselves.  They do this to be interactive in their community as well as be environmentally friendly.  Another environmentally friendly step that they have taken is that all of the paper that they use (napkins, paper plates, etc.) are all recycled paper.  They told me that they are making an effort to become even more sustainable and environmentally friendly in the next couple of years, but it's a long and expensive process, especially considering that they do not own some of their properties but they rent them instead, meaning that they wouldn't need permission to make any large improvements to the property.

Apponagansett Farm

Apponagansett Farm is a small family farm in South Dartmouth, MA. The products that they sell are all produced with an emphasis on quality, and they also have sustainability initiatives that are in place that they use in growing their products.  The part that interested me the most was that they do not use many of the chemicals, fertilizers, and other harmful products to help produce their food.  In addition, they also feed their hens GMO-free grain so that they produce an egg with no added chemicals to it.

When we were talking about their chemical-free practices, I asked them what would happen if any of their crops failed during the season.  The first part of the response was that they grow a wide variety of crops in order to avoid any crop-failing related problems.  This way if one crop fails, there are other crops to be sold so that they don't take a loss from it.  In addition, they are part of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), which provides them a community to trade, buy, and sell products from other farms as well as sell products the the community in a certain group.  This helps them because they can work with other farms when a crop fails so that they help each other out.     

Having a supply chain concentration, it was interesting to me to see where Apponagansett Farm fell on it.  They are the producer of their own products, but they also sell their products as well.  This makes them a large part of their own supply chain without having many other players involved. The largest outside influence on their supply chain is for the equipment and the local natural food stores that sell their products. With controlling the supply chain, they are able to keep sustainability as a main goal throughout the process.  This also allows them to keep their customers informed about how their products are grown with sustainability practices and chemically free.  

Ava Anderson

As a group, a few classmates, our professors, and I stopped into a store that is in the same building as the Farmer's Market, though it is not technically a registered vendor.  We stopped at Ava Anderson, the only brand of non-toxic and organic skin care products in the United States.  Here I learned that there are only 10 banned chemicals in the United States versus 1300 in Europe.  This is an astonishing fact that makes me question how much toxins are in other products that I use daily.  The other part that I found interesting is that when "fragrance" is listed as an ingredient in a product, there are usually dangerous chemicals that do not have to be listed because of the inclusion of "fragrance" in the ingredients, which also makes me question the many products that I use.  There are also no filters to filter out toxins in our body when going from the skin into our bloodstream; the only filtration is when we ingest something.  

Learning all of this, I was intrigued as to how the business started.  Ava was only 15 years old when the company started, and it has boomed ever since.  Being the only non-toxic and organic brand in the US market, it has given her an advantage of less competition on the same level.  She also has the support of her friends and family; she credits this support as being what helped her get everything from an idea to a product.  It is a very interesting company and I learned a lot of interesting thing about skin care that I had never known before.

--Daniel DiNicola

To follow my adventures in Costa Rica, follow me on twitter @italian_dino08

To follow my class' adventures in Costa Rica, follow us on twitter @BryantMKT421 and follow our blog!

Handmade & Pure

I’ve been to many farmers market but never one that was inside. The PawtucketWintertime Farmers' Market located at Hope Artiste Village (1005 Main St., Pawtucket, RI) was a very pleasant trip.

An early Saturday morning for a college student but an enjoyable experience. The market was situated inside an industrial brick looking building and vendors were organized by two long hallways. Each hallway, one yellow and the other green, contains a vast variety of vendors, an info table, exterior doors that leads to local food trucks, and these cute little tomato directional signs.  

As I strolled down the corridor, all I smelled was crisped greens and raw vegetables. Then I spotted candles. Being a big enthusiast on candles, they immediately grabbed my attention. The vendor that caught my interest was the Silk Tree Farm table. The table displayed an assorted range of homemade and natural products that were very neatly displayed.

Silk Tree Farm is a small farm located in Compton, Rhode Island that specializes in preserving heritage breed livestock. Along with providing exceptional nurture and care for animals, owners Cathy and Tom also produce handcrafted soaps, body washes, and soy candles. Many of their products include fresh and pure goat milk from their own Nigerian dwarf goats. Silk Tree Farm prides themselves in sustainability, preservation, and heritage foods. One of their most popular product lines is there goat milk soaps and body washes. Beginning with milking the goat and ending with a beautiful handmade bar of soap, everything is done on the farm, by hand, and using only natural essential oils.

Making my way through the green hallway I was enticed by free samples from a pickle vendor. I tasted a spicy dill pickle from Fox Point Pickling Company. The pickle was amazing.  It began as a regular pickle, but the spices brought it to life. What I loved most was that the flavor didn't immediately go away, the pepper blend sat on your tongue so you could relish the flavors. 

Fox Point Pickling Company specializes in handmade pickles. Fox Point uses fresh produce and a unique spice blend to turn regular cucumbers into delicious pickles. While owner Zared (aka Ziggy), doesn't grow his own cucumbers, he uses only garden fresh produce from local Rhode Island Farms. After attaining the cucumbers, he pickles them in his unique process using his exclusive spice mixtures.

Fun Fact: Ziggy has created jar openers in the shape of a jar that are re-purposed from tires.

Very different in products but similar in practice. These two companies are committed to using only the freshest ingredients in their products and living within their resources.  They both offer great products, at great prices, and empower the ideals of using only what is needed. If you don’t believe me, go check them out for yourself. 

~Talia Alexander

Follow us on twitter @BryantMKT421

Silk Tree Farm http://www.silktreefarm.com/

Fox Point Pickling Company http://www.foxpointpickles.com/

Greener Pastures

December 6, 2014

               Early in the morning on a cold and wet Saturday in late autumn, driving from Bryant University en route to a Farmer’s Market in Pawtucket, RI, I did not know how the next few hours would eventually leave a massive impression on me. As a junior at Bryant University I felt comfortable with the lay of the land in Rhode Island. I had imagined I had seen everything it had to offer and I felt a sense of pride believing it to be true. On that morning, I was humbled once again to remember there is always something new to learn and explore. For those who have not been to a Farmer’s Market in their local area, I recommend considering a visit soon. In a time when society moves at such a high pace, taking the time to understand what we consume is an enlightening experience. I was able to experience this after talking with several vendors at the Farmer’s Market, and especially the lovely people of Baffoni’s Poultry Farm and Essentially Coconut.

               Baffoni’s Poultry

               Baffoni’sPoultry is a local poultry farm based out of Johnston, RI. Housing more than 25,000 chickens and over 1,000 turkeys, this eighty-acre farm is a refreshing reminder of organic America, in both the economic and agricultural sense of the word. Founded in 1935, Baffoni’s is a family owned business, which boasts four-generations of family contributions. I was fortunate enough to meet one of the family members at the Market. Adam and I discussed much of Buffoni’s supply chain and sustainable practices.

               Supply Chain & Sustainable Practices

Baffoni’s Poultry receives their chicks from a hatchery in Connecticut. Once these chicks enter their farm, Baffoni’s Poultry controls the entire supply chain. Housed in either a large coup or large open area contained with chicken wire, these well-sheltered chickens are free to roam, receive lots of sunlight, and are well heated. Their diet consists of a grain feed, consisting of corn and soy, free of any hormones, additives, or meat by-products. Baffoni’s slaughters and processes their chickens all on site in Johnston, RI. Their poultry is never frozen and sold within a week of slaughter, often even sooner. Eggs are handpicked twice daily.

               

Essentially Coconut “It’s like a vacation in a jar”

               Essentially Coconut is a local company founded by Sophia Gartland, which sells coconut butter. When she gave me a sample of the Sweet Almond Cocunut Butter, I needed to learn more about this product. I talked with her for a while about the coconut, her products, and about the business itself. It was interesting to learn that the coconut has many nutritional benefits which are listed on her website. For me, I was interested I learning about the dietary benefits of her products, as each are gluten and dairy free. This was particular interesting for me because much of my family has gluten and dairy allergies. (Let’s just say Christmas got a bit tropical this year).  

                Essentially Supply Chain

               Essentially Coconut’s supply chain, in many ways, is similar to Baffoni’s Farm. From a distributer in Sri Lanka, Essentially Coconut receives the coconut meat. After they receive the coconut meat, it is ground and blended with their flavors and ingredients, which make up their three products, Original Coconut Butter, Sweet Almond Coconut Butter, and Creamy Cashew Coconut Butter. All of this is done locally at the Hope and Main food business incubator located in Warren, RI.

               Each of these business share similar interest, in that they each are selling products that benefit the local economy, remain local, and act sustainable. One organization that works to promote business such as these is Farm Fresh Rhode Island. This company is responsible for the organization of summer and winter farmer’s markets within Rhode Island, as well as helping farmers and new local food business start out.

After nearly three hours at the farmer’s market, I had enjoyed my experience greatly. I left with the feeling that I had gained an understanding of the local economy, local farming, but also local people. I thought about the ways in which people eat, what they eat, and where they choose to buy their foods. Without making a judgment about the industry itself or comparing the practices of a local farm to a supermarket, I came to a realization. I realized that at the most basic level, knowing what I am consuming, where it came from, and meeting who is selling that product (sometimes even the person who is making that very product) there is natural human feeling between that interaction that cannot be ignored when considering what I choose to consume. 

Marco Addonizio

Bryant University's Sustainability Marketing 421 course

Hello and welcome to the Bryant University Sustainability Marketing 421 course! We are excited to embark on our third journey to Costa Rica on January 12, 2015.

Starting January 5th, our students will share their experiences in the US and Costa Rica. They will comment on topics such as how sustainability efforts regarding energy, agriculture, waste, ecotourism, water, etc are communicated in multiple industries such as coffee, bananas, chocolate, and hotels.

We can't wait to start sharing! Follow us and learn more!

Stay tuned and find us on Twitter: @Bryantmkt421