Going Green Memphis 05-01-11

8/7/2019 Going Green Memphis 05-01-11

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2 GOING GREEN | May 2011 co mm e r c i al a p pea l.co m

FROM THE EDITOR

In the market

for fresh andlocal products

There has never been abetter time to get out andexperience your local farmersmarkets. Around the GreaterMemphis area over a dozenvenues are available toshoppers and potentialvendors alike.

In fact, they are becomingso commonplace that any dayof the week you can find alocal market open for business.

And thanks to looseningstate regulations, customers

can now sample the produce,baked goods, and other treatso f f e re d .

But it isnt just about food.Local artists, artisans andcraftsman make their goodsavailable too from bamboocutting boards and knifesharpening to eye catchinghand-made decorative gardenstones and locally-grownflowers. farmers markets havea lot to offer.

The growth will keep localdollars supporting localbusiness and that is good forMemphis.

S u bs c r i b eSign up to receive the latest

issues of Going Green theenvironmental digital magazine ofThe Commercial Appeal - as they arereleased. The e-magazine is

published on the last Sunday of eachmonth. Subscriptions are free tosubscribers of The CommercialAppeal, simply follow the one-timeGoing Green registration process toobtain access.

Upon registration, home deliverysubscribers to The CommercialAppeal receive access to the digitalproduct at no additional cost.

Raise your profileElevate your companys profile

within the Green Community. Sendus a short article or a project outlinefor consideration in Going Green,explaining what you are doing togreen up your lifestyle? Includeyour preferred contact phonenumber.

Send in your e-maila d d r es s

We ll share information andresources to help readers of GoingGreen swap money-saving tips andinformation related to green i s s u esand events. Send toke p l i n ge r @ com me r c i a l app ea l .com .

You can also follow Going Greenon Facebook and at

twitter.com/GoGreenMemphis .

Ed i t o r : Kim Coleman, 529-5243,goi n g g r e e n @ co m m e rci a l a p p ea l .com

Community Editor: Emily AdamsKe p l i n ge r ,ke p l in ger @ com m er c i al a p pea l.co m


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The Commercial Appeal May 2011 | GOING GREEN 3

In full swing

Farmers Markest proliferate,thanks to dedicatedproducers and willingshoppers

Sustainability isthe cornerstoneof Habitat forHopes newproject

Whats in this issue ...

12

20

On the cover:Illustration from istockphotos.com

26

24

Local business makebig impact oncommunity, smallerone on planet. PAGE 32

W:159.942ptH:118.026pt

Douglass HighSchool leads cityschools greeninitiatives. PAGE 49

Older homes not canbe energy efficient,also offer old-worldcharm. PAGE 57

Shelby Farms

playground usese co -f r i e n d l yconcepts in design

LOCAL NEWS

Build for people,not cars, expertssay is key to future

BUS I N ESS SC H O O L HOME & GARDEN


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4 GOING GREEN | May 2011 co mm e r c i ala ppea l.co m

Every U.S. state is good at something, likewise every state is bad

at something. In relation to the environment and public health,

the Mother Nature Network created a map of America that

names what every single state excels and fails at and let their

users weigh in. Tennessee ranked No. 1 in sewer overflows,

crediting this information to a study done by a pollution locator

with a focus on clean water. On the other hand, Tennessee's

nature preservation shined as the No. 1 state with the mostcaves, coming in at 8,350 caves registered to date. To see more

go to tm n n .co m / li fest y l e /r es p o n s i b l e - l iv in g /s t o r i es / i n fo g r ap h i c -

un i t e d - s t a t es - o f-t h e - e n v i r o n m e n t

Micro Greens...

United States of the Environment


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Green Snap...

Prime Time after school participants Andrew Harper (front), Bruce

Baldwin (back left) and Edward Johnson prepare the soil in a raisedbed at Walls Elementary School for planting of herbs and vegetables

as part of Global Youth Service Day and the DeSoto CountyCommunity Health Councils Sowing Seeds of Success project..

One seed at a time

Interested in sharing your green experiences: a bike ride on the Greenline, asuccessful recycling project or a neighborhood cleanup? Do you have a

stunning nature photo? Send your green snapshots [email protected] with "Green Snaps" in the subject line.

E-mail photos as JPEGs that are 1-2 MB in size and include completecaption information, including the full names of everyone featured in the

photo. Be sure to include a contact phone number in case we have questions.


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Ev e n t s

Garden of the Year Contest

Maybe your garden feeds your spirit, maybeyour garden feeds your family. Whatever it wascreated for, it could be the winner of the 2011Garden of the Year contest. From now until June10, The Commercial Appeal will be acceptingentries online or by mail. Do-it-yourself gardensare appreciated, but its OK if youve had minimal

help with maintenance or landscaping.Send pictures as high-resolution JPEGs [email protected]. Put Garden of the Year2011 in the subject line. Or send them by mail toPeggy Reisser Winburne, 2011 Garden of the YearContest, 495 Union, Memphis TN, 38103. For moreinformation on the contest and how to submit, goto CommercialAppeal.com and search for Gardenof the Year Contest.

Pawing Through History

May 7 at Elmwood Cemetary on824 South Dudley, 1 p.m.

A walking tour of the historicalElmwood Cemetary for dogs with afocus on the animal symbolismfound on headstones. Dogs mustremain on their leashes. Space forthis tour is limited to 25 people andadvance registration is required.$15 per person. Call 901-774-3212.

Indie Style MarketMay 7 at Tennessee Flea MarketEvent Center on 7060 Winchester,10 a.m. 6 p.m.

Described by its creators asthe Mid-Souths deep-friedversion of an upscale craft showand sponsored by the MemphisMelange Etsy Team, local artisanswill gather for one day to sell their

hand-made items. The show isexpected to boost the sales oflocal entrepeneurs and theMemphis economy. Its $5 toenter and a portion of theproceeds will go to the non-profitAutism Solutions Center.

Hickory Hill Clean-Up

May 21 at Greater CommunityTemple, 5151 Winchester, 10 a.m.

1 p.m.

Members of Clean Memphisinvite the general public and theHickory Hill community to pick uptrash and other undesirables.There is no cost, but participantsare encouraged to sign-up online atC l ea n M e m p h i s .o r g /ca t e go r y /ev e n t s .

The Green Page...

The Commercial Appeal files

One of last years winners, Lisa and JimMaddox bought their Midtown home 18

years ago. Since then, Lisa, a self-taughtgardener, has created what one judgecalled "a beautiful, mature garden."


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Fond memories of healthy diningYour March 22 "Green Bytes" item announcing the opening of the Cosmic

Coconut as the first all-vegan restaurant for Memphis brought to mind a couple ofother healthy-eating establishments that are sadly gone.

For a few years in the early 1990s, my husband and I enjoyed the Babylon Cafeon Union in Midtown, a vegetarian restaurant that was in either an old guest houseor carriage house behind the Trousseau shop next to Seessel's. We were always theoldest diners in there. The grocery store razed it for a parking lot.

The other restaurant was La Montagne, first in Midtown and then on Park Avenuenear Highland.

We moved to the country a year ago last November to retire. I am experimentingwith square-foot gardening and am getting hens to have fresh eggs.

I love your green features. Thanks for the innovation for those of us who want tolive as green as possible, no matter our ages.

Madalyn Stanford: Oakland, Tenn.

Dapper diapers: No pins, plastic pants

Published on March 29, 2011

Rachel Liberto and her husbandtossed out hundreds of dirty disposablediapers while raising their first daughter.

But when Liberto got pregnant with theirsecond child, she knew she wanted touse cloth diapers. While researchingcloth diapers vs. disposables, informationlike it takes nearly 500 years for adisposable diaper to decompose,solidified her choice.Many local parentsare converting to cloth diapers, not onlyfor environmental reasons, but also tosave money and avoid the chemicals indisposable diapers. One baby in

disposable diapers will contribute at leastone ton of waste, according to the RealDiaper Association. But building astash, or cloth diaper collection, isntcheap. It cost Liberto about $600. Yetcompared with spending $1,200 a yearon disposables, Liberto says theres ahuge savings. Most cloth diaper usersalso buy and sell them used online, and

In case you missed it...

they retain a high resale value, she said.For more information, go toFacebook.co m /Cl ot h D i a p erMe m ph i s

Turning green

Published on March 18, 2011

Memphis-based cleaning, lawn careand service company ServiceMasterunveiled a new fleet of hybrid-electrictrucks. The new vehicles would not onlyuse less gasoline and reduce theco mpa n ys carbon footprint, but wouldreduce noise pollution in residential areas.

Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal


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OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, I ' veshared a lot about being green, but I don'twant to give the impression that I do allof those things all the time. That wouldbe nice, but for me, as with many otherpeople, there's quite a leap betweenknowledge and application.

Someday I hope to be that saintly, buttoday I'm not. So I thought I'd share a bitof what green living actually looks like inmy home.

I have two goats and eight chickens on

DEANNA

CASW E L L

Pra c t i ca l l yG reen

True green confession:

Hit, miss at my house

De a n n aCaswell gets abottle readyfor Lilly, one oftwo pets goatsthat the familyhas at theirh o m e.

Mike BrownThe CommercialAppeal files


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my quarter-acre suburban lot, and theyare still alive and breathing, makingeggs, mowing the lawn and compostingfor my garden.

I've gardened organically (except forsquash, thanks to those stupid vine

borers) for years, but I didn't garden atall last year. And lifting 40-pound piles ofcompost won't likely be happening thisyear without help, since I just had a baby.

So, all the lovely "composting" myanimals are doing back there in the yard ismore accurately regarded as a nasty mess.

I banned all paper towels, plates andnapkins years ago, but with the

pregnancy, I allowed those items backin our home for the convenience of myhusband, who is feeding the childrenwhile I haven't done much cooking .

I have, in the past, made all my owntoiletries and cleaning supplies, but Ihaven't for the past few months. And,considering the baby, I will not likely bestanding over cauldrons of bubblingsoap and borax any time soon.

I do use CFLs in most of my lightfixtures. However, I have several fixturesfor which no CFL is available. I'm notlikely to change fixtures any time soon.

I have dual-flush toilet mechanisms, aprogrammable thermostat, and watertank and pipe insulation, but they've beenlying in my garage for months waiting forme to chase down my handyman.

The shower and sink aerators areinstalled and have been for years. As isthe whole-house water filter, but itprobably doesn't count since the filterhasn't been changed in ages. It's on thegarage floor with the other green gadgets.

There is a big, ugly, green tub in mybedroom that everyone knows is the"donation box, " which is regularly filled

to overflowing (AND dropped off,hurray!) with unneeded possessions andthose items that can recycled at Goodwill.

There is a big pot in my kitchen,known as the "chicken bucket, " for allfood scraps (except chicken), so almost

nothing goes down the disposal or tothe landfill.

I have two trash cans in the kitchen:one for recycling, one for regular trash.And, there are two plastic bags hangingon the fire extinguisher: one for shoppingbags/plastic film, and the other for oddrecyclables like batteries and bulbs.

However, I must point out that all of

this recycling and donating happensonly if I place the receptacles in clearview. It's not pretty, but I will neverrecycle, otherwise. If the box or bag isneatly concealed behind a cabinet door,recycling will not happen.

I also have double trash cans (one fortrash, one for recycling) in the livingroom, even though it's 10 feet from thekitchen recycling. I know I won't walk it

over there. In fact, the double-can systemworks so well, I should buy second cansfor the bathrooms and bedrooms,because all of the old magazines andcoloring pages from those rooms aregoing straight in the landfill.

So, I guess I'd say that green living ishit or miss these days in the Caswellhousehold. True Greenies would beappalled, but after writing so manyhow-to-be-super-green articles in a row,I felt it was time for a reality check.

Deanna Caswell is a local writer who blogsat littlehouseinthesuburbs.com. Her first book,"First Ballet, " was released this year byHyperion. Caswell and her husband, Jeff, livein Collierville. She practices eco-friendlyliving while raising their three children,along with pygmy goats and chickens.


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Strawberries best

plucked right off plant

Chris Desmond/Special to The Commercial Appeal

Arron Watson 16, from Atoka holds a large juicyCamarosa strawberry picked fresh in the fields.

I FIND BERRIES i r re s i s t i b l e ,but none more so than the firstfruit of spring thes t raw b e r r y.

Traveled, refrigerated berrieslack the heady perfume andrich flavor found in a sun-warmed, ripeberry justplucked fromthe plant. Thedistance fromplant to mymouth is justless than6 feet. Think

of the globalwarming Imp reve n t i n g !

Thestrawberries we seecommercially are actually aperennial herb. Related to therose family, modern, cultivatedstrawberries are the result of anatural hybridization. The

berries are hardy, high-yieldand large compared to theirwild cousins.

If youre lucky enough todiscover a tiny wild berry, besure to try it. (I found a few inGermantown the other day. Noneed to look for them: I

M E L I SSA

P E T E RS E N

Eating Local,Eating Green


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enjoyed them on the spot.)Our strawberry season runs from April

to June, and our local growers arepredicting a banner year. If you haventyet experienced how your food comesfrom the earth, venture to a pick-your-own

farm. Stoop down to the low, wanderingvine. Find a shiny redberry. Pick it, andtake a juicy bite. Youll never again want aDecember berry from California.

If picking isnt for you, local andregional berries are available at Easy-Way, Trolley Stop Market, JonesOrchard in Millington, and of course atour many farmers markets. The local

chefs are going to try to edge you outthere, but feel free to cut in front of themto get your share.

Berries are all over local menus at themoment in the fruit crisp at ThymeBistro, with scallop ceviche at RestaurantIris, atop shortcake at Buon Cibo, juicywith a little sugar over pound cake atthe Elegant Farmer, freshly cut and piledhigh over yogurt at YoLo.

And while the arugula salad withstrawberries, pecans and cane syrupvinaigrette is a staple at FeliciaS uzannes, its her buttermilk strawberrymilkshake at lunch on Fridays that youwant to line up for.

The joy of a strawberry is that it takesno effort. Splash with cream or sprinklewith sugar only if you want to go to allthat trouble. With a short shelf life (onlyrefrigerate if you have to), buy only whatyo u ll consume in a day or two, and buyoften while theyre great.

Add strawberries to salads and cereal.Blend into a smoothie. Top pancakes orFrench toast. Add strained pure todaiquiris and lemonade. After youvehad your fill of fresh, slice and freeze a

supply, or make some jam to enjoy laterin the year.

Strawberries are your reward for

eating seasonally, for enduring monthsof greens.

Wash. Eat. Toss stem. Repeat.

Melissa Petersen is the editor of EdibleMemphis, a magazine that celebrates theabundance of local food, season by season. It isavailable at various locations around town.Contact her at ediblememphis.com . Hercolumn runs every other week.

Places for picking

Jones Orchard U-Pick - Agricenter andMillington

At the Agricenter, near Catch Em Lake,7777 Walnut Grove; Jones Orchard

U-Pick-Millington, 7170 U.S. 51,Millington, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday Saturday; Open until mid-May.873 -3 1 5 0 ; j o nes o r ch ar d .co m

Windermere Farms Organic U-Pick,3060 Woodhills Drive, Memphis. 8 a.m.-6p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Fridayand Saturdays; Wednesday 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

386-2035; w i n fa r m s .co m

Roasted strawberries2 cups whole strawberries, hulled

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

In a medium bowl, sprinklestrawberries with granulated sugar andbalsamic vinegar. Toss to combine. Placeberries in a single layer on a

parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at400 degrees for 10 12 minutes, untiljust tender. Cool slightly. Servestrawberries and juices atop ice cream.


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12 GOING GREEN | May 2011 co mm e r c i ala pp ea l.co m

Farmers markets are asmuch about the experienceas about getting great fresh

and local produces andspecialty items. Hitting thefarmers markets can be the

start of a great weekend.

The Commercial Appeal file photos


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FARM ERSM A R K ET SARE

O FF

AN DR U N N I NG

By Kjeld Petersen/ Special to Going Green

THE DREARY WINTER has finally

passed, the dogwoods and azaleas are

in bloom, and anxious shoppers are

awaiting the first true farmers m a rke t sof the year.

W h at s in store for the markets

this season? New rules, a number of

new markets and new faces and will

make this a special year.


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New Rules

One of the main complaints aboutf a r m e rs markets in our area - especiallyfrom newcomers - has been aboutsampling food at producer booths.

In many areas around the country,f a r m e rs market shoppers can sample

everything from fruit and cheese tobread and even wine while at themarket. Sampling allows customersto try before they buy, especiallyimportant if a producer or farmer isintroducing a new item to the market.

Shoppers can sample a new cheeseor an unfamiliar ingredient and talkabout it with the producer b e fo re

plunking down their money.Not so in Memphis at least until

now. In what has been seen as alandmark decision by the Memphisand Shelby County HealthDepartment, who oversee thef a r m e rs markets in our area on behalfof the Department of Agriculture,

sampling is now permitted atf a r m e rs markets and other events aslong as the item being sampled is notpotentially hazardous. Potentiallyhazardous items include meat,poultry, seafood, dairy products oritems that are high in protein andwater content and low in acid.

Imagine now farmers m a rke t

Brandon Dill/The Commercial Appeal files

Bastet Ivery fills a container with roasted cauliflower for Tom Dorsey at the OCVegan Foods stand at the Memphis Botanic Garden. New rules this year loosenrestrictions on sampling and cooking demonstrations at farmers markets.


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shoppers in Memphis and the surrounding areawill be able to munch on berries, taste apeppery green or sample locally made oildirectly from the producer.

This small but significant step is important toboth consumers and producers consumers get

to try before they buy and it is a proven fact thatproducers sell more when they are able toprovide samples. This is a real win-win for themarkets, farmers and shoppers this year.

Another new rule frees-up markets from therestrictive permitting structure for cookingdemonstrations of the past.

In prior years, markets were required to obtainpermits for each cooking demonstration they

scheduled and markets were limited as to howmany permits they could get in a year. This year,markets will not be required to obtain permitsfor demonstrations and there will be norestrictions on how many they can schedule.

Producers will be able to have their owndemonstrations as well as long as the basic rulesabout giving samples from demonstrations arefollowed (all samples must be preparedbeforehand in an inspected commercial kitchen).

Markets will be able to have demonstrationsevery day they are open and at no additionalpermitting cost to them, saving money they canuse for other improvements or marketing.Consumers will benefit from the entertainmentand knowledge gained from the demonstrations,again benefiting both the consumer and theproducers at the market. Another smart,proactive move that helps our local food economy.

And, in another change that benefits both themarkets and consumers, more of our areaf a r m e rs markets will be accepting EBT cardsthis year than ever before with a bonus.GrowMemphis has received a grant from theWholesome Wave Foundation to provide selectmarkets with g re e n - b u c ks that double theamount of fresh fruits and vegetables thatconsumers using EBT will be able to purchase.

Be a savvy shopperHere are some tips to make this

y ea r s farmers market tripss u ccessf ul:

Make a list of items yourelooking for based on s ea s o n a l

av a i l a b i l i t y . Some items likepecans, baking mixes and artisanproducts, like jams and breads, areavailable year-round.

Get there early. Many of thevery special, short-season items inour area (like strawberries) run outquickly.

Bring your own basket orbags or purchase a tote at the

m a r ke t .If youll be running othererrands after the market, bring acooler with a couple of frozen icebags to keep veggies and othersensitive items, like cheese andeggs, cool on the way.

Bring cash, and make suresome of it is in small denominations $1 and $5 bills really help farmersstressed from breaking $20 bills all

d ay .Check the market rules about

pets. Most do not allow pets, soleave Fido at home, or see if themarket offers a doggie day careservice while you shop many do.

Bring along only what youneed to shop being quick andnimble will help you score theperfect items on your list.

Save time to enjoy theexperience. Talk to the farmers andproducers when appropriate.Spend a moment and listen towhat they are saying about theirofferings. Buy a coffee, listen tothe music, or stop for a secondand take in the people-watchingp o s s i b i l it i es .

Kjeld Petersen


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Agricenter Farmers Market,7777 Walnut Grove (EastMemphis), 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.Monday-Friday; 7 a.m.-5:30p.m. Saturdays, May 2-Oct.30, a gr i ce nt e r .or g

Arlingtons Open Air Market,12016 Walker St., 9 a.m.-4p.m. Fridays and Saturdays,through Oct. 15

Church Health CenterFarmers Market, ChurchHealth Center Wellness, 1115Union (Midtown), 9 a.m.-1 p.m.Tuesdays, through Sept. 30,

c hu r c hh eal th ce n t er .o rgCooper-Young CommunityFarmers Market, FirstCongregational Church parkinglot, 1000 S. Cooper, 8 a.m.- 1p.m. Saturdays, April 30-Oct.29, cy c fa r m e rs ma r ke t.o r g

Collierville Farmers Market,8 a.m.- 1 p.m. Thursdays, May

19 through late October. Thelocation is still to bedetermined, but continue tocheck web site for details atco ll i e r vi l l efa r m er s m a rke t .o rg

Delta Market at WorthingtonPa r k , 900 Block of NorthMissouri Street (WestMemphis), first and thirdThursdays, 1 p.m.-6 p.m., April

28 - Sept. 1.b r o a d w ay w es t m e m p h i s .co m

Germantown FarmersMarket, GermantownHardware parking lot, 7a.m.-noon Saturdays, May 14through October.

Farmers Market at theGarden, Memphis BotanicGarden, 750 Cherry (EastMemphis), 2-6 p.m.Wednesdays, April 27 - Oct.26, in the Pine Grove,

m e m p h i s b o t a n i c ga r d e n .co mHernando Farmers Market,2535 U.S. 51 S., 8 a.m.-1 p.m.Saturdays, April 30 - Oct. 29,Hernando, Miss.,he r na n d o ms -fa rm e r s m a rke t .co m

Memphis Farmers Market,corner of Front Street and G.E.Patterson (Downtown), 7

a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays, throughOct. 29,m e m p h i s fa r m e r s m a r ke t .o r g

Millington Farmers Market,5152 Easley, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.Saturdays, May 7 - Oct. 29,m i l l i n g t o n p a r ks .co m

South Memphis (SoMe)Farmers Market, 14 0 0

Mississippi Blvd., noon-6 p.m.Thursdays through Oct. 27,s o m ef m .o r g

Whitehaven Farmers Market,Elvis Presley Boulevard atWesley Drive, 1-6 p.m.Mondays through Oct. 10,Methodist South HospitalParking Lot,m et h o d i st hea lt h.o r g

Urban Farms Market, 2 97 7Broad, 2-6 p.m. Tuesdays, 8a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays, throughNov. 19, corner of Sam Cooperand Tillman,u r ba n fa r m s m e m p h i s .o r g

Kjeld Petersen, compiledby Edible Memphis magazine


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Not all markets will accept EBTcards and not all markets willbenefit from the GrowMemphis andWholesome Wave Foundationpartnership this year. However it isa much needed start especially inareas where grocery stores and

produce aisles have vanished.Promoting a diet filled with fresh

fruits and vegetables is important toour communitys health and well-being. By making EBT transferseasier and more widespread we helpthe under-served parts of ourcommunity as well as our local

farmers and producers with orwithout a double g re e n - b u c k sprogram. This is another easy win-win for consumers, markets and ourlocal producers.

New markets and new faces

It wasnt that long ago in thepast five years for sure, that only afew (and many say only two)f a r m e rs markets existed in thegreat Memphis area.

The red barn at the Agricenterand the downtown MemphisFa r m e rs Market seemed to be our

Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal

Nhia Her from Bolivar, TN assembles flower arrangements for sale at the newfarmers market in Whitehaven one afternoon. The new market which is hostedby Methodist Hospital in the Methodist Medical Office parking lot off Elvis

Pressley Blvd. will run every Monday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. through October.


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only choices. With their successes as anexample, coupled with explodingconsumer demand for locally grown andproduced foods, new markets have beencoming along at a steady pace.

The 2011 farmers market season will

dawn on a total of 18 markets coveringour entire area and every day of thewe ek .

Stretching now from Arlington andMillington north of the city to northernMississippi and western Arkansas,f a r m e rs markets both new and with afew seasons under their belts will beopening soon. The opportunity to

choose local products over commodityor imported foods has never been better.Consumers are anxious this year to getcaught up on the local food news, catcha pint of early strawberries or buy ahandful of late winter spinach andg re e n s .

Spring is a great time for the marketsand for shoppers. Many new producerswill be seen this year in support of the

new markets and many of the old-st andby producers will now be in two,three or even more markets to meetdemand.

The increase in the number of marketsputs pressure on existing farmers togrow or produce more. This issometimes a very difficult or evenimpossible task to accomplish. A farmer

with a set amount of acreage decidedduring the winter what to plant thisspring and in what amounts to supporttheir operations.

With some, there will simply not beenough produce to go around to morethan one or two markets. But themarkets exist, and the customers will bewaiting, and that is where new farmers

and producers come in. From all aroundthe area, more farms have started tolook at the markets as their primary

ret ail outlet. And more farms areproducing crops for retail sale instead offor commodities.

Expect to see many new producers atthe markets this year which, along withthe growing number of markets, is avery positive sign for our local foode c o n o m y.

Simply put, it means farmers andproducers will make enough money tostay in business and support theirfamilies, which keeps farmland asfarmland and not houses or strip-malls.It also supports our tax base throughincreased localized spending andprovides consumers with fresher andmore nutritious food options, especiallyin under-served areas.

The positive growth keeps the

f a r m e rs markets open and bustling andenables them to be able to deliver on thesocial and community servicecomponents of their mission. And theyare the true winners in the farmersmarket season ahead.

Kjeld Petersen is a local chef, communitygardener, beekeeper and a contributing editorto Edible Memphis magazine.

What to look for this month

Here is an abbreviated list of whatsavailable at farmers markets this month.

May: Beets, Blackberries, Bok Choi ,Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, English Peas,

Garlic, Green Beans, Green Tomatoes,Salad Greens, Snap Peas, Strawberries,Sugar Peas, Sweet Potatoes, Swiss Chard,Tomatoes (Hydroponic), Turnip Greens,Turnips, Wax Beans, White Potatoes


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LOCAL NEWS

The house hope builtHabitat for Hope inspires creation of sustainable community

Chris Desmond/The Commercial Appeal files

Mark Horrocks is the founder of Habitat for Hope, an organization that givesfamilies of children being treated at area childrens hospitals a home away fromhome, and a pilot site for the Sustainable Sites Initiative.

By Suzanne thompson

Special to Going Green

What started as a part-time effortto provide moral support to thefamilies of patients at localc h i l d re n s hospitals, has grown intoan organization building a newsustainable community.

Habitat for Hope was founded in

2005 by Mark Horrocks after oneof his children, Bella, wasdiagnosed with cancer in 2003.

When your child is diagnosed,the bubble of your world getspopped, he said. You get exposedto all these different people whohave a sick child or who have had achild with cancer.

After the Horrocks brought their


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We always wanted to be minimally invasive.

MARK HORROCKS, FOUNDER OF HABITAT FOR HOPE, ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINABILITY

daughter to Memphis for treatment,they went back home to Ft. FortMyers , Fla. and started the supporto rga n i z at i o n .

He looked at other cities with majorc h i l d re n s hospitals such as

Philadelphia and Cincinnati, butdecided to headquarter the newventure in Memphis.

For us, all roads pointed back toMemphis, Horrocks said. It wasntour original plan, but it was Godsplan for us.

In summer 2006, the family movedto Millington, into a large house that

sits on 50 bucolic acres of land in theShelby Forest area.The 4,500-square-foot house now

functions as a hospitality house, inwhich guest families can gather anddiscuss their concerns.

Building the community spread tothe building, he said.

The Horrocks divided the houseinto several living areas and live in the

home as a host family, and there isalso a two-bedroom apartment wherea family can live, and two guestb e d ro o m s .

The guest rooms basically serve asbed-and-breakfast typea c c o m m o d at i o n s .

Habitat for Hope also has twoapartments in Downtown it offers to

families, all free of charge.So far, Habitat for Hope has helped

more than 250 families from 27 st atesand five other countries. Of thatnumber, the group has providedhousing for 120 families and somestay for many months at a time.

As long as weve been here, the

need has been ever present, H o r ro c kssaid. Although we are based inMemphis we have worked withfamilies at 12 other childrenshospitals, providing emotionalsupport .

In fact, the need has been so greatthat Habitat for Hope has launched aBarn Raising Project.

The name goes back to the d ayswhen community members gatheredwhen a new family moved in to helpthem build a barn.

The Barn Raising Project is aplanned community that includeseight cottages, a community centerand stables, all of which will be builtby volunteers using sustainablebuilding methods and landscaping.

Fisher & Arnold Inc., anarchitectural firm, initially helped withthe planning. Then Barry Yoakum, aprincipal at Memphis-based firmArchimania, took a shine to the ideaand began talking to other architectsabout the project.

Now a group of nine architects isworking together, and each one will

design one of the houses in the newc o m m u n i t y.


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Early on, we wanted it to be ac o l l a b o rat i o n , Horrocks said. To date,we ve had about $100,000 worth ofdesign services donated.

The Barn Raising Project has beenselected as one of 150 pilot programs

for the Sustainable Sites Initiative(SITES), a Texas-based nonprofit thatbegan as a partnership between theAmerican Society of LandscapeArchitects and the Lady Bird JohnsonWildflower Center.

SITES has selected projects allaround the country and Habitat forHopes project is one of a handful in

Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal files

Architects, left to right, Andy Gross, Marc Newman, and Mauricio Castro workon a schematic for the organization's three-year expansion plan which will

eventually consist of eight family cottages, equestrian facilities, hiking trails,office space and chapel.

Brandon Dill/Special to Going Green

Tucker Davis is the director ofproperty development at Habitatfor Hope in Millington.


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Te n n e s s e e .

To be selected as one of thepilot projects, the design mustfit certain criteria for landconservation during buildingand development, such aswaste runoff, use of nativeplants, and controlling the wayconstruction equipment entersand exits the site.

We have a beautiful piece ofproperty, so we knew wewanted to take good care of itand be good stewards of theland, said Tucker Davis,

director of propertydevelopment for Habitat forHope, a former employee atLooney Ricks Kiss Architects.

Although the SITESprogram deals with the landuse only, Horrocks said theyplan to construct the buildingsin the development as

sustainably as possible.For instance, Davis has been

in contact with a company thatmanufactures insulation f ro mrecycled blue jeans.

They have agreed to donateall the insulation for the firstcott age, he said.

Construction on the first

cottage is scheduled for thisfall. Davis said they hope tocomplete the project in 2014.

Horrocks said sustainabilityhas been important to Habitatfor Hope from the beginning.

We always wanted to beminimally invasive, he said.

Sustainable Sites Initiative

The Sustainable Sites Initiative was created topromote sustainable land development andmanagement practices that can apply to a variety ofsites including, but not limited to the following:

Open spaces such as local, state and national

parks, conservation easements and buffer zones andtransportation rights-of-way.

Sites with buildings including industrial, retailand office parks, military complexes, airports,botanical gardens, streetscapes and plazas,residential and commercial developments and publicand private campuses.

The initiative is developing a rating system foroutdoor work similar to LEED (Leadership in Energyand Environmental Design) certification for buildings.

Approximately 150 sites from as far away as Spain

are part of the two-year pilot project. They representthe leading edge of the sustainable movement,said Jim Lapides, spokesman for the AmericanSociety of Landscape Architects.

The Shelby Farms playground was selected partlybecause of its use of recycled materials to create apermeable surface that allows rain to soak into theearth. It also includes restoration of a woodland area.

The Habitat for Hope project involves thecollective effort to design a com mu ni t y for familiesof seriously ill children. Planned for the Shelby Forest

area, it will include cabins, a chapel, gardens and trailto provide solace for the families.

Other pilot sites in Tennessee include:Design Resource Office - Demonstration

Gardens in La Vergne, Tennessee: The gardens area1/3-acre lot in middle-Tennessee suburbia. The homeoffice demonstrates how the retrofit of a suburbanlot can obtain a yield of food, water, energy andwildlife habitat and function as a restorative place forthe surrounding community.

Hill Center in Nashville, Tennessee: Green Hills isa mixed-use development completed in 2007. Thedesign incorporated collaboration with the localcommunity and efforts to include local retailers,pedestrian, bike and transit options, and invitingstreetscapes. The sustainable elements are alsoeconomical, such as full cutoff street and parkinglighting, bioswales, rainwater harvesting cistern,native plants, and high efficiency irrigation.

Source: sustainablesites.org


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By Tom Charlier

charlier@commercialappeal .com

For all its trend-setting equipment andenvironmentally friendly design, theWoodland Discovery Playground inShelby Farms Park won't be at its bestfor months to come.

Unlike most playgrounds, ours isactually going to look better over time,park communications director JenA n d rew s .

Over the coming months and years, aleafy canopy of willows and nativeflowers and vines will grow around awinding latticework of recycled steel,

Fun for

all agesShelby Farms playground

to get better with time

Photos by Kyle Kurlick/Special to The Commercial Appeal

Ava Parks, 5, and other children from the community break in the new slidesand other activities at the Woodland Discovery Playground at Shelby Farms.


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Playground gets family thumbs-up

Thanks to the Greenline, Shelby Farms Park hasgone from being a place we rarely visited to being apart of our everyday lives. And now that the newWoodland Discovery Playground is open in thePlough Park area of Shelby Farms , we are evenmore motivated to get there.

We visited the playground during the members -only sneak preview. It is fabulous, and it exceededevery one of my high expectations.

We were there for about two seconds before theboys ran off to explore. Their first stop was the two-

story slide in the first nest. It was just high enoughto be thrilling but not scary. Next they ran over tocheck out the slides and gently sloped climbing wallin the second nest. The third nest is an outdoorclassroom space.

The fourth nest, which features swings andspinners, was by far their favorite. The most alluringpiece of equipment was a swing seesaw of sortsthat catapulted the kids into the air at variousheights depending on the amount of bouncing andjumping involved. The final nest was the most

challenging as it features climbing ropes and webs.Another exciting element of the Woodland

Discovery Playground is that it was selected as one ofthe pilot projects for the Sustainable Sites Initiative.Some things I noticed were recycling bins, lawnchairs made from recycled bottles, benches madefrom reclaimed trees, and ground cover made fromNike Grind, made locally from recycled Nike shoes.

Stacey Greenberg, Special to the Commercial Appeal

giving those inside the feelingof being in a tunnel.

The arbor is just one featureof the first-of-its-kindplayground, built at a cost of$3.5 million over the past year

and funded largely through agrant by the Plough Foundation.The playground opened on

April 8 with a ribbon-cuttingc e re m o n y.

Part of the master plandeveloped by the firm JamesCorner Field Operations, theplayground is the latest in aseries of projects that are

transforming Shelby FarmsPark, a 4,500-acre patchwork offields, woods, lakes andmeadows along Walnut Grovebetween the Wolf River andGermantown Parkway.

Last year, officials christenedthe Shelby Farms Greenline, a6.5-mile multi-use paved trailfrom the park to Binghamton,along with connecting pathswithin Shelby Farms.

In all, some $75 millionworth of improvements areunder way at the park,including a major enlargementof Patriot Lake and theplanting of 1 million trees.

Because of its use of

permeable surfaces andrecycled material, includingground-up sneakers and rubberboot soles, the playgroundproject was selected to be partof a pilot project run by theSustainable Sites Initiative.

The playground designderives some of its components

Camden Andrews (center) and otherstudents from local elementaryschools break in one of the new slides .


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Lydian Kennin (center) of Germantown plays on one of the bungee swings atthe Woodland Discovery Playground at Shelby Farms. Kennin was part of theoriginal design committee for the playground in 2009. The 3.5 million

playground features slides, sandpits, bungee swings and rope climbing.

from studies of natural play doneby Shelby Farms ParkC o n s e r va n c ys. Park officials also gotinspiration from children who tookpart in a play wo rks h o p last year,designing their own playgroundsand specifying their preferences.

With its tunnel-like structure andopenings, the arbor provides asense of exploration and discovery,Adams said.

Its an organizing, living piece ofthe playground, she said.

Tucked into the twists and turnsof the arbor are a half-dozen playnests featuring slides, swings, a

tree house, a climbing wall and otherelements. The swings, including oneknown as the t e e t e r- t o tt e r, we remade by a German company notedfor its innovative equipment.

The playground project alsofeatured the restoration of an

adjoining wooded area, which is oneof the seven total play nests.Amid all the child-centric

equipment and features, there areareas set aside for parents,including one with some chairsnestled in the shade.

Its designed as a quiet spot,Adams said.


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By Suzanne Thompson


As people continue tostrive for more sustainablelives, it seems natural to lookclosely not only at the thingswe can do as individuals, but

also at the way in which ourneighborhoods andcommunities develop.

Geoffrey Anderson,executive director of SmartGrowth America, a nationalcoalition that providesinformation to help citiesexpand in a sustainablemanner, said several elements

are essential in smart growth.Giving people choices

about transportation is veryimportant, he said.

Transportation is sointimately connected to ourdaily lives, Anderson said.

The cost of owning a car, interms of gas, maintenance

and repair, is $8,000 to$10,000 a year, he said.With a reduction in car travel

by altering street routes andincreasing use of public transitlike the light rail system,Portland, Ore., reduced theaverage commute by 4 milesand residents experienced $2.6

Designing for the future

Transportation is key to building a better city

Mark Weber/The Commercial Appeal files

I-240 eastbound traffic seen from the ShadyGrove over pass slows to a crawl late oneevening. Experts believe such transportationwoes in the Memphis area can be alleviated withproper city planning.


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billion in annual savings.Residents in Chicago reduced

travel by 2.1 miles and collectivelysaved $5.5 billion.

Cities keep building new roads toaccommodate ever-increasing

sprawl, when Anderson said itwould be better to repair or reroutethe existing roads.

Experts in sustainablecommunity development say sprawlreduces or eliminates theopportunity for suburban areas totake advantage of the myriadbenefits of public transportation,

and essentially disconnects peopleinstead of bringing them together.

Anderson said cities with themost sustainable communities musthave both a good mass transitsystem and wa l ka b l e

communities, where schools,grocery stores and retail stores arewithin easy walking distance.

Curving streets with low speedlimits are a good way to force trafficto slow down, and make the streetfriendlier to pedestrians.

An indicator of smart growth ishow many people are walking,

Associated Press files

Portland reduced the average commute time of their residents by 4 miles afteremphasizing public transportation, like the light rail system, and altering street

routes to reduce the amount of time cars spend on the road.


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We need to go back to the timeless tradition of building

places for people instead of cars.

DOM NOZZI, PRESIDENT OF WALKABLE STREETS, AUTHOR OF THE CAR IS THE ENEMY OF THE CITY

Anderson said.Dom Nozzi, president of Walkable

Streets and author of Road to Run: AnIntroduction to Sprawl and How to CureIt , said when it comes to designingstreets, one size doesnt fit all.

We need to go back to the timelesstradition of building places for peopleinstead of cars, said Nozzi.

One way to make streets morepedestrian-friendly is to reduce theirsize, taking a four-lane road down to athree-lane road and adding a bike laneand walkway.

Three lanes generally carry as muchtraffic flow as four, because the centerlane is a dedicated turn lane, and traffic

isnt slowed down or stopped whensomeone wants make a left turn, he said.Its almost a no-brainer, Nozzi said.

We need to retrofit areas tosust ainability.

Smaller streets that cause traffic toback up a re n t a big concern.

Spill-over traffic is a red herring,because motorists dont mind losing afew seconds on the road if they are

driving on a more visually appealingro a d , Nozzi said.

The most sustainable communities,Anderson pointed out, have high-densityhousing, trees and street parking.

A street lined with parking spacesincreases the success of retail businesses.

T h at s key for successful retailers, the

perception that you can pull right up andgo inside the store, Anderson said.

There arent many retail areas inMemphis that fit this model, and thatneeds to change, according to Dr. Grant

Thrall, who is the Robert and MarthaFo gel m a n chair of excellence at theUniversity of Memphis.

There are not enough people tosupport the current retail space here. InMemphis, there are 3,500 square feet ofretail space per capita, compared with 7square feet per capita in Toronto.

T h at s not sustainable, Thrall said.Our development here is based oncannibalism of existing neighborhoodsand existing retail centers, as opposed to

developing it to fit actual populationgrowth and need. Its a 20th centurym o d el .

The Fogelmans funded Thralls chairof excellence he is also chair ofsustainable real estate to bring themessage to the community that thecurrent model is not sustainable.

It lowers the development for theentire Memphis area, Thrall said.

He believes that Memphis is on theverge of a great take-off and controllingdevelopment is critical.

We are the nations most prominenthub city and there will only be a few ofthem in the world, he said. Memphis isin a very desirable position at this pointin time.


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Thrall said its up to the people ofMemphis to decide the course of growththe city will take.

Its a decision for the community tomake. What type of land use pattern dowe want to see at the stage of build-outin the multi-county and multi-states wehave here?

Thrall is hoping that smart growthwill play a major role in the developmentof the city.

Do we want to be a razor wire city? Theamount of razor wire around town, areasthat are cordoned off which is what Isee as a visitor in this city is absolutelyshocking. Memphis is a sick city.

The healing of Memphis, expertsbelieve, will occur only if it takes adifferent path to development, onewhich creates sustainable communitiesand draws people together.

Its difficult to retrofit connectivitydue to attention attrition. It could bewe re not going to see an increase inconnectivity in our lifetimes, Nozzi said.

Businesses embrace greento save green

Pity the polar bear and its meltinghabitat, but corporate America just doesntmuch care anymore.

Several years ago U.S. business was

more altruistic about converting to green,sustainable enterprise to help save theworld from environmental collapse, DavidPogue said at the University of Memphissfirst Conference on Sustainable Real Estate.

Then the market crashed.Firms went from sustainability to

survivability, said Pogue, CB RichardElliss national director of sustainability.

And theres the good news for the climate.Forget the cute penguins losing their ice,

the bean counters are finding that greenbuildings make economic sense.

Thats important because the highestconsumers of energy and highest producersof carbon emissions are b u i l d i n gs .

CBRE manages 750 million square feetof property in the United States, making itthe worlds largest property manager.

CBRE surveys and researchers in thefield are finding that corporate Americasinvestment in sustainability is a strong,

growing trend, not a fad.The survey found that the green buildings

were 3.4 percent more occupied thangeneral market buildings. Pogue describedthe difference as a small but discernibleimprovement of occupancy rates.

The survey also found that tenants payan average 1.46 percent more in rent forgreen buildings.

Rent at the Energy Star-labeled buildingswere 4.8 percent below market, he said.But the LEED buildings commanded 7.38percent above market in rent.

Converting a building to LEEDcertification adds $5.6 million on averageto its worth, Pogue said.

Energy efficiency and sustainability arenow a business unit of CBRE, and thecompany gets paid for it.

Tom Bailey Jr., The Commercial Appeal

A.J. Wolfe/The Commercial Appeal files

A treeless subdivision lies to the westof Berryhill Road while heavy

equipment clears trees to make roomfor another subdivision on the east.


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By Patsy Fralich Keith


Last autumn a high school studentfrom Bartlett was looking for a way to

recirculate her gently used formals. Shealso had a strong desire to help others.Regan Perkins searched the Web andfound a nonprofit organization that fither needs B eccas Closet.

B eccas Closet, founded in Florida in2003, now stretches to over 80 chaptersnationwide that accept tax-deductibled o n at i o n s .

Perkins, a senior at Faith HeritageChristian Academy in Millington, beganthe only Memphis/Mid-South chapterlast fall. Pat Wade, her guidancecounselor, helped.

Before her first open house at BellevueBaptist Church on March 26, Perkinsspent her time getting the word out andcollecting donations and volunteers to

help. She needs more of both.School service clubs like the Honor

Society, Key Club or Beta Club couldhold dress drives for us after theirp ro m s , said Perkins. T h at s a great

way for the schools to get involved incommunity service.

Items needed include clothing racks,and hanging accessories. Often churchesor hotels will donate space for openhouses while dry cleaners will offercleaning or pressing. Monetary gifts arealso welcomed, she added.

For information about Beccas Closet,

visit beccascloset.org . (Click on themap icon on the right, designatingactive chapters. Under Tennessee, clickon Millington to find the Memphis areaweb s i t e . )

To volunteer, donate dresses, or toreceive a free formal, [email protected] or call 388-5018.

A fitting

causeBartlett studentbegins a chapter of

Beccas Closet

Regan Perkins (left) is

founder of the Memphis/Mid-South chapter of

Be c c a s Closet.


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Top: Maggie Taylor(on left) and Harper

Behnke lend theirartistic skills to the

community muralduring the Down to

Earth Festival atShelby Farms Park.

Right: A Dahlia bud iskissed by a beam oflight during the

Spring's Best PlantSale at the Memphis

Botanic Garden whichwas part of their

month-long Earth Dayprogram.

Chris Desmond/Special to The Commercial Appeal

Mark Weber/The Commercial Appeal


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THE BIZ PAGE

By Suzanne Thompson/ Special to Going Green

Corporate America hasnt always been known for its commitment to improving thecities they operate in. As green practices have grown in popularity and significance,the practice of company g re e nwa s h i n g or faking concern for the environment increased as well. Fortunately, in Memphis it is quite the opposite.

These area businesses are trying to make a bigger impact on the community and asmaller one on the world. So what better day to get outside and connect with other like-minded Memphians than on Earth Day?

By sponsoring a variety of celebrations, FedEx, International Paper and more are

building bridges and impacting the locals in a good way.

COMMUNITYR E L AT I O N SLocal businesses step up to support green ideas, events

International PaperInternational Paper was the leader

in sponsorship of local Earth Weekevents this year including acting as aprimary sponsor of GreenShoe at theLake at Shelby Farms, as well as amonth-long celebration at MemphisBotanic Gardens, Earth Day, EveryDay .

Kim Wirth, executive director ofthe IP Foundation, said theco m p a n y s sponsorship of Earth DayEvents is in keeping with its

sustainability efforts that have longbeen a part of IPs corporatep h i l o s o p hy .

At International Paper, we areproud of our legacy of sustainability

and environmental stewardship,said Kim Wirth, IP Foundationexecutive director. Partnering withthe Memphis Botanic Garden tocelebrate Earth Day is anotherextension of our commitment to thecommunities where we live andwork.


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Whole FoodsAt Shelby Farms Earth Week,

sponsorship is divided into tiers, withthe highest level of sponsorshipbeing a presenting sponsor. Allsponsorship amounts are

customized, according to JenAndrews, director ofcommunications for the ShelbyFarms Park Conservancy.

Thats because some sponsorscontribute not just money, but in-kinddonations, like Whole Foods, a primarysponsor in the second tier of support.

Whole Foods has been very

involved in the Earth WeekCelebration for the past four years .

The company donates many of thefood that is offered during events.

We know that the food is comingfrom a sustainable source and freesup a lot of money that we wouldo t h e r w i s e, Andrews said.

Federal ExpressAs the presenting sponsor of the

Down to Earth event, FedExcontinues its support of ShelbyFarms. This is an Earth Week kick-offevent FedEx has sponsored for the

Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal files

Adavia Davis, 6, gets a hand from his dad Corey Davis during Skyfest at ShelbyFarms during the Down to Earth Festival, sponsored by AutoZone.


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past six years since it started.FedEx values community and is

committed to connecting the world inresponsible and resourceful ways.Shelby Farms is a remarkable park inwhich we can celebrate and appreciate

the earth; this is why we have beensponsoring Shelby Farms Earth Daycelebrations for years, said StephanieButler, manager of corporatecontributions and volunteers.

Pinnacle Airlines

Pinnacle Airlines is a primarysponsor for Earth Week, and this is notthe first time that the airline hassupported Earth Week.

Pinnacle significantly expanded itsenvironmental initiatives last year. Wehave partnered with Shelby Farmsmany times before, including thisevent. We chose to return as a keysponsor because we believe in thelong-term mission of Shelby Farms andsee this as a key part of our community

i n v es t m e n t, said Joe Williams,director of corporate communicationsfor Pinnacle Airlines Corp.

Williams said he believes ShelbyFarms is a major draw for theMemphis business community.

In the larger picture, Shelby Farmsimpact reaches beyond itsenvironmental leadership. Its a

priceless amenity that is important toeconomic development and businessrecruiting, and is an essential elementof our communitys quality of life.

Au t o Zo n e

AutoZone sponsors SkyFest, whichis a part of the Down to EarthCelebration. This family event features

events such as kite making, a birds ofprey demonstration, rocket launchesand wind surfing. Officials agree thatsponsoring the event is not only goodfor business, but good for the city.

Shelby Farms Park Conservancy

provides an opportunity to impact thequality of life in our community, saidTrina Poquette, director, communityrelations.

Other high level sponsors ofEarth Week at Shelby Farms:

Presenting Sponsors: FirstTennessee Foundation, the HydeFamily Foundation and Whole Foods,

Primary Sponsors: Smith &

N e p h ewNot all corporate sponsorship of

Earth-friendly programs are directlyrelated to Earth Day, TruGreen, forexample, sponsors several events atthe Memphis Botanic Gardens.

For Spring Blooms, the companyprovided funding to support theplanting of more than 21,000 new bulbsto bloom this spring at the Garden.

Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal files

Aalyah Jobbins, 6, and a crew ofvolunteers from Smith and Nephew potseedlings to be grown and planted atShelby Farms as part of Earth Day event.


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By Suzanne Thompson


In a continuing effort to expand theirdedication to sustainable practices,FedEx officials implemented a programin 2010 called EarthSmart.

EarthSmart was our commitment tosustainability and it looked at solutionssuch as our electric vehicles, our

hybrids, our electronic trade documents,

anything that helped our customers toreduce the carbon footprint of thepackage shipping as well as help usreduce our carbon footprint, s aidBrandon Tidwell, program adviser ofglobal citizenship for FedEx.

FedEx wanted to extend thecommitment to sustainability beyond

just the business, and into the

EarthSmart extends

outreach into communities

Mike Maple/The Commercial Appeal

Team members for the Memphis community service initiative met at the WolfRiver Greenway to discuss plans for the cleanup. They are Robin Hicks (fromleft), Rachel Kesselman, Keith Kirkland, Russell Smith and Keith Cole.


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communities so there are a host ofinitiatives under the new programsbanner, according to Tidwell.

One of those, called Sustainable Cities,involves hands-on participation incommunity service projects by FedEx

employees and began last year in six cities:Memphis, San Francisco, Los Angeles,New York, Washington and Pittsburgh.

This year Seattle, Dallas, Boston,Philadelphia, Chicago and Indianapolishave been added, Tidwell said.

FedEx has contributed a total of$500,000 in grant money, $400,000 ofwhich was given this year to nonprofitorganizations in all 12 cities.

The community service projects willtake place over a two-month period thatbegan on April 19.

Projects in each city are different andfocus on a single goal, such as a beachclean-up, removing weeds and otherinvasive plant species or tree planting.

The Memphis community serviceinitiative will take place on May 9 alongthe Wolf River Greenway, wherevolunteers from FedEx will gather toclear an invasive plant called privet hedgefrom a section of the greenway. As part ofthe support from FedEx, the Wolf RiverConservancy will receive a grant award.

The National Fish and WildlifeFoundation (NFWF), a nonprofitorganization, acts as the grantor, usingmoney from companies like FedEx to

leverage matching funds from globalorganizations, which last year totaled$180 million.

Its a collaboration between manydifferent parties, said Joe Bond,director of corporate relations for NFWF.

Since NFWF was created, it has putapproximately $1.8 billion into nationalconservation efforts, said Bond.

The NFWF has parlayed the $500,000from FedEx this year into a total of$1.32 million in conservation resources,Bond said.

The Wolf River Conservancy, thisye a r s Memphis grant recipient, received

more than $80,000.Bond said FedExs program isdifferent from that of many othercompanies that provide financial supportfor nonprofit organizations.

We re very excited to be workingwith FedEx because FedEx is one of fewcorporations that get their employeesi nvo l ve d , he said.

On May 9, a group of FedEx employees

are expected to gather at the Wolf RiverGreenway in Germantown at 11:30 a.m.

They will be clearing out an invasiveplant called privet hedge on a strip of theWolf River Greenway along HumphreysBoulevard near Shady Grove Road.

Privets are an exotic shrub from Chinawhich is used in landscaping. However,it tends to overtake native plants.

Keith Kirkland, director of outreachand landscape for the Wolf RiverConservancy, said that is what hashappened in that section of thegreenway. Although the shrubbery is anatural barrier from the road, the privetneeds to be replaced with plants thatwill be healthier to the overall habitat.

It works as a screen, and not aparticularly attractive one, between the

street and the Wolf River Greenway, hes aid.The invasive plant can grow to

heights of 20 feet.Funds from the city of Memphis will

provide native plants, such as sawgrass,water lilies and water oaks to plant inthe areas where the hedge growth hasbeen removed, Kirkland said.


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First job: Filing clerk formy dads financial advisoryoffice

Most recent job: Interiordesigner with MBI

Career highlights: I havethe luxury of working withtalented professionals

among a diverse group ofindustries such ascorporate, small business,healthcare, government andeducation. Each day is anew opportunity to create amore efficient and enjoyableplace to work, heal, orstudy for my clients.

Most satisfying careermoment: While studyingsustainability in preparationfor the LEED GreenAssociate exam, I wasastounded to discover theadverse effects thatcommercial buildings canhave on our environment. Igain satisfaction fromadvising my clients in a waythat enables them to achievetheir business objectiveswhile preserving the Earth.I am humbled by therealization that my work canimpact the environment.

Career advice: Re a l i z e

MY GREEN JOB

Taking the LEED in interior designWhitney JoinerInterior Designer - MBI

Designer Whitney Joiner likes to advise clients onsustainability options that can have a positiveimpact on the environment.


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that you never master a task. Always beopen to new perspective.

Person I most admire: My husband,Grant, for his unconditional love andpassion; my father for his loyalty andvigor for life; and my mother for hersense of equality and resilience

H o bb i es : Exercising, enjoying goodfood, reading, watching movies, tennis

What is something about yourselfthat most people dont know about

you... Im a health nut by nature, but Ioften crave candied cherry slices andcircus peanuts.

Change I would like to see: Id liketo see Memphis become morepedestrian-friendly with less of a needto drive all over the city for essentials.

Mitsubishi plantto make battery

electrolyteA Mitsubishi Chemical

subsidiary is pressingforward with plans to builda new plant in Memphis,this one to make achemical for electric-vehicle batteries.

Newly formed MC IonicSolutions will employ 27people by the end of 2015and 52 workers withsalaries averaging $69,000by 2019, according to itsapplication for tax breaks.

MC Ionic Solutionswould build on five to eightacres next to a relatedMitsubishi Chemicaloperation, LuciteInternational at 2665 FiteRoad, just north ofMemphis in Woodstock.

The company plans tospend $12 million on the4 0,0 0 0 - s q u a r e -fo o tbuilding and another $50million to fill it withequipment, computers andother personal property.

The Memphis-Shelby

County IndustrialDevelopment Boardapproved a 14-year freezeof Shelby County taxesworth about $3.7 million,with the option of a 15thyear if the company meetsdiversity goals.

MC Ionic Solutions, likeLucite, is a subsidiary ofMitsubishi ChemicalCorporation, part ofMitsubishi ChemicalHoldings Corp. The parentcompany employs 54,000people worldwide.

The Woodstock site willmanufacture an electrolytesolution used in lithium ionbatteries. Such batteriespower electric vehicles,computers and cellphones.But the main customer ofthe new plant will be

vehicle manufacturers, theapplication states.The new companys

manufacturing operationwould warehouse aninventory of more than $11million in raw materials andsupply, the applicationstates. Thats significantbecause the inventory is

fully taxable.The plant will boost

Shelby Countys greeneconomy, companyofficials said.

By providing incentivesto (Mitsubishi ChemicalIonic Solutions) based uponthe nature of the business,the (Industrial) Board sendsa strong message to otherbusinesses that supportelectric vehicles, solar andwind energy and the othergreen technologies to cometo Shelby County to developthese products in thef u t u r e, the applications t a t es .

Such cutting edgeprojects can also beexpected to produce manyhigh-paying, quality jobs.

The industrial board staff

calculates that even thougha 14-year PILOT would saveMC Ionic Solutions $3.7million in taxes, the taxrevenue generated byconstruction, operations,property tax and paymentswould total $7.2 million.

Tom Bailey Jr., TheCommercial Appeal


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T R A N S P O RTAT I O N

By Suzanne Thompson


Anthony Siracusa is convinced thatMemphis is undergoing a transportationt ra n s fo r m at i o n .

Bicycle facilities are going to beimplemented on a number of major roadsthroughout the city. The Greenline is going tobe experiencing more heavy use than weveseen throughout this past fall and into thes p r i n g.

A revolution on wheelsVolunteers spread gospel of bicycles from Midtown church

Spare parts arein abundance at

Rev o l u t i o n s

CommunityBicycle Shop

in FirstCongregational

Church.

Britney McIntosh/The Commercial

Appeal files


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a membership and membershipsare earned through hours ofvolunteer work.

In order to actually be able towork on a bike, you have to first gothrough the volunteer trainingprogram, in which you disassemble

wheels. You disassemble bikes,Siracusa said. We are working ondozens of bikes and wheels in thevolunteer program every week.

After volunteering for 10 hoursat Revolutions, there is a fee of$40, which entitles the member tochoose a bike from the inventory ofused, donated bikes.

You can pick out all your partsindividually and build it fromscratch, or you can pick out a bikethat is put together and maybeneeds a tune-up and some part,said John Paul Shaffer, Revolutionsvolunteer coordinator.

Most of the people who comethrough the program have noexperience working on bicycles.

These are people who havenever worked on bikes in theirlives, and they are building a bike,usually from scratch, for the veryfirst time, Siracusa said.

Revolutions is open seven hours

Brandon Dill/The Commercial Appeal files

Volunteer Jordan Emerson (right) shows Jalon Mosby (left) and Paul Malonehow to adjust brake cables at Revolutions Community Bicycle Shop.


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FA I T H

By Suzanne Thompson


First Congregational Church, knownas a less traditional place of worship, isalso unique in its approach towardsust ainability.

One of our goals is to be a beacon toother institutions, said Julia Hicks,

director of missions at the church.Several years ago, Hicks and Cheryl

Cornish, pastor, decided they wanted tostart doing something intentional for theenvironment .

Who better to act as chair of theirsustainability committee than memberBetsy Howard, a chemical engineer who

A messageworthy of

shar ingFirst Congo follows path to

environmental awareness

Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal

Rev. Cheryl Cornish and others at First Congregational Church have fo c u s e dattention on environmental issues.


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worked for the Environment alProtection Agency for 20 years?

The six people on the committeedecided to start with an energy audit.

The group walked through the entire80,000-square-foot building with an eye

toward changes that could reduce energyus age.We looked at the heating and air-

conditioning systems. We looked at thelighting, looked at the windows and doorsand how air moved through the building.We looked at how many refrigerators wewere using, Howard said.

They started off small, sealing airleaks and putting weather stripping on

windows and doors. Our experiencedemonstrated that you cant wait untilyou can do something big, Hicks said.The small things lead to bigger ones.

Committee members assessed largerprojects, put together a book ofsuggestions, and submitted it to Cornishand Hicks.

Trying to do this within the context

of a church is different than in the areasthat Ive done this before. Ive workedwith private houses, and the 1,000,000-square-foot building EPA built about 10years ago, Howard said. Thebudgeting is very different.

Big changes cost big bucks, butchurch officials knew they would have toinvest to start saving significantamounts of energy.

The first major undertaking suggestedwas replacing the lighting with a moreenergy-efficient system and occupancys e n s o rs .

Many windows were replaced, andtwo of the four sections of roofing werereplaced using insulated, light-coloredm at e r i a l .

The north building houses a hosteland conference center. When thebathrooms there were renovated, water-efficient fixtures were installed.

The water heater of the church wasreplaced with a tankless unit and other

practical changes were made, such as theuse of green cleaning supplies.Recycling bins were set around the

church for members to deposit usedbulletins. The church has had a cityrecycling center in the parking lot forsome time.

Then church officials began to spreadthe message of conservation to thec o n g re gat i o n .

Many types of correspondence tomembers, such as newsletters,statements sent to donors and thank-younotes, all were produced by e-mail,drastically reducing paper usage.

First Congregational Church has acoffee area where members congregatebefore and after services, and in it theyhave poster sessions aimed at education.

Their focus turned to sustainability.The sessions each dealt with adifferent topic, such as how to deal withhazardous waste, energy-efficientlighting and ways to deal with brokenfluorescent light bulbs, which contain asmall amount of mercury.

A Peace Fellowship meets once a weekto discuss how people can live in a waythat is at better peace, not only with one

another but with the environment as well.The church programs are about more

than just helping the environment,Howard said.

Part of the point is doing this for theenvironment and part of the point iscontributing to peoples spiritual healthand well-being.


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E N ERGY

By Suzanne Thompson


Business owners who already sell and install solar panels havethe jump in an industry that is growing in leaps and bounds.

Malikia Griffin, owner of MCCG Solar Energy Inc., started his

Horn Lake, Miss., business nearly four years ago, and has seenthe demand for solar energy steadily rise.People are more interested because they want to know what

it is and how it works, he said.Solar panels, which can range in price from $500 to $1,500

each, depending on size, do require an initial significant financialcommitment, but the payback is relatively fast, Griffin said.

Solar panels usually pay for themselves in eight to 10ye a rs , he said.

A BRIGHT FUTUREConsumer interest in solar panel installations rising


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To install the panels he sells, Griffinworks with companies in two othercities to handle the installation, one inJackson, Tenn., and the other inBrighton, Tenn.

MCCG Solar provides a detailedoverall energy evaluation for prospectiveclients.

We take a thorough, detailed look atwhat (power) they are using, he said.

Using a computerized system, Griffincan take potential customers utility billsand help them determine how muchsavings they would yield by installingsolar panels on their homes or businesses.

Harnessing the power of a naturalresource makes sense, and Griffin hasthe resources and know-how to helppeople do just that.

Its taking something that is given toyou all day sunlight you just needthe technology to collect it, he said.

Jefferson Sanders purchased solarpanels from Griffin for his 3,500-square-foot Southaven home about a year ago.

Prior to installing the panels, he saidhis familys average electric bill was$500 to $600.

I can honestly say weve saved. Ourlast Entergy bill was $75, he said.

One of the other companies Griffinuses for installation of the solar panelshe sells is Southern Solar & ElectricInc., in Brighton, Tenn.

Cost for installation is about $7 perwatt of energy, said Terry Schaf, vicepresident of Southern Solar & Electric.

Griffin also does general contractingwork and Schaf is a licensed electrician,but the solar end of both theirbusinesses continues to expand.

It is really starting to pick up, he said.Southern Solar & Electric installed

the 5,000 panels at the solar farm inBrownsville, Tenn., and currentlyS chafs company has three or four

projects scheduled in West Tennessee.T h e re s not much competition in the

solar installation field at this time, he said.But that is changing.In January, the Tennessee Solar

Institute gave a class in solar installationat the University of Memphis.

The popularity of the course isindicative of a rising interest in solarpanel installation, said Earl Pomeroy,one of the co-instructors from theUniversity of Tennessee Center forIndustrial Science Services.

Ultimately, this course was aboutwork force development and teachingthe skills necessary to put people towork, and the high turnout tells me thatpeople are interested in solar.

Memphis firms win solar grantsSeveral Memphis-area companies have won

grants totaling about $777,000 in grants forsolar projects from the Tennessee SolarI n s t i t u t e.

MidSouth Sustainable Energy Solutions

was awarded $428,000. The company will usethe funds to begin manufacturing componentsof its Weather Smart Racking Response System.

Shelby Electric Co. will use a $183,656grant to install solar panels on itsadministration building.

Sharp Manufacturing Co. of America willtrain 40 employees with a $50,000 grant torun an expansion of its solar panel modulemanufacturing line.

Tri-State Armature & Electrical Works Inc.was awarded $47,330 to train employees onenergy efficiency, sales and installation..

LabFour received grants totaling $49,796 tomake its building more efficient and to train itstrainers in solar panel installation.


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E D I TO R I A L

On a course to clean airTHE ELECTRICITY Memphians

use in order to enjoy theconveniences of the 21st century willget cleaner, so to speak, over thenext six years.

As will the air, especially aroundthree power plants where the

Tennessee Valley Authority plans toshut down 18 aging, inefficient coal-

burning generators.The units, located in Middle and

East Tennessee and North Alabama,will be shuttered as part of thesettlement of clean air lawsuits filedby the Environmental ProtectionAgency, four states, including

Tennessee, and three environmentalo rga n i z at i o n s .

Together, the units produce about16 percent of TVA's coal-firedgeneration, which produces about 60percent of TVA's power overall.

Memphis Light, Gas and WaterDivision is the giant, government-owned utility's biggest customer.

The historic agreement owesmuch to the persistence anddedication of the Southeast's

environmental activists, state andfederal regulators and TVA'swillingness to set a new course forthe future that was outlined in its 20-year Integrated Resource Plan,which the board adopted on

T h u rs d ay.The agreement was aided by a

weakening demand for electricitydue to the economic turndown.

But there are other changes in theworks that should allow TVA tomove away gradually from itsdependence on coal.

Advanced pollution controls at anumber of its other generators willtake up some of the slack, but the

utility also plans to increase itsdependence on nuclear generation,which now accounts for about 30percent of its capacity. It will alsobuild a highly efficient gas-firedgenerator in East Tennessee.

And it has a number of energyefficiency programs in the works.

Perhaps the most visible effect will

be in the the Smoky Mountains, wherescenic vistas have been fading fromview and various plant species havesuffered from the effects of the airpollution produced by burning coal.

Any significant dampening on thedemand for coal also is good newsfor areas of East Tennessee and WestVirginia where the practice ofmountaintop removal mining has

polluted streams and horriblydamaged the landscape.

Some of that damage can never beundone, but the settlement has put

TVA on a more sustainable course.That's welcome news for customersall across the TVA spectrum, inShelby County and beyond.


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SC H O O LS

By Jane Roberts

robertsj@commercialappeal .com

Anyplace else, leaving computers and lights on

all night is irksome but generally forgivable. AtDouglass High, a posse of student Watt-Bustersslips g re e n tickets under offending staffm e m b e rs d o o rs .

Such diligence reduced the schools utility bill 6percent, saving taxpayers $14,906 for the yearending Sept. 31. This week, Douglass was nameda partner in the Tennessee Pollution Prevention

Energy savvy

Douglass

leads city

schools

green

initiatives

Douglass HighSchool students(from left) CedricRoberts, 16, Adam

Coleman, 16,Nicholas Pollion,16, and April Jones,15, conduct energyaudits.

Brandon Dill/TheCommercial Appeal files


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communications and public service, wentgreen thanks to a couple of factors. Whenthe school opened in 2008, it was alreadythe most energy-efficient in the city.

It also exists in a North Memphisneighborhood once riddled with

industrial pollution. Theres an illegaldump on the back lot line.

Last year, the students filled threetrash bins in a cleanup, said SandraUpchurch, science teacher andcoordinator of campus green activities.

The school was already doing a lot ofthings that would qualify as TP3 site, she said. We saw it as a wonderfulopportunity for children to get credit forthings they were doing.

She signed them up in 2009 at TP3p l e d ge s .

They had to develop a five-project planto prevent pollution of air, land and waterwhile conserving natural resources.

It is a significant accomplishment toget approved for partner, said TishaCalabrese at TP3. To reach performer,

the top level, Douglass must completethe four other projects, involve thecommunity in environmental activitiesand mentor another school.

The school has a recycling club. Thestudent body participates in city cleanupsand students are also in the backgroundat community festivals, sortingrecyclables. Students have won greenposter contests, garden in a school plot

and replaced incandescent bulbs in theneighborhood with compact fluorescent.

Officially, the districts goal is toreduce energy consumption 7 percent.My personal goal is to reduceconsumption by 10 percent, Wr i g h ts ays.

Jane Roberts: 529-2512

Architect is head of the class

Architect John Pruett has received a lot ofink lately with public officials touting hisdesigns for the soon to be developedMemphis Bioworks Hotel, as well as the $2million in federal grant monies those designs

helped attract to the project.Meanwhile, the architect is following upon the success of another green building inanother arena: the citys schools.

We ve proven the model, Pr u e t tdeclared proudly, referring to buildingpractices hed advocated to cut energycosts for the Memphis City Schools systemduring a redevelopment project managedby his firm, John Pruett Architects I n c.

The model is Fairview Middle School, a

1930 monument to the Art Deco style.It sits at the corner of East Parkway and

Central Avenue.John Pruett Architects worked with

Memphis City Schools top administratorsto update both the energy efficiency andappearance of the building.

The Energy Star Ratings formula yieldedstellar results for the Fairview rehab.Following Pruetts alterations, FairviewsEnergy Star Rating jumped from 25.9 to 40.

More tangibly, overall energy usage atFairview dropped by 12 percent.

In this first phase of the Fairviewrefitting, Pruett focused primarily onwindows, replacing the buildings originalwindows with insulated glazing in thermallyimproved aluminum frames that duplicatedthe original, historic window configurations.

The glazing methods and materialsPruett suggested also provided savingsover the products and technologies theschool system had previously been usingto upgrade the efficiency of older buildings.

Based upon his success, Pruett has beengreen-lighted to begin the second phase ofimprovements he has advocated forFairview. These consist of a total interiorrenovation of the school utilizing sustainabledesign techniques and materials.

Greg Belz, Special to My Life


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FO O D


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FRESH IDEASMake a salad into a hearty meal with lots of freshingredients and a little protein

By Susan Snapp

Special to The Commercial Appeal

Main-dish salads are the perfectentre for the lighter dining fare ofspring and summer.

With prepackaged greens andabundant local produce, saladsfilled with a variety of tastyingredients are an easy way to

change up weeknight menus. Andwith the addition of protein, theybecome a meal.

A salad can be so much morethan just a precursor to a meal or abland diet food, said chef JenniferChandler of Memphis, author ofSimply Salads. Dishes made fromleafy greens make a delicious andheal

Going Green Memphis 05-01-11

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Transcript of Going Green Memphis 05-01-11