Green Harmony Living

Hello Everyone!

I just received wonderful news on Tuesday that Green America, the nation’s leading green business certification organization, has accepted our company, Green Harmony Living, into its Green Business Network membership! So, what does being a “green business” actually mean? Well, this is how Green America explains it in a nutshell. “Green businesses operate in ways that solve, rather than cause, both environmental and social problems. These businesses adopt principles, policies, and practices that improve the quality of life for their customers, their employees, communities, and the environment.” And furthermore, ”Green businesses listed in Green America’s National Green Pages™ have passed a screening process that qualifies them for membership in our Green Business Network™.”

As you can imagine, Naoko and I are thrilled to officially become a member in Green America’s Green Business Network. Being approved by Green America is a great validation that what we are doing is truly green and helping the environment and our community. So, this validation reassures us that our business, Green Harmony Living, is really having a positive impact and doing the right thing. We look forward to growing our green business in exciting ways in the future. Drop us a line if you have any suggestions!



We really love Green America since they are a great quality organization promoting green values for people and the environment. The best part is they provide a huge array of resources for everyone at their website: http://www.greenamericatoday.org/ We recommend that everyone visit their website and use it on a regular basis for all of your needs.
They produce an online and printed Green Pages (look for GHL’s listing !) that lists all of their approved green businesses. They also have resources on being a responsible shopper, green investing, sane financial strategies, they produce a green publication called Green American and have email newsletters, and produce the Green Festivals across the country each year (read below). As you can see, Green America provides a lot of information for a great quality of life.
And much of what Green America is suggesting is motivated by the idea of keeping capital in the hands of small businesses and communities instead of large corporations. This idea is very important for all of us, as every time you shop at a supermarket or mall or gas station or bank, or use a credit card, etc. you are very likely supporting big corporations who are reaping large profits and often don’t treat their workers fairly and don’t care about local communities in which they operate. This ‘power in the hands of a few” system has been operating like this for years and is one of the main reasons that America and many Americans are hurting financially today. If you are sick and tired of supporting the faceless, greedy, spineless mega corporations, then we encourage you to take positive action supporting change (and yes, if we all take action we can change everything!) by supporting Green America’s programs and by following their suggestions. Visit Green America’s website now: http://www.greenamericatoday.org/

We have exhibited at Green America’s Green Festival for the past two years in Washington, DC, and now that we are a certified green business means that we can continue to do so. In fact, we have signed up to exhibit at the 2010 Washington, DC Green Festival on October 23rd and 24th. Roland has attended every Green Festival in DC for the past six years! According to Green America, Green Festival is the world’s largest sustainable festival. They are currently held in four cities across the US every year, including Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, DC. This event attracts a lot of people, about 35,000 attended DC’s 2009 event. And all topics are covered so there is something for everyone to experience. Every year I am amazed at how much this event has grown and every year there are new companies and new speakers to see there. At the Green Festival, I really feel a green can do attitude in the air that keeps me motivated for a long time afterwards!

We invite you to visit our Green Festival booth on October 23rd & 24th in Washington, DC!
We will be located in the “Organic Food” section near the “Organic Foods Dining Area”. Our booth numbers are 851 and 852. To find out more, visit here: http://www.greenfestivals.org/washington-dc/news/ And, if you are interested in volunteering to help us at the booth, please let us know as we can always use a helping hand.

Thank You and Make Today a Wonderful Day!
Roland’s Websites:
Green Harmony Living – Planet friendly website
Green Harmony Living Store – Raw, Vegan, & Organic Foods & Products
Green Harmony Design – Beautiful, Edible, & Sustainable Gardens
Green Harmony Tours – Sustainable Ecotours to Germany

Here is the story of our summer 2010 trip to California where my wife, baby, and I sampled the burgeoning rawfood scene at festivals, stores, and restaurants in greater Los Angeles and San Diego. We also visited places that propose various green living methods. We hope you find this interesting. Please give us feedback as to what you learned or any comments you have. Enjoy!

Index
Day 01: Sun, 20.June: Erewhon in West Hollywood
Day 02: Mon, 21.June: Mother’s Market in Huntington Beach
Day 03: Tue, 22.June: Tree People, Miyako Hybrid Hotel, and Planet Raw
Day 04: Wed, 23.June: Exotica, Barry Koral, amd Ocean Beach Coop
Day 05: Thu, 24.June: Jeff's Edible Garden
Day 06: Fri, 25.June: Dwell on Design Conference, LifeFood Organic Café, and Ani Phyo
Day 07: Sat, 26.June: MJL Meetup & Mother’s Market
Day 08: Sun, 27.June: LA Raw Bazaar & Better Life Cuisine
Day 09: Mon, 28.June: LifeFood Organic Cafe
Day 10: Tue, 29.June: Jeff’s Edible Garden & Au Lac Restaurant
Day 11: Wed, 30.June: Return Trip to Baltimore