Solar powered coffee van coming to a town near you?

I recently stumbled upon a mobile coffee company this week, near where my wife works.

Besspresso is a solar and biofuel (soy-based) powered green van that serves a blend of organic, fair trade, and sustainable wood roasted coffee and various espresso drinks. They serve their coffee in 100% biodegradable corn and plant based cups.

They originated near Portland, Oregon a few years ago, but the new owners are taking it all over the United States. They will be here in Iowa City for a few more weeks, then off to Tempe, Arizona for the remainder of the year. They will also be making stops at various music and environmental festivals this summer.

They offer a relaxing atmosphere to enjoy coffee outdoors, and listen to music through their high quality loudspeaker system.

To learn more about their service, and where they are located now, visit their website at: http://www.solarespresso.com/

Rapanui Clothing is putting the "cool" in Ethi-cool

An ethical fashion brand has unveiled a new range of clothing. The small Isle of Wight (island off England's southern coast where I visited recently) brand have been trading officially for two years, concentrating on sustainable textiles and buying.

Rapanui was set up by brothers Rob and Mart Drake-Knight in early 2008. It has quickly grown into an award-winning brand, earning recognition at the Sustainable Business Awards for their commitment to using organic, natural fabrics, wind-powered factories, and Fairwear Foundation audited supply chains.

Their cool new designs are geared to captivate the younger generations, who are perhaps less aware than others of where their clothes come from.
They are completely open an honest about the entire process of their clothes, how they are made and what impact each piece has on the environment, yet at the same time, they provide garments that perhaps you wouldn’t expect from a company whose main concern is about reducing the environmental impact of the fashion industry.

Check them out at Rapanui Clothing

Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm Institute (VISFI) leading the way

On our recent trip to St. Croix, we discovered a very cool farm up in the rainforests. The VISFI provides "a working educational farm enterprise that integrates sustainability in education, environment, and community through quality instruction in Agroecology and related fields." We wanted to get a first-hand look at what they did, and so we made the trek up the mountain for a visit.

They offer many workshops and educational programs to study-abroad students, along with the locals. The have recently setup the VI Locally Grown program, where buyers can purchase local produce and hand-made crafts online.



The first thing you notice is the solar panels on the roof of the community center. Inside is a library of sustainable books, along with tables where the staff work wirelessly from their laptops. There is also a kitchen, where the food from the land is prepared each day.

Everyone was very friendly and helpful. We decided to take the self-guided tour. We were given a map of the area, along with descriptions about each area.



One of the coolest features was the treehouse, which had a bed and living room area. It was buried high up into the trees, and could fold up during inclimate weather. There was a lot of craftmanship that went into building it.



Another helper lived in the yurt pictured above, which was buried into the forest, and was difficult to find.



They also have a program called Farm Stays where you can stay in one of the solar-powered cabanas for about $35/night and help out around the farm during the day. A great option for those trying to save money. The farm is only a couple miles drive from the beach, or you can also opt to hike down from the mountain.

There is a lot more that they offer, so visit the VISFI website for more information, or stop by if you're ever in St. Croix.