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PowerStream/Vaughan, ON, Canada

Reporting to the VP of CDM, this position is responsible for providing subject matter expertise and advice in the development of PowerStream's CDM market research activities and marketing plan, for managing the execution of market research activities and for providing support to Program Managers in the execution of marketing plans. He/she will also be responsible for providing facilitation support and strategic advice in developing and continually improving PowerStream's multi-year CDM Strategic Plan. The incumbent is expected to be the authoritative voice on market research, marketing (with strengths in market segmentation and analysis), advertising, and measurement of success related to CDM activities.

- Develop and share widely across the CDM business unit, a robust understanding of "the customer".
- In consultation with Program Managers/Director, develop an annual market research plan for approval by VP. Manage execution of market research activities, such as segmentation studies of relevant customer groups, to help refine and focus CDM marketing and sales efforts, in accordance with approved plan.
- Manage relationships and contracts with external market research service and data providers, where required; support contract negotiation process through recommendations on pricing, service conditions and resulting intellectual property.
- Provide subject matter expertise and strategic advice to Program Managers/Director in the development of program marketing plans. Provide support to Program – Managers in the execution and evaluation of approved program marketing plans.
- Provide facilitation support and strategic advice to VP/Director in developing/continually improving PowerStream's CDM multi-year Strategic Plan. Assist with the development of issues identification and risk mitigation strategies related to implementation of Strategic Plan.
- Recommend – and support the development of – metrics and methodologies for tracking customer satisfaction, customer awareness and impact/effectiveness of CDM marketing/outreach efforts.
- Develop and maintain positive relationships with a network of CDM-related external parties to stay attuned to developments in customer relations, conservation behaviour and marketing.
- Maintain "watching brief" on CDM-related marketing/market research best practices and innovative developments across North America.
- Accountable for adhering to the safety responsibilities of the job as per Management Procedure #HS-003-001 (Occupational Health & Safety Act Roles and Responsibilities).
- Other tasks as assigned.

- University degree in related field , or equivalent knowledge and experience.
- Minimum 2-3 years related work experience in agency and/or client side marketing/advertising roles, including experience with conservation (or similar) programs.
- Knowledge of the energy and utility industries, including current conservation landscape in Ontario (i.e. Green Energy and Economy Act, OPA-Contracted Province – Wide Conservation Programs, Ontario Energy Board Conservation Code) would be an asset.
- Excellent analytical and modeling skills working with large customer data sets and across multiple customer groups.
- Knowledge of industry marketing practices, data sources, and agency resources.
- Strong results orientation.
- Ability to develop and clearly articulate marketing and market research strategies which support both near term operational goals and a longer term vision.
- Proven ability to work cross-functionally and to influence without authority.
- Energetic and enthusiastic team player committed to overall success of the organization.

If interested, please apply online at http://track.tmpservice.com/…d=1780707-2411-7788

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PowerStream/Vaughan, ON, Canada

The CDM Account Specialist will assist the CDM department in achieving our objectives to meet and/or exceed 2011-2014 Conservation and Demand Management (CDM) targets as set by the Ontario Energy Board. Reporting to the Key Account Specialist, the Account Specialist will be responsible for leading the sales and relationship management process with our general service customers to ensure that we drive enough participation in our CDM programs to help meet our regulatory and corporate CDM targets.

1) Working with Market Research and Strategic Planner, develop a sales/outreach plan for driving CDM program participation, based on CDM potential and market segmentation.

2) Establish relationships with suppliers, industry associations and other channel partners, as appropriate, to enhance the delivery and uptake of PowerStream's CDM programs.

3) Meet and work directly with commercial, institutional and industrial customers to help them develop internal business cases for participation in PowerStream's CDM programs.

4) Assist with the preliminary project evaluations and technical verification for pre-approval of project incentives.

5) Assist customers in understanding new technologies and long term billing impacts on their energy demand and consumption profile within their facility.

6) Assist customers throughout the application process, acting as their primary point of contact within PowerStream for all CDM activities and inquiries.

7) Write reports on all customer visits that include action items and redirect any non-conservation customer concerns to the appropriate PowerStream Department.

Coordinate and lead program outreach activities such as customer workshops, training sessions and meetings.

9) Assist in coordination of customer recognition activities.

10) Provide assistance and input to the senior CDM management team in developing/updating PowerStream's CDM Strategic Plan, as required.

11) Support implementation of the Change Management Process as stipulated in PowerStream's Master CDM Agreement with OPA by summarizing and relaying customer feedback/insights regarding CDM Program operations and design.

12) Provide support and input to the development of business cases for new CDM programs/initiatives, to help PowerStream's achieve its regulatory and strategic CDM objectives.

13) Accountable for adhering to the safety responsibilities of the job as per Management Procedure #HS-003-001 (Occupational Health & Safety Act Roles and Responsibilities).

14) Other tasks as assigned.

University degree or college diploma in engineering, science or other related field
Several years experience in account management or sales in energy sector, or similar technical field
Customer service orientation
Solid technical understanding of energy use, energy efficiency/demand management technologies and energy management practices in industrial, commercial and institutional facilities
Strong understanding of the billing structure for industrial, commercial and institutional customers
Proven track record of delivering results and commitment to operational and service excellence
Excellent interpersonal, and communication skills
Current knowledge of the energy and conservation landscape in Ontario, i.e. Green Energy and Economy Act, OPA-Contracted Province Wide Conservation Programs, Ontario Energy Board Conservation Code  ** 1 Year Contract

If interested, please apply online at http://track.tmpservice.com/…d=1663530-2411-6088

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PowerStream/Vaughan, ON, Canada

The CDM Account Specialist will assist the CDM department in achieving our objectives to meet and/or exceed 2011-2014 Conservation and Demand Management (CDM) targets as set by the Ontario Energy Board. Reporting to the Key Account Specialist, the Account Specialist will be responsible for leading the sales and relationship management process with our general service customers to ensure that we drive enough participation in our CDM programs to help meet our regulatory and corporate CDM targets.

1) Working with Market Research and Strategic Planner, develop a sales/outreach plan for driving CDM program participation, based on CDM potential and market segmentation.

2) Establish relationships with suppliers, industry associations and other channel partners, as appropriate, to enhance the delivery and uptake of PowerStream's CDM programs.

3) Meet and work directly with commercial, institutional and industrial customers to help them develop internal business cases for participation in PowerStream's CDM programs.

4) Assist with the preliminary project evaluations and technical verification for pre-approval of project incentives.

5) Assist customers in understanding new technologies and long term billing impacts on their energy demand and consumption profile within their facility.

6) Assist customers throughout the application process, acting as their primary point of contact within PowerStream for all CDM activities and inquiries.

7) Write reports on all customer visits that include action items and redirect any non-conservation customer concerns to the appropriate PowerStream Department.

Coordinate and lead program outreach activities such as customer workshops, training sessions and meetings.

9) Assist in coordination of customer recognition activities.

10) Provide assistance and input to the senior CDM management team in developing/updating PowerStream's CDM Strategic Plan, as required.

11) Support implementation of the Change Management Process as stipulated in PowerStream's Master CDM Agreement with OPA by summarizing and relaying customer feedback/insights regarding CDM Program operations and design.

12) Provide support and input to the development of business cases for new CDM programs/initiatives, to help PowerStream's achieve its regulatory and strategic CDM objectives.

13) Accountable for adhering to the safety responsibilities of the job as per Management Procedure #HS-003-001 (Occupational Health & Safety Act Roles and Responsibilities).

14) Other tasks as assigned.

University degree or college diploma in engineering, science or other related field
Several years experience in account management or sales in energy sector, or similar technical field
Customer service orientation
Solid technical understanding of energy use, energy efficiency/demand management technologies and energy management practices in industrial, commercial and institutional facilities
Strong understanding of the billing structure for industrial, commercial and institutional customers
Proven track record of delivering results and commitment to operational and service excellence
Excellent interpersonal, and communication skills
Current knowledge of the energy and conservation landscape in Ontario, i.e. Green Energy and Economy Act, OPA-Contracted Province Wide Conservation Programs, Ontario Energy Board Conservation Code
** 1 Year Contract

If interested, please apply online at http://track.tmpservice.com/…d=1663540-2411-7088

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It sounds too good to be true, but a groundbreaking bill passed in California last week that promises to do two important things at once: boost sustainable farming in the nation’s biggest agricultural state and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

You see, the Golden State is revving up to start its own carbon market (or “cap-and-trade” plan) and it kicks off next month. This plan is designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050 and will require power plants and large industrial facilities like oil refineries and manufacturers (and eventually fuel and natural gas distributors), to participate in a process of paying for their pollution (or, in some cases, selling credits they earn by not polluting).

This cap and trade program will result in new public funds that can be invested in activities that further reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, as the state’s public radio affiliate KQED reports, revenues “are expected to reach into the billions of dollars by the end of next year.” And the bill that passed last week — AB 1532 — dictates what kinds of activities those dollars can be spent on. But here’s the coolest part: Sustainable and organic farming practices made the list!

In other words, giant polluting factory are going to have to buy a portion of their permits to pollute from the state, and that money might actually go to help farmers do things like build their soil, plant cover crops, manage their grazing practices to sequester carbon, and save water and energy. In other words, the kind of farming that needs all the help it can get in our otherwise overly industrialized system.

Scientists are still hammering out exactly which farming practices are the best for the climate, but there are promising signs that healthy, well-managed soil and pasture can go a long way toward balancing out and, in many cases, actually absorbing the CO2 in the atmosphere.

The Rodale Institute’s 23-year comparison study of conventional and organic farming systems, for instance, has shown that organic grain production systems increase soil carbon 15 to 28 percent. And many other studies are in the works — like the Marin Carbon Project, which is researching the value of closely managed, intensively grazed pasture as a carbon sink.

And then there’s the fact that farmland is disappearing altogether and being replaced by urban sprawl (read: cars, industry, and other polluters). A recent study out of the University of California at Davis found that there are 70 times more GHG emissions associated with urban land than farmland (and this even applies to land that has been conventionally farmed).

It makes sense, then, that the California Climate and Agriculture Network (CalCAN), the coalition of sustainable agriculture groups that lobbied hard for the inclusion of agriculture in the bill, is envisioning a system that provides revenue to sustainable farmers directly (through grants and a cost-sharing program), but also participatory research and farmland preservation.

Of course, because the language in the bill is somewhat vague (it simply calls for the “development and implementation of sustainable agriculture”), there’s also always the possibility that the money could get tied up in the current battle over what exactly “sustainable” means (after all, the biotech seed giant Monsanto uses that exact term to market its seeds).

As Renata Brillinger, CalCAN’s executive director, sees it, that risk underscores the need “to develop science-based criteria for what sustainable agriculture means.”

She also points to the fact that the farms that use multiple sustainable practices tend to have the smallest climate impacts overall. ”A lot of the science takes a farming practice or two in isolation,” she says, “but studies that look at whole systems — multiple practices in combination — are showing great benefits in terms of reducing GHG emissions, sequestering carbon, and providing more resilience for the farm as well.”

In the meantime, some farmers are hopeful.

For Rose Marie Burroughs of Burroughs Farms, an organic, multi-generational dairy farm, the possibility of a grant that might offset the cost of the operation is really promising.

“Long ago, when we started implementing management-intensive grazing with our beef cattle, we saw the value of a symbiotic relationship between the cows and the land,” she says.

Burroughs doesn’t know what kind of carbon her family’s pastures may be sequestering, but she says she’d jump at the chance to find out if and when California’s cap-and-trade dollars fund the research. She’s also used ground cover and open space on the farm to capture rain water that has replenished their aquifers — another important step that could protect the Burroughs from climate-related disaster.

“We’ve had record highs [in California] this week,” she says. “More and more people are experiencing climate change on a day-to-day basis and we have to be able to use our water the best we can. I hope these farming and grazing practices can help us through these turbulent times.”

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Every year at the Pacific Coast Producers (PCP) processing plant in Woodland, Calif., half a million tons of tomatoes are sliced, diced, canned, boiled, and shipped to grocery stores nationwide. The operation is driven by steam, lots of it, which comes from a suite of massive natural-gas-powered boilers. Together, these boilers emit over 25,000 metric tonnes (about 27,557 U.S. tons) of greenhouse gases annually, which means PCP will be forced to join California’s cap-and-trade carbon market, set to kick off in November.

The plan, which officials hope will put the country’s most populous state on track to cut greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050, isn’t the first carbon trading scheme in the U.S.: The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a collective of several northeastern states (including Massachusetts, which rejoined a few years after being forced out by then-Gov. Mitt Romney), has been auctioning carbon credits, called allowances, since 2008. But unlike RGGI, which applies only to power plants, California’s plan extends to all sectors of the economy, which means businesses from paper mills, oil refineries, and universities to pharmaceutical manufacturers, steel mills, and food processors like PCP will have a stake in California’s campaign against climate change.

Yesterday, some 150 of those businesses got their first taste, as the curtain lifted on a dress rehearsal of the auction where companies will bid for the allowances (each worth one metric ton of carbon) that determine how much they’re allowed to emit, a dry run staged to let companies get comfortable with the system and work out any kinks before it launches for real in a few months. Over the next year, about 150 allowances will be bid on, together worth anywhere from $550 million to $1 billion depending on market forces. Some will be given away for free, to help businesses adjust to the added expense.

“It’s like some brave new adventure,” said Mona Schulman, a PCP vice president, as she waited for the fall of the digital gavel (the auction is held online) to start bidding. “Everybody’s in favor of clean air and the environment being healthy, but there’s a lot of uncertainty down the road.”

Barring an unforeseen advancement in steam boiler technology, Schulman said, the plant will have limited options for reducing emissions; as the cap gets lower every year, they’ll be left with the tough choice of having to cut production, or shell out to other companies for their unused allowances.

“That’ll be an unknown cost we’ll have to bear, that some of our competitors [in other states] won’t,” she said.

Kristen Eberhard, a lawyer with the Natural Resources Defense Council in California, said some of the revenue the state will collect from the auction will go back to businesses like PCP to help them adopt cleaner technology.

“There are lots of opportunities to operate more efficiently and this program will push businesses in that direction,” she said.

When it opens, California’s carbon market will be the second-largest in the world. The largest, the European Union’s Emissions Trading System, became even bigger Tuesday when Australia announced a deal to link its fledgling carbon market to the E.U.’s. That move, said Harvard environmental economist Robert Stavins, could be a catalyst for increased international cooperation in battling climate change.

“Given the relatively primitive state of climate change policy around the world, especially considering the scope of the problem, this is a very significant step forward,” said Stavins, who, like many environmental policy experts, has long pointed to pricing carbon as the most effective global solution to climate change. A globally linked carbon market is still some years off, he added, but each successful new partnership builds confidence for governments — like the U.S. — who have been slow to join the fray.

In that respect, California is ahead of the curve: Officials there and up north in Quebec are hammering out details of a plan to link their markets as soon as early 2013.

Still, cap-and-trade has its detractors, who in 2010 came out in force to squash a bill in Congress establishing a national carbon market. Like Schulman, they worry that the system will impose harsh costs on businesses, translating to higher prices for consumers.

After the closing bell rang, a spokesperson for the state agency that manages the auctions said the central idea is to make large polluters accept the carbon price as a cost of doing business. The bidding had gone off without a hitch, leaving him feeling optimistic about the months and years ahead. The hope, he said, is that as the cap falls, businesses will find it more cost-effective to cut emissions by their own means, rather than chasing allowances. But that still leaves Schulman wondering about the future of tomato paste.

“We feel like we put out a pretty healthy product: It’s minimally processed, just preserved,” Schulman said. “The goals of this system we’re all in favor of. But we just don’t know whether cap-and-trade is the right way to do it or not.”

Below, an overview of how cap-and-trade programs work. Also check out our explanation of the closely related carbon tax.

Click to embiggen. (Image by James West.) 

This story was produced as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

Filed under: Article, Business & Technology, Climate & Energy

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Bushwick Farmers Market/ EcoStation:NY/Brooklyn, NY

Farmers' Market Manager Apprentice
Employer: EcoStation:NY – Bushwick Brooklyn
10-30 hours/week

Help manage three seasonal farmers' markets (Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays; June – November), working closely with the Market Manager, Farm Manager, and EcoStation directors. Help promote access to healthy, fresh, and locally grown food in underserved neighborhoods. Help coordinate community events, workshops, demonstrations, and educational programming centered around food. Bilingual English/Spanish and multi-lingual applicants strongly encouraged; EcoStation:NY is an equal opportunity employer.

- Help to manage our “satellite†pop-up market program with the Bushwick Farmers’ Market Green Machine, a veggie-oil and solar-powered truck used for transport, storage, and outreach that will allow us to reach more areas of the neighborhood

- Work with farmers, vendors, other markets, city agencies, and other non-profit organizations to build a just food network within the community

-Learn about and assist with administrative tasks and bookkeeping

-Help to ensure a safe, productive, and thrifty market day while welcoming and serving the public

-Help maintain the markets as inviting places where we promote good eating habits, preparation of meals from local food sources, community awareness

-help with market sales

-Valid NYS Driver License a plus

About EcoStation:NY

EcoStation:NY is a Brooklyn-based nonprofit devoted to both food security and environmental justice, and where the two intersect: human and community health. We believe in the universal right of all to a healthy food supply and planet. We envision a future in which people have better access to affordable, pesticide-free produce, access to land and the skills to grow food, and opportunities for community involvement, education, and meaningful employment for all. Our current projects include Bushwick Farmers’ Market (now in three locations), Bushwick Campus Farm & Greenhouse, and Farm-In-The-Sky, a fledgling rooftop farm.

More info at: www.EcoStationNY.org and www.BushwickFarmersMarket.org; or follow Bushwick Campus Farm and Bushwick Farmers Market on Facebook for updates and BushwickCampusF on Twitter!

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By David Roberts

Blame China. Or thank China?

Conservatives are going nuts about a “new Solyndra,” a gullible media is falling for the hype, and the only voice of sanity is … Politico?

Wonders never cease. Good on reporter Alex Guillen for noting that the scandal of $2.1 billion in government money going to a bankrupt solar company (Sun Trust this time) looks a little less like a scandal when you note that the government didn’t actually give the company any money. Not only did Rush Limbaugh and RedState get that wrong — getting thing wrongs is more or less their vocation — but even AP and Reuters left this crucial detail out of their initial stories. Most disturbingly, Guillen notes that Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), who’s on the Energy and Commerce oversight committee, didn’t seem to know that the company was never actually given money. Guess he’s just another Rush listener.

Anyway, the actual, true story behind the latest solar kerfuffle — related with typical clarity by Todd Woody — is quite interesting. It’s got very little to with the wisdom of Energy Department support for clean energy, but a great deal to do with the big story in solar power today: China.

Here’s what happened. German solar developer Solar Millennium (which specialized in solar thermal technology) bought up leases on a bunch of federal land in the Southwest U.S. in 2007 and 2008. With German industrial firm Ferrostaal, it created a joint venture called Solar Trust, a U.S. company that was going to build solar-thermal plants on that land, using solar troughs.

One of Solar Trust’s projects, the 1,000-MW Blythe Solar Power Project, was going to be the biggest solar power plant ever. For Blythe, Solar Trust got a $2.1 billion loan guarantee offer from DOE.

The loan was premised on the solar troughs, though. Eventually, Solar Trust decided that solar PV panels would be cheaper. In order to switch, it decided to forgo the DOE loan in favor of private funding. (Again: It never took the damn loan.)

Meanwhile, in December, parent company Solar Millennium declared bankruptcy. It sold its U.S. projects to a German PV developer called Solarhybrid, but oops, Solarhybrid declared bankruptcy too. Meanwhile, nobody was funding Solar Trust, and so on Monday, the company filed for bankruptcy itself.

What does it all mean? Well, let’s ask about the crucial chapters of the saga.

Why did Solar Trust switch from solar troughs to PV for the Blythe project? Because Chinese companies are flooding the global market with cheap PV, undercutting other forms of solar technology (like, say, Solyndra’s).

Why did Solar Millennium declare bankruptcy? Because Chinese companies are flooding the global market with cheap PV, undercutting companies that specialize in other forms of solar technology.

Why did Solarhybrid declare bankruptcy? Because Chinese companies are flooding the global market with cheap PV, driving down prices and prompting the German government to dial back on solar subsidies, without which many of its domestic producers cannot survive.

But then again …

Why is solar making such dramatic progress in Germany, Italy, and Spain? Because Chinese companies are flooding the global market with cheap PV.

Why is solar grid parity (the point at which PV is competitive with retail electric prices, without subsidies) approaching so much faster than predicted? Because Chinese companies are flooding the global market with cheap PV.

That’s the story of solar today, for better or worse: cheap Chinese PV. The question is, what should U.S. policymakers do about it? That turns out to be a tough call.

One school of thought says that the U.S. should adopt a mercantilist approach and fight back against what it deems unfair Chinese competition. America should protect and grow its own solar manufacturing industry. Van Jones articulates this kind of populist sentiment quite well:

One way to implement this is with trade tariffs, which is what the Obama administration did last month. Another way is by subsidizing U.S. companies. That’s what they’ve been doing since 2008, but Republicans have demonized this spending to the point that the loan guarantee program is paralyzed and the Sec. 1603 grant program was allowed to lapse last month.

The other school of thought, which might be called, dare I say, neoliberal, says that cheap solar panels are a good thing. If the Chinese government is willing to massively subsidize them, we should welcome it. Solar prices will continue to drop for consumers all over the globe and solar power will spread faster. More clean energy! Putting a tariff on PV imports (or passing “made in America” provisions) just raises the price and slows the spread of solar in the U.S. It’s a net loss for humanity.

The U.S. can still have a whole solar PV installation and service industry. It can still have advanced solar innovation and technology development. Those are things America is good at and well-positioned for. It just can’t do the manufacturing of the panels. The neoliberal perspective is generally that manufacturing is overrated anyway.

To be honest — and so typically liberal — I can see the appeal of both sides of this argument and I’m pretty torn about it. I’m curious to hear from you readers. What do you think the U.S. should do about Chinese solar?

Filed under: Article, Business & Technology, Cleantech, Solar Power

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By Ted Alvarez

If you had to choose a Public Enemy No. 1 for the food movement this year, pink slime would be a strong contender. This slurry of ammonia-soaked leftover “fatty trimmings” from industrial meat has been used in everything from school lunches to McDonald’s Big Macs. Now, after much public outcry, fast-food chains have dropped it, and the USDA has started to pay attention to its presence in school lunches.

But small-scale organic meat producers across the country are discovering something unexpected about pink slime: They actually like it.

Bob Chilliwack, an organic, grass-fed beef producer from Boulder, Mont., admits that pink slime adds a special something to a Big Mac that he couldn’t replicate in his own home-cooked burgers. “The trick is finding a way to produce it for our audience of eco-conscious customers,” Chilliwack says. “I don’t agree with most of what industrial agriculture does, but when it comes to the ‘lean, finely textured beef’ they achieve with pink slime, well, they’ve got it dialed.”

So Chilliwack set out to create a “sustainable pink slime” from leftover beef bits of his own pasture-raised cows. The result has an artisanal streak (natural cleaning products like white vinegar stand in for industrial ammonia), but it still retains the undeniable taste, tang, and texture of classic pink slime.

“Since we’re producing it in an all-natural, sustainable fashion, I’m calling it ‘green slime,’” he says. “Which I guess is a little confusing, since it’s still more of a bloody pink in color.”

Chilliwack isn’t alone. Others in the food movement are taking up the charge of creating their own brands of pink slime all over the country. And they all aspire to provide the same combination of all-natural ingredients and local flair they add to their pampered meats.

“Not having ammonia to work with makes it tough to achieve the same texture,” says Bryan Clegane, of Santa Fe’s Rio Grande Ranch. “But I find that if we can age our slime and work in a bit of natural gelatin, we approach the right mouthfeel. Additionally, we can apply our secret blend of 31 Southwestern spices to make sure our pink slime has the same fiery bite as our dry-aged ribeyes.”

Harder to replicate is Big Ag’s generous cocktail of antibiotics. While it’s hard to identify any flavor or texture directly associated with it, true connoisseurs usually say they can detect its absence. To make up for it, ranchers and artisanal butchers have tried adding various amounts and combinations of natural antibiotics like tea tree oil, echinacea, and colloidal silver. But few are satisfied with the result.

“Sometimes you just can’t imitate the lingering aftertaste of a really nice cephalosporin,” said Chilliwack.

But not all local meat producers are convinced. Jamie Stark owns Portland, Ore.’s The Beefery, a high-end butcher shop with connections to several lauded ranches within a 100-mile radius of the city. He takes a jaded view of the local meat industry aping anything pioneered by industrial agriculture.

“What are you, some kind of idiot?” he replied in a telephone interview. “Pink slime without ammonia or antibiotics already exists. It’s called sausage.”

Filed under: Food, Sustainable Farming

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By Jenny An

The Plovgh interface.

A community-supported agriculture (CSA) share can be a culinary battle royale. Every other week, it’s you versus a mystery box. No tap outs, no substitutions. Just a bitter melon so fresh, you wouldn’t dare toss it out. And while there’s something to be said for experimentation, sometimes you just want something a little more familiar, something easy to pack for lunch, something the kids will touch. Or maybe you’re just having a mad craving for heirloom radishes?

That’s where Plovgh enters the picture. The online marketplace soft-launched in November 2011, and hopes to offer an alternative to the traditional CSA and farmers market systems by allowing customers to order exactly what and how much they want from local farms while still getting it delivered to their neighborhood. Sites like Local Dirt and Local Harvest connect online customers to farms, but neither will bring groceries to your neighborhood bar. And while food hubs can distribute food to schools, restaurants, and other groups with big local food needs, Plovgh (pronounced “plow”) brings all those perks to individuals — even those who might only cook once a week.

Here’s how it works: Farmers report what they’ll be harvesting for the week on Monday afternoon and customers order exactly which foods they want from Tuesday through Thursday for weekend pick-ups. The website will undergo plenty of spruce-ups through the summer, but the basic functions are up and running. Organic produce, pasture-raised meat, and foodie extras like pickles, maple syrup, and honey are listed based on the pick-up spot (usually bars or cafes — nothing washes down local produce like a noontime beer), and sorted by neighborhood and time. You click, pay, and voila: A few days later your food arrives down the block.

The system works for farmers, too. Often, they plant and harvest food to bring to market without a guarantee that it will sell. As farms with CSAs work to provide more flexibility for consumers, that’s shifting for the better. In the case of Plovgh, the company has also coordinated transportation efforts, so that they can essentially carpool their food. (Sadly, this still wouldn’t qualify solo drivers for the carpool lane.) Sometimes an area farmer does the driving; other times, it’s just someone who lives in the neighborhood and is looking for extra income.

“Nothing is harvested until it is sold, so we waste less produce and labor than harvesting for a farmers market,” says Amoreen Armetta, who runs the New Paltz, N.Y., farm Partners Trace with her partner Tierney Dearing Medick. “Plovgh also picks up our orders so we don’t have to drive the two hours down to the city,” she adds.

The food is offered at the same or lower prices than one would find at the farmers market. That’s because like food hubs, this process cuts down on time spent selling food and prevents waste. Plovgh doesn’t need a building to operate out of, either; it relies on existing public spaces like restaurants and community centers. By using technology for many of the logistics — like taking and organizing orders, scheduling pick-ups, and delivering to the customer — Plovgh is able to cut down significantly on costly people power.

“The supply chain mentality is emblematic of an old way of doing business that is becoming irrelevant,” says founder Elizabeth McVay Greene. “Food hubs take the supply chain notion and apply it to local food. We’re trying to blast that whole notion of a supply chain out of the water.”

Currently, Plovgh is only operating in pilot mode, with approximately a dozen farms in the greater New York City area. But Greene hopes to fully develop the website by the end of the year, so don’t be too surprised if Plovgh networks start popping up in other U.S. cities soon. (Look out, Atlanta! Greene is in talks with nearby farmers.)

New York is a great testing ground for the program because several aspects of traditional CSA drop-off programs — like large upfront payments — make them “especially hard in big, urban areas,” Greene says. The weekly commitment and lack of choice with CSAs throw red flags up faster for New Yorkers than most other eaters, especially younger urbanites. “It’s a lot to ask of someone whose life is ever-evolving,” she says. “That lack of flexibility is weird because we’ve become used to an age of choice.” It helps, at least, that many New Yorkers are already aware of CSAs and comfortable buying food directly from the farmer ― which isn’t necessarily the case, she says, in states like Mississippi.

The final goal for Plovgh is to provide a technological platform for farmers, customers, transporters, and potential pick-up sites across the U.S. and beyond, which would allow them to coordinate amongst themselves. “The notion is that a farmer in India could use this and sell to people in Mumbai,” Greene says. In fact, she was inspired to create Plovgh after working with rural cotton farmers in India to help bring their products to urban markets. “It’s a very distributed model. We’re taking resources that already exist at the farm and neighborhood level and putting them to use.”

Filed under: Food, Locavore, Sustainable Farming, Sustainable Food

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Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance/Seattle, WA

The Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance (NFMA) is a community-based, 501c3 non-profit organization that has been operating farmer/food only markets in Seattle neighborhoods since 1993. The NFMA's mission is to support and strengthen Washington’s small farms and farming families, and the communities they serve. We do this by providing effective direct sales opportunities for our region’s small farmers, and by educating consumers about local farm products, food access issues, and the importance of supporting and preserving local farmland.

The Outreach and Development Manager is responsible for coordinating on-site special events, sponsorship, fundraising events, and community outreach for our 7 Farmers Markets.
This is a full time, salaried 32 hours per week position. Hours will vary seasonally, and weekend and evening work is required. Full time compensation includes generous benefits and salary range of $2500-$3000 per month depending on experience.

See our website for full job description: http://www.seattlefarmersmarkets.org/…b-openings

Applications received by April 9, 2012 will receive first consideration. Ideal start date will be May or early June at the latest.

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