Sustainable Tallahassee's Eco-Teams graduation last night ended with its own version of "Detroit Soup."
Recognized from a long list of innovative ideas generated by the group, Sue Hansen, master gardener, member of Tallahassee Food Network, and bread maker extraordinaire, received the $100 award to grow her innovative idea. Sue has single-handedly taken on recruiting more shoppers to the reuseable bag movement by sewing and handing out her attractive cloth bags to grocery shoppers. She is reusing cloth from thrift and garage sales and sewing up bags that she gives away, coaxing the recipients to consider always using reusable bags instead of plastic or paper. [She offered her pattern to anyone who is interested in making their own bags.] Sue said it annoys her that many stores offer only free plastic bags wants to help more people be aware that with a few reuseable bags, they can eliminate themselves from their plastic bag diet.
Eco-Teams are a joint project with Sustainable Tallahassee, the City of Tallahassee and Leon County. More Eco-Teams are forming in the Tallahassee area, with the idea that this will be an on-going strategy to learning about simple ways residents can reduce their impact on the environment and save energy. Copies of the Green Living Handbook are available at local Leon County libraries and Sustainable Tallahassee members are ready to provide technical assistance to emerging groups. Learn more about the Handbook here.
Founded in the Mexicantown neighborhood of Detroit in February 2010, Detroit Soup is an idea where residents come together for a meal, make a set donation and listen to innovative ideas pitched by others from their community. At the end of the evening, the group votes on the 'best' idea and that project receives the proceeds of the night's dinner to carry forward their project. While there are many models, Detroit's effort had created its own unique model for the redevelopment, reorganization, re-imagining of their city. Their website has guidelines on how to start your own neighborhood soup. During a recent event hosted by Village Square in Tallahassee, a group proposed starting a Tallahassee Soup.
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| Photo by Green Tallahassee Becky Parsons, Sustainable Tallahassee Board Member with her Eco-Team |
2 comments:
Thank you for the great writeup!
Great reporting, Green Tallahassee!
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