Posts from — January 2008

This past Thursday we held the 2nd canvas Open Mic Night. It was a grand success in many ways. We had a really nice turnout over 40 people coming to have good times, listen to great music from our featured performers Electra Jacobs, Glenn Roethel and Joe Iadanza and others and spoken word led by Vik Rajan, Neil Fruchtman and Marcy Neuman and of course to taste delicious scones, muffins, cookies, coffee and tea provided by Whole Foods Market. Tom(Publisher of canvas) and I started the afternoon looking for a rug. It took us some time but we finally found one we thought would work well. It is truly amazing how a concrete floor can be transformed by an inexpensive throw rug! Then the clearing of the desks and chairs to create as best we can an open mic atmosphere in our offices here at Footprint Media. The night began with my wife Tara working the front door and getting our sponsor and their representative Loni from Integrative Healthcare Solutions set up to give chair massages. With no prompting at all Joe, Glenn and a great musician named Stu hopped up on stage and started a jam session. I intro’d a quick welcome on the mic and the night was off an running. One of the things that made this event a success for me was when I saw my good friend Harlan friedman come through the door with his girlfriend Lauren. He and I have known eachother for over 25 years and its always a good time when he is in the house. Another great thing was something Joe said inbtwn playing which was that he is accepting donations to produce his next album and he is putting everyones name in the album that helps him out. If you havent heard his music or if you have and you want to hear more go to: www.joeiadanza.com However, the absolute best part of the night for me was when it was over and immediately Joe, Glenn and I did some spontaneous high fiving and looking at the joy on the peoples faces that attended, played or spoke. The energy in the room was some of the purest I have felt in some time. I did not see one person that didnt seem to be enjoying themselves and for me personally that was extremely rewarding because that is one of our goals with canvas :to create the space for people to build community and ENJOY themselves in a healthy, wholesome, accepting and welcoming environment. Open Mic Mission: SUCCESSFUL

Tomorrow (Thursday Jan. 17) we’re hosting our 2nd Open Mic Nite at the Footprint Gallery (canvas Office). We’re excited because not only is it the Open Mic Nite but we have great art from The Nature and Wildlife Photographers of Long Island showing at the gallery.

It should be a great night and we hope those that can will join us. The link below gives more detail.

Tom Pellicane – Publisher, canvas Magazine

Open Mic Nite

Yes, I’m tired, but this not a complaint or whining… This is a satisfying tired!

Last night we had the Greendrinks networking event and it was great! The folks at Cirella’s Restaurant were accommodating, we met a lot of new interesting people who attended the event. Everyone I spoke with told me they enjoyed the food and were happy they came.

Yeah I know, some of you were saying it was a little tight, but hey we had over 80 people come out for the event, it just gave us each a little more time to talk to the person or people next to us.

The event ended at 9, a lot of people were leaving closer to 10. Having attended a lot of events during my career that I was counting the minutes until I could get out of there, it was good to see people still wanting to hang out and talk past 9.

We were fortunate to have a reporter from Long Island Magazine come, I look forward to the story getting published, she asked me “does this draw a diverse group of people (in their work life) or do I find similar types of people coming?” I told her “It’s very diverse, see this guy next to you he does Socially Responsible Investment Planning, see the guy next to him he’s an Artist.”

Kermit the Frog said something like “it ain’t easy being green.” I hope the writer she saw the diversity and the synergy of the group during her time there. It’s not easy being green because you don’t necessarily fit into the box people associate with it.

Sometimes I think this group should be renamed “Sustainable Drinks” because this is really about people from a Sustainable Mind Set coming together without labels. You know, there’s a lot going on out there the needs to be shared with the masses. People are making great stuff happen and it’s not all about putting the bottles at home out for recycling, which is a saying someone recently said to me. It’s beyond green at this point.

That said, Thanks to all who attended and to all who made it possible.

Dean Cirella if you’re reading this that means you too!

Alex Wolff of Alex Wolff Photography took some great pictures you can check them out clicking on the link below.

Tom Pellicane, Publisher – canvas Magazine

Greendrinks at Cirella’s Photos

We have another Greendrinks event tomorrow night. It’s at Cirella’s Restaurant (click on Greendrinks below). It’s funny the owner of the Restaurant called to ask if they need to specifically make Greendrinks. After I laughed, I said no, and explained the Greendrinks concept again.

We’ve been asked about the “Greendrinks,” ala what some places do on St. Patricks Day, a lot and laugh each time we’re asked.

However this also means we need to do a better job of explaining what it is…
In its simplest form Greendrinks is an opportunity for like minded people (eco-consciouness) to meet and network. At some point we may include other things but we’ve met some great people through these events and hope others have as well.

Tom Pellicane – Publisher, canvas

Greendrinks

Written by: Chris O’Hara

Going to high school in Manhattan, I always thought of Rudolf Steiner as the elite private school on the Upper East Side for wealthy kids too stoned to get into St. David’s. Little did I know that the school’s eponymous founder was not only the originator of Waldorf Schools (an educational philosophy that emphasizes the role of imagination in learning), but also the inventor of biodynamic agriculture, a farming trend experiencing a resurgence thanks to the wider organic-food revolution.

In food, it’s very tough to differentiate between organic, sustainably-produced cuisine and that which is not. Although I believe organic meat and produce many times can be fresher-tasting and ultimately more enjoyable, it is hard to validate by taste alone. With wine, however, the proof is on the palate, which is why I decided to test the supposed benefits of biodynamic agriculture with wine. But, what is biodynamic agriculture, anyway? According to Wikipedia, biodynamic agriculture is “a method of organic farming that treats farms as unified and individual organisms, emphasizing balancing the holistic development and interrelationship of the soil, plants, animals as a closed, self-nourishing system.”

In other words, biodynamic farming treats the farm like a person (well, a progressive, well-pampered person with a holistic lifestyle). The biodynamic philosophy maintains that everything that happens on a farm’s ecosystem affect everything else- and nature (including the movements of the stars and planets) also affects what’s happening in a plant. Artificial chemicals are banned in favor of herbal soil treatments, and the relationship between a farm’s livestock and its crops is closely matched (especially as it relates to fertilization and composting). Astrological charts are consulted to determine planting and harvesting times. The biodynamic approach to farming is truly a labor of love—costly and time consuming.

Although it sounds bit over the top, the biodynamic approach to farming is taken quite seriously, and the term “biodynamic” is actually trademark protected. In the United States, the Demeter Association has been using its strict criteria to certify farms since 1982, and only farms that can prove they have been true to Steiner’s founding principles can be “certified biodynamic.” But, does this type of farming actually work? According to many studies, biodynamic farming has been shown to be as effective as traditional farming, and some studies have shown the soil of the biodynamic farm to be richer in nutrients and organic matter than that of conventional farms (not surprising, considering all the TLC they receive). In terms of wine, however, a long-term study in a California vineyard was somewhat inconclusive. In other words, as mentioned the proof would be on the palate.

I was determined to test the efficacy of biodynamic viticulture the hard way: by drinking a couple of BD wines. My first choice was an Oregon Pinot Noir from Cooper Mountain Vineyards, started by former Massapequa resident Robert Gross. Pinot is known to be a very difficult grape to produce (even conventionally), so this would be a true test of BD wines. Located on the 45th parallel, as is the Burgundy region of France, and resting on the slopes of an ancient volcano, Cooper Mountain’s vineyards have a lot going for them to begin with. Yet, by opting to adopt very strict organic-farming methodology in 1990—and eventually becoming both organically and biodynamically certified, in 1999 and 2002 respectively—Cooper Mountain is leading the way in West Coast organic viticulture. I found their $45 2005 “Mt. Terroir” Pinot to be amazingly complex and flavorful, with the delicate balance of fruit and earth that marks a classic pinot. This is a bottle that is eminently ready to drink, but will benefit from a few years maturity.

Another leader in the biodynamic space is the Benziger Family Winery in Sonoma. Perhaps better known for their downmarket but flavorful Glen Ellen chardonnay, the Benzigers take biodynamic farming seriously, and are known to spread their philosophy among the growers they purchase their grapes from. I sampled a bottle of their 2004 “Tribute,” a Bordeaux blend made primarily from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, and found it well worth the $80 price tag. This particular bottling is certified to be 100% biodynamically produced, which is a trend I think you will be seeing more of in the future.

Three friends (with more advanced wine palates than mine) and I blind-tasted both wines against similar, conventionally produced wines in their price range, and found that in both cases the biodynamic wines were highly competitive in the tasting, and in some cases won outright. Was there a dramatic difference in flavor between the biodynamically produced wine and the conventional bottlings? No, just the subtle differences you would find between any bottle of wine and another. However, both wines were exceptional, which isn’t hard to believe. At the end of the day, organic farming is very difficult—and biodynamic farming is extremely challenging. That the wines that represent the end result of a grower’s dedication and commitment to his land are high quality is to be expected. Whether biodynamically produced wines will become the new gold standard for oenologists will depend more on market demand than taste, however.

canvas: Do you feel the “biodynamic” thing is a big differentiator for wines, or is it a lot of hype? In other words, wouldn’t the wine be the same if it were just produced organically?

Gross: We do think that biodynamic farming is significantly different from growing organically. Think of organic farming as being prohibitive (for example, spray programs must not include any synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides). With biodynamic farming you are to think “outside the box” in order to achieve self-sustaining ecosystems within each farm. At Cooper Mountain we believe that the BD system is homeopathy for the vineyard, and use the BD preparations for long-term vineyard health.

canvas: How does your Pinot Noir stack up to similar wines produced conventionally in the same region?

Gross:Arguably our wines are truly reflecting the terroir of our vineyard sites because of the BD agriculture.
For better or for worse—hate it or love it—the wines are unique to our vineyard sites.

canvas: Do people buy your wine specifically for the BD angle, or are they even aware that it is produced
in a special way?

Gross: I see a growing interest in BD agriculture from our consumers, but we have a ways to go before there is a consumer understanding like we have finally reached with organics in the winemaking process.

Christopher O’Hara’s most recent book, Great American Beer, won a “Man at His Best” award from Esquire Magazine. Reach him at chris_ohara@hotmail.com