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GoGreen Conference 2016

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Our team is going to be out with our bike at the GoGreen Conference is this coming Wednesday, October 5. Last year was really inspiring, so we recommend registering quick if you haven’t already; it is a great opportunity to network and brainstorm with leading community members committed to sustainability.

The conference, created and organized by B Corporation Social Enterprises, is a sustainability learning experience for business and government decision-makers. Featuring regionally targeted content and recognized leaders from the community, GoGreen works across industry silos to foster peer-to-peer learning and collaborative solutions. The conference operates in the firm belief that sustainability in the business setting is a powerful and indispensable tool for navigating the tumultuous waters of today’s global economy and solving our climate woes. GoGreen aims to empower attendees with the strategies, tools and connections through networking opportunities to advance the triple bottom line. See you there!

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The PPP Team at GoGreen 2015

 


Small But Mighty: Green Zebra Grocery

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Lovely produce at Green Zebra

Just in time for Earth Day, Green Zebra Grocery has its grand opening today for their Lloyd District location. Green Zebra is a full-service grocery store in a small footprint, for neighborhood convenience and quality. I really love this idea and wish there were more markets like it. Reason being: I get easily overwhelmed in the oversized big box grocery stores of today (WHERE is the toothpaste? Where is it?? Aisle 57? Ahhhhhhh!).

So for people like me, who don’t have a car and prefer to shop weekly instead of purchasing giant pallets of dried spaghetti as if preparing for the apocalypse, this is my kind of market. They focus on curating their stock to emphasize healthy, local, and sustainable produce and products. It is also just plain smart to build smaller, local markets in dense mixed-use environments like Lloyd — areas that are walkable and convenient.

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Healthy convenience – Get it catered direct!

The Lloyd location also has an added bonus with their ZeBar, where you can pull up a chair and enjoy craft beer or cider or pick up a growler fill. They also have kombucha taps, because, well, of course they do! Green Zebra gives careful consideration to every product in their store. Deli food is cooked from scratch at each location. From fresh brewed coffee to lush salad bar to grass fed beef and sustainable seafood, if they don’t have it, you probably don’t need it.

PPP is now offering delivery and catering from Green Zebra, check out their online menu and order direct — from breakfast goodies to awesome cheese and charcuterie platters. We are super excited about their new location and our partnership!


Bike to the Green Festival Expo for Free Admission!

LA CrowdThe Green Festival Expo is just around the corner! It’s a great place to pick up some free goodies and maybe a holiday gift or two. Taking place Dec 11th -13th at the Oregon Convention Center, it’s the first time it’s been here in the festival’s 14 year history.

Green Festival Expo is the largest and longest-running sustainability event in the United States with a mission to bring together the world’s most trusted companies, innovative speakers, national and local innovative businesses, conscious consumers and pioneering thinkers to promote the best in sustainability and green living.

GF Logo stackedDuring the 3-day expo there will be free yoga classes, B2B mentoring sessions for green business owners, an interactive family fun area for kids to learn all about reducing their carbon footprint and over 50 inspirational speakers. Green Festival Expo is now featuring a Portland Local Market Place on the floor where attendees will be able to shop locally, taste vegan and vegetarian food and enjoy organic products close to home.

Bike to the expo, park at the Green Festival Bike Valet and receive FREE admission! Youth 16 and under are granted free admission as well. Booth space is available for local and national businesses. Book today by calling (828) 333-9403 x300 or e-mail [email protected]. Visit www.greenfestivals.org for more information. Hours open to the public are: Friday 12pm – 6pm, Saturday 10am – 6pm & Sunday 10am – 5pm. Find your tickets here: http://bit.ly/195cS0D.


Introducing…New People at PPP!

Howdy folks! I just joined Portland Pedal Power as the new Marketing Specialist, and I couldn’t be more excited to be working with the fabulous team here. So far I’ve toured the town on the big bikes, attended a Sundown Concert with Ecotrust, visited the new exhibit at the Portland Art Museum with some of our team, and have met with several of our great sponsors and partners. I’m excited to help grow social media, strengthen partnerships, and further develop our marketing strategy. The amazing Peter Wang also just joined the team as the new Vendor Relations Manager, and we took a moment to interview each other. This is the magic that happened:

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Peter being techy in the shop.

MD: So Peter, tell me why you are an amazing person.
PW: I am not so much an amazing person. I am just amazed a lot.

MD: Are you excited about joining the PPP team?
PW: Yeah, I mean, I get to ride bikes and get paid for it. It’s like a reverse gym membership.

MD: What background do you bring to Portland Pedal Power?
PW: I graduated from Oregon State University with a business degree, but I am also interested in tech stuff like the cloud and user experience. I’m halfway between computer nerd and business bro.

MD: So you call yourself a nerd. What’s the nerdiest thing about you?
PW: I play StarCraft. I know the characters and I am sad that they are concluding the story after 17 years this winter. On the other hand, I did get into beta fairly quickly. I have that going for me, I guess. One thing to be sure, though, is that a part of me will never be the same once the Legacy of the Void (the final part of the story) ends. That’s the day I will have to carry on my own journey without the Protoss fighting along with me. En taro Tassadar!
(Maria blinks uncomprehendingly)

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Don’t worry, I always wear a helmet.

PW: Maria, let’s start with a story. What was it like riding the big bike in high heels?
MD: Well here’s the thing, biking in heels is easier than walking in heels, and even though the guys in the office raised their eyebrows, I did take the big bike out the first time with a new pair of wood heeled wedge pumps, and I looked FANTASTIC. Or at least, I felt like I did.

PW: I know the words wood, heeled, wedge, and pumps on their own, but I have no idea what they mean when they come together.
MD: That is the number one reason I am needed here at PPP.
(Peter blinks uncomprehendingly)

PW: What did you study and why did you choose your major?
MD: I was a Literature major at UC Santa Cruz and I chose it because I like to read and write things.  I then went on to get a graduate MFA degree in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. Then somehow I ended up working in Marketing (which I dig). I still write stuff; I am working to finish a novel.

PW: What made you want to work for PPP?
MD: I come from a recent longtime marketing job working with urban planners and transportation nerds. I was a bikey person already but I got even more bikey working with them. I really like the idea of working for a bike-based business, I love the food in Portland, and I’m excited to engage more with the community. There are so many awesome partners and sponsors and restaurants and food carts working with Portland Pedal Power. So, this job really rests at the intersection of several of my passions.
(Peter and Maria end the interview abruptly to eat pizza)

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Both of us are super excited to join the excellent group here at PPP. Say hi if you see us on the bikes or at the food carts!


Satisfy your Craves with Crave Catering!

Nothing makes a great party like a great caterer. Get the right kind of food, and people will be talking about it for months. But where do you start looking for a caterer you can trust? Someone who you know will create the right kind of food for your kind of party?

Look no further, folks: Crave Catering has you covered.

Crave offers “a symphony of local ingredients… crafted into mouthwatering food” without sacrificing sustainability. Among their long list of sustainable business practices, Crave visits and supports local farmers markets, uses 100% biodegradable utensils and plates, converts spent oil into bio-fuel, and is a member of the Sustainable Business Network. Crave is so dedicated to providing fresh local food, they even have a farm of their own! As owner Mark Lopez writes:

“The piece of land The Crave Farm is on used to be a 100-acre chicken farm, which means rich, fertile soil perfect for growing the tastiest veggies and herbs. Our delectable produce is always grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or chemicals. These naturally grown vegetables make a short journey from our farm to our clients’ tables.

At the Crave Farm, we have harvested all varieties of delicious summer squash, like patty pan, acorn, butternut, delicata, buttercup, and kabocha as well as yellow and Italian zucchini. In addition, we cultivate an herb garden where we grow, thyme, rosemary, mint, oregano, marjoram, and sage. Last year we planted a small orchard with apples, pears, and figs and we look forward to bountiful harvests in the years to come.”

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Roasting Only the Best at Trailhead Coffee Roasters!

Any coffee consumer knows the caffeinated drink, be it cappuccino, espresso, or your standard cup of joe, is a fickle creation. There are so many ways to brew coffee, and not all strategies are created equal. That’s why we are very excited to announce we now carry Trailhead Coffee! Trailhead roasts award-winning coffee for grocers, cafes, and restaurants in the Pacific Northwest. Their coffees are roasted to highlight the nuances of their country of origin, all while bringing out the nice caramelization that occurs in a medium-roasted coffee. To make sure the flavor is just right, Trailhead does extensive taste testing, spends a lot of time with different brewing methods, and drinks a ton of espresso. All of this is in the name of research! Their dedication to the science of brewing the perfect cup of coffee shows! Trailhead Coffee won “Best Little Bean” with their limited edition Nekisse Ethiopian coffee. Trailhead loves to cup their coffees next to the very best, proving that they can stand toe-to-toe with with any java out there. (more…)


Portland Pedal Power gets KURED!

Some delicious looking smoothies!

Have you ever wished that something incredibly delicious and healthy would just magically arrive at your door? If your answer is yes, than you may have super powers beyond your knowledge, because KURE Juice Bar and Portland Pedal Power have teamed up to provide you with just that! We’re very excited about this partnership, and wanted to share with you just what you can expect when you order a drink to go from KURE!

KURE Juice Bar has been Portland’s go-to juice and smoothie establishment since 2011. The menu is full of variety, from the healthiest green juices to nutrient packed creamy, dreamy smoothies and acaî bowls unlike anywhere else on earth.

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The Sustainable Pasta of Portland

Pastini & PPPPortland Pedal Power has had the opportunity to work with Pastini Pastaria, a delectably good Italian restaurant that has graced the Rose City for some time. We have really enjoyed working with Pastini, as we both share an appreciation for sustainability and unique ideas. We wanted to learn a little more about who they are, so we sat down with one of the founders, Susan, to find out what’s been going on over at the Pastaria.

Pastini’s story starts in 2001, when Portland wasn’t exactly the same kind of food scene as it is today. Susan noticed there was a lack of quality affordable food in the Portland area and wanted to remedy that, so Pastini Pastaria was born! Susan, her husband Craig, and business partner Kara Hale decided to open up their own italian restaurant on Broadway and, as they say, the rest is history.

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Pastini Pastaria Partners with PPP!

Pastini PastariaPastini Pastaria, Portland’s Italian restaurants with a passion for pasta, have joined Portland Pedal Power’s list of eateries delivered by bike. Pastini’s name references the small, neighborhood bistros of Italy that serve a variety of pastas, and Pastini indeed offers a large selection of the noble noodle in authentic, made-from-scratch dishes.

Pastini started as a tiny restaurant in Irvington and has added locations downtown, on NW 23rd, and in SE Portland. But, while they’ve grown up over the last 11 years, they have stayed true to their roots by partnering with many locals farmers and suppliers like Pearl Bakery, Portland Roasting Coffee and Classic Foods, their supplier for artisan fresh pastas. And they’ve also stayed true to a philosophy of making all their own sauces, pestos, dressings and desserts, as well as making each dish to order. This means that every pasta, salad, sandwich and tiramisu is made from scratch with fresh, local ingredients and tastes like it!

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The Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030

Portland Bike LaneHave you ever wondered why Portland is such a great cycling city? Well, take a look at the Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030 and wonder no more! Adopted in February of 2010, the plan suggests that bicycling will be more attractive than driving by the year 2030 if advances are made in six key areas:

• Attracting new riders.
• Forming a denser bikeway network.
• Increasing bicycle parking.
• Expanding programs to support bicycling.
• Increasing funding for bicycle facilities.
• Strengthening bicycle policies.

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