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MGSSBF Newsletter: Green Coffee at The Mason Jar Cafe, Member News, and more.
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Featured Stories
Green Coffee at The Mason Jar Cafe

Michigan’s Great Southwest Sustainable Business Forum hosted Green Coffee this Wednesday morning at The Mason Jar Cafe.

See photos of the event on our Facebook page.

During the gathering, Ben Baker of Wightman & Associates discussed the firm's use of gardening and small-scale agriculture as an alternative landscaping method. The company's garden started in 2015 with 6 beds and 14 participants, and has grown to 12 beds with 24 gardeners today. During the garden's evolution, inexperienced gardeners were paired with those more experienced to help facilitate growth and educate participants in small scale agriculture. The garden has helped to provide a connection to knowing where your food comes from, and offers a valuable outdoor resource during a busy or stressful day to go outside, tend your bed, collect your thoughts and get ready to tackle your next task.
Member News & Resources
WMSBF Director Daniel Schoonmaker recently received professional recognition in the area, being named one of West Michigan's 40 under Forty Business Leaders by the Grand Rapids Business Journal, as well as being honored by The Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Grand Rapids.
Whirlpool's Food Recycler makes composting a high-tech venture, a smarter way to turn food waste into fertilizer. 

Whirlpool finishes final phase of Riverview Campus, where about 1,350 people will call home. Whirlpool’s total investment in Benton Harbor between 2010 and 2016 for new and renovated facilities is estimated to be $155 million.

Help Kinexus learn about current trends in your industry by taking their survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HealthcareSWM.

Van Buren Conservation District hiring new position as a Food Safety Technician that works with local farmers and farm markets on food safety education. This is a pilot project and VBCD is seeking motivated applicants to help design the program and give it a good trial run working with farmers throughout their region.

Indiana Michigan Power Company's fourth solar plant to go online in the past year alone, the Watervliet Solar Power Plant, holds 53,750 solar panels over a 35 acres site and is now generating energy for I&M Customers. The new solar plant generates up to 4.6-megawatts of electricity, which is enough to power 650 homes annually.

Southwest Michigan Planning Commission Senior Planner Marcy Hamilton presented on a report at the League of Women Voters of Berrien and Cass Counties "Lunch with the League" event, where Marcy stressed the significance of the watershed in our area in her talk "Importance of Maintaining Septic Systems and the impact on our watersheds" along with other important programs at the SWMPC.

Wightman & Associates, Inc. garden GREEN Team, whose focus is on developing sustainable and environmentally conscious practices within the company, have expanded their community garden as an educational tool centered on sustainable practices. 

Send your news and events to news@wmsbf.org
Upcoming Events
Environmental Network Kickoff
Thursday, November 17, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
River Crossing Community Building (Study Room) - IU South Bend

Social Responsibility & Community Engagement
Southwest Sustainable Business Forum
Thursday, December 8, 12 PM - 2 PM
Location TBD

Lean & Green Contractor Training
Thursday, December 8, 12 PM - 3:45 PM
Grand Traverse County Government Center - Training Room
400 Boardman Avenue
Traverse City, MI 49684
Copyright © 2016 Michigan's Great Southwest Sustainable Business Forum, All rights reserved.


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