GREENING GUILFORD

Deep Roots Market expands outreach

Deep Roots Market, a food cooperative on Spring Garden Road, has started a new community discount partners program that provides owners discounts at other local businesses, such as The Green Bean and Empire Books. The program, begun in January, is an attempt to encourage the patronage of locally-owned businesses and general manager Joel Landau said this small effort is just the beginning. He wasn't familiar with the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) but immediately I thought that was a direction this could go in if it becomes successful.

Deep Roots, which has actually outgrown its current location, has also begun a community volunteer prorgram where coop owners get credit for volunteering at one of seven organizations, including Greensboro Urban Ministry and Food Not Bombs.

In case you don't know, Landau ran unsuccessfully for an at-large seat on Greensboro City Council last year. But he has been very busy, helping the city sign on to the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. He told me Thursday that efforts to create an environmental advisory committee with city council are bearing some fruit and Mayor Yvonne Johnson might bring this up at Tuesday's regular meeting. Stay tuned....

USDA recalls already digested beef

Check out today's New York Times article about the U.S. Department of Agriculture issuing the nation's largest recall of ground beef (143 million pounds). It follows the airing of a scandalous undercover video showing workers abusing downed cows. How many times do you have to hear/see stuff like this before you just give up eating beef?