Sol & Co

Sol & Co. is a Memphis clothing brand that uses recycled materials and ethical practices to make their goods, such as tees, hats, and more. Buy some of your favorite basics from them now online.

Project Green Fork

Project Green Fork is a little different compared to others on the list, as it’s more of a directory of restaurants around the city with green initiatives. It’s a great resource for finding out more about the places you love, like Central BBQ and the Beauty Shop, and their aims for sustainable practices.

Downtown Yoga Memphis

Downtown Yoga Memphis has an online and in-person shop where you can purchase eco-friendly mats and other yoga materials. Plus, these mats were also made by local artists so you can support the 901 in more ways than one.

Downtown Candle Co.

Downtown Candle Co. makes their candles and other home good products with clean materials, like their candles with soybean wax, cedar wood wicks, and essential oils for “toxin-free” enjoyment. They also sell bath bars and room sprays if you want to treat yourself to a little R&R.

Memphis Transformed

Memphis Transformed aims to make the city cleaner and zero net waste. You can help to support their efforts through volunteering or creating your own campaign. Just check out their site to learn more.

2 Chicks and a Broom

2 Chicks and a Broom is a company that works with residences and commercial brands for eco-friendly cleaning and environmentally-responsible products. They focus on providing high-quality work that isn’t damaging to the environment or their customers.

Urban Earth

One way Urban Earth aims to make the world greener is by transforming your yard with natural foliage. It’s proven that indoor and outdoor plants are environmentally friendly, promoting better air and providing nutrients to nearby animals. Check them out to grab some of your own greenery soon.

The post Sustainable Businesses in Memphis to Support This Earth Month appeared first on We Are Memphis.

Insulate Your Home

Energy efficiency can be as simple as buying the right curtains or installing new windows. Thankfully, there are plenty of spots around Memphis where you can do either. Sun-blocking curtains keep your home cooler and require your AC to do less work, while the right windows can help with winter heat and cool summer air. Try one of these local shops:

• Pella Windows & Doors of Germantown
• The Window Source of the Midsouth
• Champion Replacement Windows of Memphis
• The Glass Guru
• Affordable Blinds & Shutters LLC
• Curtain Exchange
• Budget Blinds of Memphis

Thrift Your Home Goods

Nothing is more sustainable than thrifting. You can find some amazing furniture and other home goods that are gently used or can be restored with a bit of TLC. (Consider using eco-friendly paints and recycled materials during your restoration, also!) Here are some thrift stores around Memphis that will have amazing finds:

• Memphis Habitat for Humanity ReStore
• AMVETS Thrift Store (Memphis location)
• Blues City Thrift
• Memphis Union Mission
• Junior League of Memphis Repeat Boutique
• City Thrift

Plant a Garden

Planting an eco-friendly garden in your own backyard (or a community garden) is a great way to have fresh fruits and vegetables while also utilizing the leftover water and compost from your home. Plus, you’re adding some greenery into your space which is wonderful for the environment. Here are some places around town where you can buy seeds, gardening tools, and other things you’ll need for this new venture:

• Golden Hour
• Terra Cotta Nursery
• Flowers and More
• Midtown Bramble and Bloom 
• Urban Earth
• Gurley’s Plant Nursery
• Country Gardens
• Dabney Nursery

Use Natural Cleaning Products

Putting harmful chemicals back into the water or environment can be damaging, so use natural cleaning products that are plant-based or even dye-free. Thankfully, Memphis has quite a few spots in town that will give you exactly what you need for a cleaner home without the toxic ingredients, including cleaning services that will do all the work for you:

• Buff City Soap
• Champalou Spa* select cleaning products available in-store
• Magnolia Soap and Bath Co.
• Lady Luv Clean
• Memphis Maids
• Green Collar Cleaning

The post 4 Ways to Make Your Memphis Home More Sustainable This Earth Month appeared first on We Are Memphis.

Do you ever feel like you have too many clothes but nothing to wear? If you’ve become bored with your wardrobe, then consider upcycling it. You’ll bring new life to old threads and keep your clothes out of the landfill. Here are a few local businesses to help you get started.

Dye it.

Nothing says “summer style” like playful, colorful hues. You can refresh fabrics that have become faded or stained over time by simply dying them. Stop by Art Center to stock up on tie-dye kits, textile paints and fabric pastels.

Stitch it.

Embroidery is one of the most expressive ways to sport your personality. With chain stitch embroidery, you can create a one-of-a-kind piece that is hand-drawn and sewn. Let We Tight Knit “tattoo” your garment with a patch, monogram, or custom design and wear it with flair.

Quilt it.

You know that stack of t-shirts that’s been accumulating in your closet forever? Turn them into a patchwork quilt to display and preserve your memories. Visit Night Owl T-Shirt Quilts to create your quilt.

Frame it.

What about your retro sports jersey that’s just too rare to wear? Frame it, hang it, and step up the style in your basement bar or man cave! Frame Corner offers both DIY options and custom solutions for showcasing your collectibles.

What about your unwearables? You can drop any distressed or damaged clothes at a donation bin near you, so they can be recycled in a manufacturer take-back program or reprocessed into fibers for other products. Visit Earth911.com and use their Recycling Locator to find a bin near you.

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Memphis Transformed and Clean Memphis have partnered up with Choose 901 and Volunteer Odyssey for a challenge with a goal to reduce litter around the city! As we all know, the pandemic has had such a huge impact on the way we live our lives. One of the many lesser-known effects would have to be our litter production. Since the beginning of the pandemic, our litter production has grown by more than 200%! With litter in our cherished water system and our communities overall, it’s time to fight back and clean up our city. 

So how do we challenge ourselves and our community to get to cleaning? By using the Litterati app! The teams behind the challenge are using this new tool to help capture litter pollution data, create better prevention strategies, and allow us all to track our impact! 

Ready to get out there and starting making a change? Pick up 50 pieces of litter over the weekend and document it in the app! Starting today (4/22) through Sunday (4/25), use the app to record your litter clean up and, if you’re among the Top 10 Volunteers, you’ll get a chance to win prizes to some of the cities favorite local restaurants PLUS some 901 swag. With gift cards to restaurants like The Beauty Shop, Chef Tam’s, Babalu, it’s safe to say that it’s a pretty sweet reward for cleaning up the city. 

Be sure to follow Memphis Transformed and Volunteer Odyssey and click here to get registered and download the app!

This is our city (and planet), Memphis! Let’s join together to make a difference. 

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While community gardens may sound like a quaint concept, the fact is that they are becoming an
increasingly popular solution to the lack of affordable and nutritional food options in communities
across America. Studies have shown that the benefits of community gardens extend beyond the
immediate and obvious nutritional gains for a neighborhood, but can also contribute to building greater social ties, reducing crime, and improving mental health, among others. In Memphis, community gardens are springing up seemingly everywhere, but few are as ambitious in scope or size as Uptown’s Black Seeds Urban Farms.

When Bobby and Derravia Rich returned home to Memphis in 2015 after spending years in Nashville, the couple knew that they wanted to come up with a way to have a positive impact on their community, but were unsure of the best way to do so. “We were really excited to return home, but knew that we didn’t want to just get stuck in a cubicle for the next 30 years. We wanted to do something for the people of our city, although it wasn’t clear what that was,” says Bobby. As so often happens, the answer came from an unexpected source.

After moving into Derravia’s ailing grandmother’s house in order to help, the couple rediscovered a
garden in the backyard which had fallen into disrepair in the years following the death of Derravia’s
grandfather. After working grueling hours as a Memphis firefighter, Bobby found that tending the
garden was not only a cathartic process for him, but also helped to bring back cherished memories from his wife’s childhood spent in the home. “As the garden started to return to its former glory, Derravia would come outside and see places where she had played as a child that weren’t visible before. That’s really the beginning of this journey,” says Bobby.

After Derravia’s grandmother passed away in 2019, the couple found that the garden became a place of solace not only for them, but for their family, friends, and neighbors as well. “After the funeral, everyone came back to the house and just naturally gravitated towards the garden. I think that’s when I realized the power of these types of spaces…it makes you vulnerable and reminds you of the natural aspects of life and how it’s all interconnected,” says Bobby. “My uncles are retired firefighters and had grown up farming and working in the garden, so they already had a lot in common with Bobby. When he started working on the garden, they were quick to help out as well and were able to teach him a lot. It was awesome to see how this brought the family together,” add Derravia. As the garden continued to grow, neighbors began visiting the home to pick up herbs and vegetables, much like they had during Derravia’s childhood. This experience not only gave her an important link to her grandparents, but also convinced Derravia that they had the foundation for a successful business on their hands. “I have a background in general management and program development, and I recognized how good Bobby had become at growing. I realized that we had the opportunity to expand our reach and create a legitimate business out of this hobby,” she says. As a firefighter, Bobby had also noticed the abundance of food deserts around the city and knew that the couple could help in tackling the lack of fresh food options for Memphians. The two soon set about looking for an empty lot on which they could establish a community garden.

After months of searching, the Rich family finally settled on a plot of land in the Uptown neighborhood that seemed perfect for their needs. “After a long and grueling process, we finally had the home for Black Seeds Urban Farm,” says Derravia. Although the ongoing pandemic impeded the official opening of the business, the couple both say that the past year has been a salient example of the value of community-based food sources. “I think a lot of people realized that these types of events will keep happening if we don’t change the way we interact with nature and our food sources,” says Bobby.

Derravia says the pandemic also proved the importance of shared outdoor spaces. “I noticed during the height of the pandemic that Bobby and his co-workers were spending a lot of time in the garden and I think it was therapeutic for all of them. You could see the change in their demeanors and how it helped to alleviate the stress of their jobs,” she says. With the goal of an official opening this summer, the Black Seeds Urban Farms aims to be something much more dynamic than your typical community garden. “In addition to the garden, we will also have an educational component, an area for making tea using our herbs, a space for picnics, and areas for other events such as live music, yoga, art shows and the like,” says Bobby. “At the end of the day, we just want to create a space where people can access healthy food, visit a beautiful space, and take a holistic approach to their health,” says Derravia.

Black Seeds Urban Farms is located at 580 N. 4th Street. To learn more about their work and to follow their progress, follow them on Instagram at @blackseedsurbanfarms

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The post Black Seeds Urban Farms Brings a Fresh Twist to the Community Garden appeared first on We Are Memphis.

By Carlissa Shaw

As our nation and our world attempt to fight the global pandemic that is Covid-19, we have all heard of a possible food shortage. The grocery stores are empty as people try to stock their pantries and prepare for the worst. Now is the perfect time to highlight the renaissance of cultivating and growing food in the urban core. Urban farming is not only trending but is an essential element to the development of the social culture and a sustainable food source in Memphis. 

Just recently, Shelby County Mayor, Lee Harris, cut the ribbon on the re-established Shelby County Community Gardens. According to the Mayor’s Instagram page, “the community gardens provide residents with free plots to produce life-sustaining fruits and vegetables.” For more information, contact community.gardens@shelbycountytn.gov.

While we look forward to the Shelby County Community Garden relaunch and specific program details, there are several community gardens in the city that are in full bloom all around town. 

Uptown

Local fireman Bobby Rich along with his wife Derravia, are the founders of Black Seeds Garden, an urban farm located in Uptown Memphis. Black Seeds is a partnership with the City of Memphis Community Development Agency to eliminate blight throughout the city. The garden will soon open and will not only offer fruits, vegetables, herbs, but also commits to creating an enjoyable outdoor living experience. Black Seed Garden anticipated a start date of May 30, 2020, but due to the Coronavirus, the date has been postponed. Follow their progress at @blackseedurbanfarms on all social media platforms. 

Frayser

Frayser is home to several beautiful urban gardens. Located on the grounds of New Hope Christian Academy, the garden is intentionally designed to touch each of the five senses of those that come in contact with it. Students in each grade level plant a seed in the ground each May after they finish testing. The Garden Club, a group of 20-25 students that meet twice a week after school, maintain the garden. A fence covered by blackberries surrounds the boundaries of the garden. On the side of the fence that is accessible to the public, the school invites the community to come and pick the thornless blackberries during the summer months. 

Frayser is home to another beautiful urban farm. The Girls Inc. Youth Farm is a 9.5-acre plot where girls grow healthy produce and engage in social entrepreneurship. Girls in their second year of Girls Inc. can qualify for a coveted position in the garden. The girls grow lettuce, tomatoes, spinach, zucchini, cucumbers, okra, herbs, and flowers. The girls also man the farmer’s markets — including the Memphis Farmers Market Downtown — in which they are involved. They get a stipend for their work. For more information on Girls Inc or the Youth Farm program, visit https://www.girlsincmemphis.org/.

South Memphis

Green Leaf Learning Farm is a Knowledge Quest signature program that centers on the ⅔-acre urban micro-farm that sits directly across from their main campus. The campus is located at 590 Jenette Pl 38126 just down the street from “The People’s Grocery Store” historical marker. On the farm, students and community members learn how to grow food in ways that build community and increase the neighborhood’s access to healthy goods. The students become healthy eaters, entrepreneurs, and advocates for social and environmental justice. For more information on how to get involved, visit https://www.knowledgequest.org/.

In a city in battle with blight and urban decay, urban farming is a lethal weapon for team Memphis. Imagine a plot that once adorned a dilapidated structure is now an oasis of nourishment and beauty for the community. Join the movement, plant something!

 And for more tips on growing your own urban jungle, check our blog on the Best Gardening Resources in Memphis!

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So what’s the takeaway? For us, it’s that cooperation and unity really are possible. Until now environmental and social justice issues have mainly been a “mashup of philanthropy, employee engagement, renewable energy programs, and investor relations.” But now that we’ve seen people from all walks of life come together to overcome a global health crisis – it’s time to pause and reflect on our responsibility to protect the planet. Instead of throwing our arms up and pretending our personal habits have no lasting impact, we can each make minor changes in our routines for a healthier future!

Here are 5 environmentally friendly tips to keep in mind while working from home. Let’s decide to collectively grow from this experience and return more firm in our resolve to achieve sustainable development for all.

1. Buy Less “Stuff”: You don’t want to end up on the COVID-19 edition of Hoarders because you’re home, bored and a little too fond of Amazon Prime. Studies show that not only does buying less help the environment it also makes us happier. The days when you could get every item on your shopping list may be over. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t limit yourself to buying only the freshest ingredients that you know you’ll use in the next few days. Remember, a little goes a long way. So shop smart by planning meals for the week.  
2. Use What You Already Have: You also may want to take inventory of what you already have and make the most of it. Sheltering in place and “flattening the curve” means you have time to experiment. So pull out that baker’s hat your spouse got you for your birthday, and don’t forget the apron mom got you for Valentine’s. Maybe they weren’t being passive-aggressive after all. There’s no better time to take all the not-so-subtle cooking gifts and join all the other social distancing chefs who are sharing their cooking adventures on social media. Get motivated with this list of meals you can make with what’s already in your pantry or check out Netflix’s Chef & My Fridge. #pandemiccooking #pandemicbaking
3. Buy Local, Because It’s Better: One of the most important ways buying locally helps the environment is by reducing your food miles. But we don’t want you to buy local where local options aren’t at least on par with alternatives. Try Bring It Food Hub or the South Memphis Farmers Market and tell us how much you enjoy the fresh tasty goodness of food sourced locally. 
4. Use EcoFriendly Office Supplies: The office may be a place where American dreams come true, but it’s also a place where 2 pounds of paper and paperboard products are wasted every day. Good thing you don’t have to look any further than where you’re reading this article to find an unlimited supply writing, copying, and editing equipment: ctrl+x, ctrl+v, and ctrl+c. All kidding aside, take this time at home to intentionally print & use less paper products.
5. Clap On Clap Off: If you don’t already have a smart thermostat, don’t fret. Like Nike says, just do it. When you leave the room, turn off the light, ceiling fan, tv – anything you aren’t using! It’s amazing how small acts like this on a daily basis can reduce the amount of power your household consumes.
6. Give Back: Think outside your home (I know, it’s easy to forget the outside world exists!) and give back. Shelby Farms Park and Overton Park are beautiful, safe parks that are more than worthy to give back to! After all, we’re all going to need some fresh air once the shelter in place restrictions are lifted.

Did we miss any of your favorite safer-at-home sustainability tips? Tweet us and let us know!

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The theme for Earth Day 2020 is climate action, and following in the footsteps of the 20-million Americans who took to the streets in 1970 to protest environmental ignorance and demand a new way forward for our planet, we’re not letting the COVID outbreak get in the way of us celebrating and achieving gold. So this year, we’re taking the fight to our home gardens. Gardening has already proven to provide stress relief, and with 90 percent of us under stay-at-home orders, there’s been a resurgence in victory gardening. According to CBS, victory gardening “was a homefront craze during the World Wars, when Americans were encouraged to grow their own produce to supplement rations.” Joining in on the trend is the perfect way for individual families to unite in a demonstration of support for environmental protection. 

To start getting your socially-distanced, idle-hands on board, check out this list of easy vegetables to grow and this free Memphis planting calendar, where you’ll find the best dates for planting and transplanting. Here are some other great local resources to get your Earth Day 2020 victory gardening activities underway. 

1. Dan West Garden Center: Founded in 1952, as a small feed and seed store primarily serving the farm community in East Memphis, Dan West Garden Center offers expert advice on how to care for your garden, trees, shrubs, and plants. 
2. Flora Memphis: Self-professed plant obsessors, Flora Memphis aims to invigorate current plant lovers while enticing more Memphians to become plant-obsessed. They provide instructional content curated from the world-wide-web with images from their Instagram feed mixed in. 
3. Memphis Area Master Gardeners (MAMG): Comprised of over 2,496 certified Tennessee Master Gardeners, the “master Gardener program seeks to improve the lives of Tennesseans by promoting environmental stewardship, non-commercial food production, and human health and well-being through horticulture education and outreach delivered by a dedicated and skilled volunteer network.” Don’t miss their Memphis Kitchen Garden Planting Guide. 
4. Memphis Garden Club (MGC): Formed in 1921, MGC seeks to advance and encourage the knowledge and practice of horticulture and the design and development of gardens. The Horticulture Committee holds meetings periodically, as announced in the MGC newsletter. Programs include propagation, plant identification, bulbs, herbs, roses, and more. 
5. Memphis Horticultural Society (MHS): Founded in the late 1980s by a group of passionate local plant enthusiasts, MHS is focused on the study of plants and the exchange of information among the members on care, cultivation, propagation of plants, and garden design.
6. Shelby County Extension Service: The official website of Shelby County offers an extensive list of publications with everything you need to know about home gardening, lawn, and landscape care.
7. Urban Earth: Located in Midtown Memphis’ Flicker Street Art District, Urban Earth is a welcoming, community-minded resource for plants and garden materials and garden design, creation and management.

If you’re not ready to get down and dirty, you can still celebrate Earth Day by implementing these simple tips to live a more sustainable lifestyle!

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The Shelby County government will take your Christmas trees and wreaths at the Agricenter. Resident can drop off their greenery, free of lights and decorations, at the designated drop-off area near Showplace Arena at 105 South Germantown Road through January 9.

“This is the 18^th year for the program,” said Shelby County Director of Public Works Tom Needham. “We want people to take advantage of this free service and bring their trees and other decorations to the recycling center. After the holidays, we find many of these items dumped along the roadsides.”

The Memphis Botanic Garden is also offering a recycling option. It has teamed up with The Yard to accept Christmas greenery for recycling. Drop off your tree at 1735 Thomas Road, just off Covington Pike and Pleasant View Road from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 7 a.m.to 2 p.m. on Saturday. If you mention the Memphis Botanic Garden when dropping off your recyclables at The Yard, The Yard will donate $5 to the Memphis Botanic Garden.

The City of Memphis also offers curbside pickup for Christmas trees. According to Memphis 311, just leave your tree on top of your cans on your normal pickup day if possible and the city will pick them up. Beware that the city is running behind on pickups. For more stories relating to the culture of Memphis, visit our Culture page.

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