Summer Play area on a roof garden
28-7-2014
The last couple of weeks, I noticed that the car park where I always park wasn’t as packed as usual. In Arnhem, they have a nice solution for car parks during the summer. They created a ‘Roof Garden’. A public place or a all-in-one location, where you can hang-out, drink something, eat a ‘roof’-meal, enjoy the garden and follow a bee workshop. You can even play ping pong, practice ‘roof’yoga, see a ‘roof’-movie and exercise at the underground gym. Furthermore, it is a showroom for creatives and cultural initiatives, such as a silent disco. The design is sustainable, it uses solar energy and for example the furniture is created from wooden pallets by volunteers.
Update: 3 August was the final day, luckily we still got the pictures.
The Beacon Food Forest
17-7-2014
We have mentioned the food oasis before, for the first time, a public food forest was created at seven overgrown acres ground in Beacon Hill, in the neighborhood of Seattle. A food forest is a vegetation of edible plants, fruiting shrubs and vines, planted as a self-sufficient forest. We think it is a nice initiative to involve the neighborhood by growing such a special natural food forest in Beacon Hill.
Ripe Near Me
7-7-2014
RipeNearMe is an online platform from Australia that helps users find fruit and vegetables in the neighborhood. Visitors of the platform keep track of the ripeness of the fruits and vegetables and buy or collect these when they are ripe. They could also contact the growers and give their vegetables a review. In the neighborhood of New York you can collect free Butternut squash at this moment because somebody has to many in his of her garden.
acting sustainable by having fun
7-7-2014
The Green Plugin is a modular system whit which festivals can be built sustainably. It uses sustainable sources as wind-, solar- and human power. The Green Plugin has several items such as a dance floor, that gathers the energy of the people who are dancing and lights itself. Or an interactive recycling installation, where visitors can take their cups and transform them into a 3d-printed item. The Green Plugin is a initiative from UMEF (United Music Events Foundation), the Perpetual Plastic Project and Energy Floors.
Dutch couple links entrepreneurship and education in Suriname
4-6-2014
Entrepreneurs Jessica Augustin and Stanley Wassenaar from Amsterdam hope to be able to open ‘their’ hotel doors: Hotel Con Corazón in Paramaribo. With the profits of the hotel they want to contribute to good education and a better future for children in Suriname. To make their dream reality, they started a crowdfunding campaign and hope to collect 10 percent of the initial capital of approximately 800,000 euros. People can contribute in different ways; give a donation, provide a loan or become a social shareholder. For information on how to contribute klik here.
Radisson Blu 24hr Running Marathon
6-5-2014
The Radisson Blu Hotel in Amsterdam organizes a 24-hours treadmill Running Marathon in the lobby from 9 May 17.00 o’clock. During the event employees, guests and hotel aqcuaintances collect money for the World Childhood Foundation. During the 24-hours there are supporting events like a sponsor drink and a Running Dinner. See the Facebook page for more information.
Donate oversized food portions
1-5-2014
It often happens that restaurant guests not eat their whole dish, because the dish was larger than they expected. The German Food Bank ‘Düsseldorf table’ and agency ‘Ogilvy & Mather Germany’ launched the campaign ‘All you Can Eat’. Participating restaurants can place a sticker on the menu next to the dishes that tend to be served larger than guests can estimate. Guests have the option to choose for a smaller portion at the same price. The saved money will be donated to the food bank.
Freedom dinners on 5 May
23-4-2014
On 5 May people in Amsterdam eat together during the “Freedom meals”. In restaurants, parks, homes and on the streets of Amsterdam thousands of citizens share tables. Various organizations and initiatives connect people through food. There are five StreetDinners organized by Bite Me throughout the city, where fifty volunteers cook in ten kitchens and collectively serve it for the visitors of these local events. Next to that, a huge dinner is organized at the IJ (1000 pax) and in several other local dinners are organized in the districts, see this link (Dutch) for an overview.
Why not serve water this way!
22-4-2014
Today, Earth Day is celebrated around the world. This day positive attention is requested for global issues surrounding nature, the environment and climate change. With the main focus on reflection and enjoyment. In the hospitality industry, we are seeing more and more examples of less food miles, organic and local products, but also the processing of ‘forgotten’ vegetables and meat such as rooster, goat and goose. In addition, we have the debate about whether or not to serve tap water (in Europe). Yet we still see that ‘special’ water is served from glaciers from the other side of the world ….. But you can also make “special” water in a simpler and more sustainable way. Last weekend I served my ‘special’ waters at our Easter dinner. Several courses, with each course another water. I just used tap water and added herbs, lemon , rhubarb and beetroot, depending on the taste of the dish. Nice and simple. And just like wine, it’s nice to see if the taste actually blends well with the food. The water with beetroot / lemon and mint tasted great with the starter of smoked eel and the water with rhubarb was very subtle which combined well with dessert. A nice sustainable gesture; the water from the tap and the herbs and vegetables from nearby! And even for those who do not drink alcohol, it’s a party! My suggestion for Earth Day.^Marjolein
Winning dish chef Tim Bosch on menu at Landal parks
18-4-2014
The Diabetes Foundation and fund ‘Variatie in de Keuken’ (variation in the kitchen) challenged the chefs of Landal parks in the Netherlands to serve the healthiest and tastiest dish during the ‘Chefs’ Challenge’. Chef Tim Bosch of Landal Coldenhove surprised the jury and won the ‘Chefs’ Challenge’ with his main course and dessert. His main course of ‘skin fried mackerel filet with cauliflower couscous and coriander oil’ and his dessert ‘green tea with citrus, poached pear with vanilla yoghurt panna cotta’ will be on the menu at several Landal parks from June.
