Greetings, gum chums!

You’ve probably heard me gab about gum plenty. Specifically, GLEE GUM! In fact, I tell you about Glee Gum so often, betcha I’ve made you an expert on the subject! Chances are that you know all about chicle, the special tree sap that gives Glee good chew. And you’ve read all about how chicle is sustainably harvested from the sapodilla tree and how that process helps to conserve the rainforest.

But did you know there are lots of OTHER products that are sustainably harvested from rainforest regions? It’s true! And I’ve got a great, green company to introduce to you.

Meet ForesTrade!

ForesTrade, inc. is an international supplier of all sorts of swell organic and sustainably harvested products. ForesTrade sells cardamom from Guatemala, nutmeg from Grenada, vanilla beans from India, and ginger oil from Indonesia, just to name a few.

The company works with community groups to farm the products in such a way that the local ecology is preserved. Then they market the products around the world, providing continued economic incentive for sustainable agriculture. How nifty is that!

Ian Diamondstone, ForesTrade’s Sales and Operations Manager, has been kind enough to tell us more.

According to Ian, ForesTrade established relationships with grower groups in Indonesia and Guatemala about ten years ago. They’ve maintained those relationships while simultaneously helping the groups with organic certifications, training, documentation, and product sales to the international market. 

Ian jokes that consumers of ForesTrade products can expect “good karma,” but he adds that they can count on “good quality and traceability all the way back to the piece of land from which it came.”

The most surprising lessons Ian has learned from his involvement with ForesTrade are “that companies can make a lot of mistakes, and that passion and commitment are stronger than any business skills a person can have.”

And when asked about the best part of his job, Ian can’t name just one thing. “[It’s] knowing that I’m trying to help create a business model that helps the earth and it’s inhabitants. The promotion of a healthier planet… the connection to the other side of the world… the exotic part of working with tropical spices and coffee… the people I work with…”

Sounds like he really likes it, huh!

To learn more about ForesTrade, go to their website at www.ForesTrade.com.

To see some of the amazing places where they source their products, check out Ian Diamondstone’s beautiful pictures from two recent trips:

Coban, Guatemala

and

Northern Sumatra, Indonesia

Let’s move THERE, shall we?

Thanks for sharing, Ian, and keep up the good work!

Did ya hear? Tinsel Town is going from glam to green! 

Of course, these days, glam IS green… 

But more importantly, this weekend the GO GREEN EXPO hits the scene! 

Where? 

The Los Angeles Convention Center – South Hall J 
1201 South Figueroa Street 
Los Angeles, CA 90015 

When? 

Business-to-Business Expo 
Friday, January 23rd • 10 am – 5 pm 

Open to Public 
Saturday, January 24th • 10 am – 6 pm 
Sunday, January 25th • 10 am – 5 pm 

How much? 

Friday: Complimentary to Business Buyers (bring your business card for admission) 

Saturday & Sunday: $10 for a full weekend pass. Open to both business buyers & consumers. 

Why? 

It´s a great opportunity to learn about, try out, and talk about eco-friendly products and services for your business, family, home, school, and more! 

There will also be lots of neat panel discussions on everything from green building to electric cars, as well as keynote speakers like gorgeous actor/ author Mariel Hemingway! 

Why else? 

GLEE GUM will be there! 

Come by booth # 639 for a chat with one of my Glee-ful ambassadors or a chew of delicious Glee Gum! 

Hooray for Hollywood!

Did you know that Verve, inc., the manufacturer of Glee Gum, is a proud member of Green America?

It´s TRUE!

But what IS Green America?

I´ll tell ya!

Green America is a not-for-profit membership organization founded in the early ´eighties. If you don´t recognize the name, perhaps that´s because up until this month they were known as Co-op America! 

Green America´s mission is to harness economic power—the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace—to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society. Wow! 

In the midst of all the inauguration excitement, Green America recently shared their Clean Energy Victory Bonds proposal with the Obama transition team. Pretty neat-o! 

And that´s not all! They´ve got lots of swell ideas about healing the country´s ailing economy in a great green way.

For example, check out the winter issue of Real Green, their bimonthly newsletter about green living, purchasing, and investing. 

The both-guns-blazing feature article by executive director Alisa Gravitz is entitled 7 Fixes from the Green Economy and is all about moving “from greed to green.” If you don´t have time to read all the details, you can find a shortened version of the same piece in the Green America 
Newsroom.

While you´re reading, learn about Green and Climate-Friendly Televisions in a great article on the subject by Tracy Fernandez Rysavy. It´s sure to help you find the greenest way to weather the upcoming transition from analog to digital.

Green America has also got a spiffy website called Responsible Shopper. It´s full of fun facts like what well-known company is getting sued (and why), how you can help to promote corporate responsibility, and why it´s easier than you thought to make your own corner of the world cleaner and greener. 

Gee whiz! They sure do keep busy. 

Thanks, Green America! Keep up the good work!

In the meantime, gum chums, if you know of a nifty organization that you´d like to see featured in my blog, please let me know! Just send an email to gleeguy@gleegum.com.

Wonder whether the Obama transition team could use some Glee? If so, they know who to see!

Brrr! I don´t know how the temperature is where you are, gum chums, but here in Rhode Island it is FREEZING! 

This wintry weather is perfect for curling up with a good book or three. So bundle up and trundle down to your local library. I´ve got a *hot* reading list for you and yours that´s sure to keep the chill outdoors! (Gee, did I just use the word “hot” correctly? These new-fangled, trendy adjectives always snow me!)

CHEWING GUM CURRICULUM

- Chewing Gum: The Fortunes of Taste by Michael Redclift – Routledge (2004). 
An exciting social and environmental history of chewing gum from ancient Mayan civilization to current pop culture. 

- The Chewing Gum Book by Robert Young – Dillon Press (1989).
A synopsis of the chewing gum story for kids, including pictures, timelines, and fun facts “to stick in your mind.”

- Bubblemania by Lee Wardlaw – Aladdin (1997). 
A kids´ book that the whole family can enjoy, filled with answers to everything you´ve ever wondered about chewing gum – including how to make it (Gum Kit, anyone?) and how to get it off things!

- The Great American Chewing Gum Book by Robert Henrickson – Chilton (1976).
Hard to find but worth the hunt! One of the first books on chewing gum and one of the best, filled with fascinating tidbits.

And keep your eyes peeled for
- Chicle: The Chewing Gum of the Americas, From the Ancient Maya to William Wrigley - University of Arizona Press (2009). 
This brand new book by Jennifer P. Mathews, associate professor of anthropology at Trinity University, is an in-depth study of the origins and history of chewing gum– including Glee! 

Woo wee! You´re an expert in gum now, yippee! Maybe you´d like to join a book club with me?

P.S. Thanks to Green on the Rock, a blog about green living in Ontario, for a bang-up review of Glee Gum. You´re the best!

The new year is finally here! And to my mind, 2009 is already lookin’ fine. 

Maybe that’s because I just received Glee-ful news, yippee! Glee Gum scholarship winners have been chosen, times three!

Presented by Verve, inc., the Glee Gum scholarship is intended to support the studies of the sons and daughters of Mexican chicleros. As you may recall, chicleros are the skilled laborers who harvest the key ingredient in Glee Gum: chicle! 

In order to be eligible for consideration, scholarship applicants must be the children of chicleros. The nature of their studies can range from biology to forestry, from sustainable development to eco-tourism, and beyond. All applicants must also commit to working in the community after completing their degrees.

Thanks to the help and dedication of the Executive Committee of the Consortium of Chicleros in Mexico, Verve, inc. is pleased to announce this year’s round of winners!

CONGRATULATIONS, José de Jesús Chan Coh!
José is in his fifth semester at the University of Quintana Roo studying civil engineering. José reports that in times of economic difficulty, students often have to leave their studies behind to find work. He says that the scholarship will provide him with the opportunity to focus on his studies, reach his goal of finishing his education, and make his family proud.

Jose de Jesus Chan Coh

CONGRATULATIONS, C. Selmi Leticia Varela Coba!
Selmi is a sixth semester student at the Felipe Carrillo Puerto Superior Technological Intitute with a focus on tourism administration. She too reports that because she and her family have few economic resources, the scholarship will help her to finish her studies.

C. Selmi Leticia Varela Coba

CONTRATULATIONS, Sandy Amara Matías Chan! 
Sandy also studies administration at the Felipe Carrillo Puerto Superior Technological Intitute, where she is in her third semester. She believes the scholarship will allow her to continue her education so that she will be able to give back to her community in the ejido of Noh-Bec.

Sandy Amara Matias Chan

CONGRATULATIONS to the next generation of leaders in the chiclero communities! Best of luck, keep up the good work, and don’t forget to study!

And speaking of studying, did you know chewing gum is rumored to help your concentration? Just a Glee-ful reminder!

Happy New Year, gum chums!