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Posts Tagged ‘Dennis Randall’

NH Division of Economic Development to Partner on Cowcello

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

Moooove yourself to become a healthier individual and enjoy some great music while you’re at it.

Cowcello, an organic groovefest, will make its debut appearance Sunday, September 25, 2011 as part of the Eastern Propane Concert Series at the Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion. 

Presented by the Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion in coordination with EARTHTEC and the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, Cowcello is an “organic groovefest” to inspire and encourage individuals to embrace a life of health, wellness and fitness, environmental consciousness and awareness of natural, organic and alternative products and solutions. Concertgoers will be able to discuss and learn about the lifelong benefits of healthy eating choices from NH farmers and growers.

“Having an event of this kind at a venue that was once the site of a working farm really brings things full circle,” said Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion President RJ Harding. “Not only will this event be a celebration of some incredible music, it will also be a celebration of living an active and healthy lifestyle, a concept that all of us at Meadowbrook embrace.”

Participants will be able to try organic wines from locally owned vineyards, enjoy demonstrations with Yoga and Pilates experts from The Practice Room, learn the health benefits associated with eating beef raised in a natural and kind environment free of chemicals and hormones with Miles Smith Farm and discover how cooking organically can not only help you and your family’s health but also keep our local farmers thriving.  Other vendors include Stonyfield Farm, Apple Annie and Late July Organic Snacks.

Partnering with the Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion will be Portsmouth-based sustainable clothing manufacturer EARTHTEC.  At its heart, EARTHTEC’s story is pretty simple according to company founder Dennis Randall.

“We are outdoor people. Skiers, hikers, trail runners, kayakers, extreme picnickers. Our favorite place is Earth. We’ve been known to hug a tree or two. We’re into green. We are also clothing people. Put all of that together, and you have EARTHTEC, a group of people who love helping you look good and perform well in clothes that make the planet happier,” he said. “We have partnered this year with the Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion to collect all the plastic bottles from the 2011 Concert Season and look forward to turning them into useful clothing for next year’s concert season.”

The Avett Brothers

Joining EARTHTEC will be the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development whose Communications & Legislative Director Steve Boucher said that supporting an event like Cowcello is a new and innovative way to support the state’s business community.

“New Hampshire is so very fortunate to have such a great farming industry as well as a great number of companies that are dedicated to helping people maintain healthy lifestyles,” he said. “We encourage people be part of this great event and more importantly, to buy local products. Buying local ensures that dollars stay in our community and promotes a stronger state economy.”

Cowcello will feature over nine hours of music beginning with four local and regional bands on the Magic Hat Second Stage at 2:00 P.M. Granite State bands The Crunchy Western Boys and The Chris White Band will join Caitlin Canty and The Adam Ezra Band from Boston in kicking off the festivities.

The main stage will begin at 7:00PM with Nicole Atkins, and her alluring, alternative folk rock sound.   The Avett Brothers will headline the event with their organic and unique blend of a rootsy amalgam of folk, country, bluegrass, rock and pop.

Cowcello tickets can be purchased by calling (603) 293-4700 or by visiting www.meadowbrook.net.

Green Scene Night an Excellent Pitch for Recycling

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

Blankets from bottles – talk about a home run for the environment and for a local Manchester charity.

Portsmouth-based sustainable apparel manufacturer EARTHTEC will be converting all of the recycled bottles collected at next Thursday’s New Hampshire Fisher Cats/Erie SeaWolves game at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium to blankets which will be donated to New Horizons for New Hampshire, Inc.

This initiative will be part of “Green Scene Night” at the ballpark, a collaborative effort between the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, Public Service of New Hampshire, EARTHTEC, the Student Conservation Association and WTPL. “Green Scene” is a popular Public Service of New Hampshire sponsored radio segment that covers a variety of environmental topics on the “New Hampshire Today Show With Jack Heath.”

“It’s one thing to have PSAs on a video board encouraging people to take action, but it’s quite another to engage over 5,000 people in a fun and collaborative way,” said New Hampshire Division of Economic Development Communications & Legislative Director Steve Boucher. “What better feeling than to know that the empty bottle you’re throwing away is going to be used to create a product that will provide warmth to the homeless this fall and winter?”

Turning recyclables into clothing is nothing new for EARTHTEC which develops apparel from cutting-edge recycled or renewable fabrics like recycled PET (plastic water bottles), organic cotton, and natural wool. Their EARTH 360 Program is designed to capture plastic bottles and other #1 plastic at sporting events, concerts, conferences, schools, etc. to then process them into flake, then fiber, then yarn, then fabric, and finally back into apparel and accessories.  With extensive experience in the garment industry, the EARTHTEC team is innovating with the combination of emerging textiles, fresh designs, and smart manufacturing techniques.

“We’re very pleased to have the opportunity to demonstrate to people the very real value of taking items that would typically be discarded and turning them into something very useful,” said EARTHTEC CEO Dennis Randall. “This isn’t just good for the environment, it also stimulates the economy and creates jobs.”

In an evening that will feature music from “green” artists on the public address system and scenes from movies about the environment on the video board, fans will be encouraged to throw their plastic bottles into special EARTHTEC containers or hand their recyclables to a team of Student Conservation Association volunteers. Fisher Cats officials estimate that on an average game night, approximately 1,000-1,500 plastic bottles are thrown away.

“This is an incredibly exciting night for us and we’re pleased to do our part to reduce waste and encourage recycling,” said Fisher Cats President Rick Brenner. “To the best of my knowledge, this might be one of the first attempts to turn recyclable items collected at a stadium and turn them into products that directly impact a local community. Hopefully, this will turn into a tradition and grow each and every year.”

Public Service of New Hampshire Economic and Community Development Manager Pat McDermott will not only be hosting 25 clients at the event, he’ll also have the honor of throwing out the first pitch – appropriately enough, a baseball fashioned of rolled up EARTHTEC socks.

“The Fisher Cats and our other partners have really gone all out to make this a truly ‘green’ night,” McDermott said. “It’s these little touches that will hopefully resonate and stick with folks so that they’ll understand that recycling and energy efficiency aren’t a one night thing, but a lifestyle choice that benefits all.”

At the conclusion of the game, EARTHTEC will collect and transport all of the recyclables which will then ultimately be turned over in the form of blankets to the New Horizons staff. New Horizons is an adult homeless shelter, a soup kitchen and a food pantry and also operates Angie’s, a homelike residence for women experiencing homelessness.

“These blankets are welcomed and will definitely come in handy for our clients,” said New Horizons for New Hampshire, Inc. Executive Director Charlie Sherman. “We thank all of the ‘Green Scene Night’ partners in advance for their generosity and commend them for their commitment to the community.”

For tickets to “Green Scene Night,” visit www.nhfishercats.com.