$5,000 Prize Awarded to Three Companies in Alaska, California, and North Carolina for Serving Their Local Communities

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Three winners were announced today for Green America's first quarterly "People & Planet" award, which recognizes America's best green, small businesses. Each of three winners will receive $5,000. The winners are: Sonoma Compost Company, Green Kid Crafts, and Raleigh City Farm. Winners were selected by the public, who had a month-long open voting period online at Green America's website. 

Green America's "People & Planet Awards" recognize innovative entrepreneurial U.S. businesses that deeply integrate environmental and social considerations into their strategies and operations. The first round of the Awards focused on green businesses that also are active in serving their local communities.

Denise Hamler, director, Green Business Network, Green America, said: "Green America is proud to present the inaugural People & Planet Award to these three green businesses that are making outstanding and creative contributions to their communities. Their values and business models exemplify the type of business our society and world need now more than ever."

The winning companies' descriptions are below:

• Sonoma Compost Company, Sonoma, CA.  http://www.sonomacompost.com/. Sonoma Compost Company (SCC) partners with local schools, non-profits and local government to provide education and resources that further the goals of sustainable agriculture. In 2011, SCC donated over 830 cubic yards of compost to about 150 school and community gardens. In addition, SCC conducts facility tours for school and provides on-and off-site public education to over 1500 individuals. Furthermore, it attends community fairs and festivals promoting sustainable agriculture and green living. Partnerships with non-profits are another way that SCC demonstrates its commitment to community action. Understanding the connection between fresh, organic and locally produced healthy food and the health of the community, SCC is a supporter/donor to the Ceres Community Project. Ceres is a network of student and adult volunteer gardeners and chefs that grow and produce healthy nutrient-rich meals for individuals and families dealing with serious illnesses.
• Green Kid Crafts, Anchorage, AK.  http://greenkidcrafts.com/.  Founded in 2010, Green Kid Crafts is a mom-owned, green company that offers natural, sustainable, and responsible choices for craft projects. Its green craft kits are an inexpensive tool for parents and teachers to use to educate children about recycling, reducing waste, and protecting the environment. Green Kid Crafts partners with its local Boys and Girls Club to bring fun activities, art and learning to children in an impoverished community by hosting free monthly art classes and donating art materials. It also empowers women through mentorship by working with Hope Community Resources and participating in the Alaska Women's Environmental Network Mentorship Program.  As a 1% For The Planet member, Green Kid Crafts has committed to donate a minimum of one percent of its revenue to environmental non-profit organizations.
• Raleigh City Farm, Raleigh, NC.  http://www.raleighcityfarm.com.  Raleigh City Farm's goal is to transform unexpected downtown spaces into beautiful and nourishing farmland. It engages the local community in the process of growing food and sparking imaginations about agriculture in the city. These highly-visible spaces are an educational tool to demonstrate responsible, intensive growing techniques and encourage movement toward a restorative, community-based food system. Its weekly farm stand offers fresh and organically grown food for local residents. Raleigh City Farm serves as a field trip destination for neighboring elementary and middle schools as well as universities and assisted living centers.

Will Bakx, owner, Sonoma Compost Co., said: "Sonoma Compost is thrilled to be recognized for our commitment to recycling organic organics into quality composts and mulches. Our end products are used to rebuild soils by returning valuable nutrients and organic matter to local gardens, farms and landscapes. We are honored to be recognized by Green America and are doubly pleased to donate our $5000 prize to an amazing local nonprofit, Daily Acts (http://www.dailyacts.org). They will utilize this contribution to continue their good work by educating the public to make a change in their daily actions to create a greener, self-sustaining community."

Penny Bauder, owner, Green Kid Crafts said: "We are thrilled, and honored, to have won the People & Planet Award as it fulfills one of the founding goals of Green Kid Crafts -- to be a model for environmental sustainability and corporate citizenship. Our craft kit subscription service is bringing children closer to their environment through fun and creative activities and we hope that, as we grow, we will show people of all ages that taking care of the environment and each other should be a factor in everything they do."

Josh Whiton, executive director, Raleigh City Farm said: "We're really pleased that so many people supported us in winning this award. The proceeds will go a long way toward bolstering our operations as we continue to explore the power of urban farming for improving city life."

Future rounds of Green America's quarterly award, for green businesses with 50 or fewer employees, will focus on clean energy, workplace innovations, and other sustainability practices. The businesses the public votes on are determined by public nominations and an expert panel of judges: Katie Galloway & Gigi Abbadie, Aveda; Justin Conway, Calvert Foundation; Elysa Hammond, Clif Bar; Cheryl Newman, Honest Tea; Stacy Mitchell, Institute for Local Self-Reliance; Theresa Marquez, Organic Valley; Eric Henry, TS Designs; Reed Doyle, Seventh Generation; Fran Teplitz/Andrew Korfhage, Green America.

ABOUT GREEN AMERICA

Green America is the nation's leading green economy organization. Founded in 1982, Green America (formerly Co-op America) provides the economic strategies, organizing power and practical tools for businesses and individuals to solve today's social and environmental problems. http://www.GreenAmerica.org.

SOURCE Green America, Washington, DC