Sustainability at Burgerville starts with community. We all have a stake in the future, and all of us collectively can do a lot more good than any one of us. That’s why we’ve created this space to share our sustainable journey, invite your ideas and participation, and learn out loud together as we go.
Please join in the conversation.
Open pasture land of Country Nat. Beef
One of the great pleasures of my work is spending quality time with the local ranchers and farmers who produce food for the Burgerville table. Twice a year, the family rancher-owners who make up the Country Natural Beef cooperative, and who produce all of Burgerville’s 100% natural beef, come together and Burgerville gets to participate. The ranchers start and close their business meetings in one big circle, and each ranching man, woman and child has an equal voice. They make all of their business decisions by consensus and from a shared vision of raising their animals in harmony with the land.
Pause with me and imagine this — a circle of independent, strong willed, western ranchers, sitting together in a circle, listening to each other, young and old, and making consensus decisions for the common good of their coop, the environment, their animals and their customers. It’s the purest demonstration of democracy-in-action I’ve ever experienced!
Over the past year, Burgerville has been collaborating with Country Natural Beef, Food Alliance, New Seasons Market and others on a next generation of animal welfare standards, as Country Natural Beef continuously improves and leads the industry. The cooperative has also…
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Yesterday the Associated Press reported over 150,000 victims have been buried since a 7.0 earthquake shook the island nation of Haiti almost two weeks ago. When a disaster’s toll reaches such a large scale, my mind struggles to come to terms with what’s happened. I go through a series of personal aftershocks, trying to find meaning in the chaos, and to put faces to the numbers. Today I did this calculation:
If the world observed a minute of silence to honor each of the 150,000 confirmed lives lost, our silence would last over 104 days.
If we honored each life lost with an hour of silence, our mourning would span over 17 years.
As the full magnitude of what has happened sinks in, it can feel impossible that I, as just one person, can make any sort of meaningful impact in the face of such devastating loss.
This morning I read an article about 7 year old Charlie Simpson who raised over $100,000 for Haiti by organizing a bike-a-thon. What I’m learning from Charlie is that one person really can make a world changing difference, and that it is through embracing our power as individuals and using our gifts for the common good that…
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Commuting Pacific NW Style
I have to admit that the practice of sharing what goes on in my head as broadly as this makes me a little self conscious, but I am willing to jump in. Over the last couple of months transportation has been on my mind and the challenge of transforming a region/culture to more sustainable means of getting people and products from point A to point B in creative, efficient and environmentally friendly ways. This has been an interest of mine for years and through previous careers. It came to the forefront recently starting with our preliminary work to embrace the bicycle culture of Portland/Vancouver with our restaurant drive through lanes. This was followed by my participation in an eco-challenge put on by the Northwest Earth Institute where I gave up my car (mostly) for two weeks in favor of public transportation. I recently attended an event held in Portland where the bicycle Ambassador from Copenhagen presented an excellent and compelling over view of their transformation over the last 30+ years to a very robust bicycle culture. A few weeks ago I became a Zip Car member and have started utilizing their transportation tools. In short I have…
Comments Donate to Medical Teams International's Haiti relief efforts online now or at any Burgerville location. |
Dr. Temple Grandin Endorses Country Natural Beef 
Can One Person Really Make a Difference in Haiti? 
CEO, Jeff Harvey Considers the Future of Transportation 
New Year’s Resolution: Think Like a Hazelnut Grower 
In Season in October: Fresh, Local Apples and Certified Sustainable Pumpkin!