Bason Farm has been owned for over a hundred years by five generations of our family. Our pretty stone built Victorian farmhouse is surrounded by idyllic informal country gardens with a large pond full of friendly ducks. A traditional Devon cream tea will welcome you on your arrival, with great pride taken in the preparation and variety of delicious home cooked fayre using fresh local produce. Daily baked bread and homemade preserves are included in the full four course English breakfast. The farm trail provides an opportunity to explore previously undiscovered areas of Devon. Maps are available to guide you to beautiful woodland and riverside meadows on our 230 acre working organic farm, a valuable refuge for wildlife. http://www.organicholidays.co.uk/at/2823.htm

Organic Holidays is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

The quality organic bed linen company, fou furnishings has scooped the finalist award for the best organic textile product – for the second year running.

Fou furnishings’ founder and designer, Stephanie McIntosh is jubilant:

“Less than two years in business, and we have won the two best organic textile finalist awards on the planet,” she says.

A Natural and Organic Awards 2009 finalist, fou furnishings became a Natural and Organic Award finalist in April 2010 – the only organic textile company to make the final shortlist of three (the other two were fashion joint-winners).

This year, the innovative bed linen company entered a cot duvet cover from its first children’s collection.

Founder and designer, Stephanie McIntosh, had a special reason for entering the design, called Love to Learn.

“We ran a competition to celebrate Soil Association Organic Week last September. The two winning designs were made into a limited edition range to celebrate our first collection of organic bed linen for babies and children.

“The Love to Learn cot duvet cover is designed by a mother in Middlesex, England, with appliquéd and embroidered animals and numbers,” says Stephanie.

Why organic?

Stephanie believes organic plays a vital role in children’s bedding.

“Organic cotton is soft for sensitive skins because of its long fibres and is completely toxic-free. This is really important for babies and children. They are more vulnerable than adults to chemical-overload because they are small and still growing.

“The advantage of buying quality organic is that your sheets will last for generations, just like in the old days. We use high-quality 330 thread count organic cotton in our baby and children bedding collection so its soft smoothness lasts and lasts.”

Buying organic has wider benefits too, as Stephanie explains:

“Organic production is sustainable so it’s good for the planet. It’s also safe for cotton farm workers in developing countries, where safety regulations are weak. So it’s extra-important they are not having to work with toxic chemicals during the growing, harvesting and processing process,” says Stephanie.

Stephanie has worked in textile retail and buying all her career. But when she set up her own company two years ago, she insisted all the products must be organic.

“I wanted exceptional quality – and the best yarns come from cotton grown the organic way,” she says.

fou furnishings is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

When asked recently to list his favourite ‘Green’ products and entrepreneurs in the world of home design and interiors, Kevin McCloud of TV fame in Grand Designs and lead spokesman of sustainable architecture, listed our Sting Plus fabric as one of the best green upholstery fabrics on the market today!

According to the environmental website Treehugger, Kevin loved the idea of using stinging nettle fibres mixed with wool to create the fabric and feels that this product should be getting more exposure. We certainly agree!

Check out the wonderful story behind Sting upholstery fabric (£34.00/m), available in 8 colourways designed to reflect the colours of the British hedgerows and one of the best-sellers at www.geccointeriors.co.uk

Gecco Interiors Limited is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Only one of 14 solar thermal salespeople proved worthy of recommendation in Which?’s recent investigation into solar panel companies. This is devastating news both for the industry and, more importantly, for people wanting to switch to solar hot water systems.

Ten of the companies misled researchers and some also used what can only be described as dodgy sales tactics. Only Southern Solar was “worthy of mention for its helpful and sensible approach”.

This is one of the issues that YouGen was set up to help people avoid. Both my father and uncle have been on the receiving end of just this sort of pushy solar salesman, who overquotes, offers discounts if you sign up today, claims too much for the product, and (in one case) lied about the availability of grants. They stay for hours, insist on your partner being there when you visit, and are almost impossible to evict from your house (unless, of course you sign on the dotted line).

While this does happen, there are also lots of good companies out there who spend time looking at each home, how the owners live in it, what their heat or hot water usage is, and what the best solution would be for them.

There are several ways that YouGen helps people avoid being a victim of cowboy sales (and it’s not just in the solar thermal sector – have a look at the comments section of this blog on heat pumps and you’ll see it’s happening there too).

• We provide simple, easy to understand information so that people know what they can expect from a system before they contact any installers.
• We invite people with renewable energy installed to rate the service of their installer on YouGen, so other people have help finding a good one. Installers listed on the site are encouraged to invite that feedback from all their customers.
• We’ve also got a guide to how to spot – and avoid – the solar cowboys (or sharks as we called them).

We also call on installers to up their game, and to help people to get the most appropriate technology for their home, even if that involves turning down a sale. Which? reports that the Office of Fair Trading received 1,000 complaints about the sector last year. Given that there are less than 100,000 installations in UK homes, and that the Low Carbon Buildings Programme has only paid out 6684 grants for domestic installations since April 2006, this is a scarily big number. One can only speculate that a lot of people have already been put off the whole idea.

I’m a great fan of solar thermal. We turned off our boiler last week, and are showering in solely solar heated water. If last year is any guide, we’ll only have to give in a boost a couple of times between now and the end of September. But, if solar thermal is going to become a mainstream way of heating water and homes, then people really need to be able to trust the companies that install it. And at the moment that’s a bit of a challenge.

YouGen is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

fashionable women’s slipper-style flat with printed hemp and lyocell upper and toe overlay of silk with silk binding.

Available in purple too.

Product Features:

Certified organic cotton lining and footbed.

Midsole and arch made of carpet padding for at-home comfort feel.

Partially recycled outsole made from recycled car tyre blended with natural rubber.

Water-based glue is used (not petroleum-based) to hold the shoe together.

Earth-friendly foot inserts are made of post-consumer recycled paper.

Shoebox made of post-consumer recycled paper, soy-based printing ink, natural latex and starch based glue.

Part of Simple’s Green Toe™ collection.

A lightweight 5.00 oz

The Green Apple is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Cute and flirty knickers made from 95% Fairtrade certified cotton and 5% elastane. Pretty bow detail on the front and butterfly design on the back.

Perfect polka dots with antique lace trim give loungewear a glamorous edge.

Vests, shorts and chemise available.

The Green Apple is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Earth Day – The 40th Anniversary – April 22nd 2010 Marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.

Real Food Festival – 7th to10th May 2010, Earl’s Court Discover some of the best food and drink from small producers from around the world. Tastings, workshops and more.

Walk to School Week – 17th – 21st May 2010 Walk to School Week is an action-packed awareness week in spring each year. We encourage parents, teachers and local authorities to run fun events and activities to raise awareness about walking to school. Each year we set a new theme and produce loads of bright and colourful resources to go with it and to help you take part!

Sustainabilitylive! – May 20th to 22nd, 2010 Sustainabilitylive! taking place at the NEC, Birmingham from 19 – 21 May 2009, is the UK’s largest forum for excellence and innovation in environment, water, energy and land.

Green Festival – Saturday 22nd May, 2010 Planning is underway for the Green festival in 2010. 2009’s festival was a big hit and the planners are currently looking for a theme for this years festival!

World Environment Day – 5th June 2010 World Environment Day, commemorated each year on 5 June, is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action

Newcastle Community Green Festival – 5^th – 6^th June 2010 The North’s biggest free environmental festival. In 2008 they had over 16,000 visitors and if you’re on the lookout for a weekend of fun for all the family then look no further! The weekend festival is jam packed full of top class entertainment, workshops, activities and music to suit all tastes and ages. Combining the weird and the wonderful to spread the environmental message. Their aim is to promote positive solutions to environmental problems and raise awareness of green and ethical issues. From mad-cap bike powered music stages to a solar powered cinema – they have something for everyone! The festival takes place in the picturesque setting of Leazes Park – a 5 minute walk from the city centre. Check the site in the new year for details of dates etc.

Brighton Naked Bike Ride 2010 – June 13th In June 2010, in cities around the world, people will be riding bikes naked to celebrate cycling and the human body. The World Naked Bike Ride demonstrates the vulnerability of cyclists on the road and is a protest against car culture.

Recycle Week – 21nd to 27th June It’s easy to get involved this Recycle Week which is organised by Recycle Now. We can all help by doing anything from re-using our carrier bags to recycling old electrical items – remembering to put as much of our recycling out, reducing our food waste and home composting of course! However you choose to waste less, it’s easy, it helps the environment and you might even save money in the process.

National Shed Week - 9th to 14th July 2010 “Do you have a garden shed that is unique?” asks Uncle Wilco head sheddie of readersheds.co.uk. “Maybe it’s your own little bolthole away from the trials of life. Maybe you have converted your humble garden building into a pub, or it’s just a normal wooden building that’s special to you.”

Fiddler’s Green International Festival – 18th – 25th July, 2010. Rostrevor, Northern Ireland. The Fiddler’s Green Festival has come a long way in the last 24 years. It began as a one day event, progressed to a weekend one and now extends to eight days and seven nights of music, culture and craic. With up to 200 events the festival caters for music fanatics, families who wish to enjoy a safe, child focused festival, and those who come just to soak up the scenery, the friendliness and the free outdoor music. Based in the scenic village of Rostrevor, preparations for the 24th festival are well in hand. There will be free outdoor ceilis, an open air stage, art exhibitions, children’s entertainment and even a literary pub crawl, with the emphasis on ‘literary’ rather than ‘crawling’! All musical tastes are catered for (folk, blues, country, classical), with lunchtime, early evening and night time folk clubs Each year the Festival bestows two special awards; the Hall of Fame Award which celebrates lifelong achievement in Irish Music, and the Creative Arts Award to acknowledge achievements in the Arts and Literary fields, the first award having been presented to poet laureate Seamus Heaney. The recipients of these awards are traditionally named closer to the Festival’s formal launch.

The Big Tent 2010 – Saturday 23rd-Sunday 24th July 2010 Scotland’s biggest eco festival The Big Tent Festival of Stewardship, will be held in Falkland, Fife – expect a return of activities like the Climate Challenge Ceilidh, Earth Climate Champion’s Zone, Earth Action Talks sponsored by WWF Scotland, a Family Zone, a brand new Wood Zone, plus the return of our celebrated Food Village.

National Allotments Week – 9th to 15th August 2010 A week to promote awareness and availability of allotments both locally and nationally as well as showing the public and the local authorities the strength of support and interest for the heritage of allotment culture.

Croissant Neuf Party – 13th-15th August 2010 Greenest festival of the year 2009 The Croissant Neuf Summer Party is brought to you by the team responsible for one of the oldest features of Glastonbury festival – The Croissant Neuf Solar Powered Venue. As well as great music expect internationally renowned street theatre, workshops of all kinds from dancing to bushcraft, open mic sessions, sports activities, and more.

World Water Week – 5th to 11th September 2010 Experts from 100 countries are assembled this week in a global effort to improve human; welfare and the planet’s health.

International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer – 16th September 2010 International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer – reflects the urgent need to preserve the ozone layer, which filters sunlight and prevents the adverse effects of ultraviolet radiation reaching the Earth’s surface, thereby preserving life on the planet.

Peace One Day – 21^st September 2010 To some it’s just a single day. But to us, 21 September is a 24 hour-long platform for life-saving activities around the world and an opportunity for individuals – particularly young people – to become involved in the peace process. 21 September is the UN International Day of Peace, a day of global ceasefire and non-violence: Peace Day. By 2007, the UN estimated that over 100 million people from all walks of life actively supported Peace Day around the world. That same year, Peace One Day was instrumental in securing the conditions by which mass polio vaccinations could be carried out in Afghanistan on Peace Day; 1.4 million children were vaccinated in some of the most remote areas of the country. And in 2008, an additional 1.6 million were treated. That’s an estimated 3 million children in Afghanistan alone – on Peace Day. On Peace Day 2008 in Afghanistan the United Nations Department for Safety and Security, which monitors security related incidents, recorded a 70 per cent reduction in violent incidents on the day itself.

World Carfree Day – 22nd September 2010 World Carfree Day is an annual celebration of cities and public life, free from the noise, stress and pollution of cars.

World Toilet Day 2010 – 19th November Did you know there is currently a world sanitation crisis? Hard to believe that 2.5 billion people do not have somewhere safe, private or hygienic to go to the toilet! World Toilet Day is all about raising this sort of awareness and converting awareness into action. Our partners WaterAid work hard to educate people on this serious issue and to enable some of the worlds poorest people to gain access to effective sanitation. It’s not just having a safe, clean place to go to the toilet that’s important but washing your hands after too! The simple act of washing hands with soap and water after going to the toilet can reduce diarrhoeal diseases by over 40%. To read more about this worldwide call to action follow the link below.

Buy Nothing Day – 27th November, 2010 Everything we buy has an impact on the environment, Buy Nothing Day highlights the environmental and ethical consequences of consumerism. The developed countries – only 20% of the world population are consuming over 80% of the earth’s natural resources, causing a disproportionate level of environmental damage, and an unfair distribution of wealth. As consumers we need to question the products we buy and challenge the companies who produce them. What are the true risks to the environment and developing countries? The argument is infinite – while it continues we should be looking for simple solutions and Buy Nothing Day is a good place to start.

Big Green Gathering 2010 – date to be confirmed What is it? The Big Green Gathering is a 5 day camping event which is currently located in the Mendip Hills in Somerset. It has grown out of the original Green Gatherings of the 1980’s and the Green Fields of Glastonbury Music Festival. It has developed organically in response to a desire from people within the green movement for a festival that was focused on Green issues. For more information check out MoreEco’s Green Events page

MoreEco is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

The Kent County Fair arrives at The Hop Farm on 1st May, featuring an unbeatable array of attractions and activities, to provide a great value, fun-packed and ecofriendly family adventure. There’s something for everyone at the Kent County Fair, with an innovative array of activities for youngsters and adults alike, including all day arena activities, an Action Zone, and the brand new EcoVillage, as well as local craft demonstrations and animal displays.

The undercover arena will play host to events including pony club games, gun-dog

displays and birds of prey demonstrations as well as rabbit shows and ferret racing.

There will also be a new small holders area with advice for anyone looking to live the ‘good life’ with information on keeping chickens, growing your own vegetables from many local producers! 2010 sees the addition of the Action Zone, where thrill-seeking families can ride in one of The Hop Farm’s spectacular tanks or take a breathtaking ride on the quadbike track. If the activities leave you with an appetite, there are plenty of cateringoutlets to help re-energize and unwind.

This year sees the introduction of the Kent based event organizers, Sust. Ltd, the dedicated exhibition area will feature a variety of interactive demonstrations and displays, designed to promote green products, services and initiatives. The EcoVillage gives the public a chance to speak to eco-friendly companies face to face, have their questions answered and ultimately discover ways in which to become ‘greener’ in 2010.

Entry to the Kent County Fair also gives you FREE access to the Hop Farm’s, of Activities’ action-packed attractions and exhibitions the whole family can enjoy! Let your imagination run wild on the giant jumping pillows or pay a visit to the weird and wonderful Magic Factory and learn some magic tricks to impress your friends. The Vintage Masterpiece Victorian Carousel, Children’s Driving School, outdoor climbing and play areas, Animal Farm and fascinating Yesterdays World Village are just a few of the fantastic adventures on offer when you enter the Hop Farm’s ‘World of Activities’!

Entry to the Kent County Fair also includes FREE archery, climbing wall and ‘Leapof Faith’ at newly launched Treejumpers Extreme Zone.

Adults and Children – £10.50 (online) £12.50 (gate)

www.thehopfarm.co.uk

The EcoVillage is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Habitat Aid is delighted to announce that they will be supplying the British Beekeepers’ Association (BBKA) with packets of native wildflower seed especially selected for honey bees. BBKA Enterprises Ltd. successfully trialled an Annual Wildflower mix and a Special Bee Mix of annual and perennial wildflowers at the BBKA annual Spring Convention at Stoneleigh Park. Both mixes will be available from the BBKA website from 10th May and will retail from £1.00 plus P&P.

The packets are unusual in several regards.

The seeds are top quality, guaranteed UK provenance, and are all native wildflower species.

The Special Bee mix consists of 25 species, suitable for most soil types, and all of which benefit honey bees and/or bumblebees.

Rather than the small packets for sale at Garden Centres sizes start from 10g, or approximately 800 seeds, and go up to 50g (4000 seeds).

Packets come with proper instructions.

All BBKA Enterprise’s profits from the sale of this packet of seeds will be gifted to the BBKA’s own Education and Research fund

For further details please contact Roger Cullum-Kenyon at BBKA Enterprises:

roger-cullum-kenyon@bbka.org.uk

02476 696 679

Habitat Aid Ltd. is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Hill Cottage is an entirely organic house, all food and household products are certified organic. This beautiful light filled spacious cottage is full of art, antiques, plants and books. The large double / family room has a double and a single bed, private bath, shower / WC. The pretty single room with shower room / WC overlooks the garden. Raw vegan organic breakfast. Organic vegan / raw vegan three course dinners can be pre booked, £25 per person. Organic packed lunches also available, £15 per person. The house is situated in the lovely village of Wangford between two nature reserves [bird watching, walking, cycling], and is two miles from the beach at Southwold, a historic seaside market town on Suffolk’s Heritage Coast. http://www.organicholidays.co.uk/at/2813.htm

Organic Holidays is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more