Explore Coverage

Better Choices
Must-Read
Company Stories
Personal

Living Maxwell

Company Stories

Dr. Bronner’s Releases Cannabis-Scented Bar Soap to Support Sun+Earth Certified Campaign

Dr. Bronner’s, the beloved soap brand that donates 8.6% of its revenues to social and environmental causes, has released a limited-edition, cannabis-scented fragrance of its classic bar soap to support a new consumer education and crowdfunding campaign for Sun+Earth Certified.

Founded by the International Cannabis Farmers Association, Cannabis Conservancy and Certified Kind, along with deep support from Dr. Bronner’s, Sun+Earth is a program inspired by and aligned with the Regenerative Organic Certification standard but tailored to the way cannabis is grown and produced.

It is based on three pillars:

1 – Earth Care & Cultivation (regenerative farming methods, grown in the soil and under the sun, no chemicals, no hydroponics, no energy-intensive indoor grow facilities)

2 – Human Empowerment (fair treatment of farm workers)

3 – Community Engagement (requires farms to engage with their local community)

For anyone who supports the Sun+Earth Campaign, which lasts until December 20th, Dr. Bronner’s will be giving donors a limited-edition Sun+Earth Cannabis Scented Bar Soap as a thank you gift.

“Dr. Bronner’s is passionate about drug policy reform and ending cannabis prohibition at the federal level. We’re also deeply engaged in the global movement for regenerative organic agriculture, against industrial chemical agriculture,” said David Bronner, Cosmic Engagement Officer (CEO) of Dr. Bronner’s. “In alignment with these values, the Sun+Earth Certified program addresses systemic problems in the cannabis industry, which is dominated by energy-intensive indoor operations and practices that rely on toxic chemical fertilizers, rather than regenerative models that rely on sunlight and healthy living soil.”

THE SPECIAL SOAP

The Dr. Bronner’s Sun+Earth Cannabis Scented Bar Soap is Dr. Bronner’s legacy bar soap formula, with the added magic of Sun+Earth Certified terpenes from regenerative organic hemp grown at East Fork Cultivars in Takilma, Oregon.

It can be used for the same cleaning purposes the company’s other scents of bar soaps are used for, as an excellent soap for hands, face and body, as well as washing the dog, laundry, dishes, fresh produce, and more. The earthy, enticing scent evokes an unmistakable cannabis aroma and is intended to catalyze a surge of consumer engagement with Sun+Earth Certified.

Though Sun+Earth Certified farms and brands produce both medicinal and recreational cannabis products in states where cannabis prohibition has been lifted, Dr. Bronner’s Sun+Earth Cannabis Scented Bar Soap does not contain cannabinoids and is not subject to federal law prohibiting ‘marijuana.’

Launched last month and running until December 20th, Sun+Earth has been running a nationwide consumer education and crowdfunding campaign to raise awareness about the importance of regenerative organic agriculture and the need to shift the cannabis industry away from corporatized, industrialized indoor growing warehouses, and towards a more regenerative, sustainable cultivation system.

The campaign seeks to raise $25,000, which will allow Sun+Earth to help
subsidize the cost of certification for regenerative cannabis farmers and expand to more states thereby making regenerative cannabis more widely available to consumers.

In addition to Dr. Bronner’s, the campaign effort is endorsed by such noteworthy cannabis and environmental advocates as visionary artist Alex Grey, eco-clothing manufacturer Ital Collective, and others.

“We are grateful for Dr. Bronner’s support of our Sun+Earth Certified campaign and hope this effort will significantly grow our regenerative cannabis community,” said Andrew Black, Executive Director of Sun+Earth Certified. “Consumers are increasingly committed to making sure their cannabis products are not only healthy for their bodies and free of toxic chemicals, but also cultivated in a model that gives back to the Earth and farm communities.

I have personally donated to the Sun+Earth Campaign and encourage you to do so as well. This is a fantastic organization that is helping to create an incredibly important regenerative ecosystem for both cannabis farmers and consumers, and it will be of immense benefit to our planet as well.

Just another amazing initiative from my friends at Dr. Bronner’s.

A message from E3Live

"My Everyday, Must-Have Green Organic Aquabotanical"

The best testimonial that I can give is that I drink this every single day, as it impacts my mood in an incredibly positive way.

E3Live + BrainON is certified organic, fresh-frozen AFA (Aphanizomenon flos-aquae) with a concentrated, aqueous, organic extract of Phenylethylamine and Phycocyanin.

Learn more.

Go deeper

Living Maxwell

Company Stories

Common Ground Country Fair in Maine is an Incredibly Special Event

For quite a while, I had been hearing all about the Common Ground Country Fair in Unity, Maine and decided to finally make the trip up north last week to see what the enthusiasm was all about.

Needless to say, the event exceeded all of my expectations, and it proved to be a truly special weekend. Not only is it rare that you can go to an event of this size and be able to eat organic food all day (there are no organic meal options at Expo West or Expo East), but you are surrounded by thousands of people who are also deeply committed to this way of life.

In its 40th year, the Common Ground Country Fair is an annual event put on by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) and is a celebration of rural living. There are speakers, seminars, demonstrations, food and craft vendors, and a large farmers market.

Go deeper Arrow

Living Maxwell

Company Stories

Whole Planet Foundation is Transforming Lives in Costa Rica

Last week in Costa Rica, I visited with some women entrepreneurs who are receiving microloans from the Whole Planet Foundation, a non-profit organization of Whole Foods.

I have written about the Whole Planet Foundation before and the amazing job that it is doing around the world but meeting the loan recipients in-person gave me a much greater appreciation for the impact that this program is having.

Women entrepreneurs from impoverished communities receive loans, starting at a few hundred dollars, to start businesses – baking, sewing, buying animals, running a small store, etc. With a 98% success rate (only 2% of the loans default), this incremental revenue plays an essential role in improving the well-being and welfare of thousands of families.

Go deeper Arrow

Organic Insider

Company Stories

Farmer Direct Organic is Raising the Bar When it Comes to Fair Wages for Growers and Traceability for Consumers

With more than 80% of U.S. consumers purchasing organic food on a regular basis, the industry continues to surge in popularity, and there are more organic brands – and choices – than ever.

Yet, when one takes a deeper look at what is happening behind the scenes, the picture is rather unsettling. Most notably, the farmers are suffering beyond imagination.

According to the USDA, projected 2019 median farm income was expected to be -$1,636, and a majority of farmers are forced to earn off-farm income to feed their families and keep their farms afloat.

Canada-based Farmer Direct Organic, a certified organic producer of grains, seeds and legumes, is acutely aware of this problem and is making it a cornerstone of the company’s operating philosophy.

Go deeper Arrow
livingmaxwell: a guide to organic food & drink