ALFI FRUIT TREE SALE!!

Growing your own food can be fun and decorative.
Join the Atlanta Local Food Initiative
in promoting edible landscapes.
This Saturday the first annual fruit tree sale will happen at the Atlanta Community Foodbank.

This event features 32 varieties of fruit trees, berry bushes and vines that are adaptable to our local landscape and climate. To see more details including a link to all of the available varieties, click here.

DOUBLETREE HOTEL CONSERVES WATER & SAVES $$

In July the Doubletree Hotel ~ Atlanta Buckhead invested in a plumbing project to recycle their refrigeration compressor cooling water. The under $9,000 investment paid back in two weeks from reduced water bills! By year end, the Doubletree estimates the project will save 1 million gallons of water.

Previously this water-cooled system sent the used water down the drain. Always striving to improve environmental efficiencies, General Manager David Rossman and his team installed a dedicated re-circulation loop for the walk-in coolers which streamed the water back into the existing cooling tower.

In addition, the City of Atlanta is crediting the hotel 2.3 cents for every gallon of water that is safely reused! What a way to reduce the burden on the fragile water and sewer system in our city.

Check out these impresssive ROI numbers:

In the first three months since the work was completed, the Doubletree Atlanta-Buckhead saved 695,334 gallons of water and $15,993 in water/sewer expense.


Average Reduction:

August '07/'08: 222 gallons
August '09: 192 gallons

September '07/'08: 202 gallons
Septemper '09: 128 gallons

October '07/'08: 184 gallons
October '08: 140 gallons

Average '07/'08: 202 gallons
Average '09: 151 gallons

Average savings of 51 gallons of water per occupied room monthly!

NBC FEATURES GOT GREEN KITS

Jerry Thomas, CEO & Founder of Got Green Kits and Enviroclean USA, had his live television debut November 15 on NBC’s Atlanta Today Show. As a GFA member, Jerry serves on the Cleaning & Pest Control Committee, and is a strong contributor to creating practices for a toxic-free foodservice establishment.

GFA HONORED WITH GRACE INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD

On November 15 Holly Elmore, GFA founder and Executive Director, received the Innovator of the Year Award at the 2009 GRACE Awards. Chris Coan with Gas South, a GFA Sapling Sponsor, presented the award at the sold-out gala. What a tremendous honor!

In her acceptance speech, Holly thanked Ron Wolf, Georgia Restaurant Association CEO, for his vision and support to recognized the GFA as an affiliate of the GRA effective August, 2008. Click here for the acceptance speech video and to hear about the others who contributed to the GFA's success. ('Enter Site' and click video 1.)

Restaurant Forum magazine dedicates its entire November issue to the GRACE Awards, with a page discussing to the Innovator of the Year.

The best part of the award is the current GFA projects are the low-hanging fruit and we are only beginning our journey … Stay Tuned!!