Nona Yehia, of E/Ye Design, delivered a convincing fifteen minute presentation on the challenges that the project has overcome, in addition to the benefits it will provide the community. Her argument, as well as the fine-tuned Vertical Harvest business plan, received resounding  praise.

Wes Hamilton, head chef at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s Couloir Restaurant, also briefly presented the challenges the food industry in Jackson faces. He cited high numbers of imports from Mexico, emphasizing his desire to not only keep money in the United States, but in Wyoming.

People poured into the town council chambers to show their support for the project, with upward of 20 people voicing their opinion at the podium. After over an hour of speeches and discussion among the council members, they unanimously voted to support the project, wishing us well in our future endeavors with the business council.

We could not have done this without our loyal supporters who have helped us along the way. Thank you to those that have aided us in our endeavors, and those who voiced their opinion both prior to and at the meeting. We are very grateful to the council members for rallying around us, and working with us to get to this point. So big thank you to everyone involved! We are incredibly excited for the opportunity to go before the Wyoming Business Council.

We are starting the countdown! 5 days until we need to reach out goal of $30,000 and we are SO close.

Please check it out here and share with all of your friends:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2056017617/vertical-harvest-of-jh-a-growing-system-for-change/

http://www.mountainonline.com/mountain-magazine/item/681-veggies-for-bros

Here are a few other recent national recognitions of  our work too, if you missed them before

Discovery.com click here

Inhabitat.com click here

Yahoo.com click here

Center for A Better Life click here

Behind the Scenes:

We sat down with Arthur and Friends (http://www.arthurandfriends.org/) founder Wendie Blanchard this week. Wendie’s organization was an inspiration to us, and the wisdom she has accumulated over the years is immense. She offered us invaluable insight into our production process. With first hand knowledge of the growth patterns in a hydroponic greenhouse employed by people with disabilities, Wendie helped us to further refine our production numbers and the cost of growing.

We’ve been continually working with our greenhouse engineer Thomas Larssen (http://www.l-ge.com/) to develop a state of the art growing system that will maximize productivity, while cutting costs.  Larssen has extensive knowledge in the industry, always up to date on the latest innovations in greenhouse science. He has been a pleasure to work with, and an impressive index of knowledge. An avid supporter of our project, he is also a proponent of our business plan: “This project is unique as it addresses a need in a smaller community for very high quality local produce and creates new good jobs, all combined with using an almost impossible building lot up against a parking garage,” says Larssen. “ The most unique [aspect] of the project might be the fact that this vertical greenhouse will show a viable business case.”

JenTen productions (http://www.jentenproductions.com/) has taken over the production of our KickStarter (http://www.kickstarter.com/) video! We will soon look to gain national support with our Kickstartr campaign, so stay tuned for more information – we’ll need your help to spread the word and the video!

Upcoming Events:

September 21st We’ve been working hard with Grand Teton Lodge Company to put on a golf tournament THIS FRIDAY. See the posts below for more information.

September 24th Harmonic Spa will also be hosting a Recovery Clinic with FREE SPA TREATMENTS Monday. You just have to donate a few bucks to Vertical Harvest. Sign up here: https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ASP/home.asp?studioid=5650

September 29th The 5th annual Harvest Festival http://www.jacksonwholegrocer.com/community.local-events.harvest-festival.php

Vertical Harvest Golf Sign Up Form (And then click on the attachment link)

Other ways to sign up? Call Donna at JHGT 307-733-3111 OR shoot us an email golf.vertical.harvest@gmail.com

See post below for more information!

Please join us at this great event! To sign up please email golf.vertical.harvest@gmail.com

When: September 21st

Time: Tournament Opens at 12:00pm

Shotgun 1:00pm (All players are distributed to different holes and begin play at the same time)

BBQ and Live Music 5:30 – 8:30

Prizes will be awarded after all players have finished their rounds

Silent Auction 12:00 pm – 6:30pm

Winners announced at 7pm

Format:  4 players per team. Scramble format.

Games: Prizes will be awarded for longest drive, longest putt and closest to the pin. One of the par 3′s will feature a beat the pro competition. First, second, and third place prizes going to the teams with the lowest overall score.

Price: $150 for golf (dinner included)

$25 for BBQ and music

Please join us at this great event! To sign up please email golf.vertical.harvest@gmail.com

or call 307-733-3111

It is a vital step to making this valley’s food supply both more sustainable and environmentally conscious. Our beautiful home, while stunning, is an expensive place to live: Vertical Harvest will grow food from within the valley and greatly reduce the need to ship food into Jackson.

If that prospect is not exciting enough, consider the impact of vertical gardening on a broader level.

If vertical gardens can be integrated into urban areas, they can greatly influence urban living. The hard grayness of a city soften at the edges as people develop a closer relationship with their food. In a culture reliant on convenience, projects such as Vertical Harvest can make a difference.

For the youth living in a small town, what does this mean?

Considering most of us aren’t independent of our parents, it means raising awareness. The success of this project can touch an entire community the size of ours and has the potential to travel beyond our mountains and across the country, around the world.

I don’t expect anything to change in a heartbeat, but if you are trying to instill a “think globally, act locally” attitude into your life, projects like Vertical Harvest of Jackson Hole are a great start.  Talk to your parents, your friends, or merely think about it for a few moments, the impact could be great.

How can you help? Become a member, buy the produce once available, or visit the greenhouse website to better understand the project and make it a reality.

Vertical Harvest presents many exciting opportunities:

• Employs citizens with disabilities
• Extends a four-month growing season to a 12- month growing season
• Hydroponic growing systems use less water and energy than planting in soil
• Provides learning opportunities to students, locals and visitors
• Produce will be available at retail on site at at local grocery stores

Visit www.verticalharvest.org for more information.

Entry to the party is $30, which includes a food and drink ticket. Vertical Harvest Membership Drive donors will admitted without cost as a thank you. Tickets will be available at the door. Or sign up to be a member, and gain free admittance here: http://fs18.formsite.com/verticalharvest/form1/index.html

DJ VertONE will once again be spinning tunes, and several generous local restaurants, chefs and farms will be paired up to provide delicious cuisine. A silent auction with many great lodging packages and items will be available for bidding throughout the night.

The proceeds from the party will go toward construction costs for the greenhouse.

Vertical Harvest is proud to celebrate 4 months of fundraising, and is pleased to thank 171 members for their generous support. At this point, the membership drive has raised $104,000 toward the $214,000 needed for the first 6 months operating cost

VHJH has recently gained national recognition on sites such as Discovery.com and Inhabitat.com, as the project’s innovation and replicable business plan draw in outside support. The hope is to continue harnessing this support with a national fundraising effort through the KickStarter site mid-summer.

Vertical Harvest will submit a grant application for construction costs to the Wyoming Business Council in September, with the anticipation that it will break ground in Spring of 2013. Next year’s rooftop party will overlook the structure in its building stage.

1% for the Planet Welcomes Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
‘Couloir’ and ‘Deck’ Restaurants to Network

June 27, 2012 – Waitsfield, VT – 1% for the Planet, a global network of businesses that invests at least 1% of its sales in organizations focused on sustainability, is pleased to welcome two outstanding new members into the 1% family; the award-winning ‘Couloir’ Restaurant and the stunning “Deck” Restaurant, both Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) properties.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have Jackson Hole Mountain Resort join 1% for the Planet with their signature restaurants Couloir and The Deck,” said 1% CEO, Terry Kellogg. “Membership in 1% for the Planet will move the resort’s sustainability agenda forward in a highly visible and tangible way. We sincerely hope that JHMR’s example will inspire many more organizations within the ski industry and beyond to follow suit.”

“Operating in the heart of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, one of the most pristine natural environments in the world, is a privilege that comes with great responsibility,” said Jerry Blann, President, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. “We have invested strategically and labored intently to be the best possible stewards of our natural resources within our operating systems to date. The resorts ISO 14001 registered Environmental Management System has produced five years of impressive results and our commitment to environmental protection has resulted in two Golden Eagle Awards (the highest honor of environmental achievement in the ski industry). Joining 1% for the Planet is an investment outside our company and we are excited about this prospect from an educational and impact potential.” Blann added.

Couloir and the Deck re-open for the summer this week and a large portion of the support from the restaurants will initially be allocated to Vertical Harvest, one of the most innovative architectural-agricultural-sustainability projects in the country: a state of-the-art, three-story, 13,500-square-foot hydroponic farm that will employ workers with developmental disabilities year-round, set for construction in Jackson Hole in 2013.

Couloir Restaurant is JHMR’s well known and most unique dining experience committed to a rigorous sustainability policy. Giving back as a 1% member compliments the restaurant’s eco-friendly best practices of guaranteeing the majority of its ingredients come from a 250-mile radius, menus designed seasonally to reduce carbon footprint and extensive use of local farmer’s markets and ranches. Couloir’s awards include the Conde Nast Hot List in its opening season and more recently a coveted award from Wine Spectator Magazine. The Deck is a summer only alfresco dining experience over looking Grand Teton National Park and the surrounding mountains.

In just over 10 years, 1% for the Planet has grown to more than 1,500 members in 48 countries. The 1% global network supports 3,000 non-profit partners with over $100 million in cumulative giving since 2002.

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Related links:

Learn more about Couloir’s Environmental commitment at
http://www.youtube.com/embed/hMkHuoa6_HE

www.jacksonhole.com
www.onepercentfortheplanet.org
www.verticalharvest.org