Liberty Helps Tibet

Liberty Granola is pleased to announce the huge success of the recent bake sale for Tibet. Through sales of cookies and a generous anonymous donor, Liberty donated $700 to www.tibetanvillageproject.org. They used the money to provide winter tents to the victims of a terrible earthquake in April. With a challenge grant, the money actually bought a total of FOUR TENTS!!

Thank you to everyone who bought cookies and please visit the Tibetan Village website to learn more. You can still make a donation to the tent project. With our support we can help people survive the upcoming winter.

Liberty Granola - healthy people, happy planet!

Your Own Backyard

Locavores love the combination of Liberty Granola and Backyard Bowls! Visit this unique and healthy eatery - a great stop after yoga and workouts, or on your way to the spa, beach, or work. Order up your favorite bowl with the addition of 100% organic and GMO-free Liberty Granola. Savor the delight of Riviera Blend served with the diverse Backyard Bowl menu. Taste the magic of the food revolution - only in Santa Barbara!


Happy People. Healthy Planet. Right in your Backyard.

Backyard Bowls

State & Gutierrez
http://www.backyardbowls.com/.

Tibet Bake Sale

Happy People. Healthy Planet.

HAPPY EARTH DAY FROM LIBERTY GRANOLA!

Healing the planet with every bite.

Here are some fun links...

http://www.organicconsumers.org/

http://www.cornucopia.org/

http://www.danielgoleman.info/

http://www.natcap.org/

http://www.slowfoodusa.org/

Edible Notable!

Check out Liberty in the news.
Thank you to the publishers of "Edible Santa Barbara" for the stunning photo and review on page 5. Pick up a copy of this informative and local magazine. The current Spring issue offers lots of ideas and tips for living a locavore life.

Liberty Granola says bee happy and eat locally.

Every Bunny Loves Liberty

SPRING IS HERE!

Bring in Spring with the world's tastiest, eco-friendly granola.

This artisan, hand-crafted granola is made in Santa Barbara with

premium, organic ingredients. It doesn't get better than this.

Each batch is slow-roasted to bring out the

crunch, sweetness, and hint of sea salt.

A lovely addition to breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dessert.

Or an Easter basket!

In Santa Barbara you can purchase Liberty at:

Isla Vista Food Co-op

Pierre LaFond Montecito

Olive Hill Farm Los Olivos

Local Harvest Delivery

Contact info@libertygranola.com for shipping info!

Green Granola

HOW GREEN IS YOUR GRANOLA?

Starting a business isn’t easy. Starting a green business that operates on the triple bottom line is even harder. These days being green, or eco-friendly, is often a gimmick or marketing scheme. At Liberty Granola we make the greenest granola around. We aren’t perfect. But we want to be.

TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE
Every decision made at Liberty gets weighed against three pivotal questions that reflect core values and natural capitalism:

1. How will something affect the environment and ecosystems?
2. How will something affect people and society?
3. How will it affect profitability?

For instance, in buying paper for the tags, a business concerned with only THE bottom line would choose the cheapest paper possible. At Liberty Granola, I wanted recycled, made in America paper. This meant research on the internet and talking to a local printer about paper quality. I chose a manufacturer that fit the bill PLUS uses wind energy in production and cares about water and air quality around its processing plants.

As another example, I recently discontinued the popular “Birdsong” flavor. It contained organic pumpkin seeds which suddenly were only available from China. While I do get ingredients from other countries, I am not keen on Chinese products. I have spoken with two local farmers interested in growing the pumpkin which produces the seeds I need. Hopefully the fall harvest will put Birdsong back to the shelves, with local, organic pepitas!

In contrast to the wider view of the triple bottom line, the myopic, single bottom line creates pollution, waste, cheap products, and unfair labor practices. Liberty Granola believes businesses have to do better. Three is the new one. People. Planet. Profit.

I’m just a small, local business, but I believe I can make a difference through the ingredients I choose, the way I bake, and the marketing streams I use. I invite you to scrutinize the product and production. Give me feedback on how to improve. Let me know about new, local ingredients.

The Liberty Granola business model is based on a local economy – the best way to rebuild after this rollercoaster year. While I do get ingredients from faraway places, I buy them at the Isla Vista Co-op. They in turn employ local folks who put money back in the local stream of cash. I support area farmers and agriculture through my personal eating habits and at Liberty we use honey and raisins purchased from the Santa Barbara Farmer’s Market.

Our organic almonds come from Bougher Ranch in Northern California. These folks are passionate about organic farming and protecting almonds from poisonous, chemical pasteurization as mandated by the USDA. Liberty Granola is proud to boast these regional, organic almonds while effecting policy change at the national level.

On a personal level, I do my best to walk instead of drive whenever possible. I often take the State Street shuttle to appointments and demos. I buy 95% of my food at SB Farmer’s Markets. I buy used or refurbished when I can. I use Credo cell phone services. I am working to convert my car to run on waste vegetable oil. I don’t have aspirations to make money and consume more. My biggest dream is to make money and build a strawbale retreat and meditation center. This is where Liberty will take me.

I wish I could be as radical as one of my heroes, Joel Salatin, who was introduced to most of us through Michael Pollan’s book The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Joel would say, “If you want my granola, you’ll have to come to Santa Barbara.” I’m just not that brave. So yes, you can have Liberty shipped. But there is a three pound minimum. I use cradle to cradle boxes from the USPS. You can even gather some friends and up the poundage. Start a Liberty distribution house in your area – save money and fossil fuel.

I know it isn’t the apex of eco-friendly to be shipping “local” granola around the country. Please let me know if you have better ideas. These are the dilemmas and questions every “green” business should be weighing. Should I ship or not ship. Can I not ship and still pay the rent? How can I ship effectively? There is always room to improve. In the meantime, email your order and I’ll make you the best granola you’ve ever tasted.

ORDERS & QUESTIONS
info@libertygranola.com

READING & LINKS
Natural Capitalism by Paul Hawken
Ecology of Commerce by Paul Hawken
Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough
Ecological Intelligence by Daniel Goleman
The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan

www.polyfacefarms.com
www.cornucopia.org
www.bro-almonds.com
www.michaelpollan.com
www.credomobile.com

I am open to your comments and suggestions. Thank you for choosing Liberty!