I have with me Richard McGinnis, publisher and CEO of Mindful Metropolis. Welcome to OpEdNews, Richard. Can you tell our readers a little about Mindful Metropolis?
Thank you, Joan. Mindful Metropolis hatched out of the ashes of Conscious Choice Magazine in April of this year. Conscious Choice (CC) was a 21 year old, Chicago-based print publication that focused first as a journal of ecology and natural living and then – through successive purchases by larger and larger corporations – became more of a Lifestyles of Health & Sustainability (LOHAS) media vehicle. Toward the end of its existence, CC evolved into a true lifestyle magazine partnered with magazines in NY, LA, San Fran and Seattle, as well as web-based media
lime.com and
gaia.com. The content was homogenized, and, in March of this year, the fairly recent print commodity acquisitions were shuttered by Gaiam, Inc., in favor of larger focus on web.
So, all of us in the print division lost our jobs. Most of us in the Chicago office had been with the company for 10 – 20 years. Combined, we had about three-quarters of a century of experience in the local sustainability movement and tons of solid relationships in our community. We decided to form Mindful Metropolis and published our first issue in May on the heels of CC's last issue in April. We brought the magazine back to the community that supported it in the beginning. We provide 40,000 monthly issues for free in the Chicago metro and surrounding areas. We also have a comprehensive website and e-magazine with full archives dating back to the first issue. The mission is really very simple: We bring together communities throughout the Chicago metropolitan and surrounding areas with fresh ways to “be” in a cohesive, high social impact and sustainable environment. We promote businesses, non-profits, local organizations and educational institutions which inspire individuals to act. We attract readers who are engaged and who are committed to growth, who want to make the right decisions (everything from Halloween candy to cleaning products to the Olympics).
I was sorry to see Conscious Choice go. Is Mindful Metropolis available both online and through an actual hard-copy magazine via subscription?
In some ways, we were also sad to see CC go. It was a good run. But, more importantly, it provided a solid foundation for the formation of Mindful Metropolis. We are much happier with this publication, and so is the community (from what we are hearing). Yes, Mindful Metropolis is available in on-line format, through subscription copies and in over 580 pick-up locations in the metropolitan Chicago area.
And you have the wonderful advantage of utilizing 'recycled' CC personnel with all those years of experience and a long-time connection to Chicago. Give our readers a sense of what they might find in your latest issue.
We prefer the term “repurposed,” thank you!
In the October issue, we have three main features: The cover story is on sustainably-minded couture. It features local designers, fabricators and retailers of eco-chic clothing and accessories as well as a glossary of terms used to marketing green fashion. The couture spread includes great photographs of what is hot in “green.”
We have a feature on local wines and day/weekend trips for seeing the fall colors in the area. The feature combines local vineyards, wine tastings, bed & breakfasts, arboretums, bike trails – all in our area – with websites and resources for taking advantage of these sustainably minded and priced local luxuries. We have a feature on the Illinois Solar Homes Tour focusing on what residents are doing to cut utility costs and reduce their carbon footprints. We also have our regular spa review, restaurant review, media reviews, local calendar listings and more!
It's so nice that we have evolved far enough for the fashion-conscious to have the best of both worlds - chic and green! Speaking of evolving, what kinds of changes do you see on the environmental consciousness over the last number of years?
That question has a big answer. Without writing an essay, I can simply say environmental consciousness has moved from being a niche concept which impassioned a small percentage of our social sphere to being a much larger agenda item on the minds and lips of the majority. Other than some lunatic fringe, no one thinks global warming is a goofy theory anymore.
People are taking their personal environmental impact very seriously. Much of the publicized force of the current environmental movement began when fuel prices went toward the roof. It was the perfect opportunity to not only appeal to the American wallet, but also to point out how fragile our environment is and the impact of fossil fuels on the planet. The logical progression of dialogue includes agribusiness, plastics, clean air and water, and even spirituality. If you toss in war, recession and healthcare, you have a total social upheaval that makes our media the perfect go-to for information, solutions and cohesion.
Let's pause here. When we resume our interview, Richard will talk about his farm background and a sampling of the resources out there for people interested in getting a taste of sustainable farming. Please join us.
Part II
Welcome back for the second half of my interview with Mindful Metropolis publisher/CEO Richard McGinnis. We've been talking about Mindful Metropolis within the context of the evolution of the environmental movement. So, Richard, it sounds like you're in exactly the right place at the right time! I understand that you live on a farm in northwest Illinois. Can you tell us about that? Were you always a farmboy or is this an evolution for you, too?
Ah, another big answer that involves both the philosophical and the practical. Yes, I grew up on a farm. I spent much of my early childhood shucking corn, shelling peas, chasing chickens and eating really good, high quality food. The problem was that I did not know how wonderful I had it, and I couldn't wait to get away from it. I lived in downtown Chicago for roughly 20 years, and maintained an apartment there until recently. My real home is the farm, though.
What I got from both my rural and my urban experience taught me that the two have to come together somehow. The food resources in the urban environment are lacking except to the privileged segments of the metropolitan community who can afford to shop the seasonal farmer's markets and stores like Whole Foods. One of my passions is bringing together farm and city concepts by working closely with organizations like City Provisions, FamilyFarmed.org, and Slow Food Chicago. Mindful Metropolis believes in collaboration and education. Introducing children and adults to healthy food resources – which could be more abundant in the Midwest – is paramount for both the citizens and the planet. My personal relationship with my farm has taught me the value of organic food, proper care of the land, and appreciation for the gifts of nature.
So you've come full circle and are back on the very same farm of your youth? How poetic. Tell us a little about City Provisions, FamilyFarmed.org, and Slow Food Chicago. I'm not familiar with them. And I'll bet there are plenty of others like me who inhabit the same space - the Chicago area - but are oblivious to them, too.
We are a little short on poetry. The farm of my youth was huge and in central Alabama. My property, just about 100 miles west of downtown Chicago, is much smaller. By comparison, it could only be described as a mini-farmette. However, a lot of the principals I employ are the same as my ancestors: I grow as much as I can, preserve as much as I can, and share as much as I can in an environmentally sensitive model.
City Provisions connects people with food sources by hosting farm dinners during the summer and a supper club the rest of the year. The farm dinners are especially interesting. The owner and chef, Cleetus Friedman, rents a bio-diesel bus and takes approximately 20 guests from the city to a local farm with a sustainable mission. Cleetus introduces the guests to the farmer, gives a tour, then prepares a sumptuous meal using all farm ingredients. He provides beverages from small local companies, and teaches guests about the food they eat and how it was grown. The supper clubs are much the same except they are hosted in the city with multiple local farmers contributing to the meal. They also accommodate 45 guests. Cleetus only serves food purchased from farmers he knows personally. He closes the loop on food.
FamilyFarmed.org was founded by one of the original founders of Conscious Choice, Jim Slama. FamilyFarmed has a hand in all things sustainable and farm-related. Primarily, they do public policy advocacy for sustainable farming initiatives, source funding for family farms to employ environmental practices and hang on to ancestral land that is quickly being gobbled up by agribusiness, and they host a yearly exposition where local farmers and supportive organizations come together and share skills, knowledge and products with the metropolitan community.
Slow Food Chicago promotes good, clean and fair food. Their primary goal is to connect eaters with the Chicago region's bio-diverse and sustainable producers through social events, education and organizational partnerships.
I should also mention that Cleetus Friedman from City Provisions and Amy Cox from Slow Food Chicago gave an excellent presentation for Mindful Metropolis' recent film screening of FRESH! (www.freshthemovie.com).
And, you are correct. There are other organizations doing great work in our area and around the country. It would be impossible to go into any reasonable detail about those for whom we are so grateful.
I like that - "mini-farmette." It's great that you have harmonized your home life and professional life. I love the principles behind Family Farmed and Slow Food Chicago. But the farm dinner concept of City Provisions particularly catches my fancy. What a great teaching opportunity - Edible environmentalism!
Funny you should use the word “harmony.” I have the kanji for the word harmony tattooed on my back (is that too much information?). I offer that up solely for the proof of the importance of the word. My urban existence, my rural dream and Mindful Metropolis are not only harmonious, they are inseparable.
Is there anything you'd like to add, Richard?
I am sure I could add plenty, but I will leave that for the book.
Thanks so much, Richard. It's been a pleasure.
My pleasure! Thank
you!
Good luck with your new endeavor. I look forward to future issues of Mindful Metropolis. And the book, of course!
Link to OEN interview: