by Delia Montgomery

It was about six years ago green-movement “insiders” were talking about the upcoming bamboo fabric crash. Bamboo clothing was the rage at the time, so every eco-fabric industry leader wanted to ride the wave as long as possible.

Once word got to customers two years later, they fiercely resisted. Typical reactions were “I love my bamboo, you can’t take it away from me!”  —  along with expressions of disbelief. Read the rest of this entry »

Flowers From Hawaii

Organic flowers are one of the fastest growing sectors of the non-food organic market.

By Delia Montgomery

Chic Eco

Cut flowers and blooming plants are year-round gifts from nature in Hawaii. Our many altitudes and climate zones provide a magnificent range of choices. Varieties of anthuriums, heliconias, gingers, bird of paradise, protea and orchids grow in abundance. We are blessed with flower farm producers who are, after all, are the stewards of our land.

What is interesting is whether Big Island flower farmers are embracing the organic movement or not. And if so, how are they going about it?

There’s an abundance of certified organic produce suppliers, but flowers farmers are subject to different verification processes. That seems to be reason why my searches for certified organic flower farmers in Hawaii is with pretty nil results — going on four years now.

Well, the organic-green movement continues to grow, and in the Ka`ohe rainforest of Big Island, the Reppun family farmers of Flowers from Hawaii use no herbicides or pesticides on their anthuriums. Their sustainable farming methods comply with the Hawai`i Organic Farm Association (HOFA) regulations. Read the rest of this entry »

By Delia Montgomery

Chíc Eco

Clayton Owens of Hawai`i manages his business, Organic Clay Interiors, as an authorized applicator of American Clay Earth Plasters. The clay material produces a unique warm ambiance with soothing texture and rich color. This extraordinary plaster is mold and fade resistant, maintenance-free, and moisture controlling. Amazingly, the clay absorbs moisture and releases negatively-charged ions. It’s not only sustainable, it’s healthy!

Clayton’s expertise, however, is beyond the material. He masters special effects, texture, and color blending. He can inlay images or symbols, for example. Commercial settings can have their logo incorporated into the plaster. Read the rest of this entry »