Posts Tagged ‘American Dream’

Sonoma Lavender, the American Dream, Organically

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Lavender has been used for centuries in medicine and perfume, and early civilizations believed the fragrant purple flowers restored vitality. For Gary and Rebecca Rosenberg of Sonoma Lavender, the ancient plant is a means for reinvigoration and reinvention—one plant at a time.

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Many urbanites dream of leaving the hustle and bustle behind for a quieter life in the country, but few actually fulfill the dream. Gary and Rebecca Rosenberg are two of the lucky ones. In 1998, they sold their San Francisco advertising agency and catalog company and moved to their property in Northern California’s Sonoma County, long known for great wine, tart apples, and other fine agricultural delicacies.

With a goal to be home with their two kids as much as possible, the Rosenbergs focused on what they could do with the land to provide a livelihood. Tucked between the Pacific Ocean and the Mayacamas Mountain range, the Sonoma Valley mimics the elevation, climate and soil of the Mediterranean and provides ideal growing conditions. Many options were tossed around, including growing grapes and making wine, but they eventually settled on planting lavender.

More than 10 years later, Sonoma Lavender grows and manufactures hundreds of lavender products and is the single largest provider of lavender products in the US. Even still, the company remains family-owned and operated in the true sense, working together to plant, tend, harvest and dry the crop each season on their five-acre farm.
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We commend the Rosenberg Family for their natural, eco-friendly and “go local” approach. Local artisans handcraft all of Sonoma Lavender’s products, which benefits the local economy and the environment by avoiding transport and outsourcing to keep the company’s environmental footprint small. The Rosenbergs also practice environmentally friendly growing and manufacturing techniques, and every product is grown, designed and made in Santa Rosa, California.
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In keeping with their eco-friendly philosophy, Sonoma Lavender uses recycled cotton and organic ingredients whenever possible. We particularly love the booties and wrap in the Natural Tranquility Spa Set, which are handcrafted from a remarkably breathable fabric woven from recycled yarns.

What a terrific way to keep an estimated 5 billion pounds of waste out of landfills! The naturally healthful lotions, gels and soy candleshttp://www.elegantroots.com/Organic-Lavender-Spa-Set-by-Sonoma-Lavender-p-67.html feature organic herbal blends and therapeutic-grade essential oils. Soothing and spicy.
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Used throughout history for its therapeutic balancing properties, lavender has shown to be energizing, calming and revitalizing. To celebrate the fragrant, magical plant, each June Rebecca and Gary open their farm, which is otherwise closed to the public, for the Sonoma Lavender Festival. The festival features lavender cooking demonstrations, farm tours, a barn store and a lavender day spa.

I salute Gary and Rebecca for the vision to have conceived a robust business based on natural products and the commitment to operate it in ways that give back to the community and respect the earth. Sonoma Lavender is truly an inspiring American Dream.

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The American Dream, Part 3 — Why Care?

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

Why care? Because it’s built into our culture. And if we don’t examine it, we can’t reshape our culture in a way that’s sustainable and healthier for us as individuals, for our society, and for our planet.

Maxine Waters suggests The American Dream is home ownership — the proverbial snug home with white picket fence. Nobel-economist Edmund Phelps suggests it’s the opportunity to risk capital, work hard and create wealth. Donald Trump has suggested it’s accumulation for accumulation’s sake — money is how we keep score — whoever dies with the most toys wins.

Bill Maher says there’s no American Dream — it’s an American Fantasy and that our economy is in trouble for too many years of living the fantasy. Well, fantasy or dream, we better figure out what The American Dream is and what it should be. I’ll tell you why — there’s more than 300 million of us. That’s a lot of American Dreamin’. Can the planet, can our economy, support that much American Dreamin’?

We need not worry whether the planet or the economy can support 300 million American Dreams because that’s irrelevant. The American Dream, you see, has gone worldwide. Blame it on “afluenza”. Or blame it on American influence. Fareed Zacaria quotes a prominent Singaporean analyst to the effect that the world emulates the American Dream. It’s self-evident — there is not a Chinese Dream.

Much of the world has pursued  the American Dream. And that’s a problem, since at certain levels that lifestyle isn’t sustainable. One can consider every 300 million Americans an “Americum.” Look around the world for people pursuing their own version of the American Dream. You’ll find one Americum, of course, in America. You’ll find another in Europe. Another in India. One in China and nearly another. As of the time of the writing of Thomas Friedman’s, Hot, Flat and Crowded, there were 8 Americums around the world. We can’t keep it up.

Mr. Friedman suggests that the “gift basket” America sends to the world should be more than the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and The Declaration of Independence — it should include a better American Dream.

Work on it. I’ll get back to you.

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The ER Blog Is Back! Chasing The American Dream, Part 1

Monday, February 2nd, 2009

I’ve been thinking about the concept of The American Dream for a long time — where it fits into our lives and where it should fit.

Lately things are driving me to write down some bones about it. The election of our new President. The currency of MLK’s Dream. The New American Melting Pot –  a palpably biological phenomenon. The Madoff and Blagojevich greed. The meltdown of our economy. The rise of Green. And amidst the turmoil, all the questions about how we should live — saving more, carrying less credit burden, buying less, buying local, being responsible.

So what exactly is The American Dream? How has it morphed over the years? And should we remake it?

Until the Great Recession, The American Dream seemed synonymous with Bling, McMansions, and  do-it-if-you-can-get-away-with-it. Disposable everything. Convenience, indulgence and soft comfort elevated to the highest values.

Has it always been that way? Wasn’t there a pastoral/bucolic day-gone-by where Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness meant simple physical, political and religious security joined with opportunity? I always assumed so.  Then I heard a reference to Democracy in America, attributing to its author, Alexis de Tocqueville, the observation that even back in the early Nineteenth Century, Americans were striving to accumulate things only to lose interest upon their attainment, eye always on the next acquisition. Maybe my vision of American values has been as mythological as George Washington’s I-cannot-tell-a-lie cherry tree.

These questions swirl around ElegantRoots.com since we sell quality gifts from around the world — eco-friendly and socially responsible, yes. Soulful, artisan-made, yes. Buy-less-but-buy-better things, yes. But still things. Green bling? What place for things in a New American Dream?

I’m taking input from heavy-weights the likes of John Zogby from The Way We’ll Be, Messr. de Tocqueville, Andrew J. Bacevich from The Limits of Power, Fareed Zacaria from The Post-American World, Thomas Friedman from Hot, Flat and Crowded, and who knows who else. Write to me — maybe I’ll be quoting you.

Til Next Time,

Rob Favole

Elegant Roots

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