Sustainability : Buzz

Popular local food trucks Chef Shack and Vellee Deli appeared on a recent list of the country's top food trucks, in a ranking dished up by food website The Daily Meal.
 
Chef Shack, a fixture on the food truck scene here and one of the first to kick off the trend, nabbed the no. 10 spot on the list while fusion cuisine purveyor Vellee Deli came in at no. 84.
 
The website looked at over 450 trucks from over 40 cities, and came up with the list by considering Twitter and Facebook popularity, as well as innovative menus, originality, and online reviews.
 
In singling out Chef Shack, the site noted that ingredients are organic when possible, and from family farms and co-ops in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Vellee Deli, meanwhile, won a spot for its blend of Asian and Mexican dishes.

"If you're a lover of outdoor urban activity, might we suggest a move to Minneapolis?" begins the story on U.S. city park systems from Grist.
 
The online news site cited rankings from the Trust for Public Land in its second-annual ParkScore Index. Although Minneapolis didn't appear on last year's list, the survey results were tweaked this year to include more metropolitan locations, and the city zoomed to the top, beating out larger cities like San Francisco and New York City.
 
In calculating the rankings, ParkScore looked at acreage of city parks, services and investment, and access. Minneapolis parks boast 15 percent of the city's overall area, with over 5,000 acres of parkland.  

For the third year in a row, the Twin Cities landed at the top of the list for the healthiest cities in the country, according to the American Fitness Index, a study done by the American College of Sports Medicine.
 
Aimed at presenting a snapshot of the state of health and fitness at the metropolitan level, the annual ranking looks at a variety of factors that drive health, including the number of farmers markets per capita, city playgrounds and parks, golf courses and tennis courts, and other recreation opportunities.
 
Although the Minneapolis-St. Paul area was considered to have the most areas of excellence, there were some "improvement priority areas," including the number of smokers who live here, and the lower percentage of residents who eat more than five servings of fruits or vegetables per day.
 
Rounding out the top five were Washington D.C., Portland, San Francisco, and Denver.

Minnetonka-based United Health Foundation recently released a study that examined the health of the country's seniors, and which states had the most community resources to support them as they age.
 
Minnesota came out on top, followed by Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Iowa.
 
The report is designed to provide information that can be used to inspire new and effective solutions that meet the healthcare needs of seniors, noted Reed Tuckson, senior advisor to United Health Foundation. In a statement, he said, "We are measuring senior heath in order to help improve it."
 
Minnesota's advantages over other states include more robust drug coverage, lower rates of hunger among seniors, higher rates of annual dental visits, and an abundance of home health care workers.
 
The report noted, "We want this report to be more than just an assessment of the current status of senior health. We want to promote a public discussion of the overall health of the age 65+ population that is comprehensive and balanced."

Food and drink website The Daily Meal recently ran a feature called "The 10 Best Locavore Cities in America Right Now," and Minneapolis landed at number eight.
 
Each city's listing showcases a restaurant that represents a commitment to locavores (those who seek out only locally sourced food). For Minneapolis, Corner Table got the nod.
 
"Minneapolis has come into its own as a food city, and Corner Table epitomizes the town's focus on fresh and friendly Midwestern cuisine," the article notes, before praising the restaurant's globally inspired dishes and seasonal tasting menus.
 
To come up with the list, editors at the site looked at which cities had the most restaurants known for serving locally sourced ingredients. Coming in at the top of the list is Asheville, North Carolina.
 

Earth Policy describes various bike-sharing programs around the world in a recent post.

The post mentions Nice Ride, the bike-sharing program in Minneapolis and St. Paul, which is the second largest in the U.S. Nice Ride has 1,550 bikes at 170 stations, it states. Capital Bikeshare, which serves the Washington, D.C. area, is the biggest, with more than 1,800 bikes at 200 stations,the piece notes.

Bike-sharing programs are popping up more and more, these days. “Forward-thinking cities are turning back to the humble bicycle as a way to enhance mobility, alleviate automotive congestion, reduce air pollution, boost health, support local businesses, and attract more young people,” according to the article.

Bike-sharing systems “are being embraced by a growing number of people in the urbanizing world who are starting to view car ownership as more of a hassle than a rite of passage.” 

DC.Streetsblog.org gives a shout-out to the Twin Cities’ Nice Ride bike-sharing program in a post, “Midwest Cities Race to Adopt, and Grow, Bike-Share.”

Recently, Pittsburgh announced it was adding a similar program, while several other cities plan to follow suit.

The post goes on to say, “And of course there’s the grandaddy of them all: Minneapolis’ Nice Ride. Launched in 2010, this system currently boasts more than 1,200 bikes. Late last year, the system surpassed half a million trips.”

The post also includes a photo of a local bicyclist taking advantage of the pioneering bike-sharing program.

Bicycling in Minneapolis increased by 56 percent over the past six years, and walking by 22 percent, according to the City of Minneapolis Bicyclist and Pedestrian Count Report 2012, released on March 1st.
 
The figures are based on annual counts conducted every September, at 30 different locations for bicyclists and 23 locations for pedestrians. According to the report, the top locations for both activities are near the University of Minnesota, in downtown Minneapolis, and along the Midtown Greenway and Cedar Lake Trail.
 
Other findings from the report include an increase in the number of routes for bicycling, which has attracted new cyclists and given existing cyclists more options. Minneapolis has added over 40 miles of bikeways in just the past two years.
 
The ongoing collection of data about bicycling and walking is done by the city to develop a more complete picture of overall traffic behavior in our communities, the report noted.

The Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State reported that new business filings in 2012 represented an 18 percent increase over the previous year, and constituted the second highest number of new filings in the state's history.
 
Over 60,000 new businesses were filed last year. As noted by Twin Cities Business, the record was set in 2009, when the state had over 63,000 new filings. However, that increase is largely attributed to a shift in filing practices implemented by the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
 
"New business filings reflect Minnesota's great business climate," said Secretary Mark Ritchie in a statement. "As our economy continues to improve in 2013, new business filings will remain strong."  

According to a recent article in Recycling Today, Minneapolis-based Pioneer Industries International opened its eighth location at the end of November.
 
Pioneer is one of the largest privately owned recycling firms in the Midwest, and its newest location in Milwaukee will offer a range of processing services, including recycling of packaging materials and metal.
 
In addition to Minneapolis, the company has operations in Chicago, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, and other Midwestern locations.
 
Talking to Recycling Today about the recent expansion, the company noted that the "principles of excellent customer service, strong end-user relationships and being a true sustainability partner to its customers resonate within this new venture just as it did before."

Cities in different climates are starting to resemble each other in unexpected ways.

A New York Times magazine story talks about the increasing similarities between Minneapolis, Phoenix, and Baltimore: “Scientists think that cities are starting to look alike in ways that have nothing to do with the proliferation of Starbucks, WalMart, or T.G.I Fridays,” the story states.

Landscaping plays a major role in this. It’s about “the choices we make every spring when we emerge from our apartments and homes and descend on local garden centers.”

While Phoenix has more lakes today than it did in the past, Minneapolis, known for its lakes, “is becoming drier as developers fill in wetlands,” it states.

Cities are “becoming more like one another ecologically than they are like the wild environments around them.”

This, says the piece, is hopeful in that it indicates that “a sprawling metropolis built in a desert might actually offer a path toward something like sustainability.”  

On its inaugural list of America's Best Hipster Neighborhoods, financial magazine Forbes chose Minneapolis' North Loop as one of its picks.
 
To define "hipster," the publication searched through data on more than 250 neighborhoods in the largest U.S. cities, and looked for factors like the number of coffee shops per capita, the diversity of food trucks and farmers markets, walkability, the percentage of residents who work in artistic occupations, and the number of bars and restaurants.
 
The North Loop, also known as the Warehouse District, was recognized as "hipster" for its large warehouse spaces that have been converted to apartments, boutiques, and restaurants. Forbes also added: "Bike trails, a park and an arts collective also boost the hipness quotient." The North Loop came in 12th out of 20 neighborhoods.
 
At the top of the Forbes list was Los Angeles' Silver Lake, San Francisco's Mission District, and Brooklyn's Williamsburg.

Because of "excellent planning policies, high level of staff commitment to pedestrian safety and pedestrian campaigns and events," Minneapolis is a gold-level community for walking, according to Walk Friendly Communities.
 
As also reported in Southwest Journal, the city's extensive sidewalk network is an example of how Minneapolis is devoted to providing pedestrian facilities. Over 90 percent of streets in Minneapolis have complete sidewalks, and over 80 percent of streets have sidewalks on both sides of the street.
 
Walk Friendly Communities also noted the city's pedestrian street lighting, parking standards, and crosswalk practices as other indications of the walking friendliness of Minneapolis.

"Think it's futile to build up a massive cycling network because of frosty winter temperatures?" asks a recent news story in Winnipeg Free Press. "[Minneapolis] has proven a bit of snow and sub-zero winds don't mean a city can't be a top cycling spot."
 
The article notes that Minneapolis is among a handful of North American cities considered leaders in building a network of paths that encourage recreational and commuter travel. About 3.5 percent of Minneapolis residents bike to work, and the city is on track to increase that number to seven percent within the next couple of years, according to the newspaper.
 
Quoting Shaun Murphy, Minneapolis bicycle and pedestrian coordinator, the story added that half of the city cyclists don't ride their bikes during the winter, but there's been growing interest in winter biking. One draw is that Minneapolis works to have all bicycle trails plowed within 24 hours of a snowfall. 

The number of farmers markets is growing across the country, which makes singling out just a few of them a challenging task. But the Mother Nature Network (MNN) was willing to take on the job, highlighting nine markets across the country, including the Minneapolis Farmers Market.
 
"Some of the produce and goods sold here are seldom seen in smaller markets (or in any other markets in the Upper Midwest, for that matter), a product of Minneapolis' diverse population," the article notes.
 
True food aficionados need to visit the market, MNN advises, along with other markets in Portland, Santa Fe, Madison, Hilo, HI, New Orleans, and Chicago.

Business publication Fast Company recently featured an article about how cities can foster a thriving creative class, and highlighted local nonprofit real estate developer Artspace as an ideal example.
 
The organization's flagship project, the Northern Warehouse in the Lowertown district of St. Paul, has been housing artists for more than 20 years, in a neighborhood that's undergone vast transformation.
 
This is significant, the article's writer believes: "Today, as widespread civic enthusiasm for 'creative' projects has begun to spawn skepticism, the Northern Warehouse may be one of the clearest case studies of the role of artists in rejuvenating decayed neighborhoods--and sticking around afterward."
 
Artspace doesn't prove that artists can power the economy of whole cities, the article notes, but it does seem to be providing an effective model for other urban centers that want to maintain a stable, thriving artistic culture.

The Twin Cities are home to 18 companies in the Fortune 500, so it's little wonder that such a lengthy list of ad agencies have set up shop here, according to industry must-read magazine Advertising Age. As a bonus, Minneapolis is a "smart and artsy town," the article states.
 
Another unique aspect of our local ad agency scene is the breadth of new agencies and their ability to thrive, Ad Age notes. As an example, the article points to Olson, which has 330 employees in the Minneapolis office, and counts Target, Bauer Hockey, and Northwestern Mutual among its clients.
 
The article goes on to list other benefits to living and working here, including our fast-growing craft-beer scene, startup culture, and progressive diversity programs.

Lakes, bacon-on-a-stick, dogsleds, and "Minnesota Nice"...no wonder our state has a generally joyous vibe. Now it's even got the credentials to prove it.
 
Minnesota ranks at number 3 in a recent list of the 10 happiest states in America, as noted by the Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index. The state came in first place for physical health (yet ranked no. 18 for healthy behavior) and also got a nod for emotional health, good work environments, and overall life satisfaction.
 
Hawaii residents had the highest well-being score in the nation, and West Virginia came in last. Overall, Western and Midwestern states earned nine out of 10 of the highest well-being scores, while Southern states accounted for half of the 10 lowest scores.
 

The Washington Post recently featured the Minneapolis restaurant the Bachelor Farmer, in its lifestyle section.

Writer Tom Sietsema describes the Nordic-themed restaurant as “homespun and stylish.”

“Cheery blue-and-white awnings welcome diners to the sprawling corner property,” along with an underground cocktail lounge that’s known as the Marvel Bar, the story states.

“Asked to define Minnesota cooking, Eric Dayton says it revolves around the simple use of a few ingredients, preferably local. “There’s a humility to the cooking” in his state, he says. The description sums up my meal in his restaurant, where nothing shouted “Look at me!” but everything reveled in good taste, right through dessert.”  

The Twin Cities are often lauded for their friendliness to bicyclists, and a recent article in the Chicago Tribune highlights some of the top reasons for the region's reputation.
 
The article points out that the parks that circle Minneapolis are laced with bike paths, there's a considerable Rails-to-Trails program, and there's been increasing focus on making streets more bike-friendly.
 
Even the weather works to the city's benefit, the article notes. In an interview with a local bicyclist, the story pointed out that the weather is fairly good for about eight months out of the year. As for the other months, winter bicycling is on the rise as well, making the area even more amenable to bike enthusiasts.

The Twin Cities is already well known for its bike-friendly environment, and this week and weekend we're showing off that reputation.
 
As highlighted in Downtown Journal, the metro is hosting Bike Walk Week June 2 - 10, an annual cavalcade of events and activities promoting walking and bicycling. The week drew nearly 10,000 residents last year, and promoters expect a similar or better turnout this year.
 
One highly anticipated event is the Midtown Greenway Coalition's Greenway Glow, scheduled to start at 9 p.m. on Saturday, June 9th. The Greenway Glow features local food and beer, and a tour of Northern Spark art installations.  

Fifteen companies have been named as the Healthiest Employers of the Twin Cities for 2012, according to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.
 
The results come from extensive surveys about workplace wellness programs, and include factors such as access to fitness facilities, communication about wellness topics, and disease-management programs.
 
Companies that made the list include Target, StoneArch Creative, Syngenta, Minnesota Elevator, Great River Energy, and Accenture. The Business Journal will hold a special recognition event for the companies in mid-June.

Walk Score, which rates U.S. cities for bikeability via its Bike Score rubric, recently gave Minneapolis top billing for its bicycle infrastructure.

Next in the lineup are Portland, San Francisco, Boston, and Madison, according to Bike Score.

“Bike Score is based on bike infrastructure (lanes and trails), hills, destinations and road connectivity, and the number of bike commuters,” the website states.

Scores are tallied “based on thousands of votes on hundreds of ideas from the Walk Score community,” it states.  

A new study puts Minneapolis-St. Paul into a list of the five top cities for women residents.
 
The research was done as part of a project, "Measure of America," from the Social Science Research Council. The study compared factors such as differences in women's education levels, marital status, life expectancy, and earnings.
 
Washington, D.C., earned the highest ranking, with San Francisco, Boston, and New York City rounding out the top five.

Readers of Travel + Leisure magazine have picked Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport as the best in the nation.
 
In its first airport survey, the magazine asked readers to rank 22 airports based on categories like food and drink, check-in, security, service, location, and design. The results were published in Travel + Leisure's April issue.
 
The Twin Cities airport was called the "cheeriest and most welcoming" airport in the country, nabbing the top spot thanks to its easy check-in and efficient security process.
 
"T+L voters loved the shopping and food and drink options at this mini-mall of an airport, and when it came to ease of check-in and security, Minneapolis also took the No. 1 spot," the article noted.
 
New York's La Guardia was ranked as the worst on the list, preceded by LAX.

Growing fresh food in Minneapolis and selling those veggies will become easier, thanks to recent amendments to the city's zoning code.
 
Minneapolis already allows community gardens, and has rules that allow residents to keep chickens, but there has been a contentious debate over proposed changes to market gardens. Some members of the City Council weren't particularly supportive of measures to expand urban farming in the city, but the amendments ended up passing anyway.
 
A story from Minnesota Public Radio reports that Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak--a longtime supporter of urban farming proposals--signed the changes into law at the Dowling Community Garden at Dowling Urban Environmental School.

If you're feeling relaxed, chances are that you're in Minneapolis.
 
The city was ranked as the least stressful in a study done by Sperling's BestPlaces, a research firm specializing in livability rankings.
 
The firm recently released its study of cities that are the most and the least stressful, compiled by looking at factors associated with stress, including divorce, crime, long commutes, suicide, and joblessness.
 
Tampa earned the most stressful rating, followed closely by other Florida cities: Miami, Jacksonville, and Orlando. Las Vegas, Detroit, and Sacramento also landed in the top 10 for stress.
 
For least stressful, Minneapolis was joined in the top rankings by San Jose, Pittsburgh, Virginia Beach, Dallas, and Cleveland.

The Republic, a newspaper out of Columbus, Indiana, recently reported on the University of Minnesota's meat lab, which teaches students to harvest, cut, package, and sell locally raised meat.
 
"It's part animal science, part age-old craft," the article noted. Founded in 1901, the meat lab was the first program of its kind in the nation.
 
Faculty adviser Dr. Ryan Cox added that the all-around butcher doesn't seem to exist anymore, and the meat lab's intent is to give students that more traditional view of the meat industry.
 
One student stated that thanks to the program he knows all the steps in the process, from raising a newborn calf all the way to selling the meat in a store. He says, "It just gives you a better idea where that meat is going and how it's used."

The American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis recently announced its June 30 grand reopening with the addition of the Nelson Cultural Center.

The expansion and other campus enhancements will get a visit from Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia in October. During their Minnesota trip, the king and queen will also go to the Swedish-founded Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, which will be celebrating its 150th anniversary.

“The Nelson Cultural Center’s innovative design and handcrafted, Swedish-inspired detailing embrace Nordic values--including respect for nature and quality materials, as well as for the environment, through energy conservation and sustainable building practices,” the statement from the American Swedish Institute reads.  

Food and lifestyle site Organic Authority has named Minneapolis one of the top nine cities for residents who embrace organic food.
 
Following cities like San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland, the Minneapolis area came in sixth on the list, ahead of San Diego, Denver, and Austin.
 
"[A] little ice and snow hasn't stopped the progression of organic food in Minnesota," the site noted. "Swing on by the booming co-op, The Wedge, or sign up for a CSA from a local organic farm for a year-long bounty of organic goodness."

Recently the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released a list of the top 10 states for green building through the internationally recognized LEED standards.

The results are based on U.S. Census data from last year.

Minnesota rounds out the list that’s topped by the District of Columbia.  

The LEED Platinum Marquette Plaza in Minneapolis is named in a prepared statement about the list.

Fitness magazine Women's Health took a look at top cities for health and happiness, and recognized Minneapolis as one of the top 10 cities for women.
 
The city has the fourth-highest number of female joggers, as well as one of the lowest breast cancer death rates, the article noted. Women's Health praised the number of lakes and paved shoreline paths in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, since that amount of recreation space makes it easier for women to increase their fitness levels.
 
"Preliminary research suggests that women who are physically active may have a 30 to 40 percent lower chance of developing breast cancer," says Dr. Jennifer Ligibel, an oncologist at Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, in the article. 

The Huffington Post recently featured a story by local writer Jay Walljasper titled, “How to Boost Biking and Walking in Your Town: Lessons From Minneapolis.”  

Walljasper cites numerous reports that show Minneapolis has become a top biking city.

He attributes it in part to various street improvements “including more bike lanes and special bicycle-and-pedestrian boulevards -- installed around town in the past year as part of the Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Project.”

Joan Pasiuk, who heads Bike Walk Twin Cities, is quoted, saying, "The goal of this project from Congress was to shift some trips, and this data shows it is happening," adding, "The implications for overall health and transportation access are outcomes the community will realize from the numbers we're reporting."

Getting accurate bike and pedestrian counts is critical in terms of influencing transportation policies, according to Pasiuk.

In terms of stormwater management, Minneapolis is "doing interesting, innovative projects that warrant recognition," according to a report titled “Rooftop to Rivers II” from the Natural Resources Defense Council, summarized in MinnPost.

The report centers on 14 case studies that demonstrate how U.S. cities are working to reduce the pollution from runoff into lakes and rivers.

Although Minneapolis isn't one of those featured case studies, one part of the report describes the city’s stormwater management practices, including the use of rain gardens, ponds/wetlands, underground filtration, green roofs and more.

And, North Minneapolis’s Heritage Park “illustrates how green infrastructure can be implemented on a large-scale to transform communities,” the report states.

In MinnPost, Ron Meador responds, "The challenges and opportunities [the report] discusses are the same ones shaping the future of water quality and pollution control across our state."

Minneapolis-based Target Corp. prompted discussion about aquaculture practices by recently promising it will sell only sustainable, traceable fish by 2015.
 
As noted in the Los Angeles Times and other publications, the company stopped selling farmed salmon, Chilean sea bass and orange roughy in 2010, due to sustainability issues. It currently sells about 50 types of fish that are certified by either the Marine Stewardship Council or the Global Aquaculture Alliance.
 
To meet its 2015 goal, Target is partnering with nonprofit marine conservation group FishWise, which will assess all of the company's seafood products.
 
 

The Miami Herald recently published a piece by local writer Jay Walljasper, titled, "The surprising rise of Minneapolis as a top bike town." (The article was excerpted in last week's The Line.)

When the city was named by Bicycle magazine as the best place for biking nationwide, "Shock that a place in the heartland could outperform cities on the coasts was matched by widespread disbelief that biking was even possible in a state famous for its ferocious winters."

Wallsjasper provides plenty of reasons why Minneapolis has earned this distinction, including the sheer number of bicyclists, many whom brave the winter temperatures.

Walljasper writes: "'Places famous for biking like Copenhagen and even Portland feel very far away,' remarked Jeff Stephens, Executive Director of the Columbus advocacy organization Consider Biking, who came to Minneapolis looking for ideas he could apply back home. 'It was exciting to see what they've accomplished in Minneapolis, which is a city that seems a lot like Columbus.'"

The American Planning Association (APA) put St. Paul's Rice Park in downtown St. Paul on its 2011 list of 10 Great Public Spaces across the country. 

Through the APA’s Great Places in America program, sites such as the historic park are recognized for “exceptional character and highlight the role planners play in creating communities of lasting value,” according to a press release about the award.   

The park, which is characterized by decorative lamps, statuary, benches, and a central fountain, “serves as much as a pathway and shortcut as it does a lunch stop, festival grounds, and outdoor sanctuary,” the release says.
 
The 1849-vintage park is also surrounded by a number of historic buildings, museums, and music halls that developed over the course of more than a century.  

A video on the Urban Velo website highlights the benefits of the Midtown Greenway in Minneapolis, as a part of its biking system.

The clip starts out with comments from the city’s mayor, R.T. Rybak, who says, “Biking is a huge part of what we are.”

Several other speakers in the video chime in about how the city’s biking trails that weave around such natural amenities as the Chain of Lakes and the once-industrial Midtown Greenway have helped to draw bicyclists and homeowners. It’s also brought more business to the area, the video shows.

Minneapolis and St. Paul each earned high marks in a ranking put together by Men's Health magazine.
 
The publication looked at factors that led to sedentary or active lifestyles, such as the percentage of households that watch more than 15 hours of cable a week, and the rate of deaths from deep-vein thrombosis, a condition linked to excessive periods of sitting.
 
Minneapolis came in at number 10 on the list, and St. Paul was number 13, earning both an "A-" grade. Seattle was deemed the most active, while Lexington, Ky. was named American's Most Sedentary City.
 

In a recent USA Today story about ways to make the most of produce before it goes bad, Minneapolis is named along with Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, for having thriving food swaps.

Food swaps, which are listed here, help avoid wasting food, the author explains. “Imagine a place where regular people get together to unload what they have too much of (summer squash? raspberry jam?) and, in exchange, find something they need or hadn't thought of (asparagus beans? pickled okra?)." 

Other creative food-saving measures mentioned include donating items to a food pantry or preserving, cooking, or juicing fruits and vegetables. 

A recent Twin Cities Business story highlights several local companies that were featured in a national list of the 50 “best places to work” from Outside magazine.  

Minneapolis ad agency Colle+McVoy, which got 10th place, has “the soul of a start-up despite having been around for more than 75 years,” the magazine re-states from Outside.

The company offers such perks as annual and instant bonuses to employees, free fitness activities, and an awards program, the story states. The office’s rooftop deck is also “perfect for morning yoga, company-provided Friday breakfasts, and parties." 

Outside also praised the agency for its support of various charitable organizations and green initiatives.

The same goes for the Minneapolis-based advertising and public relations firm, Carmichael Lynch, which ranked 39th, while Quality Bicycle Products in Bloomington came in 49th.

Michael Roberts, who is Outside’s executive editor, is quoted saying: “These 50 companies are successful precisely because they support a proper work-life balance."

 

Grist, a source for green news, recently posted a video and text about the Twin Cities' Nice Ride bikeshare program.

Streetfilms took a special trip to the Twin Cities to find out more about Nice Ride.

Quoting Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, who says, "You've got to go big or go home," Grist emphasizes the fact that the program went from 65 stations with 700 bikes last year to the current 116 stations and 1,200 bikes.

Companies see the bikeshare stations as good for business, Rybak says. 

Washington, D.C., Madison, Wisc., Denver, and Boston have similar bikeshare services, it states.

A local program that assists immigrant farmers has been spotlighted in Harvest Foodservice Journal, a publication that connects those interested in sustainable food systems with contacts in the foodservice industry.

The Minnesota Food Association (MFA) trains immigrant farmers in techniques that allow them to grow food that can be certified as organic, which opens up new markets and resources for them. That designation can also link them to important wholesale markets that might otherwise be inaccessible.

To build a bridge over cultural differences, the MFA works with translators and various ethnic groups to build educational sessions. The non-profit training program helps by offering low-cost land rental, affordable infrastructure like walk-in coolers, and assistance with taxes.

The Republic, a newspaper in Columbus, Indiana, recently published an Associated Press story about a celebratory bike ride from Minneapolis and St. Paul mayors R.T. Rybak and Chris Coleman.

The two mayors jointly participated in their cities' Nice Ride public bike-sharing program.

Along with a number of other local bicyclists, the mayors started pedaling at the Seward Coop in Minneapolis and ended at a St. Paul Dunn Bros coffee shop.

Their ride was a nod to the program's expansion, which involves adding another 43 bike stations to its 73 in Minneapolis last year. This time around, the bike stations are popping up in both cities. 

Proponents of such bike-sharing programs say that they can "help cut down on obesity, traffic jams and auto emissions," the story states.