Futurist Buckminster Fuller wrote, "There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."  I love that quote.  It says something about unexpected potential, as well as something about the nature of ideas - that you just never know where the good ones will come from.  Here in Annapolis Digby, where the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation resides, we have many such caterpillars.  Some butterflies, too...

For the first time in recent memory, this year I've seen caterpillars in my yard and happily munching away on leaves.  These majestic creatures are under threat from the widespread use of chemical fertilizers and genetically modified crops.  Annapolis Digby is making sure that it's more butterfly-friendly.  So, in celebration of the Monarchs, join us for the Butterfly Festival!

 

Last year's event in Annapolis Royal attracted 2,000 hungry picnic-goers who were celebrating the chance to eat local.  Don't miss this amazing opportunity on Sunday, August 24, to meet some of our region's best growers and producers, large and small.  This year, wine is also on the menu!

 

Fourteen years and going strong, Annapolis Royal's Paint the Town event has become a must-do event!  This Friday and Saturday, come see art in action, as dozens of artists create works in and around Annapolis Royal, and then take your favorite piece home from the auction.

Here's what you need to know!

 

Now in its 89th year, and running today through Saturday, the Annapolis Valley Exhibition is an authentic celebration of life in the Valley!

Here's what's on tap this year.

After an extensive search, we were finally able to locate a supplier of biodegradable coffee cups, plates, and recycling containers.  This innovative Canadian company, Green Shift, also offers compostable take-out containers.  We'd like to hear from restaurants, event organizers, municipalities, businesses and non-profit organizations who would like to participate in a co-operative purchasing program which would enable us to order items in larger quantities and be more cost effective.  Just email us!

Apparently even Wal-Mart sees green from time to time.  Here's how the retail giant plans to become a better friend to the environment.

MP Greg Kerr has announced that local wharfs will receive $900,000 in funding from the federal government.  Here's the scoop.

With the 100 mile diet transitioning from trend status to long-term sustainability model, farmers and other producers are taking advantage of increased consumer interest in where food comes from, and how that food gets to the dinner table.  Here's how one family reinvented its farming business.

More and more tourists are asking for Canadian-made, environmentally friendly products, even if it means paying more for the item.  Based on customer requests, Brier Island's Icehouse Gift Shop has found a top quality Quebec supplier to design and produce the store's funky new T-shirts.  Here's how, and why, owner Joyce Devries decided to rethink the store's retail strategy.

I made a point of listening today, for a second time, to a CBC radio documentary program entitled, "The Last Call," in which David Suzuki talks about the relationship between the economy and the environment.  It was fascinating, objective, hopeful and I recommend that you have a listen.

Part of the documentary focussed on an interview with a filmmaker named Annie Leonard and her animated short called "The Story of Stuff."  This is a must-see, and at 20 minutes, the best use of time spent on the internet I can imagine.

Happy Sunday!