V~Into: June 2024
As the days grow longer and the earth warms beneath our feet, let's channel this dynamic force into a renewed pledge to protect and heal our planet.
This June, let's bring the heat not just in temperature, but in our dedication to nurturing and restoring the natural world around us. The warmth of the season serves as a powerful reminder of our responsibility to foster a sustainable and thriving environment.
Community: Sky High Farms in Hudson Valley
Sky High Farm works to ensure that everyone has access to the resources they need to sustain themselves, including high-quality, culturally appropriate food. Since 2012, they have committed to ecological farming practices and an environmentally holistic, equity-focused approach to promoting food sovereignty. This includes support for burgeoning farmers through formal training and mentoring; grants to catalyze a more equitable and community-centered food system; public programs that center youth; and food access partnerships - 100% of food produced on-site is donated to community partners in our collective effort to achieve long-term solutions to food insecurity.
Their team works within an agroecological farming framework to steward the land, mitigate climate change, and produce nutrient-dense food with minimal inputs. Their methods include carbon sequestering, cover cropping, soil conservation and remediation, watershed protection, and biodiversity enhancement - practicing rotational grazing and regenerative pasture management as foundational components to the livestock program.
Better Together: A Summer Grilling Essential Set
Three of the best condiment friends to make your summer grilling spread sing, all focused on biodiversity with unique ingredients like yuzu, datil pepper, and avocados. Add a dab and a drizzle of bright, creamy, layered, and sweet, slow-burning joy to each bite with this bundle for your pantry or poolside.
This trio is more than just condiments; it’s a celebration of community coming full circle. west~bourne, originally incubated out of Haven's Kitchen in the Flatiron District of NYC, showcases 100% Pure Avocado Oil in our large house sized 750ml bottle. Ali Cayne, founder of Haven's Kitchen, is an old friend of our founder Camilla, making this collaboration all the more special.
Adding a touch of heat to the trio, a 12 fl. oz. "big dog" bottle of Zab's - St. Augustine Style hot sauce, featuring the datil pepper. This is particularly nostalgic as our founder, Camilla, grew up with Miles and PJ, the founders of Zab's, making this hot sauce a flavorful reminder of childhood friendships.
Finally, the Haven's Kitchen Herby Yuzu Aioli pouch adds a creamy, citrusy kick to any dish, tying the bundle together with its unique and vibrant flavor profile.
Together, these products embody the essence of community, biodiversity, and a shared passion for delicious, sustainable food.
Artist: Richard Serra
One of the most significant artists of his generation, Richard Serra (1938–2024) has produced large-scale, site-specific sculptures for architectural, urban, and landscape settings spanning the globe, from Iceland to New Zealand.
"Obsession is what it comes down to. It is difficult to think without obsession, and it is impossible to create something without a foundation that is rigorous, incontrovertible, and, in fact, to some degree repetitive. Repetition is the ritual of obsession. Repetition is a way to jumpstart the indecision of beginning. To persevere and to begin over and over again is to continue the obsession with work. Work comes out of work. In order to work you must already be working."
—Richard Serra
Currently Listening: Phoebe Bridgers
Specifically her cover of the Cure's "Friday I'm in Love".
Reading: Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us
Many of us think of the arts as entertainment—a luxury of some kind. In Your Brain on Art, authors Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross show how activities from painting and dancing to expressive writing, architecture, and more are essential to our lives.
Featuring conversations with artists such as David Byrne, Renée Fleming, and evolutionary biologist E. O. Wilson, Your Brain on Art is an authoritative guide to neuroaesthetics. The book weaves a tapestry of breakthrough research, insights from multidisciplinary pioneers, and compelling stories from people who are using the arts to enhance their lives.
Design: Janessa Leone Regenerative Knitwear
Born and raised in Southern California, Janessa Leone launched her eponymous line of wool hats in 2013. Following early endorsements from top retailers and celebrities alike, the Janessa Leoné collection has since expanded into an internationally recognized lifestyle label with multiple category offerings and a flagship boutique in Los Angeles, California.
Never wavering in her commitment to sustainable practices and attention to detail, every Janessa Leoné creation prioritizes thoughtful functionality, high-quality materials and hand-crafted construction.
Since inception, Janessa Leoné has been committed to fostering a conversation around conscious consumption. "By sourcing natural fibers from regeneratively raised crops and animals, we have the power to not only reduce our harmful impact, but participate in a system that actually makes this step of the process climate beneficial."
Watch: Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones
In the early 2000s, Dan Buettner collaborated with National Geographic to reverse-engineer a formula for longevity. He scoured the globe for years in pursuit of places where people live much longer than average, and the concept of blue zones came to fruition. To date, the expeditions unveiled Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; Nicoya, Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, California, as blue zones with the highest rates of living centenarians. These five spots share some similar elements — a plant-based diet, natural movement, and putting family first — that have been proven to promote longevity and health in residents.
Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones takes members around the world to investigate the diet and lifestyles of those living the longest lives. Explore the original blue zones, be immersed in their culture and lifestyles, and see how Blue Zones is applying the research in communities across the United States. Buettner offers insight on how to benefit from following at least some of their leads, because the only thing better than looking good as you age, is feeling good as you age.
Self care: Arrae Magnesium
Our new favorite supplement for sleep and our overall mental health. Arrae Magnesium boosts GABA and melatonin which calms your body and prepares you for sleep so you can wake up refreshed without feeling groggy. It also helps regulates neuron activity in your brain to improve focus, memory, concentration and overall cognitive health. Magnesium keeps your heart healthy by regulating heartbeat and blood pressure while helping your body turn food into energy and reduces muscle cramps. It also helps your body use calcium and zinc to keep bones strong.
Home: Crosley Record Player
We're returning to basics this year and listening intentionally on our Crosley record players.
Future Forward: Mushroom Packaging
Mushroom Packaging produces high-performing, sustainable packaging solutions grown from mycelium, the “roots” of mushrooms. Called MycoComposite, this material is made with two simple ingredients — mycelium and hemp hurd — offering a regenerative alternative for the plastic foams used in protective packaging. Unlike plastics, this packaging is home-compostable in 45 days, adding nutrients to the soil instead of pollution. Simply break up the packaging into small pieces, and toss them into the compost bin or spread them throughout your garden.
