Thanks to Oasis, Thermoflow and so many others. We are overflowing with Gratitude at Schwartz Living Market! And Save The Dates: June 21,22 and 23, 2013!

Save The Date: Our grand opening event on June 21, 22 and 23, 2013! Bravo! 

We'll be demonstrating that weekend of June 21,22 and 23,2013, what this space will be when fully activated. Who will be there? So far, we are blessed to have: Jenn's Jems, Gloval Lovin', Jonathan's Foods, Rosaflora Botanicals, The CheeseMonger and Native Central American Arts and Crafts.

How about you, too, with your fledgling or fully developed business with a conscience? We're looking for food vendors with a conscience that produce, or craft, or pick, or source, amazingly delicious and fresh, or value added products; amazing art produced with a conscience, and amazing anything that ought to be gracing our space for others to see and/or purchase!

We're also interested in you or your Non-Profit or For- Profit or Business, offering a variety of educational classes that weekend about Permaculture, anything to do with green, with plants and water and wind and the earth; Arts; Food, anything wonderful you can think of that the community would like to learn about! Stephanie Miller will be there offering individual classes in Vibroacoustic Harp Therapy. If you are interested in vending in the space permanently or temporarily,  or just for the opening weekend, please contact us at schwartzlivingmarket@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you! 

Overflowing with Gratitude! Schwartz Living Market Open House/Thank You event!

Bill Meier, of Thermoflow, Pittsburgh, Jenna West, Graphic Designer, and Chris Romagnoli of Oasis

Stephanie Miller, Vibroacoustic Harp Therpaist played so beautifully for us! With Ling Ling from CMU, and the Silvestri's.

Our Open House and Thank You event was so wonderful this past Thursday, April 4, 2013 with over 50 people attending over the course of three hours. The timing was not as announced, but as they say in the Transition Town Movement, whoever was there was meant to be there and now we are extending that to, whatever the timing is, is just right!

Thank You Oasis, A BIG shout out! Chris Romagnoli from Oasis in Columbus, Ohio for donating an amazing combination water fountain and Sports Water Filler and for traveling from Columbus to be with us this past Thursday! Also, thank you Matt Larkin for personally delivering the fixture and Bill Meier, of Thermoflow here in Pittsburgh; David Smith, Native American Medicine Man and amazing water and people blesser; Stephanie Miller, Harpist and Vibroacoustic Harp Therapist extraordinaire; Phil-O-Sophical, Kevin May, for his amazing Water Flowetry; Laura Beck, our bright, sweet and oh so helpful daughter; Pam Barroso, amazing lady; Ling Ling from Carnegie Mellon University who is helping us so much; Kate O’Brien, Visionary; Kyle Winkler of PA Resources Council for the one waste compost, landfill and recycling set up; Indigo Raffel of Conservation Consultants for her prayers; Matt Yough, Rachel, and everyone from Building New Hope for supplying their amazing fairly traded shade grown coffee that supports 50 families on an organic coffee farm in Nicaragua and other amazing work in Central America; Lauren DeCleva, Interior Designer; Enchanted Garden for the magnificent flowers and set up; Cambodican Kitchen for the delicious food without MSG; Mark Dixon for continuing to film into the fourth year of this project; Phipps Conservatory and Megan Palomo, for being there as a Living Building Challenge example for all of us; our team members, Brad Hochberg; Darrell Frey, Liz Lynch, Permaculturists;  Mark Dixon, Sarah Baxendell, Pam Barroso, Lauren DeKleva, Kate O'Brien, and everyone who attended and contributed their energy and spirit in so many wonderful ways!

Mark Dixon or YERT.org filming; Jonathan of Jonathan's Foods, and his girlfriend looking on!

David Smith, Medicine Man, and faciitating blessing our water

Lauren DeCleva and Phil-O-Sophical!

Pam Barroso and John Silvestri

Listening to David talk about the qualities of Water...

Display of denim insulation and biodegradable, recyclable Seventh Generation detergent bottle! Plants by The Enchanted Garden on 13th St, half a block from Schwartz Living Market, and South Side's Premier Fresh Juice location!

Dan McSwiggen and his daugher-in-law from Cambod-ican Kitchen. Delicious fresh spring rolls were made on site! Mmmmmm...

We even called photographer Jason in who was walking by on E. Carson Street and he met Megan Palomo from Phipps!

Here's Phil-O-Sophical flowing on the Essence of Water!

   

Here's folks listening to Phil-O-Sophical!

Enjoying the food and conversation!            

When folks ask me what is this project about, "What are you doing?" I ask them, "What are you doing?" Work with us, engage, play and let's figure it all out together in a way you might not be used to. That's what this Transition Town process is all about! Rob Hopkins founded the movement in 2005 in Totnes, England. The idea behind it is how do we go from peak oil, and really peak everything, to Resilience and have a LOT of fun along the way! Join Us in this amazing proecess!!!

 Elisa Beck, Schwartz Living Market: A Project of 1317 East Carson Street

~Linking the Urban and Suburban Food Not Lawns Movement and Healthy Inner and Outer Ecosystems with the Urban Core through the Schwartz Living Market project! Join Us! :)

Join Us on April 4, 2013, from 4 to 7 PM at 1317 East Carson Street:: Gratitude for all who are journeying with us at Schwartz Living Market!

Join us on Thursday April 4, 2013, from 4:00 to 7:00 PM to thank so many individuals and organizations as we manifest our dreams at 1317 East Carson Street, the home of the soon to be open Schwartz Living Market. Be a part of this Transition Town process! You will be part of the coronation of our brand new and donated water fountain from Oasis, a small woman owned business in Columbus. Ohio. Help us thank Chris Romangnoli of Oasis and Matt Larkin, the local Pittsburgh, PA, representative of Oasis, and all of the wonderful people that have donated so much of their time, and worked so consistently in our process at 1317 East Carson Street. We will be entertained from 4:00 to 5:00 PM by Stephanie Miller, harpist extraordinaire! See www.musicforlife.com for more details about Stephanie's work with Vibroacoustic Harp Therapy. David Smith will be doing a Native American blessing on the fountain at 5:00 PM and all of our water in Pittsburgh, and Phil-O-Sophical will be doing his amazing Flowetry stand up poetry. Coffee from Building New Hope and light appetizers from South Side's Cambod-I-Can Kitchen. Sliding scale suggested donations will be accepted. Twenty five dollars or more, or ten dollars suggested donation if you bring your own water bottle to fill at the newly installed water fountain! 

Based on the team's input at 1317 East Carson Street pictured are early drafts of our story's HIstory, Project, Essence, and Journey designed by Jenna West, and below, Tony Albrecht, AIA's depiction of a potential rooftop Permaculture and Biodynamic Production Farm and performance venue on the rooftop design with solar panels.

Here's a partial list of who we will be thanking and honoring, in addition to Oasis on Thursday, April 4, 2013, from 4:00 to 7:00 PM:

Artemis Environmental: Paint, Primer, Caulking, Adhesives, Floor Finish and more
Construction Junction: Tile, Sinks, Schoolhouse Lighting Fixtures
Erzen Associates: Cleaning Supplies and Clean Up!
Forbo Marmoleum and David Skloboda: Kitchen Flooring
Riverview Carpet: Marmoleum Kitchen Flooring
Typhoon: Schoolhouse Lighting Fixture

The following non profits: The International Living Building and Living Futures Institute, Phipps Conservatory, Green Building Alliance (GBA), City Theatre, ABOARD, Sustainable Pittsburgh, Conservation Consultants Inc, (CCI), Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC); Building New Hope (BNH), Sustainable Monroeville, Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP), Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, Unity Through Creativity, Public Allies, SSLDC, the South Side Chamber of Commerce, The Great Allegheny Passage, The GAP is coming! and more that will be listed in the future! If we have omitted your non profit, please let us know at schwartzlivingmarket@gmail.com

Special thanks to the Allegheny County Health Department and the Department of Environmental Protection for allowing us to keep some of the Asbestos Flooring on site and encapsulated for educational purposes!

And extra special thanks to the following individuals:

Tony Albrecht, AIA Architect; Tara Alexander, Filmaker and Permaculturist; Margaret Baco, Pam Barroso, Organizer; Sarah Baxendell; Dave Davis, Carpenter; Lauren DeCleva, Designer; Mark Dixon, Filmmaker; Darrell Frey, Permaculturist, Educator, Contractor, Three sisters Farm; Mark Harris and Harris Electric; Brad Hochberg and Energreen, Organizer and Co-Creator; Frank Knezevich, Painter and Carpenter; Bruce Kraus, South Side Councilman; Joe Liotta, sign painter since 1938!; Liz Lynch, Permaculturist and Integrator; Ed Mudjarik, lead and asbestos testing; David Magness, Observer of the Unfolding; Chad Mosesso, Organizer and Connector; Bill Peduto, Councilman; David Smith, Blesser; Pete Tomkins, Plumber; Steve the lead remediator; Jenna West, Graphic Designer, Logo creator, Brochure Creator, Panel Maker, Phil-O-Sophical, Jeff Newman of Steel City Soils, Greg Boulos, SJ and Anthony, Debbie Jacknin, Matt Mehalik, Jesse Jon Salensky,  Justin Thakar and Alex Dale, currently Transition Facilitators, and more that will be listed in the future that we may have mistakenly not included.

Please let us know if we have overlooked mentioning you by contacting us at SchwartzLivingMarket@gmail.com and we will add you to this blog entry!

And to the early vendors who you'll see again in June, 2013: Jonathan's foods, The Cheese Monger, Jenn's Jems, Rosaflora Botanicals, Global Lovin, Central American Native Arts and Crafts, Jenn's Jems

Thanks to Stan, Laura and Rachel Beck. Also, to the memory of my late in-laws, Marian and Steven Beck, and Aunt Sarah Ann Schwartz. May their memory be a blessing to this process we are working on. May they be smiling upon us.

Here's an early photo of the Oasis Water fountain being installed. Soon it will be closed on the bottom and the Sports Water Filler will be part of it too!! How exciting!

Check out the date of manufacture of this pipe and Happy Springtime in the 'Burgh! Also note the insulation sleeve around the hot water piping for purposes of energy conservation!

Lauren DeCleva, Liz Lynch about to have a sweet baby, and Laura Beck!

This is the newly installed water fountain and sports water filler from Oasis!  Mmmm, filtered water!

So, you think we ought to paint the wall a different color or put some tile around the fountain? Comments welcome!!!

You are invited! Welcome the donated Oasis Water Fountain, Sports Water Filler and Water Filter to Schwartz Living Market on April 4, 2013, from 4:00 to 7:00 PM!

Join us on Thursday April 4, 2013, from 4:00 to 7:00 PM for the coronation of our brand new and donated water fountain from Oasis, a small woman owned business in Columbus. Ohio.  Help us thank Chris Romangnoli of Oasis and Matt Larkin, the local Pittsburgh, PA, representative of Oasis, and all of the wonderful people that have donated so much of their time, and worked so consistently, as we manifest our dreams at 1317 East Carson Street. We will be entertained from 4:00 to 5:00 PM by Stephanie Miller, harpist extraordinaire! See www.musicforlife.com for more details about Stephanie's work with Vibroacoustic Harp Therapy. David Smith will be doing a Native American blessing on the fountain and all of our water in Pittsburgh, and Phil-O-Sophical will be doing his amazing Flowetry stand up poetry. Sliding scale suggested donations will be accepted. Twenty five dollars or more, or ten dollars suggested donation if you bring your own water bottle to fill.

Look forward to scheduling a Vibroacoustic Harp Therapy session with Stephanie Miller and much, much more, on our opening weekend June 21, 22, and 23, 2013. Stay tuned for those details!

Before accepting the Oasis water fountain with its amazing Sports Water Filler, we checked out the product, as we have checked out everything that comes into our space. We learn where the products are made and what they are made of, to be sure they meet imperatives of the Living Building Challenge. This Oasis Water Fountain combined with its Sports Water Filler passed both our test and the LBC test. We wish the Sports Water filler did not have any plastic components, but the components of the plastic in the Sports Water filler are not on the Living Building Challenge Red List. Go to www.livingbuildingchallenge.org to look up the Red List and to see if the Living Building Challenge is a challenge you'd like to work with in your current living space or on the next construction project you plan to work on!

Beautiful petals of purple orchids in Phipps Conservatory, Pittsburgh, PA photo by Elisa Beck

As I may have told you if we have met, or if you've read this blog before, for the first part of this project at 1317 East Carson Street called Schwartz Living Market, An Urban Oasis for Healthful Living, we are working on the Petal Recognition part of the Living Building Challenge. What does Petal Recognition within the Living Building Challenge mean? As an Ambassador for the Living Building Challenge in Pittsburgh, I can tell you what I know!

 The Living Building Challenge in our case, involves renovating our building at 1317 East Carson Street in a way that is as beautiful as a flower and functions as efficiently as a flower. There are seven petals that are part of the Living Building Challenge, and twenty imperatives to fulfill, that's a set of 7 categories and 20 rules within those 7 categories. Our intention is to fulfill all seven petals and twenty imperatives with the overall project at 1317 East Carson Street, but in the meantime, as we are just about completing the first phase of our process by renovating the front 4800 square feet of our 18,000+ square foot building, we are going for Petal Recognition. The requirement for petal recognition is to fulfill three or four of the petal requirments. One of the petals chosen must be either the Water, Energy or Materials petal. We have chosen for the first part of the project to fulfill the Materials petal and we are still deciding which other two or three petals we are planning to fulfill other than the Water or Energy petal which we will fulfill for the overall project. Whew! If you followed that, please let me know by commenting below. And also, let me know how easy or difficult it was for you to comment on this blog! If you are unable to contact us through this blog, feel free to send a message to us through our Schwartz Living Market Facebook page or send your message to schwartzlivingmarket@gmail.com! 

On Thursday, April 4, 2013, following Stephanie's fantastic harp playing will be a water blessing, and then socializing. This event is open to all with a suggested donation of $25.00.

Join Us!
Elisa Beck
Schwartz Living Market: an Urban Oasis for Healthful Living
& A Project of 1317 East Carson Street on Pittbsurgh's Historic South Side

Sprouting with Sustainable Monroeville!

Hi South Siders and beyond! I've often spoken about Sustainable Monroeville as the back story of Schwartz Living Market, a project of 1317 East Carson Street. Well, as I was putting together this blog post for Sustainable Monroeville this morning, I did not realize until I had pushed the PUBLISH button that I was on the 1317 East Carson Street blog. The universe is speaking, I suppose. So you are all invited to our free demonstration by my amazing husband, Stan Beck, grandson of Morris and Helan Schwartz, the founders of Schwartz Sanitary Market in the early part of this century. Stan grew up in the food business and he is a wonderful teacher! Hey take advantage of this FREE offer, because soon enough we will be offering amazing educational events at the Market, but there will be a fee!

Learn about indoor sprouting and growing techniques from Stan Beck who has his very own indoor sprout farm for himself, family and friends! Join us on Monday evening, March 4, 2013, at 7:00 PM in the downstairs program room of the Monroeville Public Library. Stan will be demonstrating how to sprout wheat, pea and sunflower seeds and how to grow them too. He'll talk about what is involved in  the middle of winter and all year round. We'll sample some wheat grass juice and the Hippocrates Health Institute recipe green juice made of cucumbers, celery, pea sprouts and sunflower sprouts and have some sprouts to eat too! A discussion of our local and national food system will follow. Join Us! Elisa Beck :)

Our dog Mango in front of our mini-indoor sprout farm in our home. You can see the wheat grass near Mango's left ear, pea shoots on the top right shelf and sunflowers sprouting at the top of Mango's head!

Janet McKee, producer of the newly released documentary Bethany's Story about the power of food to heal at the Q&A at the February meeting of Sustainable Monroeville.

Close to thirty people joined us for the screening of Bethany's Story!

Angella and Don Jackson at the raw pot luck dinner prior to the movie screening of Bethany's Story at last month's meeting!

Mmmm, raw foods and raw foodies are fun! Wonderfully delicious and healthful mostly raw vegan food. We must admit the vegan, cooked cup cakes were on the next table and they went fast!

All meetings of Sustainable Monroeville are free and open to the public. Join us and bring a few friends!

Schwartz Living Market, 1317 East Carson Street, Jason Wirick and Phipps newly opened Center for Sustainable Landscapes!

For setting up shop opportunities at 1317 East Carson Street the home of Schwartz Living Market, An Urban Oasis for Healthful Living, more information about engaging in our process and getting involved in the Grand Opening, contact us at schwartzlivingmarket@gmail.com! Elisa Beck :)

How exciting that Schwartz Living Market and the project at 1317 East Carson Street is one of the only Living Building Challenge projects of an existing historic structure registered in the world! For the first part of the renovation process in Schwartz Living Market, we are going for petal recognition. The Living Building Challenge. What is it? Go to ilbi.org for some details.

How is petal recognition distinguished from the whole challenge, and why are we telling you what we know about it? Well, because we know you can do this too, where ever you live, work and play. We know if you are reading this blog that you can be the one to engage yourself and possibly your community in the process! Let the games begin! And it sure is a game and a GIANT challenge!

 How do we create a building that is as beautiful as a flower and functions as efficiently as a flower? And what about adding in the Beauty and Equity petals? And what about the Materials petal? What do you mean that many materials in our industries are toxic and we are not allowed to bring them into our building?  On the front page of today's paper, that's Monday, February 11, 2013, is this : http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/life/lifestyle/phipps-offices-aim-to-meet-worlds-highest-environmental-standards-674291/

Richard Piacentini, Executive Director of Phipps Conservatory smiling widely while listening to Dennis Maloskey, CEO of ReVest Sustainable House at the ribbon cutting at the Center for Sustainable Landscapes (CSL) in May, 2012. As of today, the CSL is open to the public! Congratulations Phipps Conservatory! You are our heroes!!

Education is key: Sign above from Phipps Conservatory. Zero Net energy. How will we achieve that at 1317 East Carson Street? You can help us figure out the answer to that question along with Brad Hochberg, the energy guy on our team, and the rest of our team! Would you like to join us? Contact us at schwartzlivingmarket@gmail.com to share your ideas!

The Arts: Integrating the Arts, Creativity and Beauty is part of our plan. Creating a safe haven for youth without drugs or alcohol smack in the middle of South Side's 100 bars and restaurants. Yes, we consider ourselves brave!

Education: South Side's Phillips Elementary School children learning about freight elevators and how Schwartz Market on the South Side was the warehouse for five Schwartz Markets in the early part of the 1900's! 

We will be demonstrating how to cultivate raw living sprouted foods and more!

I was a graduate of the first Permaculture Design class offered in the city of Pittsburgh by Phipps Conservatory. And so was Jason Wirick. Jason who has visited our site and given us advice on our project is one of the people involved in the development of the Phipps Center for Sustainable Landscapes. Richard Piacentini, the Executive Director of Phipps, has generously offered his time to come to talk with about 20 of us at 1317 East Carson Street and Schwartz Living Market to go over the joys, and trials and tribulations of the Living Building Challenge.

We are continuing to plug away at the process as we develop Schwartz Living Market, An Urban Oasis for Healthful Living, and the overall design at 1317 East Carson Street. We are now partnering with a non-profit 501C3 to further our amazing process!

Please feel free to contact us at schwartzlivingmarket@gmail.com with any inquiries and let us know how you'd like to be part of the development of our Living Building! Join Schwartz Living Market and the Living Building Challenge Collaborative-Pittsburgh on Facebook! Journey with us! Elisa Beck :) Living Building Challenge Ambassador; Founder, Sustainable Monroeville

Darrell Frey's book,  Bioshelter Market Garden A Permaculture Farm, and teacher of the Permaculture Design Certificate class at Phipps Conservatory is our Contractor and one of the Permaculture Designers for our project at 1317 East Carson Street! The photo above shows multiple copies of his book displayed alongside the artwork of William Taylor, a very special young man. For copies of William's art work, or Darrell's book, contact us at schwartzlivingmarket@gmail.com

Stay tuned for the announcement of our grand opening sometime in 2013!

Schwartz Living Market and Permaculture Eden!

Stay tuned for our Grand Opening in 2013! We're taking time planning the next phases in the development of Schwartz Living Market. The market is to be the engine for green growth for the development of the overall building at 1317 East Carson Street and beyond. What does a market that fuels green growth look like? What types of food vendors? What other vendors? What classes are taught there? Who is involved? What are your ideas? Feel free to post on the Schwartz Living Market Facebook page, or e-mail to us at schwartzlivingmarket@gmail.com  We plan to schedule community engagement charrettes and activities, some free and some not, and lots and lots of classes too!

Jonathan's Foods, plant based and gluten-free, will be there along with the Cheese Monger, Rosaflora Botanicals, Jenn's Jems, Global Lovin', Indigenous Central American Arts and Crafts, Lauren's Design, and more. If you know a person or group that would like to be part of the action, especially food merchants that vend pure unadulterated food, please contact us at schwartzlivingmarket@gmail.com, and let us know you want to be there! 

In addition to market planning, we continue to plan for the overall Living Building Renovation of an existing historic structure, that's the building that houses Schwartz Living Market at 1317 East Carson Street. The tenth to seventeenth street corrider in Pittsburgh's historic South Side is a 'double' historic district. It's one of the few designated historic main streets in our nation. Our project is one of the few Living Building Challenge of an Existing Historic Structure projects registered in the world at this time. Like the Living Building Challenge Collaborative-Pittsburgh Facebook page, and learn more about the Living Building Challenge to understand what this means as we enter our new world! What are all of the details involved with the Living Building Challenge? There sure are a LOT of details! What is the Living Building Challenge? Go to www.ilbi.org to find out.

We're figuring out how to fund the overall planning of the project, including defining the scope. How do we fund all of the 'pieces' of this amazing project? Once we define the full scope, what are a few of these pieces?  How about the funding of the complete Permaculture site design with all of the cool systems that fulfill the Living Building Challenge so the buidling is zero net energy and zero net water? Well, how about the funding for the design and building of the grand Stairway to Eden, the stair that will be allow access to the rooftop for everyone in the South Side and beyond to experience the joy of looking out at the 360 degree view of the 'Burgh unobstructed and do rooftop farming at the permaculture production farm! We are so excited about all of this.

Know that we are determined and we want to learn with you. Join Us!
Contact us through the Facebook Page Schwartz Living Market or schwartzlivingmarket@gmail.com

All the best blessings for this holiday season and into the New Year!  The Schwartz Living Market Team at 1317 East Carson Street :)

Some folks connecting at a few of the Schwartz Living Market 'Preview' Events:

Erica Wells and Vicki Hanchin...

 Sven Hosford, Jamie Glover and others.

A little cutie with Chad!

Chris and David: Namaste!

A happy South Sider that learned a lot while jumping on a trampoline!

Saturdays in the South Side at Schwartz Living Market

Join us at Schwartz Living Market on Saturdays along with Global Lovin, Jenn's Jems, Jonathan's Foods,  Rosaflora Botanicals, Central American Indian Indigenous Arts and Crafts, Building New Hope's Fairly Traded Shade Grown Organic Coffee, The Cheese Monger, Designs by Lauren, Natural Vision Enhancement and more at 1317 East Carson Street. Crafts for children and live music Saturdays in December from 10 AM to 5 PM! 

Free parking behind the building across Bingham Street.

Tenache Golden of Rosaflora Botanicals and Jamie Glover of Global Lovin' at Schwartz Living Market

Lauren with her brother and nephew!

Jonathan's Foods are awesome!!!

We are planting seeds of change, and we need your support. Be sure to join us with lots of friends every Saturday in Pittsburgh's Historic South Side!!