Sopris Sun THE
VOLUME 1, NUMBER 18 • JUNE 11, 2009
The green line vs. the bottom line
By Jeremy Heiman
N
elson Oldham and Charlie Chacos are trying their best to be environmentally conscious. No big deal, you say. So are the rest of us. But actually, it is a big deal, because Chacos, owner of the Village Smithy, and Oldham, who owns Dos Gringos Burritos, are trying to do it as business owners. At home it takes a little more money and time to be earth friendly. But in business it’s different: When you’re running a restaurant that serves thousands of meals each month, a little extra green to be green – whether a few more cents per egg or a half hour a day of employee time separating recyclables – adds up very quickly At Dos Gringos, Oldham buys organic foods whenever he can, preferably from local producers, which reduces the distance food travels from the farm to the plate. The amount of energy it takes to deliver raw or bulk foods is an important factor in the environmental calculus of the food economy. By buying close to home, Oldham is having a measureable impact on the environment – as well as the local economy. When in season, Oldham buys organic tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and other produce from a farmer in Paonia. “He can’t keep up with me, sometimes,” Oldham said. But buying organic food from small, local producers is also expensive. Organic farmers employ means and methods to their agriculture that is more labor intensive and more exposed to the natural risks that are part and parcel of their trade. And Oldham is competing with well off consumers who are willing to pay a premium for organic fruit, vegetables and meats. All that drives up costs and makes it more difficult for Dos Gringos to remain competitive in the highly competitive market for burritos in the Roaring Fork Valley. “People aren’t going to pay $12 for a burrito,” Oldham said.
Recycling a hit with customers
Does it pay to be green when you’re in business to make money? Nelson Oldham, owner of Dos Gringos Burritos, prepares a cold coffee beverage in a 100 percent corn compostable cup. The used coffee grinds are picked up by three local families who use them in their gardens. Photo by Jane Bachrach
The Village Smithy, a local favorite for breakfast, lunch, and now dinner, focuses its environmental sensibilities on saving electricity, water, natural gas, landfill space and other resources in every way the owners can imagine. All the to-go containers, cups, soup containers and flatware at the Smithy are biodegradable and compostable (as they are at Dos Gringos). Soup containers are coated GREEN on page 5