Picture this: the perfect late summer day, an abundance of local food, and thousands of foodies and passersby gathering to enjoy the bounty of regional producers. That was the scene on the Rose Kennedy Greenway this past Sunday afternoon at the Boston Local Food Festival.

It was the fifth year the Sustainable Business Network organized this celebration of all things local food by transforming Boston into the nation's largest local & sustainable food hub. This free festival showcases farmers, local restaurants, food trucks and organizations focusing on healthy food and fitness from New England. Festival goers learn about the benefits of  sustainably produced food,  participate in fun, educational activities and of course get to sample delicious concoctions of local chefs!
On top of that, BLFF is a ZERO WASTE event, meaning it diverts more than 90% of waste from landfills! Incredible, right? All of the vendors and exhibitors at the festival must only distribute biodegradable dishware and use recyclables wherever possible. The festival partners up with Save That Stuff, which sets up Zero Waste stations throughout the festival, each with bins for compost, commingled containers and mixed paper, and trash.

BLFF relies heavily on volunteer participation, and as a way to get involved in the festival, Freight Farms joined the team of volunteers as Zero Waste Coordinators. After getting a lesson in composting and recycling from Save That Stuff, we assumed our positions at the various waste stations along the Greenway. Needless to say we enjoyed getting our hands dirty and helping educate festival goers on how to properly dispose of their waste!
Interested in getting involved in future Sustainable Business Network events? Check out their website for information on becoming a volunteer, vendor or exhibitor.