As part of the agreement, eBay Inc will pay 0 million in cash and will transfer ownership of eBay.in to Flipkart, in exchange for an unspecified equity stake in the company.

Amid the continuous talk of whether it will acquire Snapdeal, Indias largest e-commerce player Flipkart pulled a coup by announcing on Monday that it will buy Indian business of the eBay Inc, as part of an excercise to raise $1.4 billion its single-largest to date from a consortium of Tencent, Microsoft and EBay.

As part of the agreement, eBay Inc will pay $500 million in cash and will transfer ownership of eBay.in to Flipkart, in exchange for an unspecified equity stake in the company, it said in a statement.

The investment by eBay is accompanied by a strategic commercial agreement with Flipkart. In exchange for an equity stake in Flipkart, eBay is making a cash investment in and selling its eBay.in business to Flipkart. eBay.in will continue to operate as an independent entity as a part of Flipkart, it said in the statement.

The fund-raising excercise also involves Chinas internet company Tencent and the global giant Microsoft, who will provide Flipkart remainder of the $.14 billion funds. The deal values Flipkart at $11.6 billion, it said.

Amazon on its tail

Flipkarts existing investors include Tiger Global Management, Naspers Group, Accel Partners and DST Global. China-based Tencent owns social messaging app WeChat and has investments across various online companies like Practo, Ibibo etc.

The move is being seen as Flipkarts attempt to ready a warchest to acquire the rival Snapdeal to become large enough to fend off any possible competition from Amazon.

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The acquisition of eBay India will surely help Flipkart gain scale and help it compete better with the fast-growing rivals, especially the global giant Amazon, which is fast catching up to beat it in its home market. Earlier last month, Chinas giant Alibaba invested $177 million investment in Paytm Mall, along with $23 million by the private equity player SAIF Partners, in a bid to gain entry into the Indian e-commerce industry.

eBay in the bag

Flipkart expects the transaction to close later this year, upon which, it will acquire eBays buyers in India. Further, eBay and Flipkart have also entered into an exclusive agreement in which they will jointly pursue cross-border trade opportunities.

The combination of eBays position as a leading global e-commerce company and Flipkarts market stature will allow us to accelerate and maximise the opportunity for both companies in India, Devin Wenig, President and CEO of eBay Inc, said in the statement.

eBay is committed to winning in India in partnership with Flipkart. Our exclusive global trade partnership will allow eBay and Flipkart to reach even more consumers around the world, he added. eBays global inventory will be accessible to more Indian consumers, while its active buyers globally will have access to Indian inventory provided by Flipkart.

This partnership bodes well for Indian and global customers, sellers and the wider e-commerce ecosystem. eBay.in has built a strong presence in India over the years and we hope to take it to greater heights as part of the Flipkart group, Binny Bansal, Group CEO, Flipkart said.

Excerpt from:

With eBay India in the bag and $1.4 bln in pocket, is Flipkart out to 'Snap'deal? - Financial Express

Vadodara/Goraj: Started in 1978 as a primary school by Anuben Thakkar, who aspired to become a nun but could not do so because of lack of college education, Muni Seva Ashram, nearly 30 kilometres from Vadodara, has become a model for village self-sustainability.Today, the ashram is spread over 350 acres and houses a school, cancer hospital, senior citizen centre, cow sheds among other things. But, it has been experimenting with green technologies since early years of its inception. The ashram established a bio-gas plant in 1983 for cooking food for the children coming there.Its efforts to become energy independent did not end there. Over the decades the ashram has worked to make optimum utilization of natural resources and it established bigger bio-gas plants, solar air-conditioning system, solar crematorium, solar cookers, and bio-mass gasifier.The kitchens of the ashram, that feed 3,000 people everyday, are a model for community kitchens. The ashram produces energy on its own for cooking the meals and does not depend on piped or bottled gas. The large solar dishes that grab the eye-balls produce steam for boiling food. And, the biogas that produced at its biogas plant in Bakrol village near Waghodia is bottled and brought for cooking. Ashram's trustee Deepak Gadhia says that the kitchens here have never used the bottled gas of the public-sector companies. Yet, they keep these bottles as a back-up plan. Gadhia is not the only one who has been serving in the ashram but, there are many more engineers like him who have left their jobs in multinational companies abroad and are serving in the ashram as social scientists.Gadhia claims that they keep experimenting with the technologies to make the ashram 100% self-sufficient. During one such experiment they discovered CNG from the gas that is produced from biogas plant. "Once we were trying to remove carbon dioxide from the gas that is produced in the biogas plant to pump more gas in the bottles and we accidentally discovered CNG from it," said Gadhia. The CNG that is produced now is used for running vehicles of the ashram. The large solar dishes also power a 100 tonne air conditioning system of the ashram through vapour absorption chillers. Few years back a solar crematorium was also made for the residents of Goraj village. It is claimed that these are the first solar air condit...

News Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/goraj-ashram-experiments-with-green-technologies-to-become-self-sufficient/articleshow/58099825.cms

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Goraj ashram experiments with green technologies to become self-sufficient - NYOOOZ

Mumbai, Apr 6 A committee of women legislators from both the houses of Maharashtra legislature has found many shortcomings in the security at `ashram' (residential) schools for tribal girls.

Also, in some places authorities were seen to be trying to suppress reporting of incidents of sexual exploitation, it said in the report, submitted today.

Even the food served to the girls was found to be of sub-standard quality.

The 13-member committee said in its report, submitted today, that in some schools, washrooms or toilets are far away from the dormitory, and were unguarded.

Rs 5,000 given to victims of sexual atrocities by the Tribal Welfare Department was too meagre an amount, and it needs to be increased to Rs 50,000, the committee said.

District consultative committees set up under joint chairmanship of district collectors didn't visit the ashram schools regularly, it said.

Cases of sexual exploitation and other atrocities should be tried in fast-track courts, it said.

Most of the ashram schools are located outside the villages and do not have proper access roads; in some schools the boundary wall is incomplete or broken, it found.

The committee of women legislators was set up in December 2015 following alleged sexual exploitation of two tribal girls at a school at Pandhurna in Wardha district.

The report was tabled by Minister of State for Women and Child Development Vidya Thakur in both the houses today.

The committee recommended that CCTV cameras should be installed in ashram schools, and armed women security guards should be deployed wherever possible.

It recommended amendment of rules so that guilty or negligent officials can be dismissed immediately.

There should be `Honorary Guardians' whom the girl students can approach if they have any problem, it said.

There should also be a toll-free helpline where the girls can lodge complaints anonymously, and local police should visit the schools regularly during night patrolling, it recommended.

Mumbai, Apr 6 A committee of women legislators from both the houses of Maharashtra legislature has found many shortcomings in the security at `ashram' (residential) schools for tribal girls.

Also, in some places authorities were seen to be trying to suppress reporting of incidents of sexual exploitation, it said in the report, submitted today.

Even the food served to the girls was found to be of sub-standard quality.

The 13-member committee said in its report, submitted today, that in some schools, washrooms or toilets are far away from the dormitory, and were unguarded.

Rs 5,000 given to victims of sexual atrocities by the Tribal Welfare Department was too meagre an amount, and it needs to be increased to Rs 50,000, the committee said.

District consultative committees set up under joint chairmanship of district collectors didn't visit the ashram schools regularly, it said.

Cases of sexual exploitation and other atrocities should be tried in fast-track courts, it said.

Most of the ashram schools are located outside the villages and do not have proper access roads; in some schools the boundary wall is incomplete or broken, it found.

The committee of women legislators was set up in December 2015 following alleged sexual exploitation of two tribal girls at a school at Pandhurna in Wardha district.

The report was tabled by Minister of State for Women and Child Development Vidya Thakur in both the houses today.

The committee recommended that CCTV cameras should be installed in ashram schools, and armed women security guards should be deployed wherever possible.

It recommended amendment of rules so that guilty or negligent officials can be dismissed immediately.

There should be `Honorary Guardians' whom the girl students can approach if they have any problem, it said.

There should also be a toll-free helpline where the girls can lodge complaints anonymously, and local police should visit the schools regularly during night patrolling, it recommended.

Go here to see the original:

Loopholes found in security at ashram schools for tribal girls - Outlook India

A social fitness programme was conducted for the monks of Tango monastery on April 8.

The programme was initially started by the Ministry of Health to promote the importance of physical activity at the work place and to reduce non communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, among others.

The aerobic session is included in the programme. Aerobics is a physical exercise that includes rhythmicaerobicexercises with stretching and strength training routines. Besides boosting the immune system, it also helps in regulating blood pressure and cholesterol. A dietary plan is provided to the participants apart from the exercise.

Fitness trainer, Dorji Tsheten of Dosten Consultancy Service, said that it was observed that the monks do not get much physical activity in their daily lives and so he approached the principal of the monastery to talk about the health benefits of aerobics.

The programme is currently being conducted at the Ministry of Works and Human Settlement, an Anim Dratsang, Gidakom hospital and the Anti Corruption Commission.

Due to the lack of funds, the programme is being carried out mostly in Thimphu. Dorji Tsheten said that he is interested to introduce such social fitness programmes in all the 20 dzongkhags in the future.

Staff reporter

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Aerobics picking up in Thimphu - Kuensel, Buhutan's National Newspaper

Linus Doll, For USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin 7:49 a.m. CT April 8, 2017

Linus Doll(Photo: USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)Buy Photo

I have never been obsessed with what is going around, in perhaps the last 50years, more or less, that I call the organic food craze. Latelywe are bombarded with ads about organic food and how much better it is for us. I became curious and decided to find out just what is meant by organic.

My dictionary shows 12definitions of this word, but I will only use the very first one and it should suffice for this article. It says this:Noting or pertaining to a class of compounds that formerly comprised only those existing in or derived from plants or animals, but now includes all other compounds of carbon. So what does this mean pertaining to the food we eat? Wikipedia defines organic foods as those that are produced that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as pesticides and chemical fertilizers, etc.

Here is what got me to thinking. Heck, when I was a young boy, my parents planted a big garden with vegetables, sweet corn, potatoesand such, and I never saw them using anything on their crops except sweat and labor. So that tells me I was eating organic food many years ago. I remember my brother Tony and I had to pick potato bugs by hand. No spraying with chemicals back then. Food must have been good;Istill am here.

What really got me to thinking about this article was when I read an advertisement about eggs. Seems like a certain company claims that their eggs are the best and they give you the best in taste, nutrition, variety and savings. Wow! Now they sell organic eggs, cage-free eggs and best eggs. I am a bit confused. I wonder how they get their chickens to lay three different types of eggs. I checked in one of our local supermarkets and I found regular eggs for 98 cents for 18 eggs and the aforementioned best eggs were priced above$3a dozen. Thats a saving? My opinion is an egg is an egg and only the chicken has the say about what it is.

Another ad that caught my eye was one for organic butter. Years ago, people churned their own butter and added a little salt so it didnt taste so flat, but we didnt call it organic. All the stores only called it salted or unsalted. Now they tell us the organic butter is better for us. Huh? What really got me was the cost. One ad was for $5.69 a pound and another was for $4.49 for selected 16-ounce varieties. What are they adding to the cream to make varieties of butter? Can they still be called organic? If a person is a believer in organic food, more power to them. Eggs and butter are only two of the many products that are on the organic bandwagon, and I am sure the bandwagon has not stopped rolling. I just cant jump up on it.

Continuing on with my curiosity, I went online to see what the experts have to say about organic food. When I found what I was looking for, I clicked on print and got six full pages of information. I will only write a few quotes that I thought were interesting. Most of these are answers to questions.

Your friends are right: Organic food does have some benefits, but depending on what your friends told you, some may be bigger than others. A new study published by the American College of Physicians that reviewed 200 studies and determined that organic foods do not have higher vitamin or mineral content than the same foods grown using conventional methods.

The study has been hotly debated, and some outlets say the added-cost of organics is wasted money. Others point out that focusing on nutritional benefit misses the point entirely of certifying, supporting, and buying organic foods. Regardless, the trust is this: The result should cast doubt on any assertions that organic foods somehow have higher nutritional benefits than conventional foods.

Whether you should buy organic foods over conventional depends entirely on you, your budget,and what you expect to get out of those foods. If the reason youve been buying organic is because you believe theyre better for you nutritionally, then theres no reason to continue.

So you ask, Linus, do you buy organic? The answer is Yes, but only if the price is less than your name brand product. I drink tea (green) just about every day and I found a brand of organic tea bags that suits my budget. And I still am here.

Shop wisely.

Linus Doll of Fond du Lac writes community columns for The Reporter. This is his 105thcolumn.

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Doll wonders about organic foods - Fond du Lac Reporter

Most people are aware that organically grown food is free from exposure to harmful chemicals, but that is only one small part of what organic is about.

A larger part of organic agriculture involves the health of the soil and of the ecosystems in which crops and livestock are raised. Organic agriculture is born from the idea that a healthy environment significantly benefits crops and the health of those consuming them. In addition, organic practices are also viable in the long term, since they are efficient in their use of resources, and do not damage the environment and local communities like large scale "chemical agriculture" does.

LocalHarvest does not restrict its listings to organic producers only, since our mission is first and foremost to support small growers, and then to promote Organic agriculture.

We do track our growers' organic status with the following categories:

There are many organizations worldwide that certify produce as being grown in a manner that does not harm the environment and that preserves or improves soil fertility, soil structure, and farm sustainability. Farms that are certified organic are shown as such in LocalHarvest.

Some of our farms prefer not to pursue an organic certification, but do follow organic principles in growing their produce.

CNG is a grassroots certification program created specifically for farmers that sell locally and directly to their customers. CNG's certification standards are based on the National Organic Program but with some variation, including improved livestock living conditions and more explicit access to pasture requirements.

Organic certification standards are very strict, and it usually takes years for farms the achieve them, as all pesticide and chemical residue from the soil is slowly broken down and leached away. Farms marked as "Transitional" are farms in the process of getting their certification, but that are not quite there yet.

Conventional farming does not necessarily have to be as destructive as large scale chemical agriculture. There are many small farms worldwide that sparingly use chemicals when needed, and that otherwise follow good guidelines in the care of their environments and communities. We list those farms in LocalHarvest too.

Based on a series of lectures given by Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner in 1924, Biodynamics is a method of agriculture which seeks to actively work with the health-giving forces of nature. It is the oldest non-chemical agricultural movement, predating the organic agriculture movement by some 20 years and has now spread throughout the world.

Grass fed, or pastured, animals are raised on pasture, as opposed to being kept in confinement and fed primarily grains. Pasturing livestock and poultry is the traditional method of raising farm animals, is ecologically sustainable, humane, and produces the most nutritious meat, dairy and eggs.

Read this article:

Organic Food - LocalHarvest

In 1993, a hundred years after the renowned World Parliament of Religionsmet in Chicago a second parliament gathered. The highlight for many was an address by the Dalai Lama. And certainly a worthy thing.

For me, however, the most important thing to come out of that gathering was a document, Towards a Global Ethic. The principal author was the Roman Catholic priest and scholar Hans Kung. Father Kung is something of a controversial figure within his church, I once heard him described as the Catholic Churchs finest Lutheran theologian. He is nonetheless considered one of the ecumenical Christian communitys finest minds.

The document declares there are four broad, ancient guidelines for human behavior which are found in most of the religions of the world, which it listed as irrevocable directives for those who would find peace on and for our planet.

The document was signed by two hundred religious leaders representing, if not officially, pretty much all the worlds religions, including Christians, Jews, Muslims, Taoists, Jains, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians, Bahai, Native Americans and other earth-centered traditions. The Dalai Lama signed it, as did the Reverend Dr Robert Traer of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches in the United Kingdom, and, Im delighted to note, my old mentor the Buddhist scholar Professor Masao Abe.

These irrevocable directives were, I should say, are 1) a commitment to a culture of non-violence and respect for life 2) a commitment to a culture of solidarity and a just economic order 3) a commitment to a culture of tolerance and a life of truthfulness 4) a commitment to a culture of equal rights and partnership between men and women.

Im deeply moved by this analysis, which I think cuts through the fog of the conservative part of religions, that part which is meant to sustain and transmit a particular culture, defining an inside and an outside, a us and a them and, which is so often the part of religion used as a club to beat people into conformity. And, instead, really, really succeeds at pointing to the radical heart of pretty much all religions, that part which opens us to the finest of what it means to be human located within and among, fully celebrating, all as a part of some mysterious whole that claims our allegiance. More, claims our very lives.

The first of the directives, a grand intuition of our deep humanity, is that in spite of our natural proclivities to violence, there is always the possibility of a better way. The second tells us we genuinely are responsible for each other, and how our lives need to take that deep truth into account. The third points to our need for broad tolerance, which is found within our commitment to genuine honesty with our selves and with each other. And, finally, that fourth, so buried in so many religions, but implicit at their heart, that women and men need each other, and can only heal from the wounds of life when we see we are all in it together as equals. I would add that the issues of sexual minorities are bound up with this last assertion, inevitably, inextricably. The only thing missing is a clear statement seeing beyond the wounds of race. Sadly, it is a big thing missing.

Small wonder the Zen Peacemakers founded by Roshi Bernie Glassman and other members of the White Plum Asangha have adopted it as a principal document. And, my own Boundless Way Zen has, with some tweaking of the language to address our own sense of the need to fix that one missing point by explicitly including women, and men, and people of every race and condition sharing this small and fragile planet, trying to capture that fullness through the phrase all people, also take it as a core document, usually cited in our precepts ceremonies as well as in our ordinations.

I commit myself to a culture of nonviolence and reverence for life; I commit myself to a culture of solidarity and a just economic order; I commit myself to a culture of acceptance and a life based on truthfulness; and I commit myself to a culture of equal rights and partnership among all people. Here we these four commitments I feel we find something terribly important being held up. It is a call to a life of authenticity and truth. And it shows us a way of healing for hearts and mending a world torn by strife.

And certainly, certainly this is something expressing much of the heart of the Zen way. At least as Ive come to understand that way of holiness and care through attention to the totally ordinary.For me this document and its four irrevocables take us from ink on paper and into our actual lives.

There is a Japanese saying, gyogaku funi, which means practice and study are not two.And these four deceptively simple statements, these four commitments are a pretty good way to find how that practice and our investigation of the deep matter are in fact not two.

And, yes, not one, either. Messy. And beautiful.

See more here:

Zen and the Four Commitments: A Small Meditation - Patheos (blog)

I fell in love with Puducherry (formerly, Pondicherry) at first sight. The sleepy town is one of the biggest tourist attractions in India because of Auroville, and a wonderful study of contrasts of the Tamil and French cultures. The town itself is divided into what the locals call 'the Tamil part' and the colonial part of Puducherry, which transports you to a town that is best suited in a romance novella.

My hotel, a restored traditional Tamil style house near the beach was full of young tourists, almost all of them foreigners and almost all of them dressed in baggy cotton patiala style pants (I was later told that they are called elephant pants, and seem to be a must for every foreign traveler here). A couple from New York staying in the next room tells us that they have come here because they have heard so much about Auroville. Auroville and the Aurobindo Ashram in Puducherry are the reasons that bring the majority of the tourists here, but I later discovered that the small French town has a lot more to offer other than the Aurobindo Ashram-Auroville spirituality package.

Eat My Cake! in White Town

As I strolled through White Town, the french colonial part of Puducherry, you cannot help but look in awe at the hues of yellow, blue and pink houses that line the perpendicular, sea facing part of the town. I came across a cafe called Eat My Cake! which promised to offer a authentic french experience. As I entered, I was greeted by the smell of chocolate and fresh bread. The tiny pink and yellow cafe was opened by three french women just a year ago and offers a different menu everyday. The owners told me how everything about the small cafe is, 'made by women, and run by women.' Their tie-up with a local NGO helps employ women and empower them by making them learn skills like cooking and baking. Also, the coffee is freshly brewed and the ingredients are organic and locally grown. It was a fascinating thing to learn that Puducherry, which welcomes a large part of foreign tourist population, also hosts a large number of restaurants that promise you fresh, organic locally grown food to go with 'the wellness trend'.

As my friend and Iorderan item from the day's menu, Chicken Liver Bagel and a coffee pot in the terrace cafe, I find it interesting to note that food in Puducherry, andeverything else for the matter, comes at its own relaxed pace. Not that its a bad thing, but just a fascinating concept to sit and actually savour food for 4 to 5 hours rather than in Mumbai, where we come from. My friend noted that how our restaurant meals in the city of dreams were always rushed, we were always handed the bill as soon as we ordered dessert.

The Promenade hosts one of the biggest statutes of Gandhiji in India.

The laid back pace of the town was the biggest luxury we indulged in. After over wonderful meal, we strolled through the Promenade(Puducherrys only sea facing, Marine drive-esque boulevard) in the afternoon, we were mesmerised by how other people around us were sitting at the shoreline indulging in the activity of doing nothing. For us, the looking at the sea for hours at the peaceful town was a welcome break from elbowing people out of the way to get into a local train in Mumbai.

We came across an antique shop during one of our strolls. Located near Les Space in White Town, the nameless store housedantiques that were as old as the time when the French started colonising the place, and each and every piece had an interesting piece of history attached to it. Thisis whyI recommend walking over taking a cycle or a bike, because there is so much to see in Puducherry. Each building is unique, and seems to have a history. The town is best taken in, slowly, walking through the streets at a glacial pace staring at the beautiful Franco-Tamil pieces of architecture. Or if you are in the other 'Tamil' part of town, just looking at the old world charm of the city and seeing it transport from a city in Europe to a forgotten era in India in a matter of kilometres.

A walk through the streets

Coming to the reason we were on the trip the food. The variety of food is one of the best things that Puducherry has to offer, and even if you do not include the fascinating cuisines of Auroville there is a lot that can be sampled. One of the most unique cuisines is the Creole cuisine of Puducherry. The french-tamil fusion cuisine was also influenced by the Dutch and Portuguese colonisers.

Creole food is more Indian than french while french cuisine is all about cooking and savouring each item individually, Creole food is more of an Indian curry and rice variety. One of the best places we sampledcreole was at Le Dupleix in White Town. The best dish hands down was Rasam Aux Crevettes (Rasam with shrimp served French style).

Moving on to a different kind of fusion a small cafe called Kasha Ki Asha specialises in giving the picky tourist a literal mix of both the cuisines and overs yummy samplings like Pizza Dosai. The cafe, opened in 2013 by an American woman, Kasha, runs on the same principle as Eat My Cake! it started out as an initiative by Kasha to help and empower women. The best part about the cafe is the beautiful boutique that is a part of the terrace cafe.

Now comes the time to satisfy the sweet tooth. The french brought with them the art of the yummy desserts, and it has stayed. One of our walks through the town landed us in a bakery that calledBaker Street. Being huge Sherlock fans ourselves, we went into the bakery that promised 'an authentic french experience' and were transported to what might have been a bakery in France. Whether it is a simple chocolate cake or a piece of expertly crafted chocolate, 212 Baker Street suprises you with the variety of desserts it stocks.

White Town

And if you want your fill of the best Tamil cuisine, Puducherry hosts excellent restaurants that serve, what is in my opinion, the best rasamin the world. Try out restaurants like A2B Adyar Ananda Bhavan and Surgurewhere the crowd will be a mix of Indian tourists tired of sampling pastas and wine, and foreign tourists keen on trying the local cuisine and fascinatingly trying to eat dosa and rice plates with their hands.

When we went to Surguru, we were seated with two tourists from London, who were watching YouTube videos about how to eat rasam rice with their hands before getting to the real act itself. Why were they here, and not in a French cafe that serves organic food, I asked. The girl, a backpacker who was visiting India for the first time said that French cuisine was passe for them, and the only reason they went to the cafes was to use the free Wifi. 'Spicy Indian food' was more fascinating. That was the time it struck me, what's a novelty for me is 'the plain old' for them and vice versa, and Puducherry works well in balancing both sets of tastes.

Puducherry might seem like a small, sleepy town that only houses the Aurobindo Ashram and its offshoot shopping experiences, but it is more than that. If you are looking at a long, peaceful getaway or a short escapade from the city life and the thought of Goa makes you cringe, Puducherry is just a hop, skip and jump away from Chennai airport (3 hours by bus). The town is a novelty in itself, if not the food, or the shopping that gets you, just strolling through the pink, blue and yellow houses around town are fascinating in itself and make you feel like you are in a movie.

Read the rest here:

Puducherry: There's more to this sleepy town than Auroville and the Shri Aurobindo Ashram - Firstpost

Jen Bennett and her dog. Photo by Jason Langley Photography, https://www.jasonlangleyphoto.com/

Vegan options in New Jersey have been hard to come by in the past, but suddenly seem to becoming more and more common. Even in Morristown, places like Morristown Pancake House offer vegan pancakes, waffles and scrambled tofu featured on their menu and Beenies Ice Cream, which is scheduled to open in May on Morris Street, will feature vegan ice creamright alongside their other treats. The New Jersey VegFest has launched vegan pop-up shops on the last Sunday of every month at the Laundromat Bar and the crowds keep growing.

Not sure what vegan means? The helpful folks at vegan.com have lots of info spelling it out, but it really refers to anything thats free of animal products: no meat, milk, eggs, wool, leather.

Enter Jen Bennett, who aims to create Morristowns first Vegan Cafe, The Plant Based Kitchen. She launched a Kickstartercampaign last week, which has already attracted 16 backers and over $1,200.

We reached out to Jen with some questions about what motivated her to launch this project and what her plans are.

Whats your background?

I am an artist who is a bit of a foodie and Im passionate about learning and being outdoors as much as possible. As far as my career background goes, I am currently an Art Director and graphic designer finishing up my Masters Degree in Nutrition & Food Science.

I am fascinated by the way our bodies naturally function and how the foods we choose to eat are the most important factor in our health outcomes. So many of us have been conditioned to believe that genetics and other factors leave us helpless to effect our predetermined health, but its just not true. The Standard American Diet is the main driving force in most of our biggest health issues we face as a country obesity, heart disease, etc. This has been shown over and over is scientific studies published in various journals. And yet, were still led to believe things just happen and theres a new pill for that or one to treat the side effects from the other pill you were given. We do have a choice and a responsibility for our personal health, but we often arent educated about how much of an impact our diet really has or how easy and delicious it can be to eat primarily healthy, plant-based meals. Health food became stigmatized and we need to correct that so that its just as fashionable to be healthy and happy as it currently is to make jokes about bacon.

What makes you think Morristown will support a vegan restaurant when other health food places have failed?

I think the NJ VegFest has shown that there is definitely a community looking for a great vegan spot to eat in this area. For The Plant Based Kitchen, the goal is delicious and easily accessible the healthy part for customers is a bonus. I dont know anything about the other places that have failed, but maybe Morristown just wasnt ready for them at the time. Its definitely ready now and even people that arent vegan or vegetarian or plant-based or any other label have seemed interested and excited about the idea. That is even more motivating and exciting!

If Im reading your page right, you are trying to raise $140K in a month? Is that correct? If so, thats a gargantuan task. Have you tried to get traditional backing, too?

$143K to be exact andit is definitely not a small fundraising goal hahaha. I decided on a Kickstarter because I love their platform being a give and take situation and its given me an opportunity to back some other amazing projects. I like the idea of having the community involved and excited right alongside me and I love knowing that theyll get something in return as a my thank you for their support. Its more fun to build a movement with a team and Kickstarter focuses on short, quick fundraising so it made sense for this situation.

Traditional funding is always an option, too. That becomes a little more difficult to acquire, though, when you are doing something new. Without having been in business for some amount of time to show banks that you have cash flow, they are generally hesitant to give out loans. Its that funny cycle of you need cash flow to start, but many places dont want to give money to someone who hasnt already started and has cash flow to show. So what can you can do to get started? I saw an amazing space that became available and it would be perfect. Thing is, a space that amazing doesnt stay available for long so I had to throw myself in and see what kind of fundraising could be done quickly. Idecided to put it out there on Kickstarter and after their fees I calculated it would put about $130K in place which maybe would givea bank some confidence in seeing that there isplenty of interest in grassroots capital raised.Couldnt let that opportunity go by without giving all of my energy into trying.

If this campaign doesnt get funded, its not going to stop the mission. It just means it slows back down a little and thats ok. Good things rarely come together easily and Im more than happy to put in the work for a slightly slower build of this movement if thats what it takes.

Oh I sure do haha. Its incredible and has the most amazing character to it. It is such a cool space and whoever ends up in it is going to be very lucky. I am so grateful and humbled by the kindness of all the Kickstarter campaign supporters so far. There are a whole bunch of financial backers and a ton of people sharing and promoting. Its really awesome to have so much support.

Unfortunately, weve not raised enough yet for me to feel comfortable throwing my hat in to be considered for that space right now. Fingers are still crossed, though! If the campaign goes wild and we get all of the funding together, Im prepared to immediately submit the necessary paperwork to be considered for the space if its not already leased out by that time. If we get funded and that space is gone, then the mission carries on with the search for a new space in town. Im a big believer in whats meant to be will be. If this space was not the space meant for The Plant Based Kitchen (even though I totally fell in love with it), thats ok. It just means theres something else thats right for it and itll come together when the time is right. (Yes, in addition to beign sort of a nerd, Im also a little bit of a hippie deep down.)

Until then, Im going to continue working on building this movement.The Plant Based Kitchen is a little plan I have to make a big impact on our society. The beginning stages of an app are underway now and there will be more to come.

The rest is here:

Plant Based Kitchen looking for Kickstart for Vegan Cafe - Morristown Green

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Should Black Folks Go Vegan? - ThyBlackMan