Seventh Generation – Going Beyond 'Green'?

Alan Newman (Newman), an environmental activist, and his wife, Judy, moved to Burlington in 1970 from a commune in Oregon (U.S). Newman’s family was among several other back-to-the-landers who were looking to escape from a harassed urban existence. Newman, having tried his hands at a series of odd jobs, decided to become an entrepreneur. An admirer of Lyman Wood and his management style, Newman wanted to run a business with a strong social mission. In 1983, he helped his friend Will Raap, a businessman, to launch Gardener’s Supply, a company that offered a catalog for earth-friendly gardening supplies. The driving idea behind that business venture was to improve communities and save the planet through sustainable gardening and agricultural and environmental practices. Gardener’s Supply became successful and with that Newman too gained experience. Three years later, he withdrew from Gardener’s Supply and launched another firm named Niche Marketing...