KC Companies of Conscience

115 W. 18th St.
Kansas City, MO 64108
816.421.7171

When Jen Carlson and Josh Shear built their straw bail house in 2000, they had a difficult time finding green building materials in the Midwest. In 2001 they opened Straw Sticks & Bricks, both to provide those materials for other builders and to educate people on green construction. They even offer installation services in some areas. Their website includes a glossary of terms related to the subject that’s an education in itself, as well as a great place to get ideas for going green. Before you head to their store, check their website for seasonal hours.

www.drugstorerestaurant.com (site under construction)
106 W. Main
Smithville, MO 64089
816.532.2300

Yes, this is a restaurant! It’s a restaurant Jonathan Justus and his wife, Camille Eklof, opened in the space where his family ran a drugstore for decades. They used green construction in their renovation and are tirelessly proactive about the impact of their business on their rural community and the environment. They work with dozens of local sustainable farms, taking in raw materials (producing less packaging waste by making everything from scratch) and giving back to the farmers their compostable scraps and used cooking oil. The fish they serve is freshwater, caught or raised in environmentally sustainable ways. They are also “actively developing local sustainable small farm agribusiness based on cultivating and foraging wild indigenous edible plants.” But wait, there’s more! Many people come away from this leisurely dining experience saying it was one of the best meals they’ve ever had. (The Kansas City Star’s Lauren Chapin recently gave it 3 1/2 stars and named it her favorite restaurant of 2007.) This won’t be a best kept secret for long!

www.marillaccenter.org
4200 S. 4th St.
Leavenworth, KS 66048
913.758.6552

This new retreat center, built in 2003 on a beautiful 240-acre campus, is a ministry of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. Guests can attend directed retreats (a schedule is on their website) or make arrangements for an individual retreat with the option for private spiritual direction. Overnight accommodations, meals and many other facilities and services are available in an “environment of prayer, peace, hope and transformation.”

www.urbanmininghomewares.com
3924 Walnut
Kansas City, MO 64111

This locally owned market in Westport operates with a philosophy of reusing and recycling as an art form. They open their doors the weekend of the first Friday of each month after “a dozen hunter-gatherer-artists have spent the month combing the urban core for wonderful finds” including vintage furniture and textiles and architectural salvage. If you like the idea of reusing rather than buying new but don’t have time to do the “combing” yourself, you might give this market a try.