Tag Archives: BD Provisions

Kami Evans Helps Sustain Westport

Quietly — but powerfully — Westport has become a beehive of sustainability.

Between composting, our Net Zero 2050 commitment, the Home Energy Challenge, our embrace of electric vehicles, and organizations like Sustainable Westport, Wakeman Town Farm and Earthplace, many residents, businesses and groups are trying to do what we can to save our planet.

It’s not always easy. many areas need improvement. But awareness of the urgent need to act — and concrete steps to do so — seem high.

One small but important step took place Thursday night. Social media/ networking whiz Kami Evans gathered a group at Wakeman Town Farm. All have a product or concept in the sustainable space. Each spoke briefly about what they do, including what’s going well, and what they need.

Connections were made. Conversations were sparked. Community was formed.

There were established businesses like Savannah Bee, whose products and educational programs raise awareness of bees’ crucial role in our ecosystem, and BD Provisions, which sells healthy food in bulk (and sustainable containers).

Savannah Bee manager Julie Cook talked about her company’s mission — and the importance of bees on our planet.

Westport entrepreneurs described their inventions, like Lustir‘s carbon fiber straws, and those they sold, like SKP hair and body care.

Service providers spoke too: Curbside Compost, which picks up your food scraps and drops off a clean pail, and Staples High School graduate Rachel Precious, whose Precious Oysters offers “tide to table” shucking services.

The Eco Dude shared his vision of a space that will include non-plastic retail products, an artisan cooperative, all-compostable coffee shop, and workshops. (He’s still in the funding phase.)

Organic Krush catered, providing delicious, healthy, and pesticide-, GMO- and hormone-free food.

It would have been compostable, of course. Except it was too good. Not a scrap was left at the end.

Roundup: Open House, Fundraising, Food, More


There will be far fewer open houses this holiday season.

But MoCA Westport has plenty of space. They’re doing theirs early in December — nearly 3 weeks before Christmas. And they’re taking every COVID precaution they can.

MoCA’s Holiday Open House is set for Saturday, December 5 (12 to 5 p.m.). The event includes caroling by (small groups of) Staples Orphenians. They too will perform far less often than usual this year, so catch ’em while you can.

There’s free hot chocolate and doughnuts, plus food to purchase from the Melt Truck and Bubble & Brew.

Visitors can also enjoy the “World Peace” exhibit. Entry is timed, and limited to small groups.

The Westport School of Music — now housed on the 2nd floor will offer timed, small-group tours of its new space. Musicians will perform too, on the Steinway piano in the MoCA gallery.

The open house is run in conjunction with the Westport Police Department’s annual toy drive. Attendees can bring an unwrapped toy (or more) to add to the box.


The fate of the Staples High School wrestling team’s winter season is uncertain. But — COVID or no — the squad is fundraising for any eventuality, this year or next.

They’ve teamed up with BD Provisions in Fairfield’s Brick Walk, to sell bags of coffee. It’s roasted personally — and wonderfully — by owner (and Westporter) Tara DiPippa.

Coffees include Midnight Joe, Toasted Coconut, Organic Ethiopia and Colombian Decaf. For more information and to order, email FraasL@yahoo.com.

Tara DiPippa roasting BD Provisions coffee.


Neighborhood Studios — the fantastic after-school, weekend and summer music and arts programs serving 1,600 Bridgeport students a year — is raising much-needed funds with a virtual concert.

And plenty of Westporters are involved.

The event — “Great Songs for Hard Times” — kicks off this Friday (November 20, 8 p.m.). Performers include many familiar names: Rob Morton (aka Rob Schlossberg), Lorraine Watkins, Lynn Flaster, Lori Brasher, and Laurie and Jeffrey Gross.

Click here for tickets, or to make a donation.


Here’s a food drive. It’s for the Open Doors Foundation, a non-profit providing academic, athletic and enrichment programs for low-income students in Fairfield County and the Caribbean.

Non-perishable items can be dropped off at the Body Pulse Fitness Center (10 Bay Street, Westport). Monetary donations are great too; click here to help.

The Open Doors Foundation educates, enlightens and empowers.


And finally … one year ago today, the first known case of COVID-19 was traced to a 55-year-old man. He had visited a market in Wuhan, China.

COVID-19 Roundup: Peter’s Market; Easter Provisions; Dental Help, And More

For over 40 years, Peter’s Market has served Weston. For more than 30 of those years, owner Jim Magee has been there for 06883: supporting every community event, opening in all kinds of weather, anchoring the entire town.

He’s still open. But while online orders have increased, he’s been slammed by a sharp drop in foot traffic. Lunches and deli orders; last-minute buys from the Great Cakes bakery; revenue from the hot food, salad and soup self-serve lines — all have almost vanished.

He’s losing employees too. Some are caring for loved ones; others have chosen to stay home, fearful of becoming sick. He respects those choices. But now his staff is working longer hours.

So — very reluctantly — Jim set up a GoFundMe page.

Besides staying open, he’ll use the capital to pay vendors (many require payments up front or COD); install self-checkout lanes; hire additional healthy shoppers to help service orders; upgrade the online ordering system, and pay down debt.

He understands these are tough times for everyone. “If you can’t help financially, we welcome your ideas,” Jim says. “For instance, do we have any volunteer programmers or developers out there?” Call 203-227-2066, or email petersmarketweston@gmail.com.

The GoFundMe page proves Weston’s love for Peter’s Market. It’s already raised more than $61,000 of the $200,000 goal.

“Any help you can offer is greatly appreciated, ” Peter says. “Please stay safe and well.” (Hat tip: Jem Sollinger)


Jennifer Welch reports that BD Provisions — the great Fairfield bulk food store owned by Westporters Tony and Tara DiPippa — is creating Easter baskets for anyone who cannot shop for next Sunday’s holiday. “What a relief!” she says. “One less thing to do while homeschooling.”


Doctors have been inundated with COVID patients. But what happens when a patient has another medical emergency? Will the fear of infection impact care?

The other night, “06880” reader Dwain Schenck broke a tooth. In intense pain, he called his Westport friend Dr. Mark Samuels. Like many dentists, he keeps only emergency hours at his Stratford practice. But this was an emergency.

Early the next morning, he took care of Dwain. The grateful patient says, “Dr. Samuels treats dental emergencies to help keep local medical facilities open for other types of treatment. He’s helping hospitals and medical centers keep these type of emergencies out of the ER.”

Dwain was impressed by the many precautions taken at the dental office. Staff wore 2 masks and double gloves. They used a special mouth rinse, and took his temperature.

Dr. Samuels is not on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. But he — and all his colleagues — are heroic doctors nonetheless.

Dr. Mark Samuels


And finally, the late, great Marvin Gaye has an important question — and answer:

BD Provisions: Saving The Earth, In Bulk

The average American produces 4 1/2 pounds of trash a day. With 28,000 residents in Westport, that’s 45 million pounds of trash per year. It’s probably tons more, of course; we are not exactly “average” Americans.

BD Provisions has a modest goal: get 5% of Westporters to cut their waste by 5%. That’s still over 100,000 pounds of waste diverted from landfill.

So what’s BD Provisions, and how will they do it?

It’s 2 stores: one in Fairfield’s Brickwalk, the other in Newtown. They call themselves “a carefully curated collection of bulk foods sold by the pound in sustainable containers.”

BD carries everything from basic pantry staples to trendy superfoods. There are over 300 items in all: pastas, rice, cereals, bulk teas, spices, grains, snacks, baking ingredients, nuts, candies, chocolates and more. Everything is sold by weight.

Bins and tins at BD Provisions …

Artisan olive oils, balsamic vinegar and local honey is always on tap. They also roast coffee, so you can take your beans home while they’re warm.

You know that satisfaction you get when you scoop the candy at Fresh Market, and get just what you need? That’s the feeling at BD — except you do it throughout the entire store.

Biodegradable and compostable packaging options further ease the environmental impact. The store encourages shoppers to bring their own bags — even canning jars — from home. (You can also buy them there, to reuse over and over.)

… and shelf after shelf of herbs.

BD Provisions is the brainchild of Westporter Tara DiPippa and her husband Tony, and John and Cynthia Boccuzzi. The DiPippas would love to open another location in their hometown.

Until then, they’re connected to Westport by donating 100% of their hot coffee sales all month long to the Gillespie Center.

Sure, it takes a bit more gas to get to the Brickwalk than a store here — for some Westporters, anyway.

But think of all that waste you’re not creating. We’ll get to that 100,000 pounds per year goal — one coffee bean, oat and nut at a time.