This Week on the Central Coast...
The Aquarium partnered with a shoe company, Monterey Food Bank wants to build a farm to help address child poverty, and a second-grader was invited to a global invention competition
Blueview Shoes partnered with the aquarium to make biodegradable shoes
Blueview Shoes has partnered with the Monterey Bay Aquarium to help make the world's first fully biodegradable shoe. The shoes are sold exclusively on Blueview’s website for $135, with 5% of each sale going to the aquarium.
The shoes are made entirely of plant-based materials and run from sizes 5 to 14.5.
The partnership was initiated by the aquarium, which has been trying to partner with like-minded companies who are committed to ending plastic pollution. “About 12 million tons of plastic pollute the ocean each year, making its way from coastal and inland areas through storm drains, rivers and other waterways.” Single-use plastics, even when disposed of properly, are still able to float away in the wind from landfills and find their way to our oceans.
Blueview also noted that it’s “products are vegan and do not create microplastics.”
The Food Bank for Monterey County is building a five-acre farm to help address child poverty
The Food Bank was awarded a $100k grant from Kubota Tractors, which it will put towards the Five-Acre Farm and Kids Food Fix. The entire project will include the farm, a barn, a test kitchen, and space to host families.
The executive director the The Food Bank said "The five-acer farm is called the Kids Food Fix because not only are we one of the hungriest counties, but we continue to be one of the most unhealthiest". Monterey County has continuously been plagued by high rates of food insecurity, child poverty, and Type 2 Diabetes.
The Food Bank has a chance to get an additional grant from Kubota if it receives the most online votes from our community. The nonprofit says it will add an irrigation system and begin planting if awarded the additional funding.
Anyone can vote once per day until July 25 on Kubota’s website.
Kristopher Neil Bayog is a Bradley Elementary student in Watsonville. His invention is called “D Shoes”, which stands for Detective or Doorbell Shoes, and features a keychain transmitter that emits a sound when the receiver is within 1,000 feet of them. He made the prototype out of his own Heely’s and a disassembled doorbell.
Kristopher says the idea came to him at a graduation where several things happened: he noticed several kids on leashes, his grandmother, who has dementia, got lost in the crowds, his father used their car alarm to find his parked car.
The Superintendent of Schools for PVUSD said “His potentially life-saving creation is thoughtful. It is important to share it with the world. I am proud of our staff who daily support a safe and engaging learning environment”.
You can watch his pitch video on YouTube.