Fair Trade Blog

Last fall I was lamenting to a friend and customer about the state of the economy. He said he didn’t think it had anything to do with the amount of money available, but everything to do with the velocity of money.

I understood what he meant right away. There is still money out there. Lots of it, in fact.  The country is awash in stimulus money from residential energy grants, to new infrastructure projects, to cash for clunkers, and that’s just the tip of the pile. 

Main Street needs it’s share of that new money.  As an accelerator of dollars, there is none better than your local downtown businesses. For every $100 spent, about $63 gets recycled through local hands like yours and mine.  

That’s the beauty of the program known as the 3/50 project.  It’s brilliantly simple.  Think of three independently-owned businesses that you would miss if they closed.   Stop at each one and say hello while you pick up something that will make someone smile. 

If you spend a total of just $50 at three independently-owned businesses each month you can help keep them open.  If just half of all the employed in the U.S. spent that much each month it means local businesses would benefit from $42.6 billion in revenue. 

We’re all getting back to basics and there’s nothing more basic than local brick and mortar.  Don’t forget to visit the one’s near you.

Keep shopping your good values!

It’s hard to mistake with it’s huge slightly fuzzy looking leaves and sturdy, sour stems. Because Rhubarb is unique, we decided to name our new store after it.

Last week we threw open the doors on our newest retail space that features food, gifts, and artisan works from the Driftless Region. Our new place is right next to Driftless Fair Traders in the Hotel Fortney. It wasn’t easy to round up all the great products we currently have, but there are more, and we’re working to offer all the best of our region.  

Since Driftless Fair Traders has a global focus, we started thinking about what we could do to promote the local economy.  Our area is rich in agricultural and artistic heritage, so we decided to bring it all together in a celebration of our area.  

Kickapoo Coffee is just one of our great products.  They were awarded a high rating in Consumer Reports last year among Fair Trade coffees.  Their roastery is just down the road from our store.  We have cans of their robust and fragrant whole beans. 

Sweet Prairie Farm honey products is another local line we are completely excited about.  They’re located in the little town of Coon Valley just a half and hour from here.   Their honey cremes and body care products have us all buzzing. 

Leslie from SpinDrift Weavers just brought in a basket of her handspun yarn from her sheep herd.  We chatted about a customer that bought one of her handmade scarves this last weekend.  There are so many wonderful stories behind all of our local finds. 

If you stop by, you can also pick up LuSa Organics soaps and body care items, Papa Pat’s Farmhouse Recipe jams, soups, and pancack mixes, Martha’s Hot Mustard, and Potter’s Crackers. 

Rhubarb merchandize isn’t available online yet, but one day soon, you’ll be able to order a little taste of the Driftless Region no matter where you are!

We’ve decided to move, but not far!

If I look to the left from our desk and register, I can see the great new space we are moving into in early January.  Retail stores don’t usually take such short hop when they move, but we couldn’t pass up the opportunity.  When the lobby space of the historic Hotel Fortney opened up, we jumped at the chance to move into the grand old rooms facing Main Street.

In the meantime, we’ve relocated some of our beautifully distinctive Tropical Salvage furniture and we’re dressing the place up with local arts and crafts until our official change of address in a few weeks.  We have jewelry, painted ornaments, paintings, woodcarving, and more clever work to offer through Christmas Eve.

Spreading into the new space before moving out of the old has been a challenge, but thanks to some volunteer efforts, we are displaying in the old and new just in time for our annual Friends and Family Sale Saturday, Dec. 6.  

Check out the photo of one of our new windows painted by local artist Sandra Berger.  You can see all her window paintings through the holidays. 

Peace Dove art in window of Hotel Fortney.

Our location is changing, but our mission is not.  We will continue to offer fairly traded goods that you can feel good about purchasing for yourself, or giving to others. Come and visit us while we make the transition.  

Keep shopping your good values!

I can’t remember a time when people did not complain about the stress and commercialism of the holidays.  For certain people, I suppose that the last minute rush is part of the fun.  You know the kind — with a twinkle in their eye, they share the adventures of their last minute rush– including all their gift shopping.  

American consumer culture has wrapped itself in the 30 odd days between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Any honest retail owner will tell you that the holidays make or break them every year. 

We are no different here at Driftless Fair Traders, but we do make a difference with our e-store.  Most of our shoppers know that they are not simply buying a present, they are choosing a gift with something special.  That’s why more and more people are doing nearly all their holiday shopping with us.  

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of helping one of our customers pick out gifts for everyone on her list.  It wasn’t a simple thing and she spent a good deal of time making her choices.  But when we were finished, she was beaming, not only because she had accomplished her goal, but because she loved the experience of shopping for gifts she felt good about giving.  “You have such beautiful things,” she said more than once.  

We want you to feel as good about where your gifts came from as you do about where they are going.  That’s why we shop as carefully as you do this time of year.  Everyone wants the act of giving to be special and we work hard to make it a more satisfying experience. 

We hope you will visit our e-store and keep shopping your good values!

It’s really simple.  Jeff wanted to follow his Bliss.  Jeff Strand says he started Natural Communities Magazine out of the blue, but we think there was a bit of destiny involved as well.  Jeff’s publication is published and distributed right here in Wisconsin and we regularly advertise in its pages.

Take a look at any issue of Natural Communities and the first thing that strikes you is the stunning photography that Jeff weaves through his publication.  He says he had to quickly learn how to use a camera to produce the magazine.  Since Natural Communities focuses on holistic lifestyle issues and information, Jeff has spent lots of time wandering the ridges, coulees, and lakes looking for inspiring scenes.

Whether it’s the intricate symmetry of a single dandelion head or the long view of a lake, Jeff captures the quietest parts of nature.  The centeredness of his photographs draw you inside each scene he’s captured.

Jeff has been working with us on advertising since he started his magazine.  We’re glad we convinced him to show his photography in our shop.

Born in Duluth, Minn., Jeff spent five years working as an engineer before changing careers.  His girlfriend turned him onto organic foods, creating a sustainable earth, and getting in touch with nature and spirit. In the summer of 2006, he got the idea to start a locally produced magazine dedicated to holistic living.

With nothing but his courage and money borrowed from a relative, Jeff quit his job and started his publishing business.  He admits that he had zero experience in anything to do with publishing a magazine, including photography.  But after two years of building a successful magazine, Jeff is still wandering the woods taking photographs so he can give nature back to people through the pages he publishes.

You can visit Jeff’s magazine at naturalcommunitiesmag.com.

I just ran across the term “passive consumption” this morning.  Being a wordsmith from way back, it struck me as the perfect term for how we as Americans do so much of our shopping.  How many times have you been on autopilot when buying — guided only by lowest price, or easy access?   I plead guilty!  

It’s so easy to forget how much power we have.  Americans consume more products than any other country in the world.  I would think we would want to drive that constant tidal wave of spending dollars toward the greater good rather than what is easiest or cheapest.  

Active consumption, of course, implies effort.  Exactly right!  You have to get off the beaten path, read labels, think about the choice you are making when you buy a loaf of bread or a pair of shoes.  

Fortunately, it’s getting easier to make more informed decisions without lots of research and leg work.  Green products and Fair Trade products are more available than ever before.  Chain stores like Whole Foods and  Starbucks are bringing thousands of organic, sustainable, and Fair Trade products to the market.  Local retailers, like us, are filling in the gaps and expanding the shopping consciousness.  

Finally, I’ll offer my one step challenge.   Sometimes we have to walk before we can run.   So, I challenge you to change just one item that you normally consume.   Change your coffee, look for the locally produced honey, or find that new blouse by shopping Fair Trade online.  

Change happens one step at a time, so let me know how it’s going.  Put yourself one step closer to becoming a truly “active” consumer.

Keep shopping your good values! 

If you are like I am, you want to support local business as much as possible.  We are blessed here with some wonderful locally-owned places to shop, but that leads to a dilemma.  Where do I spend my dollars?  

We have a co-op and a home-town grocery in our village.  There is a co-op in the town where we work as well as a little general store.  In summer there is the added choice of a farmers market.  I want them all to thrive, but my dollars are limited. 

In our little village of 654 souls, business survives on very little.  Every dollar counts.  If a small percentage take their money elsewhere, I could quickly lose some of my choices.  So, I want to spend my dollars more wisely. 

After thinking about this lately, my shopping decisions are admittedly random and have more to do with convenience than purpose.  Sometimes the hours don’t fit my schedule, sometimes it is not on the way to where I am going. 

It is up to me and you to make our local businesses sustainable.  We have to make intentional choices to accomplish that goal.  If we simply think a little more and plan ahead, we can all spend more dollars with our local merchants. 

Here are some ideas for you to think about.  

1. Go to your farmer’s market.   It doesn’t come any fresher, unless you pick it yourself.
2. Ask your local merchant to carry items that you want or need.  Trust me, we love to know what you want, rather than try to guess.
3. Spend dollars where you know they will come back to you.   If you sell your milk to the local cheese maker, shouldn’t you buy their cheese? 
4. Look for locally made products wherever you shop.  Sometimes even big boxes have locally made products.
5. Move your money to a neighborhood bank or credit union.  Most local financial institutions have competitive services and returns.  Focusing your money on local lending may not cost you a thing.  

What are your ideas about keeping your dollars local?

Keep shopping your good values!