Ohio Fair Trade Retrospective

I had a great time kicking off Fair Trade Month in Ohio! I was lucky enough to be part of a group interview on NPR talking about Fair Trade in Northeast Ohio - a pretty controversial topic in this part of the country, as the inevitable question arises - is buying fair trade a luxury most people cannot afford? Some callers raised some great questions - listen to me, Jacqueline DeCarlo (author, Fair Trade: Beginner's Guide), Lisa Dunn (of Revive) and Julie Verdon (of Ten Thousand Villages) talk about fair trade's role and importance in light of tough economic times in the United States.

Before the weekend, I took a quick trip out to Revive's original store in Cleveland Heights and picked up a sweet pair of Indigenous gloves to brave the Ohio climate.

On Saturday, October 9, my Mom (and our awesome Business Manager) headed out to John Carroll University for the Ohio Fair Trade Expo.

Staffing the One Mango Tree booth at Ohio Fair Trade Expo Marketplace!
I'm wearing our dolman sleeve top in cherry and our NEW hand-loomed scarf in eggplant.

Everyone loved the promotional tote bags we donated to the event - more than 200 people running around showing off One Mango Tree's beautiful work! They were a hit!

I loved participating in panels - here I am with Alia Kate, founder of Kantara Crafts during Faces of Fair Trade. I also participated in a panel focusing on the Environment, where I spoke about the challenges and rewards of sourcing organic cotton fabric for our products.

I hope you're enjoying Fair Trade Month! Remember, Every Purchase Matters!

xo ~ Halle