What is Fair Trade exactly?: The Beet, Weaver Street's E-Newsletter

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What is Fair Trade exactly?
by Heather Rees, Contributing Writer
In a community like ours, rife with community activism and political awareness, Fair Trade should find a happy home. But what is Fair Trade exactly? And what are its benefits? At Weaver Street, some of us are familiar with the sign telling us that the bananas are Fair Trade and the Equal Exchange Fair Trade label on some of the coffee offered in the coffee isle. In a community concerned with global wellness, we should be more familiar with this burgeoning alternative to free trade. To begin with, we need to understand the reason Fair Trade came to exist. Seventy-five percent of poor people in developing countries—some 900 million people—depend on agriculture for their livelihood. 25 million families produce coffee alone. More

Wine Sale & Shows
Jazz & More! Brunch
Hillsborough Sunday Music
Wiener Dog Day
Halloween

Annual Meeting
Annual Report
Board Meeting

Handmade Parade
Farmers' Market Event
Register to vote!
Young Childrens' Art Contest

Fair Trade Chocolate

October Wine Dinner
New Art

Weekly Produce Specials
Weekly Meat Specials

Equal Exchange Fair Trade Specials



What is Fair Trade exactly? continued
In the 1980s, coffee prices began to plummet forcing many small coffee producers to sell their beans for less than the cost to produce them. The pattern has been repeated throughout the agricultural spectrum: bananas, tea, honey, sugar, cocoa...the list goes on. As farmers lost their businesses and families fell into poverty, larger agricultural corporations expanded their markets and gained in profits by buying up the small farms, using the abundance of cheap labor and selling us food for cheaper prices. In response to this trade crisis, Fair Trade emerged as an effort to purchase goods directly from poor farmers in developing countries to sell to socially conscious consumers in the North America and Western Europe. Their hope was to stem the human disaster of plummeting market prices. In the beginning, these products were sold through networks of shops and specialty outlets. One such shop is Ten Thousand Villages, located across the United States (with one in Durham!) that sells crafts from across the globe. These shops seek to pay the farmer or artisan the fairest price possible by minimizing overhead costs of the store itself and eliminating intermediaries from the trade process. Read more.

Weekly Produce Specials - THESE SALES ARE EFFECTIVE Tuesday, October 7 through Monday, October 13.


	Organic, Canadian Fall Broccoli	2 bunches/ $5.00	(product of Canada)
	Organic, Heirloom Pie Pumpkins	$1.49 lb	(product of USA)
	Bio-dynamic Seedless Grapes	a WSM exclusive! $2.99 lb	Last of the season! (product of California)

Weekly Meat & Seafood Specials

	USDA Choice Chuck Roasts	All Natural Beef $4.29 lb	save 70¢ lb. (product of USA)
	New item! Alaskan Wild Caught Flounder	Fillets $5.99 lb	save $2.00 lb (product of Alaska)
	Trident Ultimate Fish Sticks	12 oz. pkg $4.99 each	From our freezer save $1.00 (product of Alaska)

Read more about other Weaver Street Market Specials.


Equal Exchange Fair Trade Specials

For every pound of Equal Exchange Organic Co-op Blend that you purchase, Equal Exchange contributes 25¢ to our Small Farmer Green Planet Fund. Over the last year, you and other co-op shoppers across America have collectively raised more than $12,000 to support small farmers in their efforts to protect the environment, ensure food security, and diversify their incomes. This October, in celebration of Co-op Month, Weaver Street Market will match Equal Exchange's 25¢ donation on every pound of Co-op Blend coffee sold. Also on sale this month: Equal Exchange Fair Trade • all packaged coffees • all packaged 25 bags teas • rooibos tea 25 bags Equal Exchange snacks: • almonds, cranberries and pecans
Read more about Equal Exchange and Fair Trade here.



Wine Sale & Shows!

Weaver Street Market's 5th Annual Fall Wine Sale & Shows! Wine Sale: October 3 - October 22 The sale will feature a selection of up to 40 favorite and fine wines from around the world at discounts up to 50% off regular price! 10% regular case discount applies on top of sale price! This is a "no risk" wine sale - you can taste all these wines at the Wine Shows. Store hours Weaver Street Market: Carrboro, 7:30 am - 9 pm M-F, 8 am - 9 pm Sat/Sun, 929-0010 Weaver Street Market: Southern Village, 7 am - 9 pm Daily, 929-2009 Weaver Street Market: Hillsborough, 7 am - 9 pm Daily, 245-5050 Wine Shows: SOUTHERN VILLAGE - Saturday, October, 11, 1 - 5 pm HILLSBOROUGH - Saturday, October 18, 1 - 5 pm tickets $5...proceeds benefit WSM Cooperative Community Fund. taste...choose from up to 40 wines! enjoy...live music, hors d'oeuvres, and your favorite wines at great values!
View the complete lists of Wine Sale wines here.

Jazz & More Brunch

Every Sunday 11 am - 1 pm Jazz & More Brunch at Weaver Street Market continues through October! Hot food, with cool tunes is a great way to start your Sunday. Inside, we'll have fresh scones, muffins and sweet pastries in our bake case; fresh, hot coffee and a barista to make that special coffee drink; and an array of eggs, grits, pancakes or French Toast to fill you up! Outside, under the oaks, you'll hear a range of local bands playing Jazz, Americana, Blues, and Bluegrass; keeping everybody happy and dancing. October 12- Gravy Boys- American acoustic October 19- Saludos Compay- original and South American Music October 26- Equinox- jazz and pop standards
View more Weaver Street Market events here.

Hillsborough Sunday Brunch Music Series

Last one! Come enjoy music on our Hillsborough store lawn from 11am-1pm in our first annual Sunday Brunch series. Featuring a wide variety of musicians, both old favorites and new finds, and a relaxing outdoor setting to enjoy breakfast made fresh from our hot bar. October 12- Charles Pettee & Friends - bluegrass/finger twisting acoustic originals

Wiener Dog Day

Sunday, October 12, 2:30 - 4:30 pm Weaver Street Market in Carrboro This year's Wiener Dog Day, an annual fundraiser for Dachshund Rescue of North America, will include obstacle courses, raffles, and a costume contest. Prizes also will be awarded in several categories, including best trick, shortest, oldest, longest, and farthest travelled dachshund. DRNA will also have several local adoptees on site and information about adopting a rescue dachshund. This family-friendly event is free and open to the public, but donations to help support DRNA will be welcome! For more information, or for businesses interested in donating items for prizes and raffles, please contact Melissa Caldwell at 919-923-0390.
Learn more about Dachshund Rescue here.

Halloween

WEAVER STREET MARKET'S ANNUAL GHOST STORIES jack-o-lanterns...spooky seasonal music...hot cider...cookies...a costume contest! Friday October 24 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm On the lawn in Carrboro Plan on spending the night under the oaks in your Halloween Costume listening to Willa Brigham tell great seasonal tales. Tim Stambaugh and Donovan Zimmerman will set the stage with spooky music and scary puppets at 5:30. Willa will thrill us all with her tales of adventure at 6:30. The winners of the costume contest will be announced at 7:15. Free Cookies and Cider! This event is co-sponsored by the Town of Carrboro and Weaver Street Market. Costume Contest Rules: Enter in one category only: 0-5 year-olds or 6-10 year-olds. Costumes will be judged on MOST ORIGINAL, FUNNIEST, AND SCARIEST. All participants must register by 6:45 pm.

Annual Meeting

Sunday, October 19 at the Carrboro Century Center
5:00 pm: local food buffet
5:30- 7:00 pm: Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting is an opportunity to share your thoughts, find out what your fellow-owners are thinking, and have an effect on our future together.

• Engage in lively dinner conversation about the Co-op of the future!
• Hear the "State of the Co-op" reports from the General Manager and the Board of Directors!
• 3nd Annual Cooperative Community Fund Awards!
• Meet the candidates for Board of Directors!
• Vote for a candidate for the Board of Directors!
• Raffle prizes!

Annual Report

Annual Reports have been mailed to all owners of the co-op. If you did not receive your annual report, you may pick one up in the store, or view it on-line at the link below.

View the 2008 Annual Report here.

Board Meeting

WSM Board meeting
Wednesday, October 15, 6:30-9:30pm
Corner Building (Community Realty/WCOM)
Carrboro

Owners of Weaver Street Market are always welcome to attend meetings of the Board, and are also welcome to make their thoughts known on issues in the open session at the beginning of the meeting.

View minutes of previous meetings here.



Handmade Parade

Saturday, October 11 at 2:30pm Come watch an amazing parade of handmade puppets, dancers, stiltwalkers and drummers. The parade will start at St. Matthews Church head down Margaret Street to Churton and finish at the Burwell School.
Learn more about the Handmade Parade here.

Farmers' Market Event

Fall Family Day Wednesday October 15th 3:30-6:30 pm In cooperation with Kidzu Children's Museum, The Lantern Restaurant, and the Orange County Partnership for Young Children, the Carrboro Wednesday Farmers' Market presents an afternoon of fun activities for everyone in the family to enjoy. Take part in pumpkin decorating, kids games on the green, and cooking demos and sampling from the Lantern Restaurant. This will be the last Wednesday Market for the season and we would like to see you and your family there. Fall Family Day will be held at the Carrboro Farmer's Market 301 West Main St in the Carrboro Town Commons from 3:30-6:30pm.
Learn more about the Farmers' Market here.
View a comprehensive list of local Farmers' Markets here.

Register to vote!

The deadline to register to vote is this Friday, October 10. Click on the link below for more information on where and how to register to vote.
Learn more about voter registration here.

Young Children's Art Contest

The Orange County Partnership for Young Children, the local Smart Start agency, invites you to participate in this year's Young Children's Art Contest. Submit you children's original art. Send us drawings, scribbles, handprints, footprints - anything that your child has fun creating. Open to all artists 6 months to six years. Theme - Family and Community. Deadline -October 31.
View details here.

Fair Trade Chocolate

By Elizabeth Friend, Contributing Writer
More than a tasty novelty, fair trade chocolate represents social and economic progress in an industry traditionally marked by poverty, deprivation, and inhumane working conditions.

Why is fair trade so important? Put simply, fair trade is about ensuring that farmers are paid a reasonable price for their cocoa beans. Prior to the introduction of fair trade practices, farmers wanting to sell their crops were at the mercy of brokers and middlemen. Because the farmers had no way to negotiate with chocolate companies for a fair price, these middlemen would arbitrarily drive the price of cocoa beans down, then turn around and sell the beans to chocolate makers at a substantial profit. Unfortunately, none of this profit ever reached the farmers or their communities. Sometimes the price was too low to recoup the cost of growing the crop in the first place.

Fair trade is different. It cuts out the brokers and middlemen, helping farmers export their crops directly to the chocolate producers. Gone is the economic disparity between bean growers and chocolate makers, the secret price gouging, and the tacit approval of unscrupulous practices like child and slave labor. Instead, the process is transparent: you can trace the path from bean to bar.

Fair trade buyers work with cooperatively-run farms to guarantee a yearly yield of high-quality cocoa beans that are used to make some of the best chocolate available. Chocolate-makers promise to pay farmers enough money per pound to support the cost of production, regardless of the global market. Often, buyers pay a premium for organic, shade-grown or specialty beans. In exchange, growers agree to international monitoring by independent organizations to ensure that no child or slave labor is utilized, and that farming practices are ecologically sound and sustainable.

Unlike traditional chocolate, where the link between grower and consumer is uncertain, the positive impact of fair trade on farming communities is clear. Fair trade pricing helps build local schools, found credit unions, and provide for machinery that allows the co-ops to be self-sufficient.

It may seem like a small thing, but purchasing fair trade products is one of the easiest ways you can help build thriving sustainable communities all around the world.

Regardless of whether you're buying it for its decadent flavor or its remarkable social rewards, it's hard to resist the charms of fair trade chocolate.


October Wine Dinner

Loire Valley Wines Monday, October 13, 7:00 - 9:30 pm Join us October 13 for a wine tasting tour of France's Loire Valley. The Loire is a wine region that flanks France's most famous river, a region that produces wines known for their delicate, subtle style such as sweet wines from Vouvray, delicious and elegant reds from Chinon and Champigny, and the numerous refined whites and sparkling wines from places like Touraine and Saumur. The names alone conjure up images of rolling hills, the vast Loire River, and Renaissance-era castles, spires and villages. The grapes produced in this region are Melon de Bourgogne, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and a few other more obscure varieties. These wines are incredibly good food wines with ample acidity and expressive fruit flavors. Join us for this tasting tour and find out what this vast, wine producing area has to offer. Plenty of delicious food will be prepared to complement these wonderful French wines. The cost of this event is $45 per person. Space is limited, so reserve early. Please pay in advance and pick up a ticket for this event at either Panzanella or the customer service desk at Weaver Street Market in Carrboro.
Visit Panzanella's website to view all menus (lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch).
Sign up for Panzanella's Enewsletter here.

New Art

Jenifer Padilla September 30 - November 30 "Making the Grass Greener" "My work is directly influenced by my surroundings, my travel experiences, and by food—especially the delicate shapes, textures and colors of fruit, the mark of graffiti and tag art, the shapes and lines created by cityscapes, mass transit, and the trains that pass by." ~ Jenifer Padilla For more information email Jenifer Padilla.