Where Does The Time Go?

Well,

I have been very much out of touch with this blog for some time now. I am sorry I fell off the face of the planet....buttttttttt lots has happend since returning from my trip up north.

I have closed my cute little fair trade shop in November. My scum-lord did not wish to renew the lease (she is a terrible commercial property owner and downright nasty at times) and I realized that after 2 years I needed to either step up to the business plate and get my shop financially where it needs to be or get out. Being more committed to activism than building a huge bank account I chose to stick with my activism and let someone with more passion for business take up the much needed cause.

I moved from my one room shoebox room in the back of the shop to a very comfortable beachfront condo in Jan. One of my customers who befriended me (and me her) is an animal rights activist and invited me to rent a room out of her SWEET place and watch her kitties while she works on selling her place up north. I am sooooo blessed to have met such great people while Serendipity Fair Trade was open. That is what I will miss the most. Not having a place for people to come to me under the guise of a "shop". Really what my shop was was a place to learn and share thoughts, feelings and stories with virtual strangers!!!!

Get this...I was flying to Atlanta last Thurs. and I sat next to a very nice young man who was a pilot for a commuter airlines in MO and after chatting with him he said "I remember your store!!!! My ex-girlfriend saw your sign out front of the building and we went up and she bought a couple purses from you." He was so excited to make the connection. It was funny : )

That is what I will miss! All the cool peps!!!!

ell.....I am kinda floundering around right now. Things will come together. In the meantime.....I will keep you (if there is still anyone who is checking this blog anymore) posted.

peace,

Mindy : )

Trying to Capture Lightning in a Bottle

I am sure you've heard the old saying....trying to recreate some memorable event can be like trying to capture lightning in a bottle. Well....this is true of my return to Bethel, NY to celebrate the 38th anniversary of Woodstock.Times change....In my naivety I believed that my second trip back to Yasgur's farm (first time was the 29th Anniversary) would yield some wonderful experience...another inkling of what the original 3 days in the garden event might have been like.

Well....just like most things around me....the corporate world has gobbled up yet another piece of history and is now marketing it back to us.Yasgur's farm is now "Bethel Woods Center for the Arts". The perfectly paved roads leading to a fenced off parking lot and well-maintained sodded hillside that empties into a "4,800-seat copper-covered pavilion". This well-oiled machine of a venue has all the amenities that were missing at the original festival site....plenty of toilets (well-staffed for cleanliness and your satisfaction), a huge food concession stand with Slush Puppy frozen drinks and lots of Budweiser beer choices so you can enjoy the show, and even fixed ATM machines around the complex so you never have to worry that you will run out of money! Everything is at our fingertips...all you need is plenty of money to be able to enjoy the show.

Needless to say the show was a disappointment. Richie Havens was the opening act and it was a good performance, but the turnout was very low and the weather really changed quickly from a mild temperate evening to high gusting winds, frequent showers and a drop in temperature at least 5 degrees in a matter of minutes. By the time Arlo began I was freezing and couldn't stay outdoors. The policy of the venue is that once you leave you may not return. Harsh conditions to say the least.I found the real party and it wasn't at Bethel Woods...it was at Hector's Inn...just down the road.

A bunch of people (some of which were at the original festival 39 yrs. ago) were gathered at this groovy local bar to celebrate with free music (anyone could join in and play or sing with the bands) and they didn't mind if you brought your own beverages. The owner, Jerry, was a kinda stodgy old character & even kinda acted like he wasn't in the least bit interested in what was going on....but at some point I flashed my tanned "betty's" at him and he came alive after that! Now, he could hear the conversations and even chime in. I swear you'd have thought I did well more than flashed the old guy but hey...sometimes it doesn't take much to make someone happy...ya know? : )

It was an all-nighter and there was plenty of opportunities to "keep warm" that night, but I thought it better to pass on the kind offers.Yes, Hector's Inn is the place to visit the next time you're passing through Bethel, NY....friendlier, cheaper, and real-down-home hippie folks!!! But for God's sake...don't let the word out.....otherwise it will end up being "Hector's Inn Center for the Arts" !!!!!

Peace!!!

Oh, the People You'll Meet....

FIRST.... Direct Action is NEEDED by 8/3/07 at 5 p.m.!!!! Sign a petition to keep NY City from passing an ordinance that would require a permit and 1 million in insurance to be able to take photos or film within a BOGUS time frame and parameters! go to this website to read about it and sign the online petition http://www.pictureny.org/archives/category/about-the-rules

Now....I wanted to share 2 brief stories that I think are so funny I hope you find them just as humorous...

I picked up a local weekly rag called "Vermont Woman" and the cover photo and story read "Roz The Black Panthers The FBI: What our government did to the Black Panthers could happen to you! - Roz Payne" story on page 18. Of course that is the kind of title that initially grabbed my attention (for those of you who know me well). So, I took a copy and headed to the Sheraton to check in at the cheese conference I am attending here in Burlington.

I go to the hotel lounge and I am sitting at a table enjoying a glass of wine and poke thru the paper. I spotted another story "Discovering Vermont's Dairy Haute Couture" which focused the story on the Vermont Butter & Cheese Co. and the co-founder/owner, Allison Hooper. I initially read the story and even highlighted some statements that I thought were interesting. I was taken with her story and thought to myself...."Well, I will be at the right place to potentially meet her...I hope I get the opportunity to do so."

Not minutes after reading the article do I look up and see this tall and slender woman walk past the outdoor lounge and notice her say hello to some conference folks sitting at the table away from me. I kept looking at her and then glanced at the photo of the two cheese-makers in the magazine and then looked up. I thought it was Allison but was weary of making a fool of myself by actually walking up to her and asking if she is indeed the woman in the paper. But I am almost dead-certain it is. I get up walk over and wait till she is done with her conversation with another conference goer and then ask. Sure enough it was Allison and I showed her the paper. She had not yet see it in print and was glad to see it during the conference. I told her I would bring a bunch of copies of the magazine and lay out for people to take.

Later that evening I proceed to read the main story about Roz Payne and her work with Newsreel (a documentary film org. in the 60's that captured some AMAZING footage of the times and people who made that period so fascinating to me) check out http://www.newsreel.us/ to see what I am talking about. The story was very interesting.

I had recently learned about Roz and the Newsreel group last fall when I ordered from AK Press a copy of the DVD film "What We Want, What We Believe" a doc. about the Black Panther Party and related people (lawyers, activists, filmmakers). It is a fantastic documentary film with 12 hrs. of material on 4 discs (pace yourself). I had been searching for more information on the Black Panther Party to better educate myself on their story. Materials on this org. is difficult to find.

So, I read the story in Vermont Woman and recalled some of it from the DVD film and again, thought how neat it would be to run into Roz at some point.

Last night after attending the "Meet the Cheese-makers" event at the Sheraton (OH MY GOD THERE ARE SOME YUMMY CHEESES IN THIS WORLD) and sampling enough to not need to have dinner that night I drove to City Market (the most fabulous cooperative health-food market I know of) to pick up ice for my cooler and a couple items. I get out of the checkout line and walk to the exit door and go to pick up some more copies of Vermont Woman and look next to me and this striking woman looks familiar to me. I look down at the magazine and then look up at the woman and then say aloud "Are you Roz?" and point to the story. She says "Yes I am...I don't like the look on my face in the photo." Well....I was in almost total disbelief!!! What are the odds of this happening in 2 days much less a lifetime...right??? I mean, Burlington is not a huge metropolitan city and my odds of meeting Allison were all but assured, but after reading the articles and wishing to meet both of them was just too funny!!!! And, Roz does not live in Burlington.

Well.....I am having an amazing time here in Burlington!!! Killer cheese and radicals abound!!! Heee heee heee : ) I may never go home!!!

Namaste'

Travels on the Road

Hi all! I am currently in Lebanon, NH heading to Burlington, VT today. I have been having a wonderful trip north this summer. As for my travels to places this is it so far: to Ashville, Wilmington, Beaufort, Okracoke Island, NC, Washington, DC, Berkeley Springs, WV, New Paltz, NY, Martha's Vineyard and Newburyport, MA. All these places (minus Washington, DC) have a couple things in common....funky, liberal, artistic and quaint small-town feel.

I am enjoying (for the most part) living out of my van in many of the places I have visited with one exception....I don't have the proper outlet in my vehicle to use my one-cup coffee maker in the mornings. I am soooo hooked on my wonderful "Sweetwater Organic Coffee" that I am bummed about my outlet situation. I have been so bold as to gas up my van in Ashville one morning and as discretely as possible take my coffee grinder and maker into the women's bathroom to use the counter outlet to make my morning cup of joe! The cashier (an older woman who looked like a local) didn't seem amused at my explanation...that's ok! You do whatever you have to do when you are a "Sweetwater" junkie!

I will try to get some photos of my "home-on-wheels" so you all can get an idea about my luxurious accomodations. I am grateful to be able to travel this summer and the van is really a great/inexpensive motorhome for me. : )

Will check in with you all after my "cheese" classes....I am attending an artisan cheese conference hosted by the American Cheese Society that my friend, Lynn at Bodega Blue in Vero Beach told me about. I am just loving cheese now that I have experienced some of the best at Bodega Blue. Thanks Lynn! : ) I will be in Burlington for about a week. Then off to "Beantown" (BOSTON) to attend a conference on community gardens with another friend from Ft. Pierce.

Peace!!!

Mindy

US Social Forum Results

Well, first I apologize for taking so long to post the results of the first ever US Social Forum in Atlanta the end of June, but I have been traveling around and just not spending much time on my computer since I am doing a bit of camping out of my van.

I have a very limited perspective on the Social Forum since I was there to table my fair trade wares. I am happy to report I did very well being the only fair trade gift seller at the event. Surprisingly, activists do have a little money to be able to buy things and I am most grateful for that. : )

What I can tell you all is that there were about 9,000 people there from around the country and the world! I had 3 roommates (2 from the west and southwest US and one from Australia) and stayed at the Westin not far from the civic center. The list of workshops during the 4 day event was contained in a virtual CATALOG! From what my roommates told me the workshops were informative but not a lot of solutions came out of the discussions which is frustrating. I find this to be the case at many of the leftist events I attend. Analysis without solutions brings about frustration and eventually burnout.

I attended a fabulous one-man show "Marx in Soho" which is a play written by Howard Zinn and performed by Fenton Wilkinson who plays Karl Marx. I happened to have sat in front of him the morning of his performance and he was wearing his "M I S" t-shirt and he looks remarkably similar to Marx. We talked for a few moments and he shared with me that about 10 or so years ago he gave up his legal practice (he was in w/ 2 of his siblings) when he had a moment of consciousness and decided to live kind of like me...from day to day being an activist and learning how to survive and thrive and share his knowledge with those who wanted to hear it I went to the performance with my friends from Salt Lake City (I met during my work on the Nader campaign) and truly enjoyed the show.

I shared table space with two lovely ladies Sandy and Pat from "Emma's Revolution" (my FAVORITE heroine!!) when I found them out on the street where the vendors not tabling inside were at. They did not have a tent to keep them from the VERY HOT weather conditions so I told them to pack up their things and share one of my two tables with me. It was great having them as my table companions (they helped me take little breaks which I needed) and enjoyed getting to know them better. They are raising funds to host a camp in both Israel and Palestine this summer. Pat and Sandy are truly wonderful souls!!! Keep an eye out for them to come down to Melbourne from time to time. They have friends in Melbourne Village and come down about once a year and would love to play at some event or place while in town. : ) www.emmasrevolution.com

Well, since Atlanta I have driven around North Carolina beginning in Ashville. I just love that hippie town! The farmer's market is a blast too. Great locally grown foods and Amish canned goods (all pure ingredients!) and local artists under one roof! It is HUGE!

I then went to Wilmington, NC to visit wonderful old family friends. The town is lovely with an old historic district and a really cool beachside area. I was taken aback by the mass traffic (reminding me of south Florida) conditions but it is a gem that has been discovered (much like Vero Beach now) and people want to live there (who can blame them, right?).

After a couple days there I traveled to Moorehead City and Beaufort to visit the place where I stayed for a night back in '88 and '89 when I hitched a ride from Nantucket on a yacht/sportfisher. Both towns are quaint fishing villages and worth visiting.

Then I drove up to Cedar Island to catch the car ferry to Ocracoke Island (2 plus hr. ride) and stayed in the state park campsite that is minutes north of town and has a huge sand mound seperating the campsite from the beach. Really a cool town and cool park to stay at. The town reminded me of Nantucket but in the south (hot and humid!) with dirt roads, lots of trees and flowering bushes and manicured lawns. Howard's kicks ass when it comes to GREAT food (especially the fresh fish dishes!) and open 365 days a year! The man works like a dog!!!! ; )

The next day I took another shorter ferry ride to Hatteras and visited the lighthouse and swam at the beach! Lovely weather and day!

Will sign off now and report again soon!

Wishing everyone a great summer!

PEACE,

Mindy : )

US Social Forum Next Week 6/27 to 7/1 !!!

Hello Friends & Activists...

I hope you all will check out the following website which will link you to the info on the first ever U.S. Social Forum to be held in Atlanta, GA next week from 6/27 thru 7/1 !! What is the Social Forum? Well... here are the words from the website www.ussf2007.org

The US Social Forum is more than a conference, more than a networking bonanza, more than a reaction to war and repression.

The USSF will provide space to build relationships, learn from each other's experiences, share our analysis of the problems our communities face, and bring renewed insight and inspiration. It will help develop leadership and develop consciousness, vision, and strategy needed to realize another world.

The USSF sends a message to other people’s movements around the world that there is an active movement in the US opposing US Policies at home and abroad.

We must declare what we want our world to look like and begin planning the path to get there. A global movement is rising. The USSF is our opportunity to demonstrate to the world Another World is Possible!

Yours truly will be there tabling my wonderful fair trade goods from Serendipity Fair Trade and will make some great connections with people and organizations around the country in the hopes of doing more good work! If you can come up for the event....PLEASE DO and let me know if you are coming... my email is mindystone1@yahoo.com

peace,

Mindy

Big Decision....DUMP Trans Fair USA !

Dear fair trade friends....

After giving considerable thought to what I heard at the Fair Trade Federation conference and debating the "Starbucks" 5% fair trade coffee beans issue with the Trans Fair people at both the Specialty Coffee Assoc. of America and at the FTF conference I have decided that if TransFairUSA wanted to hold a double-standard for small coffee roasters and multi-national corporations then I would have to take a principled stand and DUMP the "TransFairUSA" certification on my bags of coffee and I will notify Ithica Fine Chocolates that I would prefer they dump their TransFairUSA certification on their Art Bars and instead purchase their cocoa as a "direct buyer" from their co-op connection in Bolivia and tell them why. One HUGE benefit of direct buying is being able to give the cooperative MORE money (avoiding the fees for having the certification stamp in the first place) and allowing my coffee roaster to avoid their fees and the daunting audit process.

I have had a few conversations with small, people and business conscious coffee roasters like mine (Nora & Chris at Sweetwater) who are tired of the unfair behavior Trans Fair lays on them and the "hands-off" attitude they have with giant, wealthier coffee roasters and brewers like Starbucks and McDonalds! I am too! So, I guess once you read the article below you will understand why I am upset and feel the need to make a change.

I am beginning to see that what I really want is to promote relationships. I want to cultivate a relationship with my customers and my suppliers....this means I want my customers to do the same...really what this amounts to is becoming more trusting in each other. You trust that I will uphold my standards as a retailer to deal with "fairly traded" goods and I will make sure that my vendors are helping me to keep my word to you, my customers. Doesn't this sound rather "organic"? I LOVE IT !!! Direct relationships is the alternative to the labeling of "fair trade" when well intentioned people cannot get others to do the right thing.

peace.....Mindy : )

Dean's Beans and the Fairer Trade

Filed on Jun 15, 2007 at 8:55 AM PST By Alicia Erickson
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Brady provided a detailed description of the various Fair Trade labels and to which products they can be applied, but what is the real difference between them? Labels such as the TransFairUSA are applied to specific transactions, so you can be assured that the coffee or banana you are buying has met the Fair Trade criteria. However, this label does not ensure the company is committed to the goals and ideals behind Fair Trade in all their business.
Conversely, the Fair Trade Federation looks at the entire company, whether it is producer, wholesaler or retailer, and requires that they commit 100% to the Fair Trade ideals. Why does this make a difference? Unfortunately, as Fair Trade has gained popularity, some companies have taken advantage and used a few Fair Trade transactions as a marketing boost for their entire company’s public image.

One coffee company, Dean's Beans, has taken a different approach towards their Fair Trade model. Seeing some of the failings of the traditional certification labels and unhappy with the "great pretenders," they have chosen to become members of the Fair Trade Federation and commit 100% as a company to those ideals, and forego the TransFairUSA certification. They have found that there are less than "a dozen Fair Trade coffee companies in the USA." In fact, some of the larger companies (Starbucks, Seattle's Best, Green Mountain) that could make a significant impact in thousands of farmers lives have committed only to buying Fair Trade beans for 1-12% of their total purchases. And while farmers must meet stringent transparency and accountability guidelines, the companies purchasing the coffee are not held to the same standard, and often refuse to release the actual percentage of their coffee that is Fair Trade (a conspicuous requirement missing from TransFair).

While any size commitment to Fair Trade purchases is certainly positive, it sits a bit poorly when some of the loudest and proudest are sometimes the companies doing the least. "It's important to remember that Fair Trade is an economic agreement, it's not a type of coffee." With only 20% of Fair Trade eligible coffee being sold as such and the remainder going at conventional pricing, there is certainly a great opportunity for these companies to increase their purchases.

Dean's Beans has laid out a business model they hope others will adopt and raise practices above Fair Trade standards:
All purchases from certified organic FLO cooperatives.
All purchases at or above international Fair Trade price.
Prefinancing whenever financially possible.
Additional six cent/lb Social Equity Premium paid to farmers for distribution, development, internal expenses, or however they choose to use funds.
An independent, public audit by Quality Assurance International of our Fair Trade practices, to be posted right here for all to see!
While it is positive such large companies from Starbucks to Wal-Mart to McDonalds have begun offering Fair Trade options, it is not enough. As consumers, it is our responsibility to seize the opportunity and demand more of a commitment to the entire idea of Fair Trade, and not be sedated with their small offerings, but rather push them to higher standards of business throughout their company.