Ganesh Himal Trading Company

Giving always feels great

michael — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:42:05 +0000

This past week I got to do one of my favorite rituals of the year and I was reminded yet again of how wonderful it is to give. Every year for as long as I can remember we at Ganesh Himal Trading have given our sweaters and knitwear to Women’s Hearth here in Spokane. Women’s Hearth is this amazingly warm and welcoming day center in the city core where women can seek shelter from the streets, connect with services, take a shower, learn something new, express themselves through the arts or connect via the computer lab. Founded in 1991 The Women’s Hearth is a safe haven for any women seeking the safety and community of other women in a non-judgmental atmosphere and each day the doors open to welcome more than 100 homeless and low-income women. Women’s Hearth is a part of a larger organization here in Spokane called Transitions. Transitions helps women in need: those in crisis, at risk children, low income, homeless and those in recovery…they do a remarkable job.

At Ganesh Himal Trading we focus a lot on women in need in Nepal and have a fundamental core belief that women, when given opportunity in a caring and just environment can heal and lead their communities in creating a more just and caring world. Women’s Hearth works on that commitment to women closer to home. We feel grateful that we can partner with this like-minded organization that works to empower and comfort women. We thank them for their dedicated work in our community. I look forward to next year when once again I hear the whispers as I open the door to Women’s Hearth with my bag of sweaters on my back and see those beautiful smiles and hear those wonderful words ….”It’s the sweater lady! She’s back”. Happy Holidays to all!

Girls Get Educated in Nepal

michael — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 23:32:26 +0000

Young girl scholarship recipient receiving award from ACP Director Meera Bhatterai

Even public schools cost money in Nepal and producers often have to pull their children out of school because they can’t afford the fees. Usually it is the girl children who are pulled out first because families will look to their long term care by their boy children. In an effort to encourage producers to keep their girls in school Ganesh Himal has given an annual contribution since 1990 to the Association for Craft Producers “Girl Child Education Fund”. This producer benefit program was set up by ACP to provide a monthly scholarship allowance to producers who keep their daughters in school for at least four consecutive years. As the program has grown ACP has been able to give the same allowance to some of the producers boys as well.

This year ACP was able give scholarships to 85 children from ages 6-17 years old. In April they invited the students to come and see the workshop at ACP and participate in some of the craft activities that their mother’s do such as blockprinting. The purpose of the program was to familiarize the children with ACP, its work and help them learn about Fair Trade. The children were given a tour of ACP and an explanation of the work they do. The three outstanding scholarship students also received a prize and special recognition from Meera Bhattarai, the Executive Director of ACP.

Ganesh Himal Trading has been proud to help this girl child education fund prosper and be successful.

Children learning about ACP!

Travel and Trade-It’s all about connecting

michael — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:42:04 +0000

Travel has always been a big part of our family life and our 14 year old son has seen more of the world than most adults will in their entire life! That wasn’t by accident! We planned it that way because we wanted our child to grow up as a citizen of the world and to be in love with all of its diversity. Having just returned from 6 weeks of travel in Peru, I think our plan is working! I watched as our son fell in love with yet another country and its people, cultures and natural wonders. In his short life he has filled his heart with the memories of his friends in Nepal, Turkey, Greece, Australia, Mexico, Peru, Europe and more. These are no longer just places on a map to him, they are places filled with people he knows and cares about and places he wants to preserve.

Making friends in Turkey

Night before last we got to see Rick Steves, the budget travel guru, talk on his new book “Travel as a Political Act” and his talk really struck a chord because travel, when done thoughtfully, opens your eyes to the beauty of the world we live in and opens your heart to the amazing people we share the planet with. Having just opened his book I am struck by his words “We travel to have enlightening experiences, to meet inspirational people, to be stimulated, to learn, and to grow….Travel has taught me the fun of having my cultural furniture rearranged and my ethnocentric self-assuredness walloped. It has humbled me, enriched my life, and tuned me in to a rapidly changing world. And for that, I am thankful.” He goes on to say “Travel challenges truths that we were raised thinking were self-evident and God-given. Leaving home, we learn other people find different truths to be self evident. We realize that it just makes sense to give everyone a little wiggle room.” These words ring true. We won’t all come home with the same impressions but we’ll all have our eyes opened wider and have the faces of those we’ve met and who have treated us so well indelibly etched in our hearts. That makes it more difficult to see them as our enemies. Travel, by connecting us to others, can truly be “A political act”.

Making friends in Nepal!

As I sat and listened to Rick Steves I couldn’t help but think of the similarities between “purposeful travel” and “fair trade”. Each is about connecting and recognizing that through our differences we have a beautiful shared humanity that should be celebrated as one of the most precious gifts on earth. We get to see through the eyes of others and glimpse their own version of the world and they get to see through ours. As I’ve stood beside women producers in Nepal who have far less materially than I do, I have seen a richness of spirit that made me feel as if I were poor. The beauty though is that they shared that richness with me without a single hesitation and made my life much richer for it. In turn I’ve shared some tools with them to help them access a market that will give them more monetary stability and help them plan for their future. Fair trade and travel, they are about the rich exchange of the gifts of humanity and working toward the betterment of all. When we connect, whether through travel or trade, we remember that place of brother and sisterhood and the true meaning of a global family. Happy holidays, safe travels and thanks for supporting Fair Trade!

Lunch with friends in Peru!

Customer-centric

michael — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:32:34 +0000

These next few weeks are the busiest time of year for our customers and we want you to know that we are here to help and support you with same day shipping, a good stock of a wide variety of products and friendly customer service. Whether you need us to problem solve how to get your order to you more quickly, or suggest products that will sell well in your store, our number one priority right now is you.

We are customercentric now more than ever, because we want you to be successful!

Dick at Traditions Fair Trade in Olympia, Washington. He is one of our wonderful customers who has been buying our handmade made paper products and many more of our items over the last 17 years!

Festival of Fair Trade a Huge Success!

michael — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:30:22 +0000

We just completed the 27th Festival of Fair Trade in Spokane and what an event it was. We started this event to give the folks in Spokane a chance to shop for Fair Trade items before there was a Fair Trade store in here. It’s unbelievable how folks have loyally followed us from a basement to various other venues and now to the beautiful Community Building! We see people year after year who say they wait for our little postcard in the mail so that they know when to come and participate in this event! We are always so touched.

Fair Trade shoppers enjoying themselves!

This year we had another incredibly successful event and were joined by 6 other Fair Trade vendors with goods from all over the world and we set up next to Spokane’s beautiful fair trade store, Kizuri. All of us were astounded at the huge amount of support and the fun and community that was exhibited. It was a beautiful contrast to the stories of pepper spray out in the big box stores. I commented to several people about how wonderful it was to see people running into friends and visiting, drinking fair trade coffee, admiring the beautiful handmade products, sitting on the couch and just having a great community experience while supporting Fair Trade. This is the world I would like to envision!

We also had great publicity from our community newspapers this year and for that we are so grateful. The Fig Tree ran two different articles on Fair Trade. One well deserved article on Ganesh Himal’s wonderful marketing director Sarah Calvin entitled “Marketing fair trade involves educating and connecting people” and another about the great Fair Trade event put on every year by the First Presbyterian Church here in Spokane. That article can be found here . The Spokesman Review published a wonderful story on the front page of their TODAY section called “Value Shopping” and that drew in a lot of new shoppers who hadn’t heard of the festival before. We had so many comments from people who had read this article and were thrilled to have the opportunity to come to an event like this! The Inlander chose us as one of their Inlander Picks and wrote up a great review of the show which drew in another large group of people! The media definitely makes a difference and we’re really happy to have gotten the press we did!

It’s hard to believe that 27 years have passed since we first started this show and it’s hard to believe how many people now understand the value of placing their gift buying dollars where they really count and can make a positive difference in people’s lives. I told many shoppers the story of Laxmi and how when we first met her daughter was 3 years old and she so badly wanted to send her to school. Now her daughter is 30 and has a masters degree in social work. These are the things that happen when trade works for the benefit of all. There are thousands of these positive stories in the Fair Trade world and as more people choose to support Fair Trade more lives, particularly women’s, will be changed.

So, happy holidays to all and thanks for all of the great support. I’ll post a few pictures of the Festival and look forward to the next. Keep Fair Trade in your thoughts and support every Fair Trade store out there with your holiday shopping!

Fair Trade your kitchen!

Fashion, Fair Trade & Our Earth

michael — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 17:43:09 +0000

At Ganesh Himal Trading we are always searching for the most environmentally sustainable fibers as well as recycled fibers to use in our fair trade products. This is challenging and we’re not 100% there yet but we continue to hold it as our vision. As we all move forward with Fair Trade it’s important to recognize how fashion and home accessories can be a major trend changer. If we educate ourselves and consumers about their impacts not only on producers lives but on the environment as well then we can make our voice, the movement and our impact even stronger. At Ganesh Himal Trading we strive to make a product that is long lasting, affordable,fun, functional, fair trade and which has the lowest environmental impact.

Safia Minney, Founder of People Tree has written a new book called Naked Fashion. Here is a recent piece that she wrote for the Ecologist that we found inspirational and important for these times. The book Naked Fashion is published by New Internationalist and People Tree. For more information See www.newint.org/books or www.peopletree.co.uk. Her article from the Ecologist on Sept 15, 2011 is below.

It seems like a very small thing to us, choosing a t-shirt or a dress made of organic rather than conventional cotton. But it can make a big difference at the other end of the chain. The environmental impact of fashion is something that needs to concern us all. What’s clear is that fashion’s environmental footprint at the moment is unsustainable. The evidence is overwhelming. For example, the British clothing and textiles sector alone currently produces around 3.1 million tonnes of CO2, two million tonnes of waste and 70 million tonnes of waste water per year – with 1.5 million tonnes yearly of unwanted clothing and textiles ultimately ending up in landfill. This means that we each throw away an average of 30 kilos a year.

We need to consume less fashion and wear our clothes for longer, while the fabrics and clothes that we do buy need to have more ‘value added’ – benefiting not only the farmers but also as many artisans as possible in its transformation to clothing. Fair Trade can make a big difference here. Fair Trade takes a long-term view, working in partnership with producers and enabling communities to ‘invest’ in environmental initiatives and diversify. It recognizes that, if farmers are given even half a chance, they will protect the environment. After all, why would people whose lives are so dependent on the resources of their natural surroundings, destroy their environment? The answer is that they only do so when driven to it by low prices, unfair terms of trade and the insecurity that comes from not knowing where your children’s next meal will come from. They only do it when there seems to be no alternative.

Fair Trade, social businesses and new economics are leading the way in showing how we can protect the environment and help the poor feed themselves. Supporting low chemical inputs, transitional and organic farming is also vital. Polyester, the most widely used manufactured fibre, is made from petroleum. The manufacture of this and other synthetic fabrics is an energy-intensive process requiring large amounts of crude oil and releasing millions of tonnes of CO2. With oil supplies dwindling, we have to find alternatives to oil-intensive farming methods now, before it’s too late. Organic farming takes 1.5 tonnes of CO2 per acre per year out of the atmosphere.

Water is another vital resource being over-consumed by the fashion industry. And, as water scarcity becomes as big an issue as global warming, this is critical. Conventionally grown cotton is one of the most water-dependent crops to be grown. It takes over 2,000 litres of water to produce the average t-shirt with conventional cotton. Organic and Fair Trade cotton has helped to reduce water consumption by over 60 per cent in the Indian state of Gujarat, by supporting farmers who invest in drip irrigation.

The conventional cotton industry has a devastating effect on farmers and the environment. Heavy pesticide use reduces biodiversity, disrupts ecosystems and contaminates water supplies. Worse still, pests exposed to synthetic pesticides build up a resistance to them so that, each year, farmers have to buy and use more pesticides to grow the same amount of cotton. Not only does this increase the annual damage to the environment, it means the farmer gets less and less profit from the crop. These pesticides also harm the farmers and their families. Many of the chemicals used in cotton farming are acutely toxic. Around 10 per cent of all chemical pesticides and 22 per cent of all insecticides used worldwide are sprayed on cotton crops. Cotton growers typically use many of the most hazardous pesticides on the market, many of which are organophosphates originally developed as toxic nerve agents during World War Two. At least three pesticides used on cotton are in the ‘dirty dozen’ – so dangerous that 120 countries agreed at a UNEP conference in 2001 to ban them, though so far this hasn’t happened.

The World Health Organization estimates that three million people are poisoned by pesticides every year, most of them in developing countries. When pesticides leak into the environment, chronic poisoning can affect entire communities. Symptoms of chronic poisoning include numbness or weakness of arms, legs, feet or hands, lethargy, anxiety and loss of memory and concentration. Young women are particularly vulnerable – exposure to pesticides can affect the reproductive system, causing infertility and spontaneous abortions. In the light of all this, any support we can give to small farmers growing organic cotton is vital. Organic cotton is grown as a rotational crop alongside organic foods that are often consumed by a farmer’s family, with the surplus sold locally. But cotton farmers in India trying to make the transition to organic often struggle to do so because the soil takes five years to recover its yields as it is weaned off agrochemical methods. They desperately need more support from the government. The only support at present is coming from NGOs and advocacy organizations – and from consumers prepared to pay a Fair Trade premium and to insist on organic cotton.

If we pay farmers a higher price for their cotton, they will be able to diversify their crops, use less polluting farming methods and protect the environment. Though it must be said that an even greater service to small farmers – and 99 per cent of cotton growers live in the Global South – would be if world prices were not kept artificially low by the glut of cotton on the market caused by the US government’s extraordinary subsidies to its own farmers. In 2002, for example, US cotton was being dumped on the world market at 61 per cent below the cost of production. As this suggests, there are huge forces at play here. The same global trading system that keeps so many of the world’s people poor also destroys the environment. The economic and accounting system we have today only measures financial outcomes, not the social and environmental bottom lines. Our present system pursues short-term profit, propelling environmental destruction and widening the gap between rich and poor.

Faced with these huge issues, it is easy to throw up our hands in despair and feel powerless. But at least in the area of supporting Fair Trade fashion, organic fabrics, second hand and upcycled clothes, we have something clear and positive we can do.
Fair Trade and organic fabrics currently account for a tiny percentage of the total amount of cotton sold worldwide. We have a lot to change! But every time you opt to support Fair Trade, organic or second hand clothing you are making a difference.

Naked Fashion, £14.99, is published by New Internationalist and People Tree. Seewww.newint.org/books or www.peopletree.co.uk for more information

Artwork by Mina Nakagawa

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michael — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 20:49:49 +0000

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Economy, Jobs and Morality

michael — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 19:08:20 +0000

Reprinted from The Huffington Post

Bill Clinton wrote about jobs creation in Newsweek earlier this summer. It’s a hot topic these days. Facing stubborn high unemployment numbers and the sluggish economy overall, I am as interested as the next person in jumpstarting our economy. Having been unemployed for some time this past year, I understand the distress and frustration that many people feel. Families and communities depend on gainful employment. At the same time, I believe that strength and resiliency in our economy is more important than jobs per se.

This is a deeply moral issue, which is why we must be concerned about getting it right, now and tomorrow, accounting for the complexity of factors and benefits that mark a healthy economy. In other words, there can be no quick fixes, no magic bullets and no wearisome blame games. A conversation about what constitutes an enduring economy abounding in decent paying jobs is something that we all have a vested interest in.

In this blog, I touch on four specific factors I see as critical in building long-term foundations for a healthy economy. Each demonstrates multiple benefits and systemic strength. Each reflects spiritual values, such as thoughtfulness, renewal and vitality. The last one has the added bonus of jobs stimulus on a large scale and in the short-term. There are many factors for growing an economy that is trustworthy and lasting, such as national investment in our decaying infrastructure and even extending reductions in our national payroll tax, which benefits everyone. But here are four: fair trade, bio-conscious manufacturing, whole foods and clean energy.

To begin, fair trade is not “free trade” and should never be confused. Equal Exchange Coffee was the pioneer of fair trade java in the United States in the mid-1980s. Fair trade removes from the profit chain wealth-draining intermediaries such as speculators and brokers, empowers poor coffee-producing communities in the Global South and benefits small gourmet coffee companies in the United States, as well as larger companies like Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts. Since the 1980s, fair trade has diversified beautifully, everything from sugar and bananas to flowers and spices. But fair trade remains a small fraction of global commodities sales.

From a policy perspective, strengthening fair trade does at least two things well. First, it improves the local economies in the developing world, thereby reducing pressures for poor populations to support an illicit drug trade or to seek citizenship in the United States. This helps solve both our immigration and drug problems. Secondly, it creates jobs in fair trade companies and stores around the United States. Equal Exchange sales and operations have grown and investment returns have remained steady since the 1980s. Among other successful fair trade organizations is Ten Thousand Villages, a non-profit arts and crafts chain.

Next is bio-conscious or “cradle to cradle” manufacturing. Imagine clothing and textile factories, automobile and appliance factories, reproducing amazing goods and services while purifying the outflow of water in a “closed-loop” system, not fouling our waters. Such industries are learning to imitate the genius of living systems, wetlands for example. None of this is futuristic economics or science fiction. In Spring 2010, Newsweek reported the industrial advances in such green designs. Biologist Janine Benyus writes about this manufacturing and business revolution in her book, “Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature.” Global industrial leader Ray Anderson, who died this month after a long battle with cancer, successfully applied these principles at his commercial carpeting giant, Interface Inc. In our depressed economy, we need to return to American manufacturing, but now armed with 21st century eco-technology and knowledge. As with fair trade, green manufacturing addresses multiple national problems, such as jobs, water and air, with grace and depth.

Thirdly, as we have learned that the poor diet often leads to obesity, and later diabetes and heart disease, with national cost implications, the time is right to re-think the priorities and incentives of our food system. To boost local jobs, cut spending on Health Care, and improve our environment and bodies, healthy “whole foods,” like fruits, vegetables and unprocessed grains, urge greater availability and competitive relative pricing to manufactured foods, especially in low income communities. How? Organic foods, local foods, farmers markets and “farms-to-schools” will grow or expand as free enterprise success stories

But this will not happen unless we end our addiction to annual subsidies for Big Agriculture, which are in the high billions. Yet, scarcely a peep from anti-government activists is voiced when it comes to corporate food welfare. It makes me wonder what industries are bankrolling certain political agendas.

Finally, clean energy. You may be getting tired of hearing this, so I’ll try to keep it short and on point. It is simply where the jobs are, both now and future. Why? Knowledge zones converge: Science and Environment; Geo-politics and War and Peace; Geo-physics and Supply and Demand (although, again, without the subsidies — this time to Oil and Coal). Hundreds or thousands of books have been written about the systemic urgency to develop clean energy, but none may be as cogent as this summer’s release, “Tropic of Chaos: Climate Change and the New Geography of Violence” by Christian Parenti. Serious investment in wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and tidal power will create much widespread employment while enhancing National Security.

With the convergence of economic and environmental crises, political and free market solutions must demonstrate systemic intelligence. This means that most major problems are not isolated from each other. They are connected and require policy decisions that express this understanding. This is not a liberal or conservative argument, nor is it Republican or Democratic. I am making this appeal as one who believes in Saint Paul’s vision of the Body of Christ. We are many parts — global trade, manufacturing, foods, energy and more — but one body.

By
Doug Demeo

2011 Fair Trade Fashion Trends

michael — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 22:56:44 +0000

from the Fair Trade Federation

Our new line of brass pendant medallions are a 2011 hot item for this fall.

With the days getting shorter and the temperatures (hopefully) cooling off, we begin to look toward the arrival of a new fall season—a season filled with transitions. As we prepare to transition back into familiar routines such as work or school, or transition forward to gear up for another holiday season or a brand new adventure, we also prepare ourselves for the inevitable: back-to-school, back-to-work, pre-holiday, and new-adventure shopping. Regardless of what transition you find yourself shop-ping for this fall, here are a few of the styles and trends you need to know about.

COLOR:

“Designers take a painterly approach to fall 2011 by artfully combining bright colors with staple neutrals, reminiscent of how an artist would construct a stunning work of art,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Much like a painter’s masterpiece, there is a certain romance to this season’s palette.” – Pan-tone.com.

ACCESSORIES:

Jewelry: Must-have pieces for 2011 include collar necklaces, medallion pendants, and rings. However, small details also make a big impact this season. Keep an eye out for chain links, the color green, and lace-like patterns at the jewelry counter.

Handbags: It’s all about shape this year: ladylike frame bags, cross-body bags, and satchels (look for a buckle-front) are all popular styles that will continue into fall. However, the fall season will be defined by clutches and large totes, especially in leather or with a burst of color.

HOME DÉCOR:

Design styles for the upcoming fall season illustrate a fusion of vintage and modern.

Popular design elements include:

- Natural materials and traditional pattern.

- Contemporary details on traditional décor

- Industrial materials combined with 21st century design

Ganesh Himal Trading has been working hard to keep you right in the swing of the fashion trends! Visit our website to see our new brass medallion pendants with matching earrings, check out our new fused glass earrings with matching pendants and a hint of green! We have beautiful lacey silver earrings with stones….all of these just in time for fall fashion!

On the bag front we have great styles of cross body bags and large totes, some are new and some are long time favorites, many are from recycled materials or sustainable hemp! We’ve just introduced a recycled silk messenger bag and are looking forward to a new recycled rubber bucket bag in September! Great for back to school, new parents, travel and more!

In home decor we always feature beautiful Nepalese traditional patterns as well as newer modern designs. Our affordable and striking table runners include traditional block print as well as recycled silk. In our hugely popular felted potholders we have fun modern cubed designs as well as stripes, flowers, stars and more. For those interested in natural fibers we have even introduced a new hemp napkin set!

At Ganesh Himal Trading we’re helping you to stay right up with the trends with great selling products and working hard with the producers to always provide them with ongoing work and fair wages! We’re looking forward to a great fall working together with ALL of our partners in Fair Trade!

Healdsburg may become region’s first ‘Fair Trade’ town

michael — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 18:13:37 +0000

Denise, owner of Ganesh Himal Trading, with Kim and Gretchen from One World Fair Trade

Here is a reprint of an article about a fair trade town in California. Featured in the article is one of our fabulous customers, One World Fair Trade! Denise just got back from a trip down south where she was able to meet up with them and see their beautiful store.

Healdsburg could become the first “Fair Trade Town” in Sonoma County, part of an effort to promote fair labor practices and decent work environments in the production of imported food and goods.

Healdsburg City Council members this week expressed unanimous support for a resolution in support of the designation, which is intended to promote a fair wage and safe and healthy working conditions.

The idea is to make consumers more aware of the products they buy, avoid supply chains that rely on child labor and human trafficking, and guarantee “fair wages” to farmers and artisans.

“I love the mission, the positive education,” Councilman Jim Wood told the fair trade activists who made a presentation to the City Council.

“You encourage people to think about what they’re purchasing — how it was made, how it was grown,” he said.

To be designated a Fair Trade Town, a community must have one business per 5,000 residents that carries at least two fair trade items.

The goods typically are certified by a fair trade federation and might include commodities such as coffee, tea, cocoa and bananas, as well as jewelry and apparel.

Healdsburg more than meets the minimum requirements, since 10 stores in town currently sell two or more fair trade products.

Among those are Safeway, Big John’s Market, Shelton’s Natural Foods Market, Copperfield’s Books and some smaller coffee shops and stores.

The most high-profile store, One World Fair Trade, which faces the Healdsburg Plaza, sells nothing but fair trade items.

“We have thousands of products from 38 different countries,” said the owner Ray Ballestero. He sells crafts, jewelry, home decor and apparel and is a main proponent for putting Healdsburg on the fair trade map.

Ballestero said the wholesalers who provide him with merchandise are members of fair trade organizations that have protocols that ensure an item is produced equitably.

He said wages paid the foreign workers generally are four times the minimum wage in the country of origin. That means fair trade goods are likely to be more expensive. A pound of fair trade coffee for instance, might cost $14, versus $12 for non-certified.

Some critics have dismissed Fair Trade as essentially a marketing ploy that benefits retailers more than Third World farmers and workers.

But advocates like Ballestero argue that buying such products helps alleviate poverty, along with achieving other goals, including environmental sustainability, access to education and health care.

“We can make a decision with our dollars whether it’s important to support that cause,” he said.

He added that the Fair Trade Town designation will not mean that merchants in Healdsburg need go through a membership process like he’s done to certify their entire store is fair trade.

“Anybody can carry a fair trade product if they choose to,” he said. “We want to provide a platform for awareness.”

The movement gained momentum in Europe. To date in the United States, there are 21 cities designated Fair Trade Towns. A dozen are in the process, including Calistoga, according to a report prepared by Healdsburg officials.

Healdsburg would be the fourth Fair Trade Town in California.

“It’s a very worthwhile endeavor,” said City Councilman Gary Plass, who like his colleagues decided to wait at least until the next council meeting in September to act on the fair trade practices resolution.

“I’d like to make sure there are no lingering questions by some of our retailers,” he said.

By CLARK MASON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT