TLA's way cool guide to better holiday shopping

Ah, it's that season again: the crisp smell of snow and smoke from chimneys is in the air, relatives are swarming to households both excited and stressed to see them, turkeys are stuffed with ducks and chickens, and retailers are praying to the consumer gods that their various sales and promotions will help stave off the economic gloom, at least until the new year.

For holidays that are supposed to be about giving thanks for the things we are grateful to have in our lives and sharing gifts with those we love, this time of year can be awfully superficial. For some, the act of gift buying can become almost automatic. We're driven to stress out about getting our hands on the newest hot toy, battling with hordes of other crazed parents to get through the shop doors at midnight. We're told, whether straight-up or subliminally, that our worth as people is only as much as our worth as consumers.

Well, I call bullshit.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all about the holidays. I grew up in a house that took them very seriously, with a mother who festooned every available surface with pine garlands, Santa Claus figures, miniature snow villages, and baked goods a mile high. I have very fond associations with this time of year, but then, that's something to be thankful for in itself.

Not everyone is so fortunate. And that's why, especially at this time of year, I think it's important to really do some personal reevaluation and public outreach. Giving gifts to the people we care about is great fun, but I'd argue that it's even better when those gifts benefit others as well. So in the interest of making it a little easier for everyone to find that special something and support local businesses and/or organizations that really help others, I've put together the Lost Albatross' Way Cool Guide to Better Holiday Shopping.

BUY NOTHING DAY:
Wait, what? I thought we were talking about shopping ideas! Well, it's also important to show the world that we're not just mindless consumers, and a good way of doing that en masse is to join the efforts of Buy Nothing Day. Instead of frantically hitting the sales on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving, and traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year), why not just kick back and relax? Put away the credit cards, stay away from the crowded stores, and make a statement by not busting out your wallet. Don't worry, there's plenty of time for thoughtful shopping later--it's just one day, after all! But it makes a statement.

LOCAL CRAFT FAIRS!
Now I bet I know what you're thinking: craft fairs? Boooring. Not so! Madison is blessed with an abundance of very talented, very inventive crafty types who make everything from really slick screen printed ties to bottle cap jewelry to paper arts, stuffed animals, clothing, and more. So whether you're shopping for mom or your best bud, I'm willing to bet that you'll be able to find something cool at one of these fairs.

I specifically recommend Glitter Workshop's Holiday Craftacular, held this year on Saturday, Dec. 6 from 10AM - 6PM at the Masonic Center (301 Wisconsin Ave.) downtown. I went to their event last year and walked away with some fabulous ties, a few coasters with scenes from Curious George and Where the Wild Things Are on them, and saw a ton of other really cool stuff, too. Basically, you'll see a whole array of local vendors, people who've made all of the unique items on offer. Plus, it's a way less stressful environment than the mall.

Another great opportunity to buy gifts you can feel good about is happening that very same day, from 9AM - 4PM at the Monona Terrace's Exhibition Hall - the Fair Trade Holiday Fest. Here's a good, one-stop-shopping opportunity to support artisans from around the world while making sure they're being paid fairly for their work.

LOCAL SHOPS:
Spend your bucks at locally owned businesses, bolstering the economy the old-fashioned way. Again, Madison doesn't exactly suffer from a lack of them, so you really have no excuse to head to the outskirts of town for the malls and big chain stores.

Check out the upcoming issue of Footlights Magazine for an article I penned about this very subject. I included some specific recomendations, like Anthology (crafty gifts on State St.), Bad Dog Frida (toys for pets and people on Atwood Ave.), the Soap Opera (good smellin' things on State St.), and more. Seriously, just wander up and down streets like State, Williamson/Atwood, and Monroe, and you're garaunteed to bump into some great local places.

GOOD WORKS:
You can also give the gift of giving a much-needed gift to complete strangers. This is especially great for people who "have everything" (see: are difficult to shop for) and/or are socially conscious.

Organizations like Heifer International and Kiva are good places to start.

At Heifer, you can purchase various livestock (chickens, rabbits, cows, and even llamas) to be given to various people in need around the globe. The animals help folks to become more self-sufficient, oftentimes provided a long-term means of making money or providing food. So instead of just throwing a few bucks at a short-term bandage, this is helping to provide real, long-lasting change for many families all over the world.

Kiva provides what are called microloans to aspiring small business owners all across the planet. You can give as little as $25 to help someone get their business off the ground in a struggling country, and since these are loans, the idea is that you're eventually paid back. Since it's not a handout, the person on the receiving end can feel good about being more self-reliant and responsible. Plus, you then have the option of putting that paid back money toward yet another microloan (I'm thinking of putting together a loan "team" this Christmas, so check back if you're interested in helping out).

MORE:
Seriously, the internet is a great resource of finding and researching various local, fair trade, and charitable means of gift giving. It is, I believe, a much better way to celebrate the holidays, more true to their original intent. And in this quickly changing world, it's more important than ever to support those people and businesses that are working hard to do the right thing, to improve life for everyone, and to be responsible stewards of the earth.

There's plenty to worry and get scared about - but it's crucial to maintain a sense of optimism. We all have the capacity for great love and great acts, and we can at least be thankful for that.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fair Trade in Milwaukee

Listening to Wisconsin Public Radio this morning, I was extremely pleased to hear that the Milwaukee Common Council has just passed a "fair trade city" resolution, making Milwaukee the first major city in the US to do so.

There are already a number of businesses that offer fair trade goods in and around Milwaukee, so having the support of the whole city is a huge boon. Hopefully this resolution will be a spring board for greater education about what fair trade is and means to a community, and also to more widespread adoption of the practice.

Being "Fair Trade Certified" ensures that:

...strict economic, social and environmental criteria were met in the production and trade of an agricultural product. Fair Trade Certification is currently available in the U.S. for coffee, tea and herbs, cocoa and chocolate, fresh fruit, flowers, sugar, rice, and vanilla. TransFair USA licenses companies to display the Fair Trade Certified label on products that meet strict international Fair Trade standards.

Fair Trade Certification empowers farmers and farm workers to lift themselves out of poverty by investing in their farms and communities, protecting the environment, and developing the business skills necessary to compete in the global marketplace."

Globally, Fair Trade certification is obtained through the Fairtrade Labeling Organization (FLO) and FLO CERT, an umbrella organization that sets social, economic and environmental standards and inspects applicants to make sure they're following them in order to become certified under the Fair Trade label.

By supporting businesses that follow the Fair Trade model, we help to decrease the demand for cheap sweat shop labor and unfair and often harmful practices. We pay the extra dime or two to help bring people across the globe out of poverty and into healthier, more sustainable lifestyles.

I hope that other US cities (cough Madison cough) follow Milwaukee's lead by passing similar resolutions, and then making sure to follow them up with solid, long-term action.

More than just fairly Fair Trade

Local roasters Just Coffee have been popping onto my radar a lot lately, which is funny because I'm not a coffee drinker. But between their Adopt-A-Box program, use of a tricycle to make deliveries and now their first annual Deep Fair Trade Month, it's hard not to take notice.

What is Deep Fair Trade Month?

It is time to once again ask more of "consumers". Instead of just looking for a label, we should look at the company behind the label. If the coffee roaster you are buying from is not a 100% FT company, ask them "why not?". If they talk about sustainability, but have invented their own system with no transparency to back up their claims, ask them for proof (and please don't let them tell you that "the proof is in the cup"). Go beyond coffee and look for other fair trade items like sugar, tea, wine, clothing, etc. Fair trade also means supporting local businesses and farmers. Buy food at your farmers market. Go to your corner store instead of the big box store. Switch to a local credit union and away from the international banks. It is possible to take back your local economy and keep more of your community's wealth in your own town.

There are a number of businesses around Madison and Wisconsin who follow a pretty strict Fair Trade model. JC is just one of the many, and for caffeine heads, it's a great place to start and to learn more about why Fair Trade is so awesome. Not only is the "proof in the cup," it's in their whole system.

Me? I'll be going to the screening of "Black Gold" at the Barrymore Theatre on Oct. 24. I may not drink coffee, but it's certainly worth learning about something that so many people do enjoy and that so many big businesses have been built on.

And just FYI, other Madison-area businesses with a Fair Trade ethos are:

• Willy St. Co-ops List of Fair Trade Businesses
• Terra Experience's List
  

Adopt-a-Box

Sure, they're not as cute as the baby ducks you can help buy for families in need through Heifer International, nor do they pull at the heartstrings as much as the children you can "adopt" through programs like Christian Children's Fund.

But it's still a great idea. And if you look really, really hard, those boxes are kinda...I don't know...stalwart and true?

Anyway, Just Coffee, a 100% fair trade company right out of Madison (that delivers all of their product via tricycle!) is hosting an "Adopt-a-Box" program called The Seed Project:

The Seed Project is looking for people willing to Adopt-A-Box. We now have over 20 (twenty) boxes of seeds waiting to be mailed to Timor-Leste (East Timor). The cost per box to send Global Priority Flat Rate is $37 per box. These boxes hold approximately ten (10) pounds of non-hybrid seeds which have been donated by various individuals and seeds companies. These seeds are desperately needed by the Timorese. With the Adopt-A-Box program you as an individual will receive a photograph of the box which you have adopted, as well as a 12oz. bag of coffee compliments of Just Coffee. And you will be able to check updates on our website to see pictures of people growing food, directly benefiting from your generous donation. Please think of this as not only a box, but as a way of helping people desperately in need of food sovereignty.

Programs like these are so much more effective at fighting poverty and the like than just regular charitable donations. It's the whole "give a man a fish and he can eat for a day, but teach a man to fish and he can feed himself for the rest of his life" philosophy. Providing ways for people to have a sustainable way of making money and/or food has long-term positive effects. We should be looking to support and create more programs like Adopt-A-Box and, on a larger scale, things like micro-credit and micro-loans.

It's good to see local organizations jumping in and doing what they can. Just Coffee already does a lot to foster fair business practices, so kudos to them for finding new ways to help out, too.