UUSC's Support for Latin American farmers

"... The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) awarded a grant of $29,245 to Porvenir Financiero, a financial training and literacy project in Latin America. Their mission is to strengthen financial management and business planning skills of rural producer organizations and to enhance the long-term success and sustainability of their community-based enterprises. UUSC's grant will help women, indigenous, and young-adult farmers learn about the business aspects of their own co-ops so that they can participate more fully." The money for these grants is donated by Equal Exchange (a worker-owned cooperative) from their Small Farmer Fund and are specified to support human rights and economic justice initiatives in coffee growing regions. In 2006, the combined donations from Equal Exchange to all its Interfaith members was $130,000. With our congregation's continuing participation in the Fair Trade Coffee Project, we can insure that money will continue to be available for these causes."

The quotation is from an article by Amy Wisehart, "Small Farmer Funds Distributed by Interfaith Partners ," in a recent issue of Equal Exchange's Newsletter, Java Jive.

"What's New at the Fair Trade and Green Marketplace?" Pyramid Teas, Dried Cranberries and Hand-made Denim Totes

Equal Exchange has launched several new products recently, including Pyramid Teas fromSri Lanka, India and South Africa, and dried cranberries from small, organic farmers in Massachusetts. The cranberries are already available for $4.50 per bag at our 1st UU Fair Trade and Green Marketplace. The pyramid tea will be coming soon.

What's Pyramid Tea,

you ask? It's a line of tea that offers "the quality of loose leaf tea with the convenience of a tea bag." The tea is produced by small farmers and are certified organic by Oregon Tilth. They carry the USDA organic seal. The bags are made from PLA (poylactic acid, mostly derived from corn) and are fully biodegradable. What difference does a pyramid bag make?

According to Equal Exchange: "Just like with coffee, there are many factors that go into making a good cup of tea. Our pyramid-shaped bags affect quality by changing two factors: (1) leaf size and (2) extraction." Regular tea bags are small and flat and accommodate only small grades of tea ("fannings" and "dust"). The pyramid design accommodates the largest grades of tea.

(Our regular organic green and rooibus teas will continue to be available at $4.00/box. If you haven't tried Rooibus Tea, you don't know what you're missing. Wild Rooibus is naturally caffeine-free. I'm a die-hard coffee drinker, but Rooibus is my first choice alternative brew.)

Hand-made Denim Totes

by Kathy Tomkins If you haven't already seen these, please check them out. Kathy scouted out top quality, organic, domestic cotton for these heavy duty bags. On one side, the R.E. kids applied their artistic talents to create visual environmental messages. The other side identifies our congregation. Each bag is an original and sells for $15.00. Ask Sarah or Henry Tate or Sylvia Ansay to show you the current selection.