Hello!!!!!!!!!

Things are off to a great start this year in the Midwest. I've been hearing tons of good things from lots of student groups in my region who are either already involved in working Fair Trade groups or are interested in learning more about Fair Trade to start shaking things up on campus.

The majority of my time this semester has been dedicated to bringing the Fair Trade University campaign to my own school, Berea College. Berea is located in the heart of Appalachia in central Kentucky. For starters, a history of Fair Trade at Berea:

Berea switched to Fair Trade certified coffee in 2006. Our provider is Green Mountain, and let me tell you, the coffee is fan-freakin-tastic. I drink it like it's going out of style. :) Anywho, in addition to the coffee, our dining service also offers FT rice and tea from AlterEco. The campus bookstore offers FT coffee, some chocolate, and different crafty things like jewelry and handmade goods from Global Mamas. I am currently in the process of trying to find a FT certified banana and citrus provider to work with us and Sysco and I've found great things from a company called Seald Sweet International. We've got a Steering Group formed that consists of 2 staff members, one of whom is the Sodexo Sustainability Coordinator at Berea College, a faculty member, and two awesome students, not including myself. The group will essentially be responsible for overseeing the progress of the campaign at Berea as well as drafting the resolution policy to become a Fair Trade University. 

Long story short, things have been CRAZY out here. But I love it and I'm having sooooo much fun working on all of this. So much has already been accomplished and I can't wait to see where the rest of the year takes me and Berea. 

So, if you're reading this and you're interested in chatting with me about anything, drop me a line. I always love to hear what other people are involved in. If there is anything at all I can do to help you, please don't hesitate to ask. 

Without any further adieu...

Peace. 

Tonya--Midwest Coordinator