Labor Day Evokes Ethics (and much more)

Labor Day is coming up, which means some of us will be blessed with a day off of work, in appreciation of all the hard work that we do. Labor Day makes me think about the whole process of creating, buying and selling products. I envision labor unions, fair trade, ethically produced items, education for consumers, product quality, et cetera. This blog will touch on a number, if not all of these thoughts.

What Labor Day also makes me think of (outside of the product life cycle) is that school has either just begun or it is right around the corner. If you are not feeling quite ready or need a few more things to round out your eco-collection, here are just a few suggestions (along with a bit about why they are good alternatives to their common counterparts) for your back-to-school shopping list:

• Hemp & Organic Cotton Urban Messenger Bag: This Messenger Bag is both eco-friendly and eco-chic. Smart and attractive, what else could someone ask for from their messenger bag? Organic materials are one important factor that we at Wedge Worldwide use when considering products to offer. The following definition of "organic" was passed by the National Organic Standards Board and shows a bit of why it is such an important factor in our product selection process:

  "Organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony.

  The principal guidelines for organic production are to use materials and practices that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems and that integrate the parts of the farming system into an ecological whole.

  Organic food handlers, processors and retailers adhere to standards that maintain the integrity of organic agricultural products. The primary goal of organic agriculture is to optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals and people."

• Sweatshop-Free Union-Made Hoodies: As I mentioned, Labor Day brings up thoughts of unions and their advocacy for workers. Since these sweatshirts are both sweatshop-free and union-made you can be sure that your hoodies were produced in an ethical working environment. In fact they were produced by the UNITE shop in Bangor, PA which is represented by the Allentown-Easton District Council Locals 111, 234 and 243. Ethically produced items make me feel all warm and fuzzy, kind of like these great sweatshirts.
  

• Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Water Bottles: Stainless Steel (and metal generally speaking) is becoming a common household option for a safe alternative to plastic (Bisphenol A: BPA) water bottles. With the frenzy of media attention about the safety and health concerns of plastic water bottles, people are now choosing metal options. The Environmental Working Group advocates for consumers' safety through education. They are a valuable resource when looking at possible safety concerns of consumer goods. Check out their blog regarding BPA: "Your BPA Questions: Answered." Also, check back with Wedge Worldwide because we are looking forward to receiving the Klean Kanteen water bottles in more sizes and colors very soon.
  
  
• Fair Trade Reusable Cotton Lunch Bag: Along with the commotion around plastic water bottles, comes the realities of plastic bags and the rampant use of them. Reusable products are an important alternative to disposable products; reusable bags only being one solution and category of this massive issue. But it all brings us back to the basics of the eco and green movements: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

written by Jessie

Just How Lo(cal) Can You Go?

And we don't mean low calorie, we mean local, as in locally grown, produced, et cetera.

Although Wedge Worldwide is not local to many readers, we still have a focus on locally-made products. And even though many of the purchases go outside of our local bubble of Minneapolis, Minnesota, buying local still has its benefits.

By offering local products on Wedge Worldwide, we are able to help support a regional artist or business, which further supports our local economy and community. Also, bringing in products from talented individual and vendors from our home region of Minnesota, or a neighboring state, we also reduce the amount of fossil fuels used during product shipment, in the process of getting our wonderful products to all of you. So, even if you are not considered to be local in respect to Wedge Worldwide, you are still helping our community and the environment. Here's a bit more on that topic from the Minneapolis Eat Local blog.

Now that it is already coming upon the end of August, it is about time to mention the Eat Local Challenge, that is happening both on a local and national level. Here's a bit more information from the Wedge Co-op's website about the challenge:

The Wedge Co-op challenges you to eat local from August 15 through September 15! Join locavores in co-ops across the country in the Eat Local America Challenge. It's a fun, easy and tasty competition.

If this is your first time attempting to eat local for a whole month, you might want start at the Local Learners level, by pledging to eat five meals a week based on local foods.

If that's not challenging enough, consider becoming a Leading Locavore, by basing 80% of your diet—or four out of every five items or ingredients—on food produced within the five-state region.

How does the Eat Local America Challenge work? For one month, the Wedge will be calculating local sales for the whole store. We want to see how high of a local percentage we can hit this year and set the standard for next year. Throughout the Eat Local America Challenge, stop by Customer Service to see how local we are!

Also, check out the Wedge website for local recipes, opportunities to visit local farms and read up-to-the-minute action in the Eat Local America Challenge from bloggers, chefs and your favorite farmers.

If you want even more information, check out the Eat Local blogs from the Minneapolis area and the national level.

Wedge Worldwide works hard to find the best (read eco-friendly, fair trade, sustainable) products that are available for our customers. We also work to be transparent in our business and what qualities our products have.

Our Icons help lead the viewer through the product pages, keeping everyone informed about the qualities of the individual product, such as: fairly traded, organic, eco-friendly, recycled materials, locally made, or made by a socially conscious vendor (meaning the vendor donates a percentage of their profits). Essentially, the icons take you through our buying practices. Also, check out our buying philosophy for our natural body care products.

As a final note, here are some Local vendors that Wedge Worldwide works with (they're links, so check 'em out):

SYB Soap Company
Peace Coffee
Green Glass
Robin Rifé
Veriditas

written by Jessie

We (Wedge Co-op shoppers) are Successfully Getting Back to the Eco Basics

Landfill Schmandfill:
Reducing Plastic Bag Use at the Wedge

Congratulations Wedge Co-op Shoppers: Since March you have saved thousands of plastic bags from the landfill by using and reusing your shopping bags for groceries. In March, the Wedge stopped offering plastic shopping bags at the registers and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Thanks for all your dedication towards reducing our impact on the environment, one piece of plastic at a time.

But what about the next step? What about bags elsewhere in the store? Customer comments have been pouring in with questions about ways we could go further on this campaign and "green-up" the rest of our store's bagging options.

Let's begin by returning to one of the old catchphrases of the eco-movement: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Did you realize that phrase was meant to be a priority order? Use it as a checklist when it comes to deciding whether to take a plastic bag or not: Reduce your usage, and if you can't, then reuse a bag. Recycling, getting rid of the bag, is a last resort.

Dave Schermerhorn, Supplier Programs Manager for the National Co-op Grocers Association (NCGA), says he uses that three-part checklist when researching and finding bag options for NCGA co-ops like the Wedge.

"The best of all worlds would be to reduce, for customers to not take that plastic bag, or any bag, at all," Schermerhorn said. "But that's not always possible." Indeed, for the Wedge to stop buying all plastic bags, without educating or preparing customers, would be a huge shock for most. How would they carry green beans to the cash register? What about rice? The Wedge couldn't simply do away with plastic bags without warning.

"If customers can't reduce, then the next best thing is to reuse," according to Schermerhorn, and this is where finding a more ecologically friendly plastic bags is key, while customers learn to bring their own bags for produce and other items. Schermerhorn's mission is to find bags and other kinds of packaging that use as little "virgin material" as possible, that is, finding bags made from reused or "recovered" plastic elements. Recovered, in this case, refers to any plastic diverted from going to the landfill. Crown Poly, the company that makes the produce bags used at NCGA co-ops, uses scraps, trim and regrindings in order to make their bags.

"It's not the perfect solution, but I like it that NCGA co-ops are creating a market for this material and keeping it out of landfills," Schermerhorn said.

Of course, co-op shoppers can re-use bags in ways that avoid plastic altogether, too. The Wedge offers durable and easy-to-clean reusable bags in two different sizes from "Eco-Bags" (small bags are $4.29; large are $4.99). These unbleached, muslin bags have a convenient drawstring tie. No need to wrestle with hard to open or tied up plastic bags any more—just pack and cinch. These are a great option for bulk items like kidney beans, rice, grains, and produce items like peaches, green beans, potatoes, etc.), but will handle wet produce too; they rinse easily and dry quickly. Eco-Bags are available in our produce department now.

Another good option is the reusable nylon "Chico Bags" in beautiful candy-bright colors. These are lightweight, compact, and expand to carry a lot of groceries. You'll be amazed at how much weight this rip-stop nylon can handle--perfect for wet or frozen groceries. Find these bags at Customer Service and at most registers.

Last in the three-part checklist, Recycle, is a trickier option, according to Schermerhorn, since only a small amount of post-consumer plastic is actually used in creating plastic bags. "If I could find a reliable and consistent source of post-consumer recycled plastic, that would be ideal," Schermerhorn said. "But the 'recovered,' post-industrial resin is a more consistent and reliable source [for bags]. Once we go through our current stock, within eight weeks, the plastic produce bags that the Wedge uses should be made from 100% recovered resin."

The Wedge, NCGA and Puget Sound. Co-op in Seattle continue to research reusable and biodegradable bagging options. Schermerhorn is skeptical of biodegradable plastic bags, however, saying that he believes that the technology isn't there yet. "I don't think [those bags] really degrade in a manner that would be environmentally beneficial. But there's new research all the time, so I'll keep looking at that."

Meanwhile, make a commitment to yourself, the earth and your fellow co-op members by bringing reusable bags for shopping. If we can reduce plastic bag usage, the Wedge's bottom line will go down, making your store more profitable and environmentally friendly at the same time.

written by Barth Anderson
reposted from wedge.coop

What's the big idea?

Wedge Worldwide puts a lot of thought into the types of products we carry and why we carry them. The decisions we make are laid out in our buying practices. They reflect our commitment to the following big ideas:

• Eco-Friendly and Natural Products
• Organics
• Fair Trade
• Social Responsibility
• Local Products
• Recycled Materials and Products

We try to think about these things, so that you do not have to worry about the products as you browse (shop) our website. We are absolutely commited to each and every one of these big ideas in order to lessen the impact that our products have on the planet. Check out our icons, which are designed to help navigate and easily recognize which of these guidelines each product meets.

We also have separate and possibly even more strict guidelines for our Natural Body Care products. Check out Wedge Worldwide's Body Care guidelines on our website. We also layout information for you regarding the majority of our body care vendors, letting you know who you are buying the products from and how each company functions as socially conscious companies in the sometimes bleak world of body care products.

There are many things to consider as consumers and we hope that our exacting standards help make the process a bit easier.

written by Jessie

Safe, Earth-Friendly, Lead-Free Toys

Wedge Worldwide carries a wide selection of fun, non-toxic toys. Recently, we have brought in even more heirloom quality toys with finishes that are safe for little ones; like our beautifully hand-made Five Piece Train Set. The locomotive, passenger car, cargo car, tank car and caboose can all be taken apart and reconnected in a variety of configurations that will provide hours of creative play. Another great new item is the super cute Little Rollie Vehicle Set. These smooth rolling, durably designed toys are well-suited for active play. Both the Train Set and the Vehicle Set come in all natural wood tones that are finished with a food-grade, non-toxic, natural oil. Our vendor tries to use reclaimed wood whenever possible, and 100 percent of the electricity that runs their shop comes from wind and/or solar energy!

Other new playthings at Wedge Worldwide include the colorful and mesmerizing Domino Race game by the German Toy company HABA. This game comes with a wide assortment of bright dominoes, animal-shaped dominoes, domino bridges and even a little bell that rings when dominoes under it are knocked over. We have to admit that the adults in our office here were very tempted to play with this! Also from HABA, we carry the Ball Track Construction Set, an elaborate block set that allows you to build your own tracks for marbles to wind their way through, and the Colored Peg Set, a small, travel-ready game that encourages the development of fine motor skills in a playful way.

HABA products meet the strict requirements of the European Safety-Standard for toys. Their toys are regularly tested, and the company must continually pass European certification guidelines that guarantee their toys are of high quality, meet safety standards and fulfill environmental guidelines. HABA is the first toy producer in Germany to have passed the audit for ecological friendliness, and they are deeply committed to actively pursuing further environmental protection throughout every stage of production. All HABA items offered through Wedge Worldwide are produced in Germany using first class non-toxic varnishes and colored stains that never chip or peel. The materials they use for colored surface treatment of toys and their clear varnishes are fundamentally water-based and therefore, do not contain any harmful solvents.

We're proud to be your online source for eco-friendly, fairly made, safe toys!

Celebrate the Holidays With Eco-Friendly Gifts

The final countdown towards the holidays has begun! Are you still looking for a huge variety of beautiful eco-friendly gifts to choose from? Then surf on in; Wedge Worldwide has some truly wonderful ideas for you!

Organic gourmet food treats make a great gift option for anyone. Try our brand new Fair Trade chocolate bars and tea in pretty tea tins from Equal Exchange. We brought in the their yummy hot chocolate too!

Sure to please a variety of folks on your list are the gorgeously scented Juniper Ridge Wild Herb Sachets made from ethically wild-harvested plant trimmings. The wonderful Christmas-tree-smell of the Christmas Fir Sachet is perfect for the holidays. We also highly recommend Juniper Ridge's amazing smelling soap and delicious wild-harvested teas.

In search of just the right thing for the ultra-cool hipster in your life? Check out our new Urban Messenger Bag made from organic cotton and hemp. A chic and eco-conscious choice for stylish women is our Street Purse, available in an assortment of vibrant colors and of course, black. By the way, we think the Anthology Cardigan, made from organic cotton and bamboo, looks great with the Street Purse.

Not sure what to get for Mom? How about a fun Fair Trade ring like the one that states, “If you can dream it you can do it!” Or take a peak at our entire Fair Trade jewelry selection for other fabulous options. Mom might also like something from our natural body care section like the refreshing Lemon Body Wash by Dr. Hauschka, or perhaps something from our popular kitchen and dining area like the colorful, extra large salad bowls made from organic bamboo. These bowls are great for serving large tossed salads, and you can even get a sleek pair of bamboo salad servers to go with it.

Or how about some fantastic organic bulk tea? It's the gift that keeps on giving, by providing the recipient with warming, fragrant cups of tea long after the holidays are over. Wedge Worldwide also carries a expansive assortment of teaware and tea accessories. We have everything from the perfect brew baskets for loose-leaf tea to imaginative tea cups and tea pots. A few favorites are our Green Leaf Tea Cups and the Calligraphy Tea Pot Set.

Happy Holidays!

New E-Gift Certificates Available at Wedge Worldwide

We are so excited to announce that Wedge Worldwide now offers e-gift certificates! Would you love to give gifts this holiday season that support Fair Trade and tread lightly on the earth but aren't quite sure what to get for that special someone? Now it's possible to complete your holiday shopping in minutes while getting everyone on your list the perfect gift.

Visit us at wedgeworldwide.coop and click the e-gift certificate link on our front page. Here you can view the few easy steps you can take to quickly and easily buy a Wedge Worldwide e-gift certificate for your friends and loved ones. With just a couple clicks of the mouse a colorful gift certificate email will be sent to the lucky recipient.

E-gift certificates are available in amounts from ten to two hundred dollars so you can select an amount that supports any level of shopping; from a gourmet treat to natural body care products to the luxurious experience of selecting a variety of products.

At Wedge Wordlwide, we have carefully selected only the finest eco-friendly and Fair Trade products available. We also support businesses that are socially responsible. Many of the companies and artists we work with share a portion of their profits with their communities and give aid to worthy causes such as the environment. Anyone on your list is sure to be delighted by shopping our diverse, fun and visually appealing web site where they can feel good about the causes their purchases support. Socially conscious holiday shopping has never been easier this year on Wedge Worldwide!

Fair Trade Holiday Gift Ideas

What better way is there to share the good will of the holiday season than by giving a Fair Trade gift? Here at Wedge Worldwide we make a concerted effort to locate and offer a wide variety of high quality Fair Trade items. Two important aspects of Fair Trade are that workers and artisans who make a product are paid a living wage for their craft and work under safe conditions. So this year you can enjoy gift giving even more knowing that your purchase is supporting and helping the workers who made it.

Allow us to offer a few fun Fair Trade holiday gift suggestions!

We love these colorful and highly durable Messenger Bags made from recycled rice and feed bags. Each hand-crafted piece is unique! These bags provide a sustainable living to Cambodian weavers and producers, many of whom are female heads of households, disabled due to polio or landmine injury or young women pulled from brothels and taught a trade.

Or peruse our all time customer favorite products from Wedge Worldwide, our extensive Fair Trade Jewelry collection. We offer a variety of gorgeous and unique jewelry from across the globe, and also stunning hand-made pieces by local artist, Robin Rifé.

Our Fair Trade Silk and Velvet Scarves are great items for moms and the women in your life. Wedge Worldwide also offers a variety of lovely products made with pure silk like scarves, sumptuous silk throws and velvet jackets.

We have a variety of lead-free, safe and ecologically sound toys for kids. Take a gander at some of our newer Fair Trade Wooden Play Sets and Puzzles made from reclaimed rubber wood.


A few distinctive items that would fit perfectly in any natural home setting are our Fair Trade Salt Crystal Lamps that give off a soothing warm glow while releasing healthy negative ions. Our Salt Lamps are available in a variety of sizes. We also carry the Planet Lamp, a polished, symmetrical salt crystal.

These are just a few of the Fair Trade items that we carry. Stop by and start planning for your holiday shopping today. Let us wrap your presents with pretty, recycled materials and ship them directly to that special person on your list. And another exciting option is coming soon, look for Wedge Worldwide egift certificates this November!

Wedge Worldwide Talks With One Of the Leaders In the Fair Trade Body Care Movement

Olowo-n'djo Tchala, the founder of Alaffia was in town recently to speak with several of the food co-ops in the Twin Cities area about the philosophy behind the great body care products his company produces. Olowo-n'djo is a tall, engaging, warm-hearted man who's kindness and enthusiasm are contagious. His generosity even extended to cooking us all a traditional African meal that was just delicious!

When Olowo-n'djo was developing Alaffia, he had a big vision. He sought a way to support those living in Togo, Africa, a place where he himself grew up in poverty, that would be culturally, spiritually, economically and ecologically sustainable, all while improving the community. Alaffia is the Fair Trade enterprise that Olowo-n'djo, along with his wife Rose, developed to do just this.

Even though many Africans live in a state of abject poverty, their continent is abundant in natural resources. Olowo-n'djo decided that shea butter was the answer that he was looking for. As he states on his website,"(Shea) is a renewable resource of African origin; shea trees are wild, requiring no chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Furthermore, it is an integral part of many savanna communities and, consequently, there is a wealth of local and traditional knowledge of making shea butter." In fact, Olowo-n'djo grew up collecting shea nuts when he was a child in order to make extra money for his family, so he learned through personal experience that collecting shea nuts is very labor intensive. Producing 1 kg of handcrafted shea butter takes twenty to thirty hours of work. Shea trees can be five to ten miles apart from each other which can add up to a lot of walking to gather nuts. Once the nuts are collected, they are pounded, ground, whipped and clarified over low heat by hand. Alaffia uses traditional extraction processes for their shea butter products, unlike many other commercial shea butters made with hexanes or other petroleum products.

Olowo-n'djo spoke with us about some of the grim difficulties that his fellow Africans grapple with on a daily basis. The life expectancy in Africa is 41 years of age and 50% of the people there survive on $1 per day. Many suffer from AIDS and other devastating illnesses, and have difficulty receiving the health care that they need. He also told us that deforestation has been a large problem, having lost 5.3 million hectares in the 1990's for example. Olowo-n'djo believes poverty is the true cause of these limitations. Fair Trade offers solutions by paying fair wages and being environmentally responsible. In addition, Alaffia and many other companies who are part of the Fair Trade Federation are fully accountable organizations; all of their books and profit information are easily accessible to the public.

Encountering someone like Olowo-n'djo and a great organization such as Alaffia gives me hope for the future. Alaffia not only provides Fair Trade employment for women in West Africa they are also involved in a whole slew of community empowerment projects that support African mothers and school children, and the environment. Like the African school children pictured to the left who received new school desks from Alaffia. Read more about Alaffia and their community projects here. Stop on in to Wedge Worldwide to experience the divineness of their hand-made shea butter or check out all of the great Alaffia products that include hand, face and body lotions, a variety of delicious soaps, shampoos and more. Olowo-n'djo stated during his talk that if all of the products that come from Africa were produced under Fair Trade guidelines, eventually Africa would not need financial assistance from other countries and could build a vibrant economy and stable, healthy way of life for its people. Bring this dream one step closer to reality by supporting Alaffia!

A Cool Earth-Friendly Way to Tote Your Leftovers and Lunch!

Do you love going out to eat but feel a bit depressed at the thought of bringing home your leftovers in ozone-depleting styrofoam containers? Never fear because we have a brilliant solution for you. Take a gander at the Stainless Steel Food Container made by To-Go-Ware available at Wedge Worldwide. It's made up of two stackable units with removable lids (one of the lids even functions as a plate!) that all fit snugly together and snap in place with a clamp by the carrying handle. This food carrier is a well-built, highly durable item that could easily last a lifetime.

I have one that I am quite fond of using for carrying my lunch to work. My To-Go-Ware container moves easily between the fridge, the car, work and the sink or dishwasher. And after all the use its been through, it's never picked up a dent or scratch. If truth be told, one of my favorite things about it besides its superb function and construction is that it is as cute as can be. Other than my Charlie's Angels lunch box that I had when I was in grade school, this is the most stylish step beyond brown-bagging-it that I've found. For me, it is also a total bonus that this carrier is plastic-free, so I am safe from the possibility of unwanted substances leaching into my food.

As luck would have it we also carry a sustainable utensil set that is perfect for lunches, travel or picnics in the great outdoors. Our Fair Trade Bamboo Utensil Set is made from earth-friendly materials, is heat and stain resistant, doesn't absorb flavors and are finished with all-natural, food-safe wood oil. These utensils come in a handy hand-woven Fair Trade fabric carrier that is produced by a woman's co-op in the Thai-Burma region.

So, take a tip from us and bid farewell to those old-school brown bags and Styrofoam and plastic containers that will quickly end up in the recycling bin or even worse, a landfill. Be the first cool kid on your block to be using eco-friendly options!

Adorable Fair Trade Stuffed Animals

One of our top-selling gifts at Wedge Worldwide is the menagerie of Kenana Knitted Critters. Kids love these Fair Trade monkeys, elephants, lions, and zebras, all of which are made from wool and dyed with all-natural plant dyes. We’re not certain but we suspect that some big people might like these critters, too.

Kenana Knitted Critters are produced on Kenana Farm, a cattle and sheep ranch in Njoro, Kenya, and the majority of Kenana Knitted Critters’ employees are women, the wives of men who work on Kenana Farm. Seventeen years ago when the owner and distributor of Kenana Knitted Critters, Gloria Delaney, first started her business, there were only 12 women who were knitting critters. Now Gloria has more than 1,000 employees.

Not only do these women earn an income that allows them to support their families, they are also provided with free health care. Several years ago the Kenana women received an extremely large order from one of their accounts. An email from Gloria was given to the knitters to encourage them, but, it came to light, the knitters couldn't read. Immediately, a knitter who was once a teacher was hired to teach the woman how to read and write. The word from the farm is that “Every lady learning to read has become a taller person with pride.” Once classes began, they discovered that many of the women could not see the chalkboard because they needed glasses. Now employees who need glasses are provided with them and three computers have been added to the classroom to help facilitate their learning process. One lady said, “With my glasses on, I feel like an executive.”

The employees of Kenana Knitted Critters also receive on-site lunches and literacy programs through their employer, while the health clinics available to the women address issues such as HIV/AIDS and family planning to name just a few. The clinics also educate employees, so that they’re well-informed and better able to care for themselves and their families. The clinic library contains books on many important health subjects that the women can reference.

Rural life for a woman in Kenya is often quite demanding and difficult and most have few opportunities for employment and independence. A woman's time is often taken up with gathering firewood and water from many kilometers away, tending their essential vegetable gardens, looking after their own children and the children of sick relatives, or caring for elderly parents and in-laws. A traditional Kenyan family consists of a woman who stays home while her husband works. It is up to the man to provide enough income for medical care, food, books, and uniforms for children who go to school. In truth, a single income is rarely enough to adequately support a family.

Being employed by Knitted Critters allows a woman to supplement her family’s income and gain self-sufficiency. The women are able to bring their children to work with them, and they also have the option of working at home as time allows. Knitters are offered savings accounts where they may choose to deposit some of their surplus income. This allows them to have their very own nest eggs that can be used for important purchases.

The process of producing a Kenana stuffed animal starts out with the women gathering natural-colored brown fleece from the sheep on their farm. After washing, the fleece is dyed with natural plant dyes that the women grow themselves. The fleece is carded and spun by hand with spinning wheels fashioned from old bicycle wheels. After an adorable critter is finished, an information card is tied to the animal that bears the artist’s signature. Gloria says many children have emailed the women who knitted their beloved toy animals.

We have to admit, the Kenana Knitted Critters are so endearing and charming, a few of us big people at Wedge Worldwide can't quite stop ourselves from squeezing and playing with them when a new order arrives in our warehouse. These charming jungle animals are a huge customer favorite for us and are sure to delight your young (or not so young) loved ones!

Weleda's Pure, Organic, Biodynamic Body Care

All of us who work at Wedge Worldwide feel a special fondness for the great body care products from the German-based company Weleda. Each item they produce is a super-pure, all-natural gem that is effective and an absolute pleasure to use.

Founded in 1921, Weleda has pioneered the use of biodynamic and organic ingredients in the personal care industry. Biodynamics is a holistic, sustainable form of agriculture that could be considered a step above organic practices. All Weleda formulations are free of synthetic additives, preservatives, colorants and fragrances, mineral oils, and parabens. Their pure fragrances consist exclusively of natural essential oils. For the past 80 years, Weleda has adhered to these original quality standards, continuing to use biodynamic and organic ingredients to create its unique preparations. And of course, Weleda and their suppliers do not test their ingredients or products on animals.

For instance, one of the most beautiful body care oils I have ever come across is Weleda's Rose Body Oil. I gave it to my best friend one year for her birthday and when she called to thank me she said, "My god I love this stuff, the smell is incredible! I hide it from the rest of my family and am rationing it so it will last as long as possible." This oil is a special, nurturing treat. It is divine as a body moisturizer, for massage or for adding a few teaspoons to a hot bath. The aroma is pretty delectable; a rosy, warm, scent with subtle musk-like undertones. It's like rubbing liquefied rose petals over your skin.

I'm also a big fan of Weleda's Everon Lip Balm. It is fantastic at protecting and healing very dry and chapped lips and the healthy amount of shea butter added to it packs an extra moisturizing punch. So this is the perfect item to have on hand during dry, windy and cold winter months as well as to heal lips that have been over-exposed to the sun in the summer. The delicious rose and vanilla scent derived from all-natural essential oils make this balm smell good enough to eat!!

Another extra moisturizing skin saving delicacy is Weleda's Skin Food. This is a huge year-round customer favorite for us that its devotees swear by. Skin Food can be used anywhere on the body for healing and moisturizing extremely dry skin, but many love to use it mainly as a hand cream. This formula contains lanolin which is a substance obtained from shorn sheep's wool. The wool is press between rollers in order to express this wax-like substance. Lanolin can be helpful for treating chapped lips, diaper rash, dry skin, itchy skin, rough feet, minor cuts, minor burns and skin abrasions. It easily absorbs into the skin and has even been known to have antibacterial-like properties.

I've used and loved Weleda's toothpaste for years. These products are some of the most natural toothpaste available on the market! All of these mouth care products are sodium lauryl sulfate free. SLS is a sudsing agent that may cause various forms of skin irritation and some have speculated that it could be hazardous to human health. Although this matter is still being debated it is interesting to note that when products foam or suds this is not a sign that true cleaning is occurring. There actually is no real point to those bubbles or foam except that they may give us the illusion of cleanliness. Check out my staff review (simply click on the red review link in the upper right hand corner) for Weleda's Salt Toothpaste. Once you try it, it might become your favorite too!

While we're talking about safe body care ingredients, let me mention the superb, pure and clean Weleda deodorants. These products are in an alcohol base and loaded with natural essential oils that refresh the skin and get rid of unwanted bacteria. Best of all, these deodorants are propylene glycol free. Propylene glycol is an ingredient that is often found in deodorants which makes deodorants effective by acting to block the pores in the sweat glands. Many people have started to question the safety of arresting the body's natural ability to perspire and eliminate toxins. Not to mention creating stagnation in the body's lymph systems under the arms. I have found the Weleda deodorants to be extremely effective at keeping me feeling fresh and sweet-smelling all day long. I love the elegant and easily recycled glass bottles that they come in too! Take a look at the available scents of Sage, Citrus, or Wild Rose.

And hey, men, we have something just for you! Weleda makes a wonderful assortment of body care products for men. And our customers tell us that they're excited by their high-quality, wonderful masculine scents and effectiveness. Wedge Worldwide offers Weleda's Shaving Cream, After Shave Balm and facial Moisture Cream for Men. All of these items also make great, sure to be appreciated gifts!

In addition to Weleda's products being delightful and excellent, they also are big supporters of Fair Trade. Their pure plant extracts and ingredients are harvested throughout the world, either from their own biodynamic medicinal plant gardens or through contractual partnerships with farmers. They work with local farmers, helping them to convert their conventional farms into sustainable, organic agriculture. Weleda believes that fair prices, determined and accepted by both sides, create long-term partnerships based on cooperation, mutual trust and respect. Through building Fair Trade agreements, Weleda offers economic and social support to the communities they partner with. Such practices uphold Weleda's founding virtue, "In harmony with nature and the human being."

Sustainably-Harvested, Wild Herb Products From Juniper Ridge

Juniper Ridge is a small, homegrown, eco-minded business in California that is a good example of the type of producer that we like to support here at Wedge Worldwide. First of all, their highly pleasurable products are an olfactory delight. Just sticking my nose in a bag of their wild herb sachets or wild herb soaps stimulates feelings of happiness and delight in me. But even better, everything that Juniper Ridge produces is made with herbs, leaves, woods and resins from the mountains and deserts of the west that are harvested sustainably by hand. Their wild-crafting practices ensure that the plants they take trimmings from will grow back year after year and will even increase in production rates and health. This sweet little company also gives 10% of their profits to groups that support western wilderness, so when you purchase one of their products you are not only enjoying an all-natural treat from nature, you are also helping to protect it for future generations. Juniper Ridge's products are also made with completely natural ingredients and contain scents that do not have any fillers or artificial fragrance in them. These amazing smells come directly from beautifully fragrant plants!

Ready to start feeling the love? How about tucking a wild herb sachet into a drawer, closet, bed, pillows, car, storage items or anywhere you want to relax and remind yourself of the outdoors. Check out the Douglas Fir Sachet that has an evergreen and lemony smell to it or the Port Orford Cedar Sachet, a gingery cedar from the northwestern coast of California. Juniper Ridge says that when they put baskets of these sachets out at the farmers market in San Francisco, customers walk by their booth and then turn around to come back and ask, “what is that incredible smell?”

Personally, I find their bar soaps to be pretty amazing. The smells are invigorating and uplifting and make bathing fun. These soaps are also biodegradable with all-natural ingredients of 100% vegetable oil and super-fatted shea butter and jojoba for an exceptionally gentle, moisturizing bar. In particular, take a look at the Coastal Sage Scrub Soap, scented with a blend of California coastal sages; the Siskiyou Cedar Soap, which has a wonderful gingery cedar smell to it; the Western Juniper (my personal fave) which is infused with real, wild Juniper from the southwest deserts; and, last but not least, the festive soap gift pack, an assortment of full-sized soaps wrapped in a delicious, gingery Cedar trimming with a pretty, green bow. Any of these soaps are perfect for men as they are outdoorsy and less floral than many traditional, herbal soaps (although women love them, too!).

May I also recommend bringing the outdoors into your home with Juniper Ridge's great-smelling natural incense? Their incense is charcoal and potassium nitrate free and contains no artificial fragrances. This is the only incense around that is made with 100% wild-gathered tree leaves, wood and resins from the Western landscape. It's like experiencing the beauty of a crackling campfire in the fresh mountain air! And speaking of beauty, many of our customers are enamored with the lovely White Sage and Wild Mint Tea and Douglas Fir Tip Tea from Juniper Ridge. White Sage has a rich, earthy, minty flavor that made it a favorite tea for many of the Native American tribes and early settlers of the Southwest while the Douglas Fir Tip Tea has a refreshing, lemony flavor and sweet, forest-like aroma. I know a couple of tea snobs that will only let the highest quality, dreamiest brews pass their lips and they feel a deep fondness for these teas.

Once you try something from Juniper Ridge, you're sure to be hooked. These scents are real, earthy and evocative. Says Hall Newbegin, the founder of Juniper Ridge, “I dream up beautiful things that make people's eyes light up, things that connect people with the outdoors and memories of camping trips and walking with your dad and the tastes of days of fall leaves.”

Evanhealy Facial Care For Sensitive Skin

My skin is ultra particular about what I can put on it. Many of even the highest quality, all-natural facial creams cause my sensitive skin to easily break out and become red and irritated. That's why I love this cream from evanhealy called Blue Chamomile Day Moisturizer. It's moisturizing, yet it soaks in quickly and is not at all oily. This cream also incorporates the healing properties of essential oils like blue chamomile, excellent for inflammation, redness or puffiness, and lavender which has great toning and pore cleansing properties.

My face has combination skin that can tend towards both oiliness and dryness. It's hard for me to find a moisturizer that can treat the dryness without clogging my pores. I often recommend Blue Chamomile Day Moisturizer to customers who are looking for a natural alternative to traditional drug-store-type non-comogenic (non-pore clogging) facial creams. This evanhealy product is great for all skin types, not just sensitive folks like me! Others who may be interested in trying it would be those who suffer from eczema, psoriasis or rosacea.

I feel that this moisturizer is an excellent choice for men, too, especially those who tend to have irritated skin or ingrown hairs from shaving - and also teenagers or any of us who are prone to acne. (Speaking of break outs, I’ve tried, tested and given my thumbs up to evanhealy's Tea Tree Gel Cleanser.)

If you want to pamper and give your skin even more TLC, try adding evanhealy's Lavender Facial Tonic Hydrosol into your daily facial care routine. Simply spray this product on in the morning and evening after you wash your face, then your skin is ready to be moisturized. I press the tonic into my face and allow it to air-dry which only takes a few seconds. Toning the skin in this way helps to keep your pores clean and your complexion healthy and vibrant.

Here’s a tip for those with dry skin. Spray a tiny puddle of toner into one of your cupped palms, add a few drops of evanhealy's Blue Chamomile Rosehip Treatment Facial Oil, rub your hands together and gently press this mixture into your face. The oil and water absorb instantly into your skin adding a light, protective layer of moisture. This is an ideal way to nourish your face any time throughout the day. I also often use this method during dry winter days in addition to the cream I put on in the morning and evening or in the hot summer months when I want an extremely light moisturizer. In addition, adding a few drops of Rosehip Treatment Oil into a dollop of your face cream is a wonderful way to bring some extra moisturizing oomph to your skin when it is in need.

For dry or aging skin, I recommend evanhealy's Rose Vetiver Day Moisturizer, Rose Geranium Facial Tonic Hydrosol and Rose Vetiver Rosehip Treatment Facial Oil.

Fair Trade Food Goods From the White Earth Reservation

Winona La Duke is a renowned Native American activist, environmentalist, economist and writer, and she’s also a part of the Anishinaaabeg (Ojibwe) community at White Earth in northwestern Minnesota. She and her community have worked together to conceive and begin the White Earth Land Recovery Project whose mission is “to facilitate the recovery of the original land base of the White Earth Indian Reservation, while preserving and restoring traditional practices of sound land stewardship, language fluency, community development, and strengthening (their) spiritual and cultural heritage.” The retail face of this project is Native Harvest, a business that offers naturally harvested foods and hand-made crafts. At Wedge Worldwide, we carry Native Harvest’s wild rice, maple syrup and maple butter. This enterprise was started in order to provide more income for those within the White Earth reservation community through Fair Trade labor and also as a way to share their traditionally made natural food with the general public.

Native Harvest and Winona La Duke are the original Fair Traders in Minnesota. Native Harvest called their domestic, Minnesota-grown products Fair Trade, because they charged what they needed to charge to cover cost of goods and give their tribal members a decent return on their investment. They’ve boldly pioneered Fair Trade in this state, and I feel great about making their foods available on Wedge Worldwide.

Even better, the White Earth Land Recovery Project and Native Harvest are involved in many wonderful environmentally and socially responsible initiatives that make me feel excited about supporting them through purchasing their yummy products. They are committed to caring for their land and using environmental practices such as renewable wind energy, working to save their and all wild rice from becoming cross pollinated with GMO wild rice strains, they are passionate about the bio-diversity of their Anishabee agriculture and work to create heirloom varieties of endangered species of corn, beans and squash and they also harvest maple sugar sap from their bio-diverse land in a sustainable manner that has been certified under the Forest Stewardship Councils. In addition, White Earth and Native Harvest have initiatives to provide healthful traditional foods to the Native Americans in their tribe that are living with diabetes, they teach Ojibwe language classes within their community, and offer a variety of cultural heritage learning programs to their young people.

Wedge Worldwide is proud of the fact that Native Harvest is their first partner for the Wedge's domestic Fair Trade program. One way in which people are seeking to protect small and mid-size farmers from the creeping industrialization of sustainable agriculture is the introduction of Fair Trade into U.S. agriculture. Fair Trade is a trading partnership based on dialog, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers.

Dr. Hauschka's Rhythmic Night Conditioner

One of my all-time favorite facial care products that I'd love to tell you all about is Dr. Hauschka's Rhythmic Night Conditioner. For me this potion-like substance really has some kind of magical, mysterious effect on my skin that is actually noticeable overnight. I know this sounds over zealous perhaps, like one of those bad wrinkle cream advertisements in non-politically correct women's magazines, but I'm not fibbing! Of course results may vary from person to person and Hauschka actually suggests that Rhythmic Night Conditioner be used for a period of ten days up to one month in order for it to be most effective. But I tend to notice results immediately. Some of the effects this elixir has on my skin is it helps my face look clearer, it evens out the tones and removes blotchiness, it noticeably tightens and shrinks pores and fine lines (love this) and helps to rapidly clear up acne and minimizes break-out redness. It also reduces puffiness, under eye circles and imparts a lovely glow. Predictably after I use this product for 1-3 days people start telling me how nice my skin looks.

Hauschka recommends the use of Rhythmic Night Conditioner during changes of the season, travel, stress or any time that your skin might be going through a transition period or needing a little extra boost. For myself I tend to use it for several days before an event that I want to look great for or when I feel a tad disgruntled by my reflection in the mirror.

The substances in this product are pretty fascinating as well. Hauschka is a company that makes holistic facial and body care products that contain many organic and biodynamically grown ingredients. Their formulas are based on the innate rhythms and wisdom of nature and many of their processes and philosophies can be traced back to ideas that correspond to homeopathy and alchemy. One of the main active ingredients in Rhythmic Night Conditioner is silver which is used to promote regeneration of the skin. Dr. Hauschka feels that there is a corresponding relationship between the moon, the metal silver, and the 28-day rhythm of skin cell renewal. Hauschka says,” youthful skin cells have a 28-day cycle of regeneration, which lengthens as we mature. Rhythmic Night Conditioner supports this process, encouraging the skin to renew itself.” For those who have extremely sensitive skin or skin that tends towards rosacea, Hauschka also makes a Rhythmic Night Conditioner Sensitive formula.