On World Fair Trade Day, we posted a few links to an article and a blog post written by Karisa Centenni (see: World Fair Trade Day) about the Equal Exchange Food Co-op trip to Chiapas, Mexico this past January. Since that time, we have received copies of two other articles written by participants of that trip, Colin Meginnis, Grocery Buyer for the Wheatsfield Co-operative in Ames, Iowa and Ian Ryan, Bulk Buyer of the East End Food Co-op in Pittsburgh. Each one provides an interesting and personal account of their days visiting the Cesmach Co-operative, a coffee co-op whose members live and farm sustainably in the buffer zone of a U.N. designated Biosphere, El Triunfo. To read about the history of CESMACH, as told by the farmers who founded the co-operative, see the blog entry: A David and Goliath story of small farmer perseverance, co-operative spirit and pride, and willingness to take risks.
In their articles, Colin and Ian also provide their impressions of Fair Trade, free trade, and the environmental initiatives of our farmer partners as they try to grow their co-operative, provide a dignified life for their families, and protect the delicate eco-system of the Biosphere. You can read their accounts and other related stories, at:
http://local.wheatsfield.coop/newsletters/newsletter_may.pdf
http://www.eastendfood.coop/newsletter/cooperator_0805.pdf
Small Farmers. Big Change. 
Great to see these links/articles archived in one place — thank you, Phyllis!
Is anyone planning events yet for October, Fair Trade Month? I’d love to see Northeast Co-ops work collectively on a project or cross-promote events..
Having a close friend who’s family lives in Chiapas really brings Fair Trade full circle for me. I hope that by sharing this article with him that he will be able to help his family somehow connect with EE and be a grower for EE some day.