By Luka Starmer,
GreenLeaf Intern

Tucked away behind the roadside foliage in Newfield, NY, there is a lot of “good stuff” going on. Good Stuff by Mom & Me, that is.

To be exact, GreenStar’s fast-selling raw foods supplier is actually run by two down-to-earth mothers, Tanya Petrich and Claire Lunny, who have been in business since October of last year. However, when you meet them, you’d think they have been a dynamic duo for years. They joke and giggle and compliment each other as they cut brownies or prep sprouted cashews. Their workspace is as inviting as their personalities — the soft lighting, wood floors and granite countertops make you feel like you’re at home.

You may have seen some people carrying their groceries in a woven basket through the Co-op, or maybe you’ve noticed the baskets hanging near the front of the store. These colorful woven creations are no ordinary market baskets; they are hand-woven by women in northern Ghana village co-ops as a source of income for their families.

Because of the region’s erratic rainfall patterns and dry seasons, many subsistence farmers have found themselves out of work. This has led the women to turn to basket weaving as a way to supplement their incomes.

By Joe Romano,
Marketing Manager

Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.

    —Mother Teresa

March is Women’s History Month and so it is the time when news features, public service announcements and, yes, even this column will honor half of the planet’s occupants.

You are probably a woman. Statistically, that is. Women make up 52 percent of the world’s population and, according to our surveys, roughly 70 percent of GreenStar’s member-owners. (But, surprisingly, according to census statistics, only 49 percent of Ithacans.)