Set Fair

I visited small town America today, specifically the small town of Ballston Spa, near Saratoga Springs. It is a very appealing place, with its coffee shops and little stores (including a nice quilt shop). It is also home to the National Bottle Museum. But none of these things are what took me there this sunny morning.

Ballston Spa has a unique distinction: it is New York State's first and (currently) only Fair Trade Town. In fact it is one of only ten designated Fair Trade Towns in the whole of the US - the movement here is rather behind the UK where there are upwards of 450 designated towns and cities (including London).

But little Ballston Spa is a proactive place and wants to spread the message, so today it was hosting a Fair Trade conference. And because I'm aiming for my new home town here to gain Fair Trade status too, along I went.

It was great! I gained useful insights into the direction I should go with a campaign, met helpful contacts and generally came away thinking everything is possible. I already have one local friend on board, and we now need to set about recruiting a few more people for a steering committee. Should be fun!

I should also mention, it has been quite warm today: