Back-to-School Essentials

It's back-to-school season! Here at the co-op we tend to focus on food, however in our Wellness department and throughout the store we feature many non-food related items. This year we are featuring a display of onyx+green school supplies.

We are also featuring a variety of eco-friendly merchandise to help teach your children about sustainability. We hope that by teaching your children at a young age, the concept will stick. By utilizing bamboo utensils, we hope that this will influence their environmental decisions later in life (we also have adult utensils as well). 

In addition to eating in style, we have a variety of eclectic, Fair Trade merchandise. Write your notes on a locally made ballpoint made from alpaca fibers from a farm based on Martha's Vineyard. The Island Alpaca Company of Martha's Vineyard began in 2004 with the purchase of 19 acres of land and an antique post-and-beam barn that once stood in Export PA. Over the next two years, the barn was assembled, pastures were cleared, and fencing installed. The original purchase of eight alpacas in 2004 had grown to a starter herd of 31, which moved into the barn in 2006. Today, Island Alpaca has a select herd of over 50 colorful Huacaya alpaca.

Carry your pens in an ethical, fair trade pencil pouch made by artists from the Dsenyo company. Dsenyo is a social enterprise, ethical fashion brand and fair trade gifts company. Dsenyo believes business is a powerful way to address social and economic problems. After living in Malawi, artist Marissa Perry Saints founded Dsenyo in an effort to create opportunity for hard-working, African women.  Dsenyo follows Fair Trade principles working to create maximum benefit for the women, artisans and communities in which we work. By wearing the work of these artists, you promote Fair Trade principles. 

Through shopping at the co-op this year, we hope to spread sustainability through our back-to-school merchandise. You can pick up the above items by the register display between the first and second registers. The onyx+green display is across the isle.