Mustard Seed volunteer Amber manages the stall at the Earth Day Festival
Several vendors, volunteers and residents braved gray skies on Earth Day to celebrate Columbia’s 2012 Earth Day Festival. Mustard Seed set up a stall on Elm Street with items such as jewelry, t-shirts and recycled sari journals. Despite a few showers, the crowds remained full throughout the festival.
The Earth Day Festival is an annual event, focused on celebrating and promoting sustainability in Columbia. Mustard Seed has been involved in the Earth Day Festival for several years now. The crowd tends to be one that is seeking to “vote with their dollars” for products that will support the environment.
Mustard Seed encourages its customers to purchase with a purpose.
As a fair trade store, part of Mustard Seed’s goal is to cultivate environmental stewardship both in Columbia and around the world. Many of our products are the result of innovative ways to reuse old material. There are cups made of recycled glass, jewelry made of rolled strips of paper, frames made of old bike chains, even a doll made of orange peels. We help to support artisans who can make something beautiful out of the materials others might call trash.
Many of our food items, such as chocolate and tea, are grown in a way that strives for an organic and sustainable product.