Going Green

Well, I guess technically, I have gone green. I have started a new job about a month ago and I am loving it! I wanted to shout it from the roof tops a month ago, but I thought I should wait until I had an idea of what I am doing, etc – not that I really do yet :-).

I have gone to work for Organic Exchange. OE is a non-profit organization that is committed to expanding organic agriculture and more specifically, cotton. We work with farmers and with manufacturers to use organic cotton in their products. To give you an idea (and is about all the knowledge I have at the moment)… cotton is one of the main crops grown in Africa. Woolworths South Africa is using organic fiber in much of its product line. Until recently, the cotton was grown in another region and taken to South Africa for milling and production. So, to cut down on added cost, OE in conjunction with several partnering organizations have been training South African farmers (who have been growing cotton conventionally) in the ways of organic farming.
So, obviously, we reach beyond the borders of west Texas and even the US. In fact, as best I can tell, most of our work is with farmers in places including India, Turkey, and Africa (as well as others). That being said, our global conference is being held in Porto, Portugal this October and I will be one of the staff members going. These conferences are for farmers, manufacturers and anyone interested in organics.

My job as of right now is to put together several reports that go to our funders who have granted us money for various projects like the one above being conducted in South Africa. I am also working with the London office on the database and with the Berkley, CA office on product mapping. Working with events such as the conference I mentioned is also a small portion of my responsibilities. I work from home three days a week and am loving every minute of it! When I do have to go into the office, the office is in O’Donnell, about 40 miles south of town. Another lady also drives in a couple of days a week, so we carpool together.

If you want to learn more about Organic Exchange and what we do, visit the website at www.organicexchange.org. Also, watch at stores near you (such as Wal-Mart) for products made from organic cotton (and other fibers) as more and more companies are moving towards an eco-friendly offering.