Tearmann Community Garden

Tearmann Community Garden, Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, Ireland is a community based organic garden. When Mary Carmody rsm returned from a course in Genesis Farm New Jersey she knew she had to do something to raise awareness of the relationship between all expressions of life. The space became available and the people came ….

Interconnectedness

We cannot live harmlessly on the Earth and our hope as Mercy Sisters in this Province is to reduce the harm and increase our care and sensitivity towards all the Earth’s inhabitants and systems. We continue to call ourselves and others to a greater awareness of our interconnectedness. In collaboration with others we wish to further our education as we come to understand the story of an evolving Universe. Recently the ‘Be the Change Program’ has been rolled out throughout the length and breadth of Ireland and continues to inspire and spur to action many people of all ages. It is in the small thoughtful steps of life that we make progress and restore the balance of life in this universe. It is our wish that like Wendell Berry we ‘will prevent the desecration of the Earth and so not condemn ourselves to spiritual and moral loneliness and others to want’.

Fairtrade

It is a different way to trade. Fairtrade suppliers purchase quality tea, coffee, cocoa, sugar, fruit juice, bananas, flowers, cotton etc. from the small farmers in the third world countries and offer them a decent price for their produce. Fairtrade means better terms of trade. Fairtrade means safer and better working conditions for the producers.

The Fairtrade Ireland Mark guarantees and maintains these standards by regularly checking third world supplies and checking contracts and terms of work. When you see the Fairtrade Mark you can be sure that the farmer who produces the raw material is being paid a fair wage for his crop. This means that his family can live without fear of losing their land or having to work long hours in chemical–infested fields. The Fairtrade movement also guarantees a premium, extra money that has to be spent on community projects.

In Ireland and internationally sales of Fairtrade products are growing by about 40% a year. This growth is driven by consumers wanting to make a difference and by businesses responding to this pressure. Sisters of Mercy all over the world support the Fairtrade movement, some raise awareness by visiting schools, others are members of Fairtrade committees seeking to achieve Fairtrade status for towns. A recent survey has shown that Ireland has the highest number of Fairtrade towns per capita in the world. A Fairtrade town guarantees that a number of stores sell Fairtrade products, that a number of restaurants and pubs sell fair trade tea and coffee and that the Town Council supports the initiative.

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