Entry #12– January 7, 2011
Highest Quality Chocolates - Produced in Michigan and Serving the World
I am a Fair Trade and sustainability advocate, and I love chocolate. So, it’s great to combine those passions. Mimi Wheeler is doing wonderful things with chocolates and foes them in sustainable ways at her company in Empire, Michigan: Grocer’s Daughter Chocolates. Walking into Grocer's Daughter is akin to walking into the wonderful smells and tastes of chocolate shop in the movie "Chocolat" but with the cheerfulness, inside and out, of bright colors typical of Mexico's Caribbean or Ecuador's coastal towns. The flavors vary including pear, ginger, apricot orange, sunflower seed, chilis, and more. Each handmade chocolate is gorgeous, too.
Highest Quality Chocolates - Produced in Michigan and Serving the World
I am a Fair Trade and sustainability advocate, and I love chocolate. So, it’s great to combine those passions. Mimi Wheeler is doing wonderful things with chocolates and foes them in sustainable ways at her company in Empire, Michigan: Grocer’s Daughter Chocolates. Walking into Grocer's Daughter is akin to walking into the wonderful smells and tastes of chocolate shop in the movie "Chocolat" but with the cheerfulness, inside and out, of bright colors typical of Mexico's Caribbean or Ecuador's coastal towns. The flavors vary including pear, ginger, apricot orange, sunflower seed, chilis, and more. Each handmade chocolate is gorgeous, too.
I visited with Mimi Wheeler in June of 2010. I went to the Traverse City area to learn about organic, Fair Trade, and sustainable products being produced here in Michigan. Ms. Wheeler works closely with three others I interviewed: Chris Treter (Higher Grounds Coffees http://highergroundstrading.com ), Angela Mache (Light of Day Organic Teas http://lightofdayorganics.com ), and Timothy Young (Food for Thought http://www.foodforthought.net ). I love the fact that folks involved in the sustainability movement work with each other. For example, Grocers' Daughter folks use Food for Thought preserves in their chocolates, and Higher Grounds sells Grocer’s Daughter chocolates and Light of Day Teas.
People in Fair Trade, organics, cooperatives, and similar movements work together to give a hand up to others around the world. For example, Ms. Wheeler works with folks in a village in Ecuador helping them produce chocolates. Here is an article about that project: http://www.mlive.com/travel/index.ssf/2010/12/ecuador_chocola-tour_has_ties.html. Additionally, Ms Wheeler and Jody Treter (a co-founder of Higher Grounds Coffee) have established a company called GoBe to help indigenous producers in Ecuador through micro-loans.
copyright© 2011 by Paulette L. Stenzel for text and photo.
People in Fair Trade, organics, cooperatives, and similar movements work together to give a hand up to others around the world. For example, Ms. Wheeler works with folks in a village in Ecuador helping them produce chocolates. Here is an article about that project: http://www.mlive.com/travel/index.ssf/2010/12/ecuador_chocola-tour_has_ties.html. Additionally, Ms Wheeler and Jody Treter (a co-founder of Higher Grounds Coffee) have established a company called GoBe to help indigenous producers in Ecuador through micro-loans.
copyright© 2011 by Paulette L. Stenzel for text and photo.
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