With graduation, Mothers’ Day, and wedding season on the horizon, perhaps you’re in search of some special, locally made, hand crafted gifts. Look no further than Middlebury’s own Danforth Pewter! They’re our Co-op Connection Business of the Month for April and member-owners can enjoy 10% off when shopping at Danforth Pewter. Visit their workshop and store at 52 Seymour Street where you might catch a glimpse of their pewter crafters in action, thanks to the workshop viewing windows. They also have a beautiful retail store on Main Street in the heart of downtown Middlebury, or you can visit them online.
The Danforth family has a rich history of working with pewter, dating all the way back to 1755 when Thomas Danforth II opened a pewter workshop in colonial Connecticut. Several generations of the Danforth family followed him into the pewter trade. The last of the colonial-era Danforths stopped working in pewter in 1873. There is colonial Danforth pewter in the Smithsonian, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Museum Collection at Colonial Williamsburg, and many other American museums.
One hundred years later, Thomas Danforth II’s great-great-great-great-great grandson Fred Danforth, and Fred’s wife Judi Danforth, revived the family tradition when they opened Danforth Pewter in Vermont in 1975. Over the next 33 years, the company grew to include four retail stores, a web store, a wholesale business providing products to several hundred independent gift stores around the country, a custom design business, and a corporate gift and recognition business.
Today, every piece of Danforth, Shirley and Pewter Port pewter is crafted by hand from 100% lead-free fine pewter in our Middlebury, Vermont workshop. Our line includes everything from miniature pocket charms to one-of-a-kind oil lamps signed by the artist, and our more popular categories are jewelry, holiday ornaments and key rings.
Here’s what Fred & Judi have to say about their pewter:
We are passionate about our craft and proud of our family’s longtime involvement in the rich history of pewter making in America. We strive to keep artisan pewter alive and well in the 21st century by offering a wide range of items, with both original contemporary designs and classic pieces.
Our pewter is 100% lead-free and meets or exceeds all FDA food-safety standards. Our designs and products are all hand crafted right here in Middlebury, Vermont.
We strive to make your entire experience special. From learning about pewter to receiving your final purchase, we want your every interaction with our company to be a reflection of our passion for beautiful pewter gifts. Our goal is your complete satisfaction, and to ensure that your ordering experience is timely, convenient, and enjoyable.
Click here for a full listing of Co-op Connection businesses and discounts.
Perhaps you’ve noticed that some of your favorite products are sporting a new logo and you’re wondering what it means to be B-Corp Certified? Here’s the scoop:
B Corp is a global movement of people using the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. You might say that a B Corps certification is to sustainable business what LEED certification is to green building. To earn a B Corps certification, companies must pass a rigorous review by the non-profit B Lab, which verifies that a company is meeting the highest standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Over 1,600 companies in 47 countries have been certified thus far, with one unifying goal: to redefine success in business. Because transparency is a valued component of this program, all company ratings and impact reports can be found on the B Corp web page
Here are just a few of the B Corp Certified brands that you can find at the Co-op:
Have you heard about the NOFA-VT Farmer Correspondence program?
The goal of this unique partnership is to expand agricultural awareness by nurturing relationships between children in the community and their local farms. The Farmer Correspondence Program matches classrooms with farmers based on interests and grade levels. Farmer pen-pals correspond with students during the winter and spring, educating them about life and work on the farm. The students then have the opportunity to take a field trip to visit their farmer pen-pal and see what life on the farm is like! NOFA-VT pays the farmer a stipend for their time, and the Middlebury Co-op provides funding for the field trips. The program is free for schools interested in participating! To learn more about how to get involved, click here.
Henry & Lisa’s Natural Seafood, based in Seattle, Washington is our Member Deals Producer of the Week from March 31st – April 6th. During this time, member-owners can enjoy 20% their full line of sustainable seafood products!
Henry & Lisa Lovejoy launched their company in 1999 with the belief that there are many concerned people just like them who care about where their food comes from, care for the environment, and desire a source of all natural premium quality seafood from environmentally sustainable fisheries. Having spent 10 years in the seafood industry traveling around the globe and visiting seafood exchanges from Tokyo to Paris, Beijing to Madrid, they witnessed the astounding volume of seafood being sold each day on these exchanges, and noticed the size of many of the fish decreasing. Simultaneously, there was more and more news that numerous species were being fished to the point of commercial extinction. It became very evident that the world is harvesting our oceans faster than they can replenish themselves, and these resources need better management.
Henry & Lisa both have a deep respect for and great appreciation of the oceans. As a youngster, Henry was inspired by Jacques Cousteau, spent time volunteering at the New England Aquarium, and learned to scuba dive. Now as avid scuba divers and sea kayakers, whenever they have a chance, they are out exploring the ocean and feeling their love and respect for it grow.
Much has changed since Henry first sat down to write the EcoFish business plan. Today you can find EcoFish/Henry & Lisa’s in over 3,500 grocery/natural food stores and many restaurants nationwide. But, a lot has stayed the same. They continue to source the finest seafood available from both well managed wild fisheries and state of the art eco-friendly aquaculture operations.
From how they purchase their seafood, to their 100% recycled packaging, to the renewable energy that powers their office, to the many marine & conservation causes they support, each purchase of Henry & Lisa’s Natural Seafood helps them further their mission.
![IMG_3627[1]](https://middlebury.coop/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IMG_36271-300x225.jpg)
![IMG_3630[1]](https://middlebury.coop/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IMG_36301-300x225.jpg)
