Plowshares Market offers unique gifts, a boost to its artisans

The package in Mary Green’s hand as she browsed the Plowshares International Fair-Trade Market had an elephant sketched on the front.

“It’s a giftbox, with stationery,” she explained. “From Sri Lanka.”

She, like many of the hundreds of shoppers who turned out Saturday morning at Abbey Road Christian Church, was enjoying the display of handcrafted goods from far-flung artisans.

Her stationery box, like the rest of the display, was charming.

What she neglected to mention, at least initially, was the paper in her purchase was made of recycled elephant dung.

“Oh, yes, it’s made from elephant poo,” she admitted with a conspiratorial grin. “Or elephant dung.”

At a nearby display table, she held up another item — a coloring book featuring elephant drawings — to illustrate why she felt good about buying it.

“It’s really a thicker paper,” she pointed out.

The pages indeed were thicker than printer paper, and with a pulpy, organic feel some such as Green found entertaining.

But past the paper itself, Green said she felt good about what the purchase would mean for the producers.

“It’s really cool the way these countries are able to use their resources without wasting it,” she said. “And if I’m gonna go to any craft fair, I’m going to support the local artisans and craftsmen. These aren’t local but, of course, I want to support the ministries as well.”

Lead organizer Melanie Sherinski said Abbey Road Christian Church’s fifth year hosting the Plowshares event was a bit smaller than years past, but the event typically makes between $6,000 and $8,000, all of which goes back to the artisans.

“We create a market for the craftspeople that create these arts,” she said, adding what originally inspired the church to host the sale was seeing similar works at other craft shows.

“I thought, ‘Well, we can do this, too,’” Sherinski said.

Every year, organizers travel to St. Louis to the Plowshares store on Delmar Boulevard, which sends them home with different goods each year.

This year, there were handmade jackets from Nepal and ponchos from Ecuador.

There was china from Vietnam, plus indigenous musical instruments and tortilla warmers from Guatemala.

One shopper, Helen Towner, said she learned the importance of sales such as these for small-time artisans while operating an imports store outside Chicago years ago.

“You have a lot of people over there who are just a lot poorer than we are,” she said.

Even if some of the items seemed pricey, she said, it’s often worth it in terms of ethics and craftsmanship.

Plus, the items have character. She picked up a small wooden box.

“Here, smell that?” she said, sniffing the inside and offering it. “Cinnamon.”

The box of cinnamon wood smelled like cinnamon, and the Tibetan singing bowl sang as advertised. Towner said craft shows such as Abbey Road Christian Church’s are a force for good.

“Money goes a lot further [in impoverished countries] than it does here,” she said.

And the variety is often worth the browsing, Sherinski said.

“Yes, it’s a little different every time,” she said. “We never know quite what we’re going to have.”

But it’s the unexpected poncho or elephant-poo stationery that keeps it interesting and great for Christmas shopping, she said.

“People have really been excited about that,” she said of the stationery. “For the person who has everything, right?”

tgraef@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3627

Pertinent address:

2411 Abbey Road, Cape Girardeau, Mo.