Maptotes Goes Live!

One of our most popular items at Grand Central this summer were tote bags featuring great borough designs made by Maptotes. Maptotes spawned from founders Rachel Rheingold (a fashion stylist) and Michael Berick (a cartographer) desire to create something together. Today they launched their new website!

Their line has expand beyond totes to include mapnotes, winetotes & zip pouches- All featuring great map designs. The company even does custom designs for events and weddings.

Visit them at Maptotes and order your favorite city directly. Even though they represent the world they are made locally in NYC!

Skinny Skinny Opens Store In Williamsburg!

Miss those great Skinny Skinny soaps we had out our kiosk this summer? With beautiful packaging and scents like Lemon Blood Orange and Basil Mint, Skinny Skinny quickly became one of our favorite and most popular vendors.

Skinny Skinny has opened a flagship store in Brooklyn, NY. The grand opening is November 13, 2009 aka today! They have used reclaimed/salvaged wood for all of the furnishings and still using wind-power. The address is 129 Roebling Street #B, Brooklyn.

I think I am going to pop by for some Lavender Black Pepper soap stocking stuffers.

NY Small Scale Food Processors Assoc. Classes

For those of you interested in pricing your food product or artisan baking, check out 2 great workshops next week put on by the NY Small Scale Food Processors Association. This state wide organization was formed after a need was identified to help stop the demise of New York State family farms. It was decided that creating value added products from farm produce was the best way to keep businesses and grow it on the farms.

The workshops include "Pricing Your Product" and "Artisan Baking" and will be held Nov. 17 from 7-9 p.m. in Dutchess County at the Farm and Home Center, 2715 Rt. 2715 Rt. 44, Millbrook, N.Y. The workshops are preceded by a local foods supper.

Contact for information: Miriam Haas, mhaas@communitymarkets.biz or call 914-923-4837.

"Artisan Baking" will be presented by Janet Picarelli of Janet's Quality Baked Goods. Janet started her business in 2004 in a shared used kitchen. She developed unique forms of production and is now selling at six farmers markets and other venues. Her vast training and internships include the French Culinary Institute, the Culinary Institute of America, King Arthur Baking School, Baking Artisan Center and Collegeville Artisan Baking among others.

Or participants can select "Pricing Your Product," which will be presented by David Rudofsky of Rudofsky Associates and will provide training in winning financial and strategic solutions to new and growing businesses. Pricing your product is significant in planning for growth. David has worked with many food businesses. While President of this business for 20 years offering finance and strategic planning, he also teaches Managerial Accounting and Finance at Polytecnic University.*

To register, send a check for $35 (includes supper) to "NYSSFPA, PO Box 113, Stuyvesant Falls, NY 12174" and MARK "Artisan Baking" or "Pricing Product" on the check.

If you can't make this check out their Annual Conference in Saratoga, January 22-24, 2010 in conjunction with the NOFA-NY’s “Organic Farming and Gardening Conference”.

Endorse Local Labels for Shine A Light $100K Competition!

Local Labels has been nominated in the Shine A Light Competition to win $100,000 in grant and marketing support. We only need 50 endorsements to move to the judging phase so if you like the work we do, please endorse us! Thank you and La Vida Local!

Pigeon Feathers Take Flight as NYC Souvenir

If you're looking for something out-of-the-ordinary as a memento of your time spent in our fair city, something that goes beyond t-shirts and shot glasses, then step right up - we've got just the gift for you! We are selling genuine pigeon feathers - plucked from the streets of New York and sold as one-of-a-kind NYC souvenirs!

The feathers as NYC souvenir are the brainchild of Alyssa Zygmunt who works as a fashion designer by day, collector and crafter by night. She has collected feathers from all over the city, cleaned and then sealed them in test tubes with an identification tag listing the species and precise location of where the feather was found. The reaction to our feathers has certainly been visceral - people are either left speechless or think they're the greatest idea and can't wait to give them to their friends and family. We happen to be of the latter and want to share with everyone we know!

Not So Cheap After All

Listening to The Leonard Lopate Show on WNYC last week, I caught the tail-end of a fascinating interview with author Ellen Ruppel Shell, who wrote the book, Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture.

Shell investigates how our demand for cheap goods has propelled the forces of globalization and its subsequent fall-out, including outsourcing and planned obsolescence, undermining the stability of our economy.

I can't wait to tackle, but if you've already read, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Your other source for all things made in NYC

If you're not already familiar with one of our favorite non-profits, the New York Industrial Retention Network (NYIRN), then let us introduce you!

NYIRN provides business services for manufacturers, conducts research on the industrial sector, and organizes advocacy for NYC manufacturers.

Like NYIRN, we think manufacturing is important to New York City. Manufacturing plays a critical role for the City's diverse job force. On average, blue collar jobs pay more than a retail or restaurant job and is more likely to be unionized and provide benefits.

One of NYIRN's services is Made in NYC, a free online business-to-business directory of products made in New York. Manufacturers can register their companies and buyers can search for locally-made products, including green products. Made in NYC also provides product sourcing assistance.

Local Labels frequently uses their online service in findingly locally made products to feature on our website and sourcing jobs locally such as printing and packaging services.