Our Organic Merino Wool is grown by over 100 family farmers in the Chubut region of southern Argentina. Farms are each several thousand acres, as much of the land is arid, with an average of 1 sheep grazing for every 3 acres. These sheep are raised to the same standard as sheep raised for organic dairy and meat, and are regulated by the US Organic Rule. Taking the time and effort to understand the overall financial status of our farmers is what we call real fair trade.

Processing wool into finished socks is a long detailed process, and we are involved in each step. We source our Organic Merino Wool through a special top-maker (sheared wool that has been washed and combed) because our work with them helped to perfect the first certified eco-friendly washable wool (anti-felt) for our socks. The process is now certified by GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), and our months of trial have paid off: Batch after batch of high quality, thick and soft Maggie’s hikers and new Maggie’s baby wool socks wash and dry great. Just wash your wool socks inside out, and we guarantee they will stay soft and stretchy for years. Working with suppliers to constantly improve quality without raising prices is what we call real fair trade.

The spinning of the Organic Wool for our Killingtons is a true tale of American ingenuity. Once our organic wool tops are prepared, we deliver them to the oldest continuous wool spinning plant in North America, in business for over 200 years, and here is where the magic happens. Located a few hours outside of Boston, this plant is teeming with tales of skilled craftsmanship and heritage. Our modern consultants tell us the quality at this generations-old plant remains unsurpassed anywhere. Run by three brothers, we are honored to have our wool pass through their hands. Revitalizing the heritage of appropriate technology, and respecting the hands that create functional goods for our world is what we call real fair trade.

Our Organic Merino Wool socks are knit in both North Carolina and Alabama by two different family run knitters. Renee and Britt make our Killingtons, and constantly impress us with their quality and innovation. Having rebuilt their facility from the ground up after a devastating fire, theirs is one of only two mills left in a county that used to house 75. We cannot say enough about our newest knitter located in NE Alabama, who skillfully create's our Organic Urban Wools and new Organic Baby Wool Socks. Run by a home-town native who came back after seeing the world, we have learnt much from this team about seamless toe closures, the proper width for each size feet, and how extra wash time can reduce the stress on the sheep’s wool. This group has also taught us how Mexican immigrant and native Alabama workers can work side-by-side to produce some of the best quality socks that have ever carried a Maggie’s label. Constantly listening and learning from
our suppliers as well as our customers is what we
call real fair trade.

Our Wool yarn is dyed in North Carolina at a family owned-and-operated mill in business since 1943. Our dyes are all GOTS-compliant, and as our volume grows we hope to get them GOTS certified. Maggie’s produces 65% of our products in the USA, and all of our products in the Americas, reducing our carbon footprint dramatically. Seeking out producers as close to home as possible, and working with them to develop lower impact processes is what we call real fair trade.

The Chincha region of coastal Peru, some 150 miles south of Lima, is home to the lush cotton used to make Maggie’s Legging/Tights/Cams/Tanks/Tees and Scoops. Here, steamy days and cool nights combine for a perfect climate for this super-luxurious variety, but it is an art to coax it out of the ground and through the 6 month arid growing season. With climate change as the new reality, risks abound. Last year our farmers needed unexpected aid to cover the cost of special mid-season irrigation. So this year we begin a more direct relationship with our specific growers, either in the form of a pre-planting deposit like we have with our Nicaraguan cotton farmers, or to purchase needed machines. Responding to what farmers say they need, instead of purchasing what will look good in PR photos, is what we call
real fair trade.

In crop year 2015, for the first time, the cotton gin used for Maggie’s Peru products will begin processing Organic Cotton exclusively. This will save time and money as no extra cleaning will be required, and has enabled the gin to receive GOTS certification. Over 60% of a cotton harvest is lost during ginning, consisting of short unusable fibers, field trash, and seeds. In conventional cotton, this is also where most pesticide residue remains (and what ends up in cottonseed oil, dairy, meat and more. Working with our supply chains on continuous improvement in quality, environmental improvement, and living conditions is what we call real fair trade.

Our spinner is still a family-owned mill, which was created by a consolidation of several mills in Peru in the 1990s. They specialize in the slower, less stressful spinning that our fine quality cotton requires. They became GOTS certified in 2013, and our yarn is spun on a dedicated Organic line. We work with them because they are fully transparent, allowing us access to all areas of and employees in their facility. They also have a growing domestic market, which we believe delivers better working conditions and opportunities for income growth for workers. Reviewing all employment practices of each supplier we work with is what we call real fair.

We began working with a new family-owned Peruvian knitter in 2013. Thanks to a new testing protocol worked out with this facility, we have dramatically improved the stretch and recovery in the fabric used in our Leggings, Tanks and Scoops. Recently certified to GOTS, this Lima facility is helping to improve the quality of all of our fabrics. Also a note here about our trading partners in Lima: We have worked with this group since 2004 as they have developed from a first rate agricultural program to an on-the-ground partner at all stages of post-harvest production. We are impressed both with their dedication and their willingness to help us improve. Loyalty to the supply chains we develop over years is what we call real fair trade.

The final partner in this fully GOTS certified production chain is a brother-sister run sew shop that produces amazing quality while meeting tight deadlines. Whether working to improve our current styles or developing new, we work together to assure that our decisions are best for both and recently instituted a worker incentive program to increase productivity through individual rewards. Including our producers in developing our designs and decision-making is what we call real fair trade.

We purchase our organic cotton directly from over
2000 cooperative farmers in Nicaragua, making $400 prepayments each June for every 1000 lbs. of organic cotton we need for the following year. Our investments cover approximately half of the farmers’ annual cultivation costs. In December when the crop is harvested, Maggie’s pays the entire balance, at prices often higher than the established fair trade price. In this way we share our farmers’ risks, and we guarantee our customers a steady supply of great quality organic cotton. We have worked with these growers for many years through our NGO Jubilee House Community, helping to develop a special variety of cottonseed which is revitalizing both soils and an industry. Sharing risks and staying the course with cooperative farmers is what
we call real fair trade.

Summer 2016 Update: We are saddened to report that the Nicaraguan farmers, who we have worked with for over seven years to develop organic cotton, have lost their crops to unpredictable weather patterns due to climate change. Until we are able to develop a solution in Nicaragua, we are temporarily sourcing GOTS certified organic cotton from Pakistan. More information coming soon.

All of the cotton used in all of Maggie’s socks is ginned at a 100% worker-owned cooperative that is run by the farmer co-ops. Once the truckloads of seed cotton arrive at the gin, worker-owners run the equipment and bale the ginned cotton in preparation for shipment to the spinner. Maggie’s has stayed with this project through the early years of trials, even helping to hand-clean the fiber when needed. We pay for all ginned fiber as soon as it is completed, enabling the farmers to reap the harvest of their labor. Establishing long term relationships with our producers and making financial investments in their work is what we call real fair trade.

Summer 2016 Update: We are saddened to report that the Nicaraguan farmers, who we have worked with for over seven years to develop organic cotton, have lost their crops to unpredictable weather patterns due to climate change. Until we are able to develop a solution in Nicaragua, we are temporarily sourcing GOTS certified organic cotton from Pakistan. More information coming soon.

Our spinner is a family-owned-and-operated mill located in San Salvador. As one of the largest mills in Central America, organic cotton is a small part of their business, but they have provided both technical and financial support to our cooperative farmers, and they respect the direct relationship we have with these growers. They work with us to make sure the blend of our fiber and the twist in our yarn is adjusted each year to assure the highest quality socks, and they do it all in accordance with GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standards). Communication with and respect for our vendors is what we call real fair trade.

Summer 2016 Update: We are saddened to report that the Nicaraguan farmers, who we have worked with for over seven years to develop organic cotton, have lost their crops to unpredictable weather patterns due to climate change. Until we are able to develop a solution in Nicaragua, we are temporarily sourcing GOTS certified organic cotton from Pakistan. More information coming soon.

Our organic cotton yarn spinner provides knitting, and once we learned that they could handle low-impact fabric printing, we worked for several months on our first-ever print colors, the stripe series for our Hairware and later our Bias cut Skirts. Increasing capacity and diversity through ourcurrent partners, and developing new products around the abilities, is what we call real fair trade.

Our spinner is a family-owned-and-operated mill located in San Salvador. As one of the largest mills in Central America, organic cotton is a small part of their business, but they have provided both technical and financial support to our cooperative farmers, and they respect the direct relationship we have with these growers. They work with us to make sure the blend of our fiber and the twist in our yarn is adjusted each year to assure the highest quality socks, and they do it all in accordance with GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standards). Communication with and respect for our vendors is what we call real fair trade.Summer 2016 Update: We are saddened to report that the Nicaraguan farmers, who we have worked with for over seven years to develop organic cotton, have lost their crops to unpredictable weather patterns due to climate change. Until we are able to develop a solution in Nicaragua, we are temporarily sourcing GOTS certified organic cotton from Pakistan. More information coming soon.

Ever since we set up a successful worker-owned sewing cooperative in Nicaragua, we imagined bringing the idea home to the U.S. In 2008, we found the partners we needed to do just that in a small mill- shuttered town down the mountain from Asheville, North Carolina. Beginning with a project making whimsical stuffed animals from our excess socks, we sponsored and developed Opportunity Threads from the ground up. They are now a growing and diverse sewing facility that currently makes all of our Hairware and Skirts. Worker independence and engagement is what this project is all about, and OT is living proof of the quality the flows from respect and dignity.

We purchase our organic cotton directly from over
2000 cooperative farmers in Nicaragua, making $400 prepayments each June for every 1000 lbs. of organic cotton we need for the following year. Our investments cover approximately half of the farmers’ annual cultivation costs. In December when the crop is harvested, Maggie’s pays the entire balance, at prices often higher than the established fair trade price. In this way we share our farmers’ risks, and we guarantee our customers a steady supply of great quality organic cotton. We have worked with these growers for many years through our NGO Jubilee House Community, helping to develop a special variety of cottonseed which is revitalizing both soils and an industry. Sharing risks and staying the course with cooperative farmers is what
we call real fair trade.>

Summer 2016 Update: We are saddened to report that the Nicaraguan farmers, who we have worked with for over seven years to develop organic cotton, have lost their crops to unpredictable weather patterns due to climate change. Until we are able to develop a solution in Nicaragua, we are temporarily sourcing GOTS certified organic cotton from Pakistan. More information coming soon.

All of the cotton used in all of Maggie’s socks is ginned at a 100% worker-owned cooperative that is run by the farmer co-ops. Once the truckloads of seed cotton arrive at the gin, worker-owners run the equipment and bale the ginned cotton in preparation for shipment to the spinner. Maggie’s has stayed with this project through the early years of trials, even helping to hand-clean the fiber when needed. We pay for all ginned fiber as soon as it is completed, enabling the farmers to reap the harvest of their labor. Establishing long term relationships with our producers and making financial investments in their work is what we call real fair trade.

Summer 2016 Update: We are saddened to report that the Nicaraguan farmers, who we have worked with for over seven years to develop organic cotton, have lost their crops to unpredictable weather patterns due to climate change. Until we are able to develop a solution in Nicaragua, we are temporarily sourcing GOTS certified organic cotton from Pakistan. More information coming soon.

Our spinner is a family-owned-and-operated mill located in San Salvador. As one of the largest mills in Central America, organic cotton is a small part of their business, but they have provided both technical and financial support to our cooperative farmers, and they respect the direct relationship we have with these growers. They work with us to make sure the blend of our fiber and the twist in our yarn is adjusted each year to assure the highest quality socks, and they do it all in accordance with GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standards). Communication with and respect for our vendors is what we call real fair trade.

Summer 2016 Update: We are saddened to report that the Nicaraguan farmers, who we have worked with for over seven years to develop organic cotton, have lost their crops to unpredictable weather patterns due to climate change. Until we are able to develop a solution in Nicaragua, we are temporarily sourcing GOTS certified organic cotton from Pakistan. More information coming soon.

Our organic cotton yarn spinner provides knitting, and once we learned that they could handle low-impact fabric printing, we worked for several months on our first-ever print colors, the stripe series for our Hairware and later our Bias cut Skirts. Increasing capacity and diversity through ourcurrent partners, and developing new products around the abilities, is what we call real fair trade.

Ever since we set up a successful worker-owned sewing cooperative in Nicaragua, we imagined bringing the idea home to the U.S. In 2008, we found the partners we needed to do just that in a small mill- shuttered town down the mountain from Asheville, North Carolina. Beginning with a project making whimsical stuffed animals from our excess socks, we sponsored and developed Opportunity Threads from the ground up. They are now a growing and diverse sewing facility that currently makes all of our Hairware and Skirts. Worker independence and engagement is what this project is all about, and OT is living proof of the quality the flows from respect and dignity.

The Chincha region of coastal Peru, some 150 miles south of Lima, is home to the lush cotton used to make Maggie’s Legging/Tights/Cams/Tanks/Tees and Scoops. Here, steamy days and cool nights combine for a perfect climate for this super-luxurious variety, but it is an art to coax it out of the ground and through the 6 month arid growing season. With climate change as the new reality, risks abound. Last year our farmers needed unexpected aid to cover the cost of special mid-season irrigation. So this year we begin a more direct relationship with our specific growers, either in the form of a pre-planting deposit like we have with our Nicaraguan cotton farmers, or to purchase needed machines. Responding to what farmers say they need, instead of purchasing what will look good in PR photos, is what we call
real fair trade.

In crop year 2015, for the first time, the cotton gin used for Maggie’s Peru products will begin processing Organic Cotton exclusively. This will save time and money as no extra cleaning will be required, and has enabled the gin to receive GOTS certification. Over 60% of a cotton harvest is lost during ginning, consisting of short unusable fibers, field trash, and seeds. In conventional cotton, this is also where most pesticide residue remains (and what ends up in cottonseed oil, dairy, meat and more). Working with our supply chains on continuous improvement in quality, environmental improvement, and living conditions is what we call real fair trade.

Our spinner is still a family-owned mill, which was created by a consolidation of several mills in Peru in the 1990s. They specialize in the slower, less stressful spinning that our fine quality cotton requires. They became GOTS certified in 2013, and our yarn is spun on a dedicated Organic line. We work with them because they are fully transparent, allowing us access to all areas of and employees in their facility. They also have a growing domestic market, which we believe delivers better working conditions and opportunities for income growth for workers. Reviewing all employment practices of each supplier we work with is what we call real fair trade.

We began working with a new family-owned Peruvian knitter in 2013. Thanks to a new testing protocol worked out with this facility, we have dramatically improved the stretch and recovery in the fabric used in our Leggings, Tanks and Scoops. Recently certified to GOTS, this Lima facility is helping to improve the quality of all of our fabrics. Also a note here about our trading partners in Lima: We have worked with this group since 2004 as they have developed from a first rate agricultural program to an on-the-ground partner at all stages of post-harvest production. We are impressed both with their dedication and their willingness to help us improve. Loyalty to the supply chains we develop over years is what we call real fair trade.

The final partner in this fully GOTS certified production chain is a brother-sister run sew shop that produces amazing quality while meeting tight deadlines. Whether working to improve our current styles or developing new, we work together to assure that our decisions are best for both and recently instituted a worker incentive program to increase productivity through individual rewards. Including our producers in developing our designs and decision-making is what we call real fair trade.