Fair-trade practices : Annapolis businesses offering more socially conscious goods

The daughter of a reiki master who ran a country inn, Carleen Birnes never considered herself part of mainstream culture.

As a teenager, she visited a homeopathic doctor for checkups, exercised with morning yoga and ate organic foods. Her lifestyle is trendy by today's standards, so it's no surprise that the 33-year-old Severna Park resident is now at the forefront of another local and national movement: fair trade.

Fair-trade items are distributed by companies that ensure producers in Third World countries are paid well, have good hours, and an opportunity for advancement - no sweatshops allowed.

At Ms. Birnes' store,...