About
Katrina Ulrich
katrina@marigoldway.com
katrina@marigoldway.com
Red Persimmon LLC DBA Marigold Way is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota
THE HISTORY OF RED PERSIMMON LLC
In 1998 I first went to India to do some volunteer work at a women's income generation program. It was love from the first moment I stepped foot in India.
My older sister Tamar DeJong founded and has run Blue Mango Trust for 12 years. In the early years I traveled a number of times back to India to lend a helping hand as a volunteer at Blue Mango and in 2004 launched Red Persimmon Imports and became the first major international buyer of Blue Mango products. This collaboration has helped both Red Persimmon and Blue Mango to grow over the years.
As of 2014, I source and sell products from India, Bali, Mexico and Madagascar. Although not all of my sources are certified Fair Trade *, each one is a socially conscious business or traditional artisan and I have a one-on-one relationship with them all. This ensures that all of my product is ethically sourced, there is no child labor and that the artisans/workers have good working conditions and fair wages.
I was a vendor at Capitol Hill Flea Market on Saturdays and The Flea Market at Eastern Market on Sundays (both in the same location) in Washington, DC for 11 years from 2004 through 2014. In 2015 I relocated back to Minneapolis, Minn where my home base was the Minneapolis Farmer's Market Annex on East Lyndale North. In 2017 I partnered with Jenny Loomis with the intent of opening a retail store in NE Mpls where we hope to see a lot of you!!
In 1998 I first went to India to do some volunteer work at a women's income generation program. It was love from the first moment I stepped foot in India.
My older sister Tamar DeJong founded and has run Blue Mango Trust for 12 years. In the early years I traveled a number of times back to India to lend a helping hand as a volunteer at Blue Mango and in 2004 launched Red Persimmon Imports and became the first major international buyer of Blue Mango products. This collaboration has helped both Red Persimmon and Blue Mango to grow over the years.
As of 2014, I source and sell products from India, Bali, Mexico and Madagascar. Although not all of my sources are certified Fair Trade *, each one is a socially conscious business or traditional artisan and I have a one-on-one relationship with them all. This ensures that all of my product is ethically sourced, there is no child labor and that the artisans/workers have good working conditions and fair wages.
I was a vendor at Capitol Hill Flea Market on Saturdays and The Flea Market at Eastern Market on Sundays (both in the same location) in Washington, DC for 11 years from 2004 through 2014. In 2015 I relocated back to Minneapolis, Minn where my home base was the Minneapolis Farmer's Market Annex on East Lyndale North. In 2017 I partnered with Jenny Loomis with the intent of opening a retail store in NE Mpls where we hope to see a lot of you!!
ABOUT ME
I was born in under the tropical sun of Madagascar to American parents. From an early age I have considered myself a nomadic global citizen, imbued with a love of third world countries with all their beauty and sorrow. The love of textiles has been a part of my life since I was a child. When I was 5 I learned to knit . My mom, Carol, sewed all of our clothing and household accessories way out in the boonies in Madagascar. She taught me to sew on a treadle sewing machine and as a young girl my sisters and I were taught the art of fine hand stitching by Spanish missionary nuns. I went to an American boarding school in the south of the Island where a teacher's wife taught us girls to sew on an electric sewing machine. At 16 we moved to South Africa where I finished high school. In South Africa I learned the art of traditional German doll making and the Waldorf Education system of using natural fibers like wool felt and wool stuffing. I went to college in Minnesota where I majored in Functional Art. After that, I apprenticed with a Master Weaver in Minneapolis for a year. Upon my move to Maryland I learned the art of quilting.
During the years of my business incubation, I was a stay at home mom raising three wonderful daughters who are the stars in my universe. I am daily thankful for them and for the support of my family in my life.
I was born in under the tropical sun of Madagascar to American parents. From an early age I have considered myself a nomadic global citizen, imbued with a love of third world countries with all their beauty and sorrow. The love of textiles has been a part of my life since I was a child. When I was 5 I learned to knit . My mom, Carol, sewed all of our clothing and household accessories way out in the boonies in Madagascar. She taught me to sew on a treadle sewing machine and as a young girl my sisters and I were taught the art of fine hand stitching by Spanish missionary nuns. I went to an American boarding school in the south of the Island where a teacher's wife taught us girls to sew on an electric sewing machine. At 16 we moved to South Africa where I finished high school. In South Africa I learned the art of traditional German doll making and the Waldorf Education system of using natural fibers like wool felt and wool stuffing. I went to college in Minnesota where I majored in Functional Art. After that, I apprenticed with a Master Weaver in Minneapolis for a year. Upon my move to Maryland I learned the art of quilting.
During the years of my business incubation, I was a stay at home mom raising three wonderful daughters who are the stars in my universe. I am daily thankful for them and for the support of my family in my life.
