Sioux Falls mural coming soon!
Celebrating Marie Ronette Botramisy
in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
In Sioux Falls, we are proud to partner with the Sioux Falls Food Co-op and local artist, Erin Castle, to celebrate community leader and organic vanilla farmer, Marie Ronette Botramisy, who grows vanilla used in products like Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.
This mural is being installed a 410 W 18th St, Sioux Falls, SD 57104.
THE FARMER
Marie Ronette Botramisy
Marie Ronette Botramisy is a member of LAFIMA vanilla farmers cooperative, situated in the SAVA region of northeastern Madagascar.
LAFIMA co-op became Fairtrade certified in 2021, in conjunction with Ben & Jerry’s initiative to strengthen Fairtrade certified vanilla producers in Madagascar. This cooperative is made up of 341 members, of which about one-third are women farmers.
Skills to share
Marie is a lead farmer in Ben & Jerry’s Vanilla Living Income Accelerator, focusing on regenerative agriculture practices. This three-year old pilot project is implemented jointly by Virginia Dare Madagascar and Fairtrade Africa, with the aims of strengthening Fairtrade cooperatives and improving resilience for vanilla farmers.
A core aspect of this program is selecting high-potential farmers for personalized training and support to fully implement a sustainable farming model, including sustainable vanilla production, high quality curing, regenerative agriculture, and food crop production. In addition to training, these lead farmers, like Marie, receive in-kind and cash support for their work.
Marie credits the skills she has developed through the lead farmer program as pivotal for managing her land more effectively and sustainably. She has learned how to install drainage canals to reduce runoff and preserve soil nutrients,and how to implement composting and crop rotation. Lead farmers like Marie then share practices they have found successful with their fellow co-op members. Marie has found this process rewarding and sees tangible ways that partnership with Fairtrade and Ben & Jerry’s have benefited her community.
Impact in farming communities
LAFIMA co-op has used the Fairtrade Premium funds it earns and democratically distributes to purchase land for the construction of offices and a storage warehouse for its farmers, installing sanitary facilities for a public elementary school in the region, and to cover costs associated with certification.
In addition to community benefits like these, Marie has seen vast improvement in her crop quality and yield since applying practices she learned as a lead farmer, and especially appreciates the individualized support she has received from program agronomists, who help identify obstacles specific to her own land.
Marie sees the benefits of her participation in the project as ongoing, saying “It is thanks to the support we received that our lives have taken a new turn. We are more motivated than ever to continue working hard. In addition, we identified follower farmers from within our cooperative, with whom we share our knowledge”.
THE ARTIST
Erin Castle
Erin Castle is a curator, consultant, and arts advocate with over 20 years of experience in the Sioux Falls creative community. A graduate of Augustana University with a BFA in painting, she has worked across arts businesses, custom framing, and consulting, and is now Curator at the Washington Pavilion’s Visual Arts Center and an Art Consultant for WPMI. Erin has been instrumental in bringing large-scale public art installations to Sioux Falls and serves on the board of the Sioux Falls Arts Council as well as several public arts committees. Alongside her curatorial work, she maintains her creative practice as a visual artist and musician and is a proud wife and mother of two.
In Erin’s words: “Supporting Fairtrade Month is important to me because it helps us see the people behind the products we use every day. Too often, we forget the farmers and workers whose labor makes those products possible. By creating murals that share their faces and stories, Fairtrade builds empathy and inspires better choices that support families and communities worldwide. I’m grateful to play a small part in that.”
THE BRAND
Ben & Jerry’s
Ben & Jerry's is an aspiring social justice company that believes in a greater calling than simply making and selling the world's best ice cream. The company produces a wide variety of super-premium ice cream and Non-Dairy/vegan desserts using high-quality ingredients and lots of big chunks and swirls. As a Certified B Corp, Ben & Jerry's incorporates its vision of Linked Prosperity into its business practices via values-led sourcing initiatives when purchasing ingredients. Ben & Jerry's is distributed in over 35 countries in supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, franchised Scoop Shops, and via on-demand delivery services. Ben & Jerry's, a Vermont corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of Unilever, operates its business on a three-part Mission Statement emphasizing product quality, a fair financial return, and addressing issues of social, racial, and environmental injustice around the globe. The Ben & Jerry's Foundation, guided by Ben & Jerry's employees, granted $4.5 MM in 2024 to support progressive, justice-focused grassroots organizing around the country. For up-to-date information visit benjerry.com.
THE LOCATION
Sioux Falls Food Co-op
The Sioux Falls Food Co-op has been serving the greater Sioux Falls area since 1973. Currently, it is the only consumer-owned and governed grocery cooperative in the city. The Co-op is here to provide high quality foods in the most environmentally friendly and cost-efficient way possible. The store is committed to providing products grown and prepared in an environmentally responsible way, which means supporting local and organic producers as much as possible. Our store is based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and solidarity. We believe in the ethical values of inclusivity, honesty, openness, social responsibility, and caring for others. The Sioux Falls Food Co-op welcomes all.
