By Savannah Mayfield

While our national and local economies have been in a decline over the past two years, there is an economy in Portland that is thriving: the “mama economy.”

The mama economy is made up of creative, community-minded mothers who enjoy swapping, bartering and selling their goods and services to each other.

I spoke with numerous local mothers (and a couple of dads!) to get feedback on how this grassroots economy is working in Portland.

Tony Fuentes of Milagros Boutique, a natural baby and child boutique that sells many locally-crafted (by mothers) goods, says that the mama economy is based on “a unique combination of values in Portland, namely a strong do it yourself ethic, a strong environmental ethic, and a strong belief in community connectedness.”

The mama economy is all about sustainability. A recent study by the Rochester, N.Y.-based Nalge Nunc International Corp. found Portland to be “America’s third least wasteful city.” The study found that 78 percent of Portland residents consider themselves to be “eco-conscious.”

Swapping is environmentally smart. Rather than throwing out clothes that their children or they themselves no longer wear, or going to a big box store to buy something new that is made in China, Portland mamas are holding organized swaps meets.

PDXswaps is a locally-run, highly organized swapping group that meets regularly to exchange clothes based on sizes. It started with a few women of the same size getting together to exchange clothes. Now, there are regular “swaps” all over the city. According to the Web site, “the exchange isn't just about getting some new threads and getting rid of your stuff. It's also about making a difference environmentally, economically and socially.”

Portland also has three cooperatively run swap shops, all started by local moms: Sunnyside Swap Shop Co-op, St. John’s Swap and Play, and NE Family Cooperative Swap and Play Café. For a reasonable monthly fee, members have the opportunity to gather in the swap spaces to connect, sift through items brought by other members and utilize indoor (and even outdoor) play space for their children.

The swapping happens in good faith. The members bring in items in good condition and place them on the shelves and bins and then take (of equal value) what they do want/need. Clothes, shoes, toys, household goods and books make up most of the swapping. The Swap Shops also have organized meet-ups for craft time, music and story time and movement classes (at no extra charge) and family evenings with entertainment.

Karen Hery, founder of the Sunnyside Swap Shop claims that swapping is vital in a recession. “I get congratulated now and again by friends who still live in California for having the idea to start the Sunnyside Swap Shop just at the beginning of the economic downturn. I was definitely working hard to recession proof my life around that time mostly because I didn't feel comfortable living at the edge of my means… I remember back in the 80s how much we would laugh at people of our grandparents era for still folding up tin foil to save in their purse or continuing to put away cans of beans when they were so readily available at low cost at the store. Maybe our own grandkids will laugh at us some day for our bartering and swapping ways or maybe they'll be asking us why we waited so long into the global warming crisis to stop buying so many new things that we didn't really need to begin with.”

Nikki Monacelli, a member of Sunnyside Swap Shop said “Moms want to break the cycle of addiction to resources and belief in the myths of the consumerist society for the next generation which they're raising. My son now has a totally different relationship with "stuff" than I did growing up.” She also said that her family is using the swap shop to get all their clothing this year instead of buying new or even resale.

More than one mama shared with me that bartering and swapping was one way they could contribute to the household income, even if they weren’t working for money.

Portland mamas are also exchanging through the Internet. Several mamas reported that they posted items on Facebook or in blog posts and within hours, offers were made for a swap. One mama passed on her son’s bike for a lovely bag, handmade by another mother. These kind of connections make the mama economy work.

Community connection comes naturally to mothers. Most women enjoy the relationships that form around sharing and swapping goods and services. Often, women feel isolated when they become mothers and actively seek supportive connections.

The mama economy is also driven by the creative expression of Portland mothers. Milagros Boutique hosts the Crafty Mamas Bazaar several times per year. Only locally-crafted mother-made goods are sold. While many of the items sold are practical, there is a drive to create something unique and personal.

One crafting mother told me that every year she exchanges her hand-made goods for most of her holiday gifts, usually items made by other local mothers.

Portland mamas are also bartering. Whether for goods or services, they are leveraging what they have to offer for what they want. One mother told me that she is bartering for most of her daughter’s preschool tuition by painting the school. Others said they bartered for massage therapy, chiropractic care, a reduction in lawyer fees, housecleaning services, photography sessions, life coaching, childcare and more.

And some mothers turn their bartering into micro-businesses, supported by the mama market .

Chris Musser of Lost Arts Kitchen said: “I trade cooking classes and private lessons with moms for services like massage, babysitting, and yard work. In fact, I started Lost Arts Kitchen after years of informally teaching friends to cook, bake and can...especially my mom friends who suddenly found themselves wishing they could make healthier, safer food at home for their young children. The vast majority of my students are moms.”

While unemployment is high and many local businesses in Portland are struggling, the mama economy is growing. Perhaps economists should pay attention. Creativity, community and a commitment to sustainability can lead to positive growth!

Mama Economy Resources:
PDXswaps: www.PDXswaps.com
Milagros Boutique: www.milagrosboutique.com
Sunnyside Swap Shop Co-op: www.sunnysideswapshop.org
St. John’s Swap and Play: www.swapnplay.wordpress.com
NE Swap and Play Café: www.nefamilycoop.wordpress.com

Savannah Mayfield is the mama of two boys and a Life Coach and freelance writer in Portland. She also loves to swap and barter! www.nurturelifecoaching.com