MERIDIAN, Idaho — October is Fairtrade Month. It promotes a movement that aims to ensure farmers and workers receive fair pay, promotes environmental sustainability, builds relationships between producers and end users and address labor exploitation.
Fairtrade America commissioned murals in Denver, Buffalo, and here in Idaho, at the Boise Co-op in Meridian.
It's part of a campaign that highlights the role we have in creating trade systems that prioritize people and the planet.
For the artist, it means a lot to be the person on the job.
Armed with cans of color, Bobby Gaytan spray paints a masterpiece.
"These farmers are from the Dominican Republic," said Gaytan. "They are cocoa farmers. They are siblings, Carlita and Francisco Martinez. They're highlighting these farmers to just bring attention to to the work that Fairtrade America does."
It takes layers to create a piece that tells a story, and much like Bobby Gaytan, this piece brings together layers of the past, and blends it with the present.
"I've been painting now at least 20 years," he said. "Mostly with spray paint."
There is a base to this creation.
"This is very close to my heart," he said. "I am a former migrant farm worker, so I did a lot of work in the farms, so for me to represent farmers in a very positive way that brings a positive light and it puts a face to where your food comes from."
For Gaytan, it hits close to home.
"To me it does because there's representation you know," he said. "As a brown, person of color, I get to paint Spanish speaking farmers and so for me that's another cool thing I get to represent is my Hispanic heritage."
Raised in Mountain Home, he said one person primed the surface of his art career.
"Across the street, there's an apartment complex, and over the weekend, my high school art teacher was cat sitting her daughter's cat," he said. "It was pretty cool because she messaged me, saying that she came outside to get fresh air, and she noticed the mural, how colorful and pretty how it was, and she wanted to get a closer look and she's noticed my name, and so she immediately messaged me and saying how proud she was and it's a cool full circle moment for me."
This isn't his first mural, but this one paints a brighter picture than the rest.
Inspiration to paint farmers comes from his dad's dedication to working in the potato industry.
"I've always wanted to do art for a living, and just having my name up there, it's a proud moment," he said. "I'm the only boy in the family, and so I think when my dad comes around and visits, it's a proud moment for him to see his son have a name out there."
He also brushed in the beauty of his mother.
"The butterfly is kind of part of my signature," he said. "I use it a lot of my work. It's a very personal representation of my mother, but it's also symbolizes transformation. It symbolizes migration."
This project wasn't just for him, his family or the Fairtrade farmers, but also a stroke of inspiration for the community.
"There are lots of honks and lots of thumbs up," he said. "There is a friend I met, Bruce, his wife and his dog, come everyday and look forward to it."
The final layer is a spray-painted reminder that art, just like farming, starts from the ground up and with the right strokes, it can flourish into something that leaves a big impact.
"It's just a good educational experience for people to learn more about that," said Gaytan. "I always try to add something positive back to my community and just being part of this project has allowed me to do that."
The farmers from the Dominican Republic provide cocoa that gets used in Boise Co-op's products.
There will be a plaque to tell more of their story and to learn more about Boise Co-op's partnership with Fairtrade America and their efforts.