The inn that prints where the money goes
Fogo Island Inn shows where the money from your stay goes. The same 3 questions work for the things you buy for your home.
Fogo Island sits off the coast of Newfoundland. After the cod fishery collapsed, people began leaving. Zita Cobb grew up there in a house without electricity, then left to build a career elsewhere. She returned years later to find a way for more people to stay.
The inn has 29 rooms on stilts above the North Atlantic. Nearly all its furniture was made on Fogo Island, along with the quilts and other textiles. The inn belongs to Shorefast, a charity that puts its operating surpluses back into its work.
The inn also publishes an Economic Nutrition label for a night's stay. The label breaks the price into wages, food, room supplies and operating costs, then shows how much stays on Fogo Island and in Canada.
I read about it, looked at my kitchen table and realised I could not say who built it or what the top was made from. That is where these 3 questions came from.
The 3 questions
- Who made it, and where? Look for the workshop, the town and, if possible, the maker's name. "Made in Europe" still leaves a lot unanswered. If the page is vague, email and ask.
- What is it made of, all of it? Look for the full list, including finishes, fillings and glues. Words such as engineered, composite or performance need an explanation, so ask what they mean.
- What happens when a part breaks? If the maker sells spare parts, you can mend it instead of replacing the whole thing.
When a shop answers all 3 clearly, you know what you are buying and who your money supports.
Ask what happens when a part breaks.
You do not have to check the whole house at once. Start with what you touch most: the bed, the bedding, the chair you use every evening and the pans you cook in. The Hearth directory and the clothing one name the makers and spell out the materials for you.
| Who made it | Look for the workshop, the town and, if possible, the maker's name. If the page is vague, email and ask. |
|---|---|
| What it is made of | Look for the main material, finishes, fillings and glues. |
| Words to ask about | Engineered, composite, technical, performance and blend all need an explanation. |
| Can it be mended | Ask whether spare parts are available. |
| Is a high price a good sign | Price alone cannot tell you how something was made. |
| Where to start | The bed, the bedding, the chair you sit in, the pans you cook in. |
| What Fogo does | Publishes an Economic Nutrition label showing where the price of a stay goes. |
The short answers
For the next thing you buy.
How do you find out who made something?
Check the product page for a workshop and town. If it only names the brand, email and ask who made it and where.
What does a good materials list look like?
It names the main material along with the finishes, fillings and glues. Words such as engineered, composite or performance need an explanation, so ask what they mean.
Why does it matter what a thing is made of?
When each material is named, you can find out how it was made, how to care for it and how it will age. Plain materials are often easier to mend. The same thinking runs through the piece on cutting boards.
Is expensive the same as well made?
Price alone cannot tell you. Look at who made it, what it contains and whether it can be repaired.
What is the quickest test before buying?
Ask whether spare parts are available. If they are, you can repair the piece instead of replacing the whole thing.
What does Fogo Island Inn publish about its price?
Its Economic Nutrition label shows how the price of a stay is divided across costs such as wages, food, room supplies and operations. It also shows which places benefit from that spending.
Does buying locally made things really matter?
Buying locally can keep more of your money in the place where the work was done. At Fogo Island Inn, local furniture and textiles support island workshops and makers.
Where do you start in a whole house?
With what you touch most: the bed, the bedding, the chair you sit in and the pans you cook in. The rest can wait until it needs replacing.
The property. Fogo Island Inn, Joe Batt's Arm, Newfoundland. You can find its 29 rooms, island-made furniture and textiles on fogoislandinn.ca. Shorefast explains the charity ownership, the use of operating surpluses and the Economic Nutrition label. Wikipedia and saunders.no cover Zita Cobb's history, the cod moratorium and the stilted architecture by Todd Saunders.
The photograph. Fogo Island Inn, used with permission.
Reuse. Quote any part of this page with a link back to it. Educational purposes only, and not a substitute for medical advice.