Gootium Starts Story Released By Founder

Gootium founder Jelimy has released a touching statement regarding how her company came to be. The California based company provides canvas backpacks and similar items to consumers and the founder recently stated that there is a reason behind the canvas products.

Jelimy relates, "I was then volunteering for the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms program in Australia. During my time at a small farm, I found a simple yet worn out backpack made of canvas that was actually a gift that the young farm hostess gave to her father. Even though it was pretty old and simply designed, he loved it. It was filled with charm and emotion and simply the most touching gift that I had ever seen."

Jelimy states that she decided to design a canvas backpack like this one; a simple design that not only lasts a lifetime, but can carry the emotions of those who own it.

"And that's where Gootium started," says Jelimy. "It was born of love and emotion, filled with old world charm and all contained in a gorgeous little simple designed canvas bag that is perfect whether you are a student attending university or just someone who likes a good quality backpack."

Jelimy says that the company's canvas backpack was the direct product of her inspiration. She states that what caught her eye in that original bag was the ancient fabrics that it was created from. She further states that the name Gootium is derived form the Latin term "Otium" which she states is what her company stands for. Otium is Latin for life spent simply with the best things alongside you. She says that she tried to recreate that original beauty; the simplistic design, the marks and lines from years of use, the charm and the beautiful handcrafted design, and customers of Gootium would agree that she has succeed.

The company points out that their backpacks have become among the most popular in the world. Jelimy says that the company designs their bags to last a lifetime and that they make them with details that make their customers' lives easier. The company today boasts of more than 20 years of experience in their industry and says that each bag, along with all of the details and features are customized to make them all unique. Each bag is specially washed to give them a vintage look and style.

WWOOF is a worldwide movement that links program volunteers with farmers in Australia that operate organic farms. The reasoning behind the organization is so that more people will be able to learn what it takes to build a sustainable global community. The World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms movement began back in 1972 in England when the first of the program volunteers spent a weekend on an organic farm, working on the farm in exchange for room and board.

Since that first volunteer weekend, the program has grown to more than 55 groups all over the world. WWOOF currently has programs in operation in Germany, France, Switzerland, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Korea, Austria, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. All groups operate independently but in a similar way. They work by putting volunteers in touch with host farms and the philosophy is to provide food and lodging on those farms for students and travelers in exchange for four to six hours per day of work from the travelers.

Jelimy says that it is one of the best programs in the world for promoting sustainability and that it has a special meaning to her because of what it began in her. She says that without that volunteering done in Australia all those years ago, she would not have seen that beautifully crafted canvas bag and would not have begun a company that today provides simply designed canvas bags to people all over the world. Jelimy says that she still believes in the mission of the program and recommends that anyone who has a chance to do so join the movement. She says that there is much to learn by working on an organic farm and that the world truly needs people who are learning sustainability. She says that she hopes that the program will one day provide enough volunteer workers to teach the entire world how to be sustainable. And she states that people in the program simply never know what experiences they will encounter. She says that her own experience has changed her life and the lives of her team and anyone who now owns a Gootium bag.