It’s Very Cool to Go Local
Our Local Jazz Festival brings revenue to many local businesses, including the venue, our local art gallery and the food courtesy of one of our local restaurants.
I can’t recall when in recent memory there has been such a concerted effort to build up the local economy. The teetering global economy no doubt has a lot to do with this trend.
While being interconnected on a global scale has done amazing things to raise awareness about the needs of our human community, the impact of global trading on our local economies has been a mixed blessing.
We’ve seen enough 60-Minutes TV specials on the impact of big box stores on the demise of the mom and pop shops in our communities, but perhaps we’re in for another change…the re-emergence of the local entrepreneur.
The local food craze and new urbanism are making it cool to work, shop, play and do business close to home. A few years ago that was a concept for the communities and cities that had their act together through chance or the will of a few.
Now “going local” has gone mainstream and we have politicians passing legislation to make it easier to start and thrive in fast growing local businesses making the best of current commercial trends like “urban agriculture.”
Just last week the Mayor of New York, Michael R. Bloomberg, passed legislation to support and protect businesses that fall under the urban agriculture category. That’s one of the few times the Big Apple followed the trend of smaller
Jazz in our Town at the McKay Art Center
cities setting the pace for urban agriculture…cities like Cleveland. Read the article I wrote about Cleveland’s experience in the Initiative for Competitive Inner Cities‘ blog.
I’m feeling a chain reaction here and I’m hoping this is just the beginning. Go local!!
Enhancing Buy Local Options for Residents
Enhanced Buy Local Options in Unionville
When I think about the “eat local” movement I often connect this to the notion of eating food grown locally, which is the intended meaning of the term. But this weekend I thought about another meaning of the term that is equally valid given the goal of supporting our local economies and that is buying food–even imported food– from local vendors.
There will always be those foods that we simply can not grow or raise locally but that many of us will want to purchase. If we can reduce the pollution created by making a trip across town to our favorite cheese vendor or bakery I think that’s a good thing. Every little effort counts.
So this past long weekend I went strolling down our Main St. enjoying the usual mix of people and entertainment, and I was thrilled to see a new store open up that was not yet ANOTHER restaurant or knick-knack store for tourists. We now have our very own, brand new, deli and bakery on Main. While this is standard fare for most sizable town thoroughfares, our Main St. was an “intentional” Main St. established to bring people to the street not through necessity but as a way of bringing to life the principles of new urbanism and sparking the development of a vital community.
We already have multiple shopping choices (a.k.a. supermarkets) a five-minute drive away in every direction. But if our “intentional” Main St. is to be more than a tourist haunt or seasonal festival stop for the residents in our neighborhood, we really did need more buy local options.
Thanks to an existing Main St. retailer (Mariani’s Clothiers for Men) we now have one more choice to make our Main St. even more walkable. Mariani’s made a decision to increase their investment on Main St., and for good reason. They’ve been doing business here for almost 30 years will benefit from efforts to make the street even more vibrant.
I gather they figured rather than waiting for another vendor to offer some real options for residents they’d make the stretch themselves. While expanding from a men’s tailor shop to a deli and bakery may seem like a questionable move from a business standpoint, I know the family is very entrepreneurial and creative–not to mention Italian. You should see the delicious choices of meats, cheeses, home made pasta and pasta sauces in this store. Mouth watering!
So the next time you worry about the limitations associated with a commitment to “eating locally” grown produce and other foods, I propose you think again. We can help our local independent vendors to thrive right alongside our local/regional farmers. In doing so we can get choice and value while contributing to the vitality of our local economies. Having such a variety of choices will serve to enhance our efforts to create healthy living environments for all.
Show #6 Eating Locally and Inspired Organization
Today’s show is really special because we’ve got great tips, a wonderful guest and a chance for listeners to win an iPod!! Read on…
Our weekly community update will discuss the environmental cost of NOT eating local and ways in which you can be more of an “eat local” advocate in your community.
The featured Mom for today’s show is popular mompreneur Alyssa Avant who’ll talk about her newest venture for women who need organization in their lives.
We’ll also feature our first podcast CONTEST courtesy of Moms Talk Radio. You’ll want to ensure you listen to today’s show so that you can hear and write down the Secret Phrase that you’ll need to win the Mom’s Talk Radio.com Contest “I didn’t get an iPod for Mother’s Day and I Really, Really Wanted One!” The lucky winner of this contest will receive a Pink 8 gig iPod Nano!
Related References for This Show:
If you’d like to access this podcast, please leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you. Due to space restrictions (it’s costly!) I’ve had to remove some of the older podcasts.
Eat Local Save the Family Farm, the Environment
By now most of us know that North American agriculture is for the most part industrialized. What more folks are talking about now is the impact on our health, the environment and the economy because of all this industrialized farming.
Machines are used to do everything from remove freshly laid eggs from the mama chicken’s living compartment (prison) to feeding and slaughtering animals.
Industrial agriculture also involves a tremendous amount of chemicals used as part of the process to control the ripening of our produce so they can stay ”fresh” during their long trek across country and borders to households around the nation and the world.
There is, of course, a cost associated wtih all this industrialized food production. It takes fuel to run all this machinery and ship produce. Currently a barrel of oil costs $120 U.S.
Did you know it takes 35 gallons of oil or the equivalent of a barrel, to raise a steer to go to market? Recent media reports indicate that 25% of American petroleum is consumed in the producing and transporting of food.
Green living advocates across the country are advocating for a solution to this dilemma that is quite simply focused on encouraging people to eat locally.
When we eat food grown locally not ony are we eating food that in all liklihood has less (or no) preservatives (because it’s not travelling far) but we are helping our environment and our local economy and farmers.
Industrial agriculture is not environmental friendly. It uses too much fuel. There are also ethical issues involved as industrial farming uses mechanized methods of slaughtering livestock that many consider to be inhumane.
Thousands of family farms have gone under in the last few decades. Farmers haven’t been able to make a living for their families given the high costs associated with farming today and the relatively low prices of agricultural goods in our supermakrets. Farmers just aren’t making enough to cover expenses.
Many are calling for policies and legislation to help the family farm to produce products for local markets.
You can do your part – try to eat products from your local/regional farmers. Some school boards and restaurants are making a concerted effort to purchase products from regional suppliers/farmers. Raise this issue with your local stores and community organizations. Let’s help to save the family farm and support our regional communities.
EDITED TO ADD RESOURCE: Thanks to the great readers on this site I was reminded to add one of the best resources for information about eating locally. The website www.localharvest.org should be on your favorites tool bar if you want to learn more about eating locally. Locally grown food is healthier and CSA’s or Community Supported Agriculture groups are springing up all over to help more of us benefit from this lifestyle change. Read about CSAs on the Local Harvest website.
I’m Also Here…
