Buying local is buying green
by Jeannie Piekos
The idea of buying local is getting a lot of
attention these days. Before this new phenomena stole the headlines
the old news was all about organics. But organics are so simple.
It’s easy to understand that organic vegetables are better
for the environment and better for one’s health. Who would
choose the pesticide-sprayed tomato over the simple organic one?
While consumers may understand the concept of organics more easily
than they understand the concept of buying local, buying local is
equally important.
Freshness counts
According to Local Harvest (www.localharvest.org) most of the produce
we find on the supermarket shelf was harvested up to a week before
consumers even laid eyes on it. Not exactly fresh off the farm.
The food has also had quite an adventure before it arrived at the
store. Some produce travels up to 1,500 miles before it arrives
in your local grocery. And that is just veggies from North America.
Imagine if the asparagus you are having for dinner came from South
America or Asia!
Fresh food tastes better. But for some produce,
like tomatoes and apples, there’s more at stake than just
taste. For example the longer apples are off the tree, the faster
they lose important vitamins your body needs. So buying local means
you get more vitamins and minerals as well as a fresher tasting
tomato. It’s not just fences that make good neighbors.
Buying local is not just about taste buds and
building strong bodies. It also helps the local economy. As a Minnesotan,
I would rather buy corn from a Minnesota farmer. We are neighbors
in the Minnesota community. The farmer pays Minnesota taxes, employs
fellow Minnesotans and invests back into the state of Minnesota.
If I buy my produce from a Minnesota farmer it helps all of Minnesota.
One small step
Consumers are getting savvier and paying closer
attention to where their food is grown. This is beneficial because
the food is fresher, the money stays within the community and helps
the local economy; plus, consumers leave a smaller carbon footprint.
Huh—what’s a carbon footprint? According to Carbon Footprint
(www.carbonfootprint.com), a website designed to help determine
an individual’s impact on the earth, a carbon footprint is
“… a measure of the impact human activities have on
the environment in terms of the amount of green house gases produced,
measured in units of carbon dioxide.”
Remember that asparagus that traveled 1,500
miles to your grocery store? It contributed an enormous carbon footprint
because of the carbon dioxide produced by its transportation from
the farm site to your table. For the Minnesota consumers, asparagus
from South America has a heavier carbon footprint than asparagus
from California; asparagus from California has a heavier footprint
than asparagus from Michigan but asparagus from Minnesota would
have the lightest footprint of all. Ah ha.
Buying local for the holidays
Buying local can be a purchasing strategy that goes beyond food.
Almost everything that you need can be bought locally especially
if you live in a large city. The average American spends $750-$900
each year on holiday gifts. Nearly a quarter of all retail spending
for the entire year happens in two months—November and December.
For American consumers, shopping can be a revolutionary act. If
we as shoppers are unhappy with the big box retailers, we have a
powerful weapon at our disposal. We do not have to give them our
hard-earned green-backs. If we as shoppers are tired of toys made
far from home and shipped half way across the world we can instead
go to a farmer’s market or a holiday arts and crafts show
and buy a hand-made toy whistle or train set or cuddly organic teddy
bear.
It’s all about choices. This holiday season
could be the one that you vote with your dollars. By walking into
a neighborhood store and buying your gifts from a local business
and hopefully even a local manufacturer or artist you vote for your
own community’s sustainability.
Thinking green
Once upon a time, America was populated with Ma and Pa establishments.
Small businesses, like small farms, were the backbone of the economy.
Having your name over that door jamb was a source of pride and responsibility.
As America moved forward we began to neglect the small business
model in favor of the big box retailer. Sometimes progress is an
oxymoron.
Jump forward several decades and you find a
rebirth of small businesses. Now many small businesses are focusing
their attention on the green economy. A plethora of new environmentally-friendly
products graces the market right now. Many new green businesses
are opening their doors while expanding the minds and habits of
green-friendly consumers. Co-op America (www.coopamerica.org), the
largest clearinghouse of green and earth-friendly businesses, has
over 3,000 business members, with a vast array of products and services,
including everything from financial consultants to organic spaghetti
to green cleaning supplies. The local Green Guide (www.thegreenguide.org)
lists 200 local business members. Their main goal is “to promote
sustainability…that… includes supporting local, small
industries.”
Organizations like Co-op America and the Twin
Cities Green Guide support both emerging and established environmentally-friendly
businesses while aiding consumers in their search to create a more
sustainable existence. Locally, Celio Group created a coupon book
called the Blue Sky Guide (www.findbluesky.com), which features
organic food, green products and local stores. It has over 300 locally
redeemable coupons.
Why do you think they call them greenbacks?
This holiday season as you look for unique presents that won’t
end up in the give-away pile, look to your hometown green businesses.
You will be doing your gift recipient, yourself and your community
a huge service by buying local and buying green.
Check out local gift stores such as ReGifts
in Minneapolis. Voted Best Gift Store in the Twin Cities by City
Pages, ReGifts is a different kind of store, featuring new gifts
made from recycled, reclaimed, sustainable and organic material.
Many of its gifts are from local businesses and artisans. www.Re-Gifts.com
Consider a local game-maker, Kvale Good Natured
Games, which feature Head1liners, “a fun, witty game in which
you literally make the headlines.” The game is a blast, and
their products are produced with high sustainability standards.
The game pads and cards are made with 100 percent recycled paper
and are printed with soy ink. The tokens are recycled wood composites. www.KvaleGames.com
Bag-E-Wash is a clever little gadget invented
and manufactured locally. It is a dishwasher accessory that allows
folks to wash and dry their baggies in the dishwasher! Do you have
a baggie re-user on your list? They also sell wooden bag dryers
for those without a dishwasher www.Bag-E-Wash.com
Bryn Mawr Soaps are made, you guessed it, right
in the heart of Minneapolis in Bryn Mawr. They create wonderful
soaps with all natural ingredients available at most local co-ops. www.BrynMawrSoaps.com
Speaking of local co-ops, they are a well-spring
of wonderful gifts. Go down the aisles to find many local, green
businesses: Peace Coffee, ReStore Products, Mrs. Myers, Green Glass
and many more. www.TwinCitiesFood.coop
When you shop local and shop green you are truly giving a gift that
keeps on giving.
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