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Buying local isn't just about food, even if the local 'code words' (you know, the language that suggests fresh and wholesome and all things good-for-you, ones like organic, sustainable, CSA/community-supported agriculture, locavore, green, whole food, free-range, humanely raised, flexitarian and the like) glibly fall from our lips if not as often onto our plates. But let's start there.
Please know that unconventional thinking is NOT about dictating my own value judgments. It is simply to provoke conscious consideration, discussion and decisions about our individual buying decisions. Do I hope to jar our thinking a bit, to bump us out of our comfort zones, to make us challenge our own decisions? You bet.
FOOD
Shop at farmers markets. Whew, got that one out of the way -- and isn't it what you were expecting? Isn't it what everyone assumes is meant when we talk about buying local? Don't misunderstand: I've got nothing against farmers markets, I even do my bit to encourage bloggers to support their local farmers markets. But it's too pat an answer. There aren't enough farmers markets and they don't reach into small towns and most aren't year round and too often they're becoming gentrified with gourmet artisnal food products that price-wise and even interest-wise are out-of-reach for most families. So let's move on, okay?
Where do we buy 80% to 90% of our families' groceries? Main Street vs Wall Street. Small shops vs big chains. This is often the shorthand used to frame the battle for your grocery dollars. But here's a St. Louis example (will you allow? it's local, after all) that depicts how this shorthand doesn't tell the whole story.
The Chains My home city of St. Louis is home to two large, family-owned supermarket chains. With a combined 100+ stores in a metro area of 2.8 million, these two companies make up a huge portion of our grocery market. Theirs are great stores, made better, I believe by competing with one another.
The Independents In my own local trade area, the 100,000 households that my food column Kitchen Parade reaches, there are six -- six! -- single-location independent grocers and a prominent specialty grocer.
The Nationals Every dollar I spend with Whole Foods and Trader Joe's and Wal-Mart and Costco is a dollar sent out of town.
Choices All these companies -- the local chains, the independents and the nationals -- stock goods from the same major food companies. All import produce from California and South America although the two large locally owned chains stock some local produce during the height of the season and one of the independents hosts a farmers market. All are good corporate citizens. Which stores are more 'local'? Which ones have the ability to 'move the market' with their corporate decisions? Where should I invest my grocery dollars? See? It's not that simple.
Eating out. What restaurants do we choose? Are we choosing the small single-location spots or do we appreciate the value and speed and predictability of the chains? And what about high-end chains, the ones like PF Chang and Flemings and Mortons of Chicago? What if the food on their plates is more 'local' than the neighborhood hang-outs which haven't jumped onto the whole 'I support the local farmer' bandwagon?
MORE LOCAL BUYING DECISIONS
Okay then, let's move on. What are other ways -- if we choose -- we might buy local?
Cars Buy American? Buy Japanese? (And what about that hot little Audi?) No matter where cars are designed, parts built and assembled, auto dealerships are nearly always local. Is this enough? But cars we buy a few times in a lifetime. How about gas? There's the corporate locations of the national companies, Shell, Phillips, BP and the like. But check out independent owner-operated gas stations; because they sell name-brand gas, they may look a lot like the corporate stores -- just check the name above the door. (But if you live in Oklahoma where Quik Trip and Git 'n' Go are based? Those are your local stops.) And what about routine maintenance? Who gets their oil changed at the flag-waving "bays open now" spots? Instead, go back to the neighborhood gas station, the one that employs three or four mechanics. Get to know them, bring cookies!
Books Local bookstores are nearly a thing of the past, replaced by big chains and online sellers. Think of our own
