National Buy Local Day - Nov. 18th

If anyone were to take the time to read any of my past posts you might wonder if I was all ahead of the curve with my lament upon finding a starting place to research for an attempt at beginning a 150mi. diet.

Recently I have decided that in order to become fiscally solvent (in any sort) I should stop wasting money on prepared foods when I can make stuff just as tasty (and I enjoy cooking) cheaper by myself. The major problem with this is that I do not currently live by myself and there are annoyances whenever I begin attempting to cook. Anyway, I am still contemplating my attempt at starting my 150mi diet and hopefully will use National Buy Local Day as a springboard.

I really don't know how in depth I can go into this topic. I suppose I could start listing all the reasons one would want to buy local goods. How about that?

1. Supports the local economy. That one is easy. You actually put money directly into the pockets of your neighbors every time you purchase a local product. That allows your neighbors to purchase goods for themselves, each time putting money into the local economy which pays for things such police and fire protection, health, infrastructure, possibly education (depending on how your local tax system is set up).

2. Purchasing local goods protects human rights. Strange but true. Many of the goods that are purchased from "Big Box" stores are manufactured in countries that do not demand wages or working conditions equivalent to what we would expect here. What does that mean? It means that there are children working in factories to make your shoes or designer jeans. Think for a second about what that means about you as a person. By purchasing local goods you can trace the path of your good back to the raw materials. You know not only who worked on it but who can be held responsible if it doesn't live up to expectations.

3. Purchasing local does wonders for the environment. Now I know that the United States currently doesn't hold the most stellar record for halting pollution during manufacturing but by purchasing local you are saving energy that would be used to transport those goods. Imagine your shoes coming over from Asia. Are you the type of person who walks to the corner store instead of driving? Then why do you think it is reasonable for your shoes to come over on a giant boat from some far off country you have only seen on TV?

4. Purchasing local makes you part of the community. It makes you an independent investor in where you live. You are making a conscious choice to put money into your local economy and are creating opportunity for more smaller businesses to thrive. These smaller businesses will bring diversity and competition. They will create a dialogue of various styles and choices and provide an increasing array of new things to try and discover.

So please, take one day (I know asking for a Saturday is a big deal) but try and visit some local shops, visit some smaller boutiques, maybe even a local farmer's market. Say hello to the proprietor and maybe make a new friend. Then just imagine, if you find a shop you like, how you can share that knowledge with your other friends. Imagine the difference you can make.