Environmental projects, community events & personal commitments.
Project creators launch their ideas and create goals that determine the success of the project. Participants join in, accomplish goals, and earn rewards.
It can be big or small, serious or playful. Get inspired, tap the drum, start a rhythm, and the results will come.
Our grocery stores are a picture of abundance. The quality and variety of food available to us 24/7 is astounding. Unfortunately there is a hidden environmental cost in too much of the food we consume.
Recently while at a restaurant, I inquired about where I could get the frozen lemons filled with sorbet that I enjoyed so much. “Oh, they are shipped to us from Italy” is all it for that frozen lemon to be my last. Given the choice of shipped from overseas or locally produced, I’ll opt for the local, thank you.
Since then I try to pay attention to the source of goods. Let’s see, olive oil from Italy or California? Apples from Washington or grapefruit from Florida?
Please join me in paying attention, by simply being mindful of buying at least one local item every time you shop. Like me, you’ll probably see that slowly that one item expands into many, resulting in a stronger local economy and less damage to the planet.
(December 31, 2010)
more needed
says, Today it was honey, honey. I sat and stared at all 18 types of honey at the QFC for over 5 minutes. Yes, that Kroeger brand is quite a bit cheaper - but aren't those bees having a heck of a time surviving? I voted to take care of local bees and bought Washington state honey for $ 3 more.
Cheaper isn't always better - especially for blueberries!
I just bought $6 blueberries from 1 mile away instead of $3 berries from a state away! Well, the box was bigger anyway and they look so much better.
I look forward to the day that we can swing back to the time when local is standard and small farmers can make a living. On Orcas, I buy from farm stands whenever possible, and drool over the $5 mini pints of strawberries.
Keep buying one local item and we can make it easier for our neighbors to survive and their gardens to thrive!
I love this project. It...
I love this project. It helps spur my creativity. What exactly will I do with my local persimmons? Not quite sure, but I know I'll have fun with them! (Tonight 2 of them were simmered down and served over bread pudding. Yum.)
I like this project idea...
I like this project idea a lot. I _usually_ remember to look for local items, but there are many times I just forget to pay attention. One thing that I have debated with others before is organic vs. local. For example, I buy organic Fuji apples, which our family likes the best -- but they're from New Zealand. The thing is, I could buy non-organic Fuji apples locally -- but we want organic. What I'm hoping is that if enough people buy organic, that will send a signal to the marketplace that we want organic and then local growers will grow organic. (I can get organic Fuji's at Farmer's Markets here in Seattle, but not year-round. I guess that's part of the point of this project, though!) So I think that by being more mindful, I can do better -- I'll see how often I can get organic AND local -- maybe more than I think! I'll post results as I find them.
