Local Is the Place to Be
April 1, 2009 – 2:12 pmWe are all very well aware of the current economic situation and we are kindly reminded on a daily basis by the media of how bad things are. God forbid that the media tried to be a little more positive, right?
Anyway, I will leave the whole media discussion for another day.
Since moving to San Francisco and especially since the economy started on its downward spiral late last year, I have experienced a major change in my outlook as a consumer.
Local.
Thinking, supporting, buying, local.
Maybe it goes without saying, but I’ve come to realize the power I have whenever I spend my money- it’s actually quite a bit of power. With every dollar I spend I make two choices: what to spend that dollar on, but more importantly what NOT to spend that dollar on.
As part of my eco-framework I continually try to live as sustainably as possible. Whether that means composting, buying organic produce, or using public transportation I try to do as much as I can, whenever I can. But to this framework I have also added the word local. So in terms of buying organic produce that means belonging to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), rather than buying organic fruit grown thousands of miles away (now how organic is it really to then transport that food using fossil fuels?).
Now even though the economy is what it is and along with most others I am trying to save as much as possible, I am also making sure that I continue to spend money at the same time.
If everyone stopped spending money, what would happen to our neighborhood stores, restaurants, and cafes? We have all seen the impact that the decrease in consumer spending is having. Again, as consumers we have an incredible amount of power. We can choose to support not only a local restaurant, but also the entire network of local ties that the restaurant itself has.
Case in point: I live in the Russian Hill neighborhood of San Francisco and a few blocks from my apartment is a favorite restaurant / wine-bar of mine called 1550 Hyde. It certainly isn’t the cheapest meal around, but every time I’ve been there I feel great about the money I’m spending.
1550 Hyde uses organic and sustainable ingredients, they work with many local farms, and their grease is recycled for Bio-diesel fuel. So not only am I supporting this one restaurant (owners, workers, etc.), I am also supporting a secondary network. My money supports local farm owners and their many workers, and I am supporting meat and produce grown the RIGHT way rather than the CHEAP way.
Can I afford to eat a meal like this all the time? No. That’s why most nights my girlfriend and I (ok, ok, mostly her) cook our own meals using the organic produce from our weekly CSA box, and then once a week we try to support a restaurant like 1550 Hyde.
Next time you are planning to go out for a meal or heading out to buy something think about the power you have in the decision of where you will eat or shop. It’s incredibly empowering and once you make the conscious decision to think a little deeper about where you are spending your money, I promise you that it’s difficult to stop. 1550 Hyde recently had to take another day off per week in addition to the customary Monday day off. We can all do our part to ensure that our local stores and restaurants make it through these tough times.
And remember, sometimes a more expensive item on the menu or at the grocery store is far less expensive in terms of the human and environmental cost than the cheaper option.
I am all for being frugal, but being cheap is another matter all together.
2 Responses to “Local Is the Place to Be”
Great post!
By Christina on Apr 4, 2009
I think this is your best post yet! It’s so important to think where each dollar is going. We are very fortunate to live in a place where amazing food is grown and produced locally but I think everyone could make a bit more of an effort!
By Aliza on Apr 7, 2009