Ok, maybe political isn't the right word. I'm not sure really, maybe it's 'socially conscious', or 'doing the right thing'. But cut me some slack, I never write about anything serious! What I want to write about briefly is my thought this morning: Buy Local, or Bye, Local! Maybe this thought is something my Mom instilled in me. Maybe it was the way of life in Bend, OR. Or maybe it's "an Oregon thing". But I am behind it, and let me give you my thoughts on the subject.
I like local things. In fact, one of my favorite days with Ashley was going to the Portland Farmer's Market in downtown Portland. It doesn't' get any more local than that! There were flowers, veggies, wine, fruits, trinkets, all sorts of stuff - all made and grown by someone in Oregon. I love that! Local food always tastes better, I'm convinced. Maybe it's because I just made Cayenne Pepper hot sauce with the peppers that we grew in the back yard. But fresh local produce and food tastes better to me. And it is always good to support the local farmers. They are hard workers!
I love local coffee shops. While I realize that the beans are not grown locally, a truly "local" shop the milk will be local, the mugs will be made from someone in town, etc etc. In Bend, if you went to Starbucks, you were an outcast! There were so many great coffee shops in town - why go to 'big bad Starbucks'? (Don't get me wrong - I'm a huge fan of Starbucks, but when I can go local, I do).
I love the local restaurant scene. This is a little easier to get into because in most towns, there are so many options other than franchises or chains. But even here in Alpharetta there are amazing local joints - Pure Tacqueria, Milton's, The Union, La Parilla...I could go on. Why would we go anywhere else? And I feel like it is the same way in most towns, so I'll rant no more on that subject.
But what is the bigger reason for "going local"? Supporting the community, supporting the local business scene, supporting the economy and supporting fledging entrepreneurs. I like that, above all else. I am a big fan of going to Ranch Records vs. Best Buy. I am a huge fan of going to The Back Porch vs. Starbucks. I like Roswell Used Books over Barnes and Noble. Not only is the service mostly better, but there is a bigger sense of "I did something good". A lot of the time, the local restaurants/coffee shops/bike shops etc. are the most who give back the most to the community, so in a way, by shopping or eating there, you are helping give back to the community. It all comes around full circle.
Now I know that this isn't always possible. Sometimes you just have to go to Burger King. Or Taco Bell. Or wherever. But maybe next time before you go, do some homework and find out which ones are owned by a local person. Typically Starbucks never are, but sometimes the fast food chains are. I would venture to say that it is ok in my book to support those too, because they can often give back to the community in great ways too.
But for some reason - the small places, the ones that seem like they aren't making any impact at all in a community, actually are. Upon closer inspection, the little guys oftentimes come up the biggest. They support schools, races, book fairs, Art Fairs, Young Life, and on and on and on. And that is why I like supporting them. And that's why I would encourage you to do that also!
What would our towns be like without the local guy? Without the person who knows your name when you go to Jittery Joe's? What would our towns be like with big chains only, and Olive Garden's and Circuit City's everywhere? I say that if we don't buy local, then we can say "Bye, Local". Let's not let that happen, especially in this economy. I am really tired of that statement - "this economy". I know things are bleak, but if you are going to spend money, think about where it's going. I hope it's going local!
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