August/September 2005
Cultivating
Relational Intelligence
Nina Simons
Crimes
Against Democracy: An Interview with Thom Hartmann
Jim Guiness
Rebirth
in the Forest
Will Sears
Right
Living, and Surviving, After The Age Of Oil
John Darling
Permaculture
and Place
Steve Gabriel
Think
of Local Food First
Wendy Siporen
Sustainable
Living at Solviva
Anna Edey
Year-Round
Gardening in Home and GreenHouse
Jeffrey M. Smith
The
Greening of Cuba
Caroline Whyte
A
Path of Peace, Kindness and Compassion
Jody ooidruff
From
Hurt to Heart
Eryn Kalish
Epictetus'
Handbook Revisited
Gay Hendricks & Phillip Johncock
The
Sky of Now
Katie Davis
The
Complete Book of Raw Food
Reviewed by Rachel Bendat
Whole
Foods Companion
Reviewed by Rachel Bendat
Cosmic
Calendar
Salina Rain
Think of Local Food First
By Wendy Siporen
Local food carries a wealth of benefits: It’s fresh and tastes great, it keeps money in your region by putting dollars in farmers’ pockets, it fosters strong communities and has the potential to improve the landscape and natural environment. The Rogue Initiative for a Vital Economy (THRIVE), a not-for-profit organization actively working to build a healthy local economy comprised of independent locally owned businesses that are socially, environmentally and financially sustainable, has created the Rogue Flavor guide to highlight local farms and food businesses in Southern Oregon. You can help ensure continued access to local food that is good for you, good for farmers, good for the local economy and good for the earth by “voting” with your food dollar. Spending your money on locally grown food is one of the best ways to make an impact. Your choices as a consumer can help shift our economy back to human scale businesses that care about their community and the earth. You don’t have to spend much to make a big impact on our local economy. If every household in Jackson County spent an additional $10 per month on locally grown and raised food, an additional $4.65 million would be pumped into the local economy for every six-month growing season.
Locally owned businesses make our region unique and contribute to our local economy. Research has consistently shown that locally owned businesses return more of their income to the community and that return is multiplied when they patronize other local businesses. One such study concluded that for every $100 spent in their stores, locally owned businesses give back $68 to their local economy, while for every $100 spent in national chains those companies return only $43, meaning that chain stores take away $57 from the local community. A great resource list of other research done on the economic impact of locally owned businesses can be found at www.livingeconomies.org.
When you’re at the grocery store or at your favorite restaurant, look for the Rogue Flavor emblem and you’ll be sure to find the freshest local produce and the highest quality locally produced specialty foods. Pick up a Rogue Flavor guide to find farms and ranchers selling direct to you and the restaurants and retail stores that feature local foods.
You can also tell restaurants and retail stores that you found them in the Rogue Flavor guide and that it’s important to you as a customer that they buy from family farmers. The more that customers request local food and thank businesses for buying local, the more stores and restaurants will buy farm-fresh food. Spending time can also make a big impact on our community. Have some fun at your local farmers’ market or spend some time on a family farm, getting to know the people and their growing methods. Building relationships and connections between people is an important part of cultivating a thriving economy.
The Rogue
Flavor guide is available for $1 at the following locations: the Ashland,
Medford and Grants Pass Growers’ Markets, Shop ‘n Kart and the Ashland
Food Coop in Ashland, Tarks’ Market and Rising Sun Farm in Talent, SOS
Pear Station and the OSU Extension Center in Medford, the Grants Pass Visitors
Center, and the Rogue Creamery in Central Point. You can also purchase the
guide by sending $2 to THRIVE, 33 N. Central Ave. Suite 303, Medford OR 97501.
For more information contact Wendy Siporen at (541) 772-4029 or justsolutions@hotmail.com
