Local Love

Dana here.  As we head into "The Holidays" (insert horror film scream here), I wanted to take a moment to talk about the concept of being local.  There are lots of catchphrases and fun words like "locavore" being thrown around these days.  Nearly all of us patronize local restaurants, shop on Elmwood sometimes, or come into town weekly to buy what we need.  So, we're being local, right?

I would challenge everyone (including myself) to take that mindset a little further.  If you begin asking more probing questions, like "Where is my food grown?", or "What is this item made of, and where was it assembled?", and even "How far must I travel to get the things I buy?", you will see that there's so much more we can all do!  If you eat at a downtown restaurant whose ingredients were shipped from Florida, you could be more local.  If you shop at an urban store and buy a plastic item made in China, you could be more local.  If you have to drive 20 miles to purchase something, you could be more local.

We must begin to look in our own immediate neighborhood to see what's available.  There are urban (and rural) farms all around us, and with just a little extra effort, we can eat food that was grown only blocks, not miles, away.  Examples include Growing Green by MAP and the Wilson Street Urban Farm.  There are hundreds of local artisans in the Buffalo region who make their living by selling their work (Jon and I included).  If you want to find them, you can check out Etsy's "Shop Local" function, browse through Mind Web, or Artists In Buffalo.  Stroll the Elmwood Village, Hertel Ave, Allen Street, or South Buffalo's Old First Ward.  Finally, there are great little stores near you, whether you're in downtown Buffalo (Old Editions Book Shop), the suburbs (Peddlers Consignment Shoppe), or outlying towns (Nature's Network).

Jon and I do our best to keep it local, and with the resources at our disposal, it's getting easier every day.  Buffalo First keeps us aware of what's new in the locavore world, promoting independent businesses in our area.  We use their coupon book (available in every Buffalo CarShare car!) to save while supporting small companies and organizations.  We love to shop at Guercio's on Grant Street, and the Lexington Co-op.  Elmwood Pet is our go-to place for natural cat food, and we buy much of our hardware at Dibble's on West Ferry, or Mangione's on Niagara!  Bike, walk, or take public transportation to get a different perspective on the neighborhoods you think you know...you'll be surprised at all the fantastic small businesses you encounter. 

Until next time- cheers!!!