View Full Version : Buying local and made in the USA.
Do you go out of your way to buy local? How much more will you spend? I saw recently that if every American spent an additional 18 cents a day on products made in this country we would generate an additional 200,000 jobs.
We buy as much from the farmers market as possible, local veggies, honey, eggs, organic free range meats and poultry. We buy from local crafts persons and search out local companies to do business with. When that doesn't work we find made in USA if possible. We also buy vintage from local dealers and just buy a lot less in general. Some things are cost prohibitive but we will save up to get quality.
We recently needed a new mattress and found one that was made close by with local cotton. It was comparable in price to other quality mattresses.
When i buy something from another country I want it to look like it came from there and know that it is fair trade. not just more cheap crap.
IshbelRobertson
3-22-11, 10:46am
I buy all my meat from a local, organic butcher, who gets his meat, eggs and some cheeses from his family farms around the area. I also buy his haggis and sausages - and organic bacon, too.
Most of my furniture is British made, ditto shoes (or that used to be the case until two companies closed their factories here and took the work overseas, but they ARE British!).
This has been my policy for over 35 years, and I suspect that if most of us did it (in respect of our own country) we'd pay more, but feel better about it. However, it does mean that trade between countries would fall - and that could be a bad thing if we ALL did it.
I should have added made in your own country. :)
I try to buy most things from my county, or at least my region of the state. It does cost more, though sometimes because of transportation costs some of the local products can be cheaper in time or money to pick up.
I like to buy manufactured products that are made as close as possible to me, because of the fossil fuel factor (gosh, say that five times). I just detest the idea of some piece of plastic being transported halfway around the world to me, polluting all the way. It makes for some tough choices at times, for sure. The reliable, sturdy version made far away? Or the cheaper more local version? (though usually it's the other way around........) I love the growing season here, because nearly all of our food can come from within a couple of hundred miles, from fruit to grains. Now if only they'd start an indoor coffee plantation in Colorado, I'd have it made :)
With textiles, our choices are SO limited now in the U.S. Given the choice between buying a cheap woolen sweater made in a sweatshop somewhere, and a more expensive woolen sweater made from the neighbor's sheep, I'll save up my money and buy the one that's more local and support my neighbor. But underwear? Running shoes? Rain gear? Not impossible to find, but much harder to do so. http://buyamerican.com helps ... and I'm sure there are equivalent versions in Canada, U.K., etc.
winterberry
3-23-11, 12:06am
Yes, I try to buy things made as close to home as possible. It's hard.
One day I stopped at a farm stand on my way home from work here in southeastern PA. The chickens were running around and there was a barefoot Mennonite girl selling the fruits and vegetables. I bought some cherries, thinking at last that I had found some that were locally grown. I asked the girl where the cherries came from. She said she thought they were probably from Washington state.
I went to my local farmers market one winter to find some winter squash, thinking surely they would have local squash (a stand also owned and run by Mennonites). I couldn't find the squash so I asked a young man if they had any winter squash. He didn't know what that was, but when I said butternut or acorn he produced one from a box under the table. There was a sticker on it: "product of Mexico".
Then I went to the organic food stand thinking surely their winter squash would be locally grown. Nope: "product of Mexico".
Went to another farmers market. One stand had the most beautiful fruits and vegetables. Then I saw the woman at the stand unwrapping a cauliflower from a plastic wrap that said "Dole".
Stopped at a stand in a parking lot under a big tent that said "Lancaster County produce." It was August. They were selling strawberries. I said to the lady at the stand, "I guess these strawberries aren't from Lancaster county." "No," she said, "strawberries aren't in season here."
Stopped at a local chain grocery store one day after seeing a large billboard that said they had local produce. There was a table, right inside the door, with a big sign that said "local produce." There was a pile of cucumbers on the table, individually wrapped in plastic, with labels saying "product of Canada".
Went to my usual grocery store one summer day and saw a sign that said some produce was in short supply due to a freeze in Florida. All of the vegetables in "short supply" were things that grow in Pennsylvania. I pointed this out to the grocery manager, who was annoyed and told me the local produce was on a table near the entry. I found the table which had a few items on it and a large sign that said "Local Route Produce," by which I assume they mean that the trucks took the local route from ... Venezuela?
goldensmom
3-23-11, 6:45am
I will purposely buy local/American when possible. I have noticed that most of the vehicles we've bought since 1985 were made in Canada which, although another country, is fairly 'local' and I don't mind contributing to the Canadian economy.
This site promotes a number of high-quality products made locally in Beijing and elsewhere in China, some of which I have purchased or plan to purchase in the future -- one of the people profiled is the head of our PTA, which is cool!
http://nicelymadeinchina.com/
In contrast, I am currently reading the book "Poorly Made in China" on my Kindle, and while it isn't totally surprising it does have me as concerned as ever about the non-artisan stuff produced here. As far as food goes, I am trying to buy as much organic/locally produced food as I can and avoid most processed foods. With other stuff, I have never been into the binge buying that many expats get into when they move here. We dont really buy much stuff for the house now that we have settled in. Most mass-produced stuff here is cheap but low quality. HIgher quality stuff can be very expensive. We basically just try to limit our spending as much as possible. Doing pretty well so far this year -- well under budget as we near the end of the first quarter.
lhamo
Winterberry, that was one sad recitation! I hope you find some actual local food this year.
Ihamo, cool website! Thanks.
loosechickens
3-23-11, 12:33pm
my friend, in southern Pennsylvania, who lives in the midst of an Amish community (is very popular because she is not Amish and she drives, so her neighbors give her lists of things to buy for them) says that she has to laugh because several of these Amish ladies sell "Amish baked" bread at a local farmer's market much frequented by yuppies looking for that "local" and "artisan" experience.
The only problem is that my friend returns from her grocery shopping for her neighbors with literally CASES of frozen bread dough from WalMart, to enable that "Amish baked" bread to happen.
They aren't technically lying, exactly, as the Amish ARE baking the bread, but certainly what they are selling is not what the customers are thinking they are buying.
One time we stopped by a little farm stand right BESIDE a vineyard, and the grapes they were selling were from Chile. At least THEY were honest enough to tell us that.
We try to choose local over long distance, and small producer over agribusiness corporations, but in durables, not food, it's rare for us to buy new, so if I'm buying something nonperishable, it seems better to buy a corporate product, made in a foreign country, secondhand, both to keep it out of a landfill, and to avoid use of more raw materials to make another one, as opposed to something new, even if made by "artisans" and locally produced literally next door brand new.
goldensmom
3-23-11, 1:32pm
my friend, in southern Pennsylvania, who lives in the midst of an Amish community (is very popular because she is not Amish and she drives, so her neighbors give her lists of things to buy for them) says that she has to laugh because several of these Amish ladies sell "Amish baked" bread at a local farmer's market much frequented by yuppies looking for that "local" and "artisan" experience.
The only problem is that my friend returns from her grocery shopping for her neighbors with literally CASES of frozen bread dough from WalMart, to enable that "Amish baked" bread to happen.
They aren't technically lying, exactly, as the Amish ARE baking the bread, but certainly what they are selling is not what the customers are thinking they are buying.
That is a common Amish practice here abouts. I discovered Amish women loading their grocery carts with frozen bread dough 20+ years ago when shopping at a local grocery store the night before a big Amish auction sale. I was also at the auction sale the next day and observed people buying Amish 'baked' bread from the same women. Interesting to know that it is a common practice in other Amish communities as well. And yes, it is Amish 'baked' but not Amish 'made'. Funny.
rosarugosa
3-23-11, 6:35pm
I definitely try to buy locally produced or US made goods when I can or when it makes sense to do so.
I try to buy local when possible. I like handmade stuff when possible too. I love supporting small local craftspeople, farms and small businesses. We buy our milk and some of our meat from a local farm. In the summer we get most of our produce from the farmer's market.
I buy a lot of our gifts from Etsy, some of it local, most of it made in the U.S. In that case I'm not bothered by things being from out of the country, though, since they are made by artisans who are working to support themsleves.
I also try to patronize my local small businesses, whether the stuff I buy at them is made close to home or not. I love my local fabric store, hardware store, etc.
early morning
3-23-11, 9:31pm
I posted to this yesterday, but it disappeared into the local ether, I guess :~). We try to buy as close to home as we can but it's rather difficult to do so. Funny Amish bread stories - the German Baptists around here like to sell baked goods at their yard sales- we buy those sometimes. We get our beef on the hoof, and liek to buy bread from a local bakery or bake it ourselves. We buy quite a bit of stuff from Aldi, though - heaven knows where it comes from. I like Etsy - some wonderful things there (and some dreck) but haven't bought anything yet. We don't buy many gifts and we like to make things ourselves. Also I like buying from artists I know. It's hard to balance between supporting local businesses and saving money. Frequently the struggle ends up with me buying nothing at all ;).
Sad Eyed Lady
3-24-11, 9:14am
Yes, I try to buy things made as close to home as possible. It's hard.
One day I stopped at a farm stand on my way home from work here in southeastern PA. The chickens were running around and there was a barefoot Mennonite girl selling the fruits and vegetables. I bought some cherries, thinking at last that I had found some that were locally grown. I asked the girl where the cherries came from. She said she thought they were probably from Washington state.
I went to my local farmers market one winter to find some winter squash, thinking surely they would have local squash (a stand also owned and run by Mennonites). I couldn't find the squash so I asked a young man if they had any winter squash. He didn't know what that was, but when I said butternut or acorn he produced one from a box under the table. There was a sticker on it: "product of Mexico".
Then I went to the organic food stand thinking surely their winter squash would be locally grown. Nope: "product of Mexico".
Went to another farmers market. One stand had the most beautiful fruits and vegetables. Then I saw the woman at the stand unwrapping a cauliflower from a plastic wrap that said "Dole".
Stopped at a stand in a parking lot under a big tent that said "Lancaster County produce." It was August. They were selling strawberries. I said to the lady at the stand, "I guess these strawberries aren't from Lancaster county." "No," she said, "strawberries aren't in season here."
Stopped at a local chain grocery store one day after seeing a large billboard that said they had local produce. There was a table, right inside the door, with a big sign that said "local produce." There was a pile of cucumbers on the table, individually wrapped in plastic, with labels saying "product of Canada".
Went to my usual grocery store one summer day and saw a sign that said some produce was in short supply due to a freeze in Florida. All of the vegetables in "short supply" were things that grow in Pennsylvania. I pointed this out to the grocery manager, who was annoyed and told me the local produce was on a table near the entry. I found the table which had a few items on it and a large sign that said "Local Route Produce," by which I assume they mean that the trucks took the local route from ... Venezuela?
How discouraging! You would think "local" meant "local"!
lhamo.....I just opened your link and I had to chuckle......."wearing the OM watch from the Spiritual Line". haha
lhamo.....I just opened your link and I had to chuckle......."wearing the OM watch from the Spiritual Line". haha
Well, that's not one of the locally-made products I'm going to buy! SOme of the stuff they profile is a bit too high end/froofy for my tastes (like the watches and sailboats). But I love the cheese guy, and I'm contemplating some of the other stuff -- would love to have a new diniing room table made to order, thinking about some of the yak wool sweaters, etc. Our PTA president is the lady who makes specialty papers.
lhamo
although on second thought, maybe my avatar really does need an Om watch!
lhamo
I always ask the people at the farmer's market if they grow their own produce or where it came from. Those peple who sell Wally World bread should be ashamed of themselves!
The only thing I can buy that is produced locally is meat; and its a lot more expensive but we buy it anyway. We can buy locally grown produce in the summer, but we have our own garden. We do have a local orchard, so we buy apples there. That's about it.
It turns out that buying local and U.S. made is alot more complex than I thought at first. Take produce at the local public market in Philadelphia, they do have apples or dairy porducts gown or processed at local farms and dairies but one can pay three or four times the price of stuff grown elsewhere in the U.S. or abroad. Since most people have a limited budget including me, what do you do? I buy some of the cheap stuff and some of the local stuff unless it's summer time when local produce is closer in price to the non-local and the quality is at it's best.
Anything manufactured, oh gosh! You have to look hard to find things which made locally in the Dleaware Valley or even in the U.S. I bought a couple of window fans made in the Midwest but with imported parts. The day of entirely made in the USA seems to have come and gone, aside from art and crafts.
Two alternatives are to buy second hand or do it yourself. There are alot of everyday things which can be assembled by the end user. I am getting more interested in both. It seems to me that eventually, we have to develop an artisanal economy where the things we use can last longer and retain value. The canvas shopping bag symbolizes greater sustainability than the endless supply of plastic bags most stores hand out.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.