I've written several times in the past about the importance of becoming self-reliant, especially where food is concerned. Now I realize that many people will be unable to grow or otherwise produce all of their own food and will, therefore, have to rely on another source to meet their needs. Self-reliance does not require you to produce everything that you need by yourself. In fact , that is most likely, an impossible goal, anyway. What is necessary is to be aware of a local source for what you can't produce, and trade, barter or buy from that source. In other words, where at all possible, shop locally.
When you obtain your needs from a local source you do more that just meet a personal need. You meet a community need because what you have done is make an investment in the community within which you live. Your purchase provides the seller with the means to meet his or her own needs. If the seller also shops locally, the same effect is achieved. The money that is used in the purchase travels throughout the community rather than leaving it. As the funds circulate within the community, they provide support for the activities of the community members and build a strong and healthy community at the same time.
It is time that we move beyond the definition of the smart consumer as one who gets the best price when shopping. The smart shopper is someone who understands the impact of their consumer choices on their community, the ecosystem within which they live and the global impact that each consumer decision makes. The smart shopper is a community wise shopper. When it comes to food, the smart shopper knows where the farmers' markets are, belongs to a community garden and/or a community shared agriculture program. If these don't exist within the community then the smart shopper joins with other smart shoppers to set up the system that best fits the community's needs. Remember each penny you shave of the price of a food item takes a penny out of the pocket of the farmer who produced that food. This is a lose-lose scenario. You may pay more for organic food, for example, but locally grown, organic food, is your only guarantee that what you are eating is fresh, safe and healthy. Also, if everyone who can buys organic, the prices will come down.
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