Shopping: Investing in your community

It all begins with food. I like this saying. It puts the emphasis on food, not the supermarket or your pay cheque but food. It all begins with the soil. I like this one, as well . It focuses on the importance of soil to a healthy garden. I think my favourite saying is: It all begins with you. This places the responsibility right where it belongs on the individual, on you, me and all our neighbours.

Each day we make choices: what to eat, where to shop, how to treat others. It is the nature of the choices we make that determines the world we live in. In short, we make a difference. Whether we know it or not, we make a difference each and every day. I feel that it just makes sense to understand this. Why, well when you know that what you do matters, you may take the time to think before you act. You may realize that an informed decision is a better choice than a decision that you make based upon faulty, incomplete or inaccurate information or a decision based in ignorance derived from social stereotypes or corporate advertising.

I have talked often about the importance of shopping locally, about using your shopping dollar to build community. I define the wise shopper not as the person who gets the best bargain but as someone who understands the true power of the dollar. The power to create a healthy local economy. So shop at a farmer's market or a locally owned grocery store when buying food for the family. I take my community investing, aka shopping a step further, and try and purchase items from very small, kitchen table operations, say a jar of pickles, some jam or maybe a pair of mitts or a scarf. It usually only amounts to small portion of my shopping expenses but the money goes directly to the producer.

Craft shows and farmers markets are one way to make this economic exchange and investment, but not everyone can afford a table, so I keep my eye open for items at the corner store or when I'm visiting a community centre on business. You never know what goodies you might find and what good your money might do.

People are reluctant to buy homemade. We have lost a great deal by allowing ourselves to be convinced that a name brand product is superior to something that you or your neighbour makes.This Holiday Season make the effort to invest in your community and really give a gift that goes on giving.

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