20th
Living Locally
Living locally, the practice of consuming only goods produced within a 20-50 mile radius, if becoming a full-blown cultural phenomenon:
- Walmart, which many consider the opposite of local, emphasizes locally grown goods as part of its larger commitment to environmental sustainability and helping us all Live Better.
- Farmers’ markets are becoming more and more popular in urban environments.
Of course, the idea of roadside farmstands is nothing new where I come from; whether I’m taking the back roads to Vabeach, heading down to the Outer Banks, or driving between Richmond an Great Bridge, I see at least three.
But I loved taking the drive to the Charlottesville farmers’ market when I was going to school there, and I went to the Union Square market almost every Saturday when I lived in New York. One of the things I like most about them is seeing the same people every time you go, whether they’re selling their goods or joining you in checking out which stand has the best-looking sunflower sprouts.
The Martin Agency has arranged for a farmers’ market to visit its patio next week, and I think it’s one of the best ideas I’ve ever heard. As our society starts to make its difficult reconciliation between our fast-paced, convenience-focused lives and an environmental consciousness that sometimes entails a little extra effort, it’s great to see that a company is taking steps to bring convenience to responsible living.
I’d like to see this idea expanded to other businesses, colleges, shopping malls; help people incorporate the new custom into their lives as easily as possible. Also, for many people, being able to show off the green choices they make is at least as important to them as their effect on the environment, and what better way to show off then to buy organic cucumbers outside your office building and then store them in the office fridge?
The Living Locally philosophy has its limits though. Because now that we’ve been introduced to avocados, mangoes, even oranges and bananas, does anyone really expect us to go without just because they’re grown more than 50 miles away? And if someone does figure out how to grow fresh Virgina mangoes, I don’t want to think about how much extra energy would go into creating a suitable artificial environment to do so.
