I am a lover of all things that come from this great province called British Columbia. As they say, it really is "The Best Place On Earth" and I wouldn't dream of living anywhere else (OK maybe Oregon... but only because it's pretty much a carbon copy of here, but with better Mexican food!).
Over the past several years I have been trying to transition to supporting local and small businesses through my purchases, and staying away from the big box death stores. I really think so so so many problems in our world could be made better by stronger local economies built on healthy, local food systems. More recently, I've come to realize there is much more that needs to be local - furniture, decor, art, cleaning products, clothing, etc. There really is no reason to be shipping things across the ocean from countries that I have never been to!
So, the point of this blog will be to challenge myself to consciously decide to buy from and support local business (by local, I mean British Columbian at a minimum, the closer to where I am, the better in most cases). I want to find products that work that are made right here by people who put their heart and soul into making things, not factories which overwork and underpay their staff overseas. I am willing to pay more for this privilege even though I make an average salary. If the product is good, crafted or grown by people who care, then who's to say that it's not worth the "cost"?
When I can, I will attempt to make a price comparison between the product and a similar generic, big box store version and give my review of whether or not it was "worth" it. This will include a price comparison as well as more subjective reviews such as taste, quality, environmental and community factors, and health factors. Certainly local organic cherries would rate much higher on all aspects than organic cherries flown in from Chile, for example, even if they cost a few dollars a pound more. I can actually meet the farmer who grew them, who will in turn put those dollars back in to our community. The flavour and quality is so much better, with the fruit being picked mere hours before I eat it. The environmental benefits of not having to ship are obvious. And so on.
Please join me on my little project and suggest products you love! I'd love for this to be a resource for anyone looking to be a little more locally oriented, and support those working in small business in our province. Thanks for joining me!
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