You won’t catch me drinking coffee from McDonalds or ordering books from Amazon.com.
That’s because I am a localist. I believe in buying local and supporting the local independent businesses and artists where I live, work and play. And I’m looking forward to sharing my findings with you…from restaurants and little shops to breweries and artists and bookstores.
I became a localist about ten years ago when I began working for Triad Local First, a nonprofit that supports local independent businesses here in the Piedmont area of North Carolina. After digging into the research around how local businesses impact the economy, I was hooked. And I’ve gotten more committed to local “indies” as the years go by. The other day a friend asked me to stop talking about localism so much when we met for lunch and I had to stop myself…localism has taken over my thinking about everything from where I buy vegetables to where I drink beer to who handles my insurance policies. It influences where I have a checking account and the artwork I hang on my walls… That doesn’t mean it’s all 100 percent from Greensboro(where I live), but it does mean that it’s all close to 100% grassroots, based in community and supporting the communities that mean so much to me and to others.
When I travel I use the same general guidelines; I seek out the small, grassroots, independent businesses that give a community its local flavor and that make it special.
I wasn’t always this way! Before the lightbulb went off in my head, I used to make my choices based on cost and convenience. But the more I think about what that convenience is actually costing our people and our planet, the more I believe that there is a better way.
Of course I understand that localism isn’t a good fit for everyone all the time. But for those of you who want to learn more about people and places and businesses to explore as a localist, I invite you to follow along with me. And if you have suggestions for people and places that need to have a little spotlight shining on them, send me info about them in an email and I will do my best!
Weekend driving trips are second only to learning everything about what is in my own back yard. Greensboro and the Triad are growing and changing and renewing in a way that no one would have predicted two decades ago.