…and the Beginning
Well, it went by in a blink, but my 90-day experiment in going local is over. When I started this project, I had some specific questions to answer. Is going local more expensive? Does going local take more time? Could I really do all of my spending in Somerville? Well, I have some answers now, along with more learning than even I thought possible. Let’s debunk some conventional wisdom shall we?
Local myth #1 – Going local is more expensive
I would lose all credibility if I sat here and wrote that in every case going local was not more expensive. That’s just not true. However, if you are of the belief that every product and service costs more when it’s purchased locally, you are absolutely wrong.
Over these 90 days, I’ve done my best to track my spending. Now I didn’t have the time to record every purchase, but rather tried to do spot comparisons. In a previous post (here), I compared going to my local butcher to purchasing from a major chain. Not only was it not more expensive to shop locally in that case, it was ½ the cost! I have found throughout the experiment that essentials, like food, are often marked up at non-local outfits, then ‘discounted,’ to a price that can be secured at a local establishment. That Shaw’s reward card of yours, in other words, doesn’t really offer much in the way of rewards.
Now, what I did find is that organic or locally grown food can be more expensive. However, again, this is not always the case. If you want organic food, it’ll be more expensive wherever you get it. Remember, this experiment was primarily about the first level of local – where you conduct the transaction.
For non-food items, again I didn’t see a wide gap in prices. Local gas stations had lower prices every time, though some would argue that the quality of gas isn’t comparable (See these two links for some external validation: here and here ) Non-food goods had comparable, and often lower, prices at Johnny’s Foodmaster (I saw a health-related product that was 40% less expensive than at Walgreens tonight actually).
Let’s put it this way: There will always be one example that we can point to in order to show local is more or less expensive. Overall, my spending for necessities did not increase dramatically, if at all. And in actuality, because I did less big box shopping, I felt like my impulse and non-essential purchases decreased dramatically. It’s amazing what NOT being surrounded by disposable crap will do: you don’t buy it.
Local myth #2 – Going local is less convenient
As I stated at the outset of this experiment, I work more than most and have very little time to spend shopping. On average, I probably spend 65 hours per week working. Now, I was worried about this one, because I really felt like it would be arduous for me to go local with my limited time. Well I was in for quite a surprise.
By the end of my experiment, I found I was able to get what I needed in LESS time by going local. This was based on two key things:
1) I figured out where to go locally for what I need.
2) By frequenting locations no more than 15 minutes away from my home/work, I spent almost no time traveling to a store.
The first piece is the critical one. And my friends at Citysquares have articulated this eloquently in their own local pledge: Once you figure out where to go, it’s no longer a task to go local. It becomes routine.
The second piece is a major reason why going local contributes to sustainable communities. While I don’t bike to shops, I could. While I don’t usually walk to shops, I can. By not driving long distances for something, I cut down on my driving (I drive pretty much everywhere I go and am on pace for 7500 miles this year). What would happen if we all did this….think about it!
There is one caveat to this convenience thing: If you’re shopping late at night, it’s going to be really difficult to go local. If you need a product at midnight, chances are you’ll have to go to CVS or Shaws or somewhere like that. Look, there are times when you need stuff and local places just aren’t open and that’s just the way it is.
What’s great about this is that it has unearthed a new way for Somerville Local First to support going local. We are launching a new and improved website that, in time, will become a must-visit site if you want to learn some of the intricacies of the Somerville business community. Along with websites like Citysquares, we will offer a place to go to support and share your own Locavore behavior. Isn’t it ironic that the World Wide Web is so effective at getting us to know our own local communities? J
Somerville and its thriving local business community
I went into this whole thing knowing (I thought) a lot about Somerville businesses. Wow, was I wrong. I had only scratched the surface, and still have miles to go. I really gained an appreciation for what this community has to offer. I was able to find pretty much everything I needed in Somerville. Think about that for a second. If the rest of the world was magically cut off from Somerville, but stores could get products from the outside somehow, you’d be able to get almost everything within 3.77 square miles. Pretty cool huh? (Editors Note: Joe was instructed to make fun of himself here for using such a preposterous hypothetical.)
Another thing that was great about going local was that I developed and cultivated relationships with local business owners. And by doing so, I gained access to their expertise. Whether it’s Dave from Dave’s Fresh Pasta telling me how to prepare his products, or Chris from Ball Square Liquors helping me choose a beverage based only on a vague comment. Last week I said something like: I’d like to make cocktails, something light. (PS- Cuarenta y Tres + Club Soda = an alcoholic beverage that tastes eerily like Cream Soda). Or Patricia from Blue Cloud telling me how a ring was made and where it came from. These interactions have become highlights that actually make me WANT to go into the store. This is a far cry from the feelings I had going into Target back in the day.
My failures
As I said all along, I am not perfect when it comes to being a locavore. And while I was close, I definitely didn’t make it 100% local. And I didn’t get everything in Somerville. I tried and failed to make lunch for myself. So I did get lunch from locally owned places in Arlington. I also tend to run my tank to below E before I put in gas, and so there were times I needed to stop while not in Somerville. As far as going out to eat or drink, I did spend almost all of my $ in the ‘ville, though I had friends who knew what I was doing and paid for me when they wanted to go outside the borders. Sort of cheating, but not entirely I guess. And there were times when I wanted variety and bought products not from the region when I could have. Finally, as I mentioned earlier, late night shopping really can’t be done locally.
However, I’d say I did about 95%+ of my spending at locally owned businesses. I spent about 90% of my money in Somerville. Because the information isn’t readily available, I’m not sure where I ended up on regional/locally made products. This is going to be a focus for me going forward though and the more I know about local products and can share that info with you, the better!
Somerville Rocks, but it’s not just about Somerville
One of the frustrations I felt, quite honestly, while embarking on this journey was being bound by the borders of Somerville. I mean, let’s speak frankly, with so many wonderful neighborhoods in the Boston metro area, it’s kind of silly to just stay in one. Now, as I mentioned, I’m really impressed by Somerville’s ability to meet pretty much every need I have for products and services. But then there’s JP, Cambridge, the South End…all these cool places with their own unique character and thriving local business communities. I want to make it clear that in no way am I saying we should all shop locally just in Somerville. Quite the contrary actually, I think going local is something we can do wherever we are. Wherever you are, you can be a Locavore too!
A way of life
My personal goal going into this was to make this ‘experiment’ a way of life. After completing the project, I can say that I have achieved this goal. Once it becomes a lifestyle, shopping locally becomes effortless, rewarding and fun. I write with confidence that you will agree, once you give it a try.
So I’m throwin’ down the gauntlet:, I challenge you to conduct your own Locavore experiment. I challenge you to embrace the local lifestyle and see for yourself. And I challenge you to engage your friends, tell your co-workers, even create your own story. If we can change 10% of the spending habits of 10% of Somerville-area residents, then we will have made a tremendous impact. What if we could do more: 20%, 50%? Somerville could become a model for local sustainability, and we could all be a part of it.
We’re working on building a movement at Somerville Local First, and to start a movement requires the contributions of many. Movements occur when a community of individuals makes a conscious and concerted decision to effect positive social change.
Don’t we need to do something different, now more than ever? Isn’t changing our spending habits one of the most controllable things we can do? What’s stopping you? Get out there and go local!
