Shift The Way You Shop

Arizona is about to embark on an experiment to see if it can replicate the findings of an economic study in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
As the study by Civic Economics has proved, if all of the households in Tucson alone shifted 10% of our existing purchases from non-local businesses to Local Independents (locally owned and independent businesses) we would see thousands of new jobs created and millions of dollars of new economic activity. And all this can begin to happen as soon as people start shifting and without the use of one taxpayer dollar.
On October 1, 2010 Local First Arizona will launch a campaign called Shift Arizona with a press conference at Maynard's Market at 10 am.
After this, it is up to the citizens of Tucson and the entire state of Arizona to choose to spend a portion of their budget at local businesses. Individuals can make a pledge and see the impact of their shift at the new website, ShiftArizona.com.
Get out there Tucsonans and Shift! There is a friendly county by county competition already underway with Springerville in Apache County leading the state in percentage of residents pledging to shift. Crazy, huh?! Watch the competition unfold here.

Another (Local) Shopping Excursion

The other day I realized my household is down to 3 of the set of 6 wine glasses I bought last year at one of those big-box housewares retailers. I said perhaps I'd plan a trip there soon as we were in need of flatware as well.
Blessed be my finance who said, let's go to Table Talk. This is a locally owned housewares store. I kind of gave him a hard time about how much more we'd have to spend to get the same quantity. Also, I kind of like buying cheapo wine glasses because I am clumsy. Anyway, I knew he was right, that we should at least go to Table Talk. And, I knew it would be a much more enjoyable shopping excursion.
The local store did not disappoint. Firstly, the service was great from a warm greeting and offering of coffee to the demo on how to use my new knife sharpener.
Next we found a great sale on cookware sets. We debated the virtues of each and thought about our needs. In the end we realized buying a set wasn't necessary, since we only really need 2 or 3 pieces. So, we bought one small frying pan to try out and left the store with our needs satisfied and our pocketbooks none the worse for wear. We made a commitment to pop in there from time to time to build our new kitchenware collection bit by bit. In this way, we end up with great products at good prices that will last and we feel good knowing a lot more of our hard earned money stays in our immediate community.

Ratatouille

This is another reprint from my personal blog, from August 1, 2010


I followed Alice Waters recipe for Ratatouille tonight. I love her The Art of Simple Food. It is my first go-to cookbook and almost always has what I need.

It came out so tasty! Even my eleven-year-old daughter said it was yummy. At first she was really not into it. We talked a bit about that. I asked her, Is it the flavor or the texture? She took a bite with some buttered rosemary bread. A look of bliss came over her face. She said, hmmm, it’s actually quite good, it’s yummy! She said the favor was good, it was the texture that she didn’t care for.

We ended up having a very interesting discussion about the origin of food and how it’s cared for while growing and how fresh it is when brought to the table. Because we got the vegetables that were in our dinner tonight from the farm down the road, we were able to experience the amazing freshness of just picked vegetables. Because my daughter spends time at the farm helping the farmers pick and weed and wash pests away with onion water, she can appreciate what she’s eating even if she doesn’t like it.

I remember having a moment like that when I was a kid. I asked my mom if onions were good for me. Because she said yes I decided I would eat them without complaint because they were good for me.

I cannot say enough about the benefits of getting fresh produce from a nearby grower.

Saturday morning CSA pickup

This is a reprint from my personal blog from July 31, 2010
 
I just got back from the CSA farm where I picked up a wonderful share of summer vegetable. Let me just plug this for a minute. River Road Gardens is a beautiful biodynamic farm tended by two very dedicated and extremely hardworking and loving people: Jon and Emily. I feel so blessed every time I pick up my share of the crop.

Today Emily told me how much trouble they are having with vermin. There are lots of critters in the field trying to eat up all the food we humans have paid for. This is one trick about growing crops without poison. But, they are committed to poison-free growing. I didn’t feel like the voles got my food. I came home with a big bag of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, okra, basil, onions and amaranth! I’ll do a bit of research on that one. I have only ever had amaranth inside baked goods.

So, this week I will make Ratatouille for the first time. What goes with it? Good crusty bread I am thinking.

Stay tuned for a delicious meal...

How to cook with all those CSA treasures

Cook What You Have is a new blog by River Road Gardens that highlights individual vegetables from the biodynamic farm. Need to know what to do with all that eggplant or peppers or squash? Check out this blog.

Summer Bounty

Check out what I picked up from my farmer yesterday! Jealous? Join the River Road Gardens CSA. Coming home with this amazing selection of beautiful food biodynamically and organically grown by people who love what they do and work incredibly hard makes be do a little jig every other Saturday (I split a share with a friend).

In addition to these lovely squash, garlic, eggplant, sweet and hot and peppers, I was given a huge bunch of basil and a few pounds of perfectly ripened tomatoes.
I will attempt to make sauce with all these beautiful tomatoes. I borrowed a food mill from a friend and will try something I have never done. After that I will try turning all that basil into pesto (another thing I have never done). It's a food adventure in my kitchen today!

Some hours later....
I made the best damn pesto! I loosely followed Jamie Oliver's recipe.

Prop 100

In the months leading up to this Tuesday's election there has been news reports on services the Arizona State Legislature is cutting due to our budget crunch. I personally have been affected and so has the small business I work for. The state cut parents out of the KidsCare program. This is the higher income tier of AHCCCS. So, last September my coverage was cut, but my daughter's coverage continued. Now, the State is threatening to cut AHCCCS completely. In fact they did and then renewed it at the 11th hour.
I see this as a scare tactic.
The argument for the increased sales tax as proposed in Prop 100 that I have heard from the Governor's mouth is, Hey, I am a republican and I am asking for a sales tax increase. I have voted against sales tax increases my whole career. Now I am asking for one. Doesn't that show we really need it?
What?! I'm asking for it so you should give it to me?
Oh and also if you don't pass Prop 100, education funding will be further cut. So, pass it or else.
I will not be threatened or bullied into giving the state more money.
If the Governor was offering a carefully thought out plan for future spending; if she'd admit to the mismanagement of state funds in the past; and if she'd explain in detail how she'll put the state on a track for fiscal sustainability I might be willing to vote yes on Prop 100.
The state sales tax has been increased by 1.1% since 1995. And, the Arizona government has grown by 30% in that time. Also, the state gives our money away to out of state businesses and consultants. No wonder the state is broke.
Raising the sales tax, esp. during a very slow recovery from a painful recession will discourage spending in the Metro areas of the state. Why wouldn't I buy all my books, DVDs, electronics, shoes, etc. online when I get an automatic discount because the sales tax is now 9.1%?!
Arizona State Legislature and Gov. Jan Brewer: want to raise revenue?

1. Encourage citizens (and snowbirds) to shop at brick and mortar stores, preferably locally-owned stores. 
2. Change the Arizona procurement laws to weigh for a local business to fulfill a contract as 48 other states do.
3. Move the state's money into local banks and credit unions.

In short, stop the leakages of our wealth to other communities.

Just some thoughts from a humble indie-shop employee without health insurance who loves her home state of Arizona.
Vote no on Prop 100 and demand the Legislature go back to the drawing board and do what every poor and middle class family in America is having to do, trim the fat and spend more wisely.