By Robin Knight

Over the last year, I have noticed more and more articles, tweets, posts, and signs about the importance of shopping local.

Everywhere we go, someone seems to be touting the importance of buying local. And often I do. But often I don’t. The little voice in the back of my head often whispered, but this is so much cheaper, or, it doesn’t really make a difference.

But maybe it does. So instead of listening to the Internet screaming at me about how great a bargain is or how not doing it is going to slowly kill me, I thought I would start doing my homework the old fashioned way – by actually going to the places that make things locally, and checking actual reputable magazines. In the end I came up with some clear reasons why shopping local is actually better. Here is my top 10.

It’s better for the local economy.

When we shop online, 100% of our money leaves the Kootenays – to the United States, China, the Philippines, or wherever else we may be shopping. If we shop locally, we are putting this money back into our economy, which helps our local businesses thrive, and allows them to also give back to the community through sponsorships, local advertising, or helping with events such as festivals and first Saturday events. If you shop at a local chain store, some of the money stays here, and some of it goes to the owner in Ontario, or wherever they may live. Supporting locally owned and operated shops and restaurants is the best way to support our local economy.

It’s more humane.

After having a chance to tour Creston’s Kootenay Meadow Farms, we were able to see the huge areas where the cows are able to graze. Although there may be some local farms that believe in the mass production, many local farms, whether they sell dairy, meat, or eggs, are small enough that they have more space than animals, and it creates a better life for the animals, thereby creating a better product for us to consume. There are also lower incidents of outbreaks, such as avian flu, swine flu, and mad cow disease when farms give their animals more room to roam.

There are fewer chemicals.

Whether it is pesticides or preservatives, the further away your food is made, the more chemicals are needed to keep it ‘fresh.’ The Kimberley City Bakery invited us in to look at how a bakery works, based on the way that it has been done for thousands of years. Although the machinery is updated, everything is still made from scratch every morning. The taste is better, and there are less chemicals, and everything is a science. Whether it is because of a lack of skilled bakers or for consistent quality, chain stores, including chain grocery stores’ “bakeries” bake from mixes or frozen product made in plants in the big centres across North America, and shipped to the chain stores and grocery store “bakeries” so they can bring it to you “fresh”, aided by chemicals and preservatives. Me, I’d rather have real food – chemical and preservative free.

It is more nutritious.

Kimberley is a city that loves its restaurants. And there are a variety of restaurants. From chain fast food restaurants to Bavarian, vegetarian, and Mom and Pop varieties, there is something for everyone. Chain stores have one thing in common – they want everything consistent. To make this happen, most chain stores, according to chefs who have worked in many different restaurants, bring everything in frozen and boxed. These meals are filled, again, with chemicals and preservatives, and are often neither fresh nor good for you. Although there are local restaurants that make everything from ‘prefabbed’ foods brought in from their suppliers, many make their meals from scratch – often using local bakeries, dairy farms, butchers, and produce farms. I have found that the more local ingredients are sourced, the more the restaurants are likely to cook from scratch as well, creating more nutritious meals. (BJ’s and Heartbeet are a couple that fit this criteria!)

It is fresher.

In Canada, it is often difficult to find fresh produce, especially during the winter. But in the summer, we are treated to local produce, which is easy to find at the local farmers markets. Our ‘fresh’ produce in the supermarket comes from all over the world, and while I’ve always expected my mangoes, coconuts, and pineapples to come from overseas, I would rather buy carrots, tomatoes, and cucumbers from close by. The further they are shipped to the store, the longer they have to stay ‘ripe’ until they reach our plates. Produce is often picked before it is ripe, to allow it to ripen en route or in the store. This reduces the nutrients available when they are purchased, and creates more bland-tasting fruits and vegetables.

There are more nutrients.

In large operations, where farms grow the same produce year after year, the soil becomes nutrient poor, making the produce less nutritious. Traditionally, farmers would grow a number of different crops, rotating them year after year, allowing the produce to make the most of the soil around it. Small farms that still follow these traditions create more nutritious produce. Community gardens are also available for those who wish to try it themselves – and local garden stores are always on hand to give you advice!

There are more options.

When everything is made from mixes or out of a box, it can be hard to ask for things done a little differently to suit your taste. But when things are made from scratch, you can ask for things done the way you like it. Ask your local bakery if they can make a type of bread or pastry from your childhood. Ask a local restaurant if they can do something a little different than is on the menu. Ask your local garden store if they can bring in seeds for plants you have a hard time finding. If you ask during a slow time – not in the middle of the dinner rush – you may find that you can have things tweaked just the way you like it. Also specialty stores are often more open to bringing in specialty items. Crème Cheese, the new cheese store in Kimberley, is a great example of a local store that can help bring new and different tastes from around the world here to the Kootenays.

Meet your neighbours.

When we shop at fast food restaurants or chain stores, there is an impersonal feeling about it. When we shop locally – whether it’s the bike shop, the quilting shop, or our local coffee shop, we get to know our neighbours – the people who live in our town. Conversation after conversation as we continue to shop locally changes those people from strangers to friends, and creates more of a community feeling throughout our cities and towns.

You can feel good about it.

When you support local businesses, you spend more time thinking about your purchases. The local shop owners are more likely to be able to help you with pros and cons of different purchases. You can discover what makes your city unique, and often find knowledgeable staff that can help you, not only with your purchase, but also give you information about your city that you may not have known otherwise.

It helps your city thrive.

When local businesses are doing well, they are able to hire more staff, creating more jobs for the community. They are able to sponsor soccer jerseys or youth initiatives. They can even give back to the community by sponsoring festivals, movie nights, or open mic nights. The more we support our local businesses, the more they are able to support the community. And the more we come together, the more we all thrive.

To me, looking at the facts, it just makes sense to shop local more. That’s one New Year’s Resolution that I intend to keep!

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