Stories tagged with "local food"

Food-backed Local Money

Posted by Jason Bradford on March 4, 2009 - 7:24pm in The Oil Drum: Campfire
Topic: Economics/Finance
Tags: ecological economics, local currencies, local food [list all tags]

I thought this evening's Campfire post might connect well to Gail's article this morning. If the financial system is at a risk of collapse, and if so many of our basic goods depend on the financial system, then what, if anything can we do to be more resilient to economic shocks? Below the fold is a description of a project I am working on that may provide some answers.




Image 1. Front and back sides of a Mendo Credits slip. Our first printing of Mendo Credits was for 600 notes sold at $10 each. Proceeds from the sale of Mendo Credits allows us to purchase 8000 pounds of grains and dry beans. Mendo Credits are 100% backed by specific quantities of pinto beans, triticale, and white and brown rice.

As a kid did you ever fantasize about Monopoly game money becoming real? I know I did. Perhaps that’s why I left the printer shop the other day with a sense of bemusement. I had just designed and printed $6000 of money called Mendo Credits. I felt confident that people would accept it, and I also proudly considered that Ben Bernanke doesn’t make money as good as this.

Now before you call the Treasury Department to report me, listen to my story. It may sound funny, but the reality of money is deadly serious. This is perfectly legal and I want you to play copy cat.

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Scenario 2020: The Future of Food in Mendocino County

Posted by Jason Bradford on January 5, 2009 - 10:27am
Topic: Environment/Sustainability
Tags: food supply, local food, oil shock [list all tags]

I was asked to give a presentation to a group called Leadership Mendocino. Every year about 30 people in our County, usually from a mix of businesses, government agencies, and non-profits, meet monthly for a full day and intensively study a particular topic. Nov. 14th 2008 was their Ag day, and my presentation followed the Ag Commissioner’s, who reviewed the County’s history and present. I didn’t want to talk about the future as if I knew what was going to happen, but I did want to highlight the vulnerabilities and tensions I saw building and suggest some alternatives to our predicament. Hence I created a storyline in which I was now the County Historian in 2020 giving a talk to the group about the past decade of change.

While the details are specific to where I live, the general lessons apply to the whole world.

A video version of my presentation (which adds more details to the discussion presented here) is available here.

Click on any image to see a higher resolution version.

For Mendocino County the key date was December 12, 2009. The trucks didn’t show up that day.

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Make that Two Greenmarkets on E. 82nd Street

Posted by Glenn on March 21, 2006 - 8:06pm in The Oil Drum: Local
Topic: Environment/Sustainability
Tags: csa, greenmarkets, local food, manhattan, new york, new york city, organic, upper east side [list all tags]

That's right, not just one greenmarket in my neighborhood, make that TWO. And for good measure, let's put them on the same street and create a greenmarket alley leading from Carl Schurz Park on the East River to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It's been a long road since I presented the idea of bringing greenmarkets to my powerful neighborhood back in October.

Here are the two sites under consideration by the Community Board:

P.S. 6 - Schoolyard on the 82nd Street side, b Mad/Park, Every Saturday, July 1, 2006- November 18, 2006

St. Stephen of Hungary Parish - 82nd Street, b 1/York, Every Sunday, July 2, 2006-November 19, 2006

Jessica Lappin, the local Councilmember deserves a lot of credit for helping make this happen, including getting the priest at St. Stephen's to sign a letter endorsing the idea.

BUT, this is not yet in the bag. Despite the fact that almost every other NYC neighborhood has a greenmarket, there is one person who might try to thwart this. Who's against a greenmarket? Eli Zabar, who was not only responsible for removing the one at All Souls Church, but also thwarted past attempts to install one at Carl Schurz Park, 86th and Fifth Ave. If he succeeds in stopping either of these, it will be a loss to the community and he and his stores should be shunned for it.

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Local Political Action Kickin' Into High Gear

Posted by Glenn on February 2, 2006 - 4:00pm in The Oil Drum: Local
Topic: Policy/Politics
Tags: bicycling, greenmarkets, local food, peak oil [list all tags]

My local environmental initiatives are kicking into high gear this month as the Community Board debates two important environmental issues: Biking and Greenmarkets.

Over the last week I have given out over 600 copies of my little flyer about both issues, asking people to either come to the community board meeting or send them an email in support of both ideas. I have received a wonderful response from most people and now have about 5 volunteers signed up for continuing the flyer effort.

Through this process I am gaining invaluable contacts and allies in local government and the local food / biking community. I hope I will eventually become a leader on environmental issues in my area.

So how did I get to this point?

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