Local Food

I've been slumping at work for the past month, feeling completely drained and creatively stifled after our big event. So it's good that today I attended a meeting that left me feeling pumped and curious again. Pow! BALLE, the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, is a network of organizations and entrepreneurs that um, basically do what the name says, that I'm trying to get us involved in. BALLE's goal of economic localization is an intuitive match with what we do, because, well, the SBA tells us to help local businesses otherwise they take away our money, "local" and "green" are linked (which is where my interest is), and it kind of just feels good inside.

Here in the "Bay Area," the five focus industries are food, energy, manufacturing, finance, and retail. Yesterday's discussion focused on green ag, and any excuse to learn more about food, food production, food and culture, agribusiness, etc., I'll take! I don't endorse a 100% local economy, but that's kind of assuaged by the fact that it's kind of impossible. Nonetheless, the dialogue sparked by the whole issue is so interesting. The context of food is a great introduction into environmental, social justice, and economic issues, too. The marijuana of environmentalism, if you will. For example, with the whole local food movement, you start off here and you feel intrigued (and spoiled, being in California), but then you go here and you feel tempered, and then, 10,000 words later, you're here and your brain is tired and just wants to mindlessly bop along to "Oops I Did it Again." (Seriously though, an interesting, articulate discussion. Read it.)

Plus, the meeting was in San Francisco, which made me happy. The only downer was the pleonast (so can't wait to bust that one out in Literati) present, but there's always one of those in a meeting. I'll still take it!