"an ethic to support local"
September 20th, 2005
Dear Friends,
There are only three days left to bid on items in the
Online Auction to support research and first year development
of the BerkShares Local Currency Program.
http://www.smallisbeautiful.org/auction.
The Wall Street Journal columnist's first question was, "Why
is there a need for a local currency in the Berkshires? All
the small shops are doing well, aren't they?" He
was researching an article about BerkShares for an end
of September issue.
Certainly there is an ethic in the region to support local
businesses, especially concerning food. Restaurant
patrons query wait staff for the source of ingredients
before ordering, and then chat about their visits to the
farms named. Chef's eulogize about the color, texture,
flavor, quality of their farm fresh menus. This
partnership between farms and restaurants is celebrated
by a number of regional organizations including Northeast
Organic Farmers Association, Berkshire Grown, New York
Regional Food and Farm Project, Hartford Food System, Yale
Sustainable Food Project, Hawthorne Valley Association,
and any number of other innovative groups which you might
support as member or trustee.
Our region is rich with an active network of Community
Supported Agriculture Farms. Citizen shareholders
guarantee the yearly operating costs of the farm through
purchase of a share of the harvest. In return they
become more keenly aware of the yearly rhythm of the field
and rivers, more aware of how the play of rain and sun
determines the availability of tomatoes in their weekly
baskets, more appreciative of the endurance and skills
needed to till and sow and weed and harvest.
But what of products other than food. The maples
and oaks, cherries and ash that give color to our autumn
hills could be the basis of a thriving local furniture
manufacturing. The woolen mills, once the source of employment
in the region, could retool and sheep could again graze
on our cleared slopes. Local currencies are a way
for consumers to self-organize to support local production
of items now imported into the region. Merchants
would recognize a guaranteed clientele for their regional
products. New businesses would be encouraged to form
and old skills revived.
"Yes," we commented to our interviewer, "there
is great likelihood of a successful BerkShares program
in this region. Residents already understand the
importance of supporting their local economy. And
if proven here, then a local currency would be easier to
implement in a region facing different economic conditions
from those of the Berkshires. If the reconstruction
effort along the Gulf Coast following hurricane Katrina
were paid, in part, with a regional currency it would ensure
that local residents would have priority for the jobs-serving
the double tasks of cleaning up AND creating lasting local
economic development.
We ardently reminded our Wall Street Journal friend that
there was as yet no BerkShares program and that he might
wait until one was launched. He responded by pointing
out that we were fundraising for BerkShares and that there
WOULD be a program and that he wanted to tell that story.
If there is so much attention to a local currency program
before it is implemented, imagine the media focus once
in place. We need your help to meet our fundraising goals
with your bids. The full BerkShares proposal and pictures
of auction items are online including a 2006 Share for
Indian Line Farm, a 2006 Share for Chubby Bunny Farm, Monterey
Goat Cheese, a farm tour of Moon-in-the-Pond Farm with “Bacon
Bucks,” Judy Grunburg's Chewy Hot Fudge, and dinners
at restaurants committed to using locally grown food such
as Red Lion Inn, White Dog Café, and the Blue Plate
in Chatham.
Auction donors have helped with their gift of products,
won't you help by bidding on your favorites. Bidding
closes September 23rd.
http://www.smallisbeautiful.org/auction
Thank you,
Susan Witt
Christopher Lindstrom
Lisa Blake
Julie Macé
Jing Cao
E. F. Schumacher Society
140 Jug End Road
Great Barrington, MA 01230
www.smallisbeautiful.org
