2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session 2013 special election arts arts and culture author ballot measures basketball bomb books boy scouts budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal college courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration international internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana marriage media medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes television terrorism theater third parties transportation union university of oregon washington wildfire women

I support buying local, but good ideas taken too far can often go bad. The economics can be negative for the local community. An example is Tillamook Cheese: the cheese is made in Tillamook County, the cows and milk are closer to Boise. How do you define "local" in this case?

More importantly, Tillamook, a proud local company, distributes widely to probably 150million people. "Local" Tillamook consumers may only include about 2 million Oregonians. Reducing their consuming footprint by 98% might well bankrupt the firm. This is an extreme example, however the "buy local" does not consider or recognize the "export" economy of local producers who prosper by exporting products out of our low-population rural geography. We can only build a great food economy and local prosperity by supporting artisans and industries that flourish locally and internationally.

posted 5 years, 1 month ago
view in context