Engineer, activist and greenhouse operator John Shepley points to Maryland’s burgeoning farmers markets as vigorous proof that environmental awareness can fuel economic growth.
"Even in this tough economy, the focus on local food is tremendous," said Shepley, who is co-owner of Emory Knoll Farms and co-chair of the Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance.
Nineteen new farmers markets opened in Maryland this year and some markets are attracting such large crowds that vendors occasionally sell out "simply because people see value in the farmers markets," Shepley said.
Organizers of the Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance who have promoted the local food economy since CSBA’s inception in 2005, are working to spread that enthusiasm for buying local to other goods and services. And they are hoping that growing environmental awareness, a heightened interest in preserving local jobs and a little technology will help CSBA build a "local living economy."
Comprised of several hundred businesses throughout Central Maryland, CSBA works to educate the public on the importance of supporting the local economy and to encourage businesses and consumers to be environmentally sustainable and socially responsible.
One of its major initiatives is the Buy Local campaign. In previous years, the campaign has generated a printed directory featuring locally owned, participating companies.
That directory, however, never reached a "critical mass," Shepley said.
Specifically, it didn’t include enough company listings to fulfill a wide range of consumer needs and the printed directory didn’t reach enough consumers to drive large amounts of business to participating companies.
Consequently, CSBA organizers are looking to expand the Buy Local directory to include all locally owned businesses, not just companies who buy space in the directory. They are also working to convert the directory into an easily searchable database that can be accessed on cell phones or other mobile devices.
"We want to make sure the Buy Local campaign doesn’t stop at food alone," Shepley said. "In this economy, the reality is that it is easier for somebody to go to Wal-mart and buy the cheap stuff that is made in China than it is to pay extra to support a local business. We don’t want to criticize anybody who is trying to be thrifty in order to make ends meet. But we want to let consumers and businesses know that there are options to buy local and there are advantages to supporting locally owned businesses rather than shopping at big box stores where their money is bound to leave our local economy."
The advantages of buying local, according to the CSBA, include preserving and creating local jobs, creating long-term prosperity in the community, promoting cultural diversity and supporting a healthier environment through reduced transportation.
Ida Cheinman a CSBA board member and principal and creative director of the communications and marketing firm, substance151 said companies from organic farms to local accounting firms are discovering a real, financial benefit to engaging in environmentally sustainable business practices and buying their own goods and services locally.
"We have all seen consumer perception shift pretty dramatically," Cheinman said. "More than ever, there is a great benefit for a local company to say they are part of this movement to buy local, that they are supporting sustainable business practices and building a local living economy. Market research shows that consumers are definitely making decisions based on this. These practices give companies a competitive advantage."
For more information contact:
1500 Thames St., Suite 406, Baltimore, MD 21231
410-342-1482
info@csballiance.org
