Hayward Farmers Market

 

 

 

 

My sisters and I try to go to the Hayward Farmers’ Market as often was we can.  This past weekend we were in for a wonderful surprise because there was an early Cinco de Mayo celebration going on.  Not only did we get to enjoy wonderful fresh produce, we also saw lots of performances and even dancing horses.

 

We picked lots of great produce and I was excited to have it for lunch.  My favorite this week was my tomato, feta cheese, basil and aragula salad topped with almonds and balsamic vinegar .  I got all of the ingredients from the Hayward Farmers’ Market except for the cheese, balsamic vinegar and almonds.  It sure was yummy and healthy!

 

 

 

 

Here’s a picture of my salad with my tuna salad sandwich

Tell us about your favorite farmers’ market purchases!

Happy birthday Mom!

My mom recently celebrated her 50th birthday and we threw her a big celebration:

Here’s me with my parents, sisters and baby niece.

Here’s a picture of her dessert table

Here’s one with Marc

We couldn’t buy all the party supplies and decorations from a local mom and pop shop but we sure did try! Here are some pictures of me and my little sister shopping at the Hayward farmers market for flowers and strawberries:

 

We had a blast and my mom really enjoyed her party. Let us know how you support local when you throw parties or celebrate milestones!

 

 

 

Did you know…

Each year corporations and the wealthy are avoiding more than $100 billion in US taxes by sheltering their income offshore.

It’s going to take more than “buying local” to make a difference in our system but it’s a start!

Shift Local Travel Edition: Las Vegas

In early April, Mari and I went to Las Vegas for a quick getaway.  Sometimes you wonder how things fall into place. Mari and I didn’t know First Friday (like the one here in Oakland) in Vegas existed. We found out over dinner with some very cool people who work at Hard Rock Cafe (they work at Hard Rock at various locations all over the world for a period of time). When we mentioned that we were shift local advocates, they understood what Mari and I are all about and suggested we check out First Friday in Vegas! How can we say no?

 

Mari at the “grand entrance”

Here I am getting ready to get in line for drinks

Check out the rest of our pictures on I LOB Resources’ Facebook page!  If you have not done so, please like our Facebook page and also I LOB Resources’ Facebook page.

 

Support your independent, locally-owned businesses and help your local economy thrive!

 

Thanks to I LOB Resources and Maya Perez Bueno for this stat and photo!  If you have not done so, please like our Facebook page and also I LOB Resources’ Facebook page! Thanks

Congratulations Stephanie of Steffz Trends

One of Shift Local’s favorite local business owner, Stephanie of Steffz Trends in Alameda, won the Independent We Stand’s “Indie Pride Contest.” Congratulations Stephanie!

Also check out other SF Bay Area local business owners who joined the contest:  Warren of Action Litho in Hayward, Derrick of Derrick Dobbs Photography in Hayward, Daniel of Croll’s Pizza in Alameda and the guys of On Time Signs in Hayward.

Happy 29th Birthday Marc!

Happy 29th birthday Marc!  Hope you have an amazing birthday and an even better year!

The Revolution of Investing – Locavesting: Keeping Money Within 50 miles of Where You Live

Despite losing a contest to win a free book written by Amy Cortese:  Locavesting: the Revolution in Local Investing and How to Profit From It (Wiley & Sons, June 2011),  I have been following her blog and website to keep up with her advocacy.

Locavesting is a term coined by Amy that enhances the Buy Local movement by encouraging people to invest in businesses within 50 miles of their home.  To sum it up in Amy’s words:

The idea is to earn profits while supporting your local community. Locavesting is about investing in Main Street,  rather than the casino known as Wall Street, and creating a more inclusive and just form of capitalism.

I ran into an interview she had with Fast Company’s Danielle Sacks.  In this interview, Amy is asked:

In your reporting, did you find evidence that communities that invested locally were more resilient during the recession?

Here’s the answer she provided that inspired me to post this blog entry:

Yes, absolutely. One of the best examples is Hardwick, Vt., where community investing has been unfolding for a decade. It started when the area’s new generation of farmers and entrepreneurs began getting together to help each other work through business issues. Many of them, such as Tom Stearns of High Mowing Seeds and Pete Johnson of Pete’s Greens, were experiencing rapid growth and would run into cash flow problems, so they began lending money to each other to get through lean times. Around 2005, Stearns raised $1.1 million from a group of (accredited) local investors, all within 50 miles. Other community investments followed. Claire’s Restaurant, which showcases food grown or raised by the area’s farmers, sold prepaid “food coupons” to 50 residents for $1,000 apiece, which entitled them to $25 off a meal once a month for four years. It’s sort of modern day barn raising. All of this mutual support and reinforcement has attracted more entrepreneurs to Hardwick, like the Vermont Food Venture Center, a shared use facility for food producers and startups, which has relocated to Hardwick from Burlington to be part of the action. In the last three years, while most of the country was struggling with unemployment, Hardwick created 100 food and agriculture-related jobs, increasing local jobs by 25 percent.

Real world samples like these inspire me to continue my advocacy for the Buy Local movement.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Congratulations President Barack Obama !!

I enjoyed some time hanging out with my nieces’ earlier today thanks thanks to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I was a bit disappointed tough, when they couldn’t answer my question:

why do you not have to go to school today?

It’s quite amazing how President Obama took his oath on Dr. MLK’s Bible and, as he did during his first inauguration, President Abe Lincoln’s Bible.  I read an article on Yahoo on President Obama’s inaugural on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and here’s my favorite part:

The commitments we make to each other–through Medicare, and Medicaid and Social Security–these things do not sap our initiative; they strengthen us. They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great.

The president also warned in the approximately 2,000 word speech that the country cannot succeed if a “shrinking few” succeed economically while the middle class suffers.

I didn’t realize how important medicare and social security is when my mom had to rely on it during her illness.  Still, despite how much medicare covers for medical bills, as well as the amount of social security my mom receives, she barely has enough to pay all of her hospital and medical bills. We need to give more to our retired senior citizens and I’m glad President Obama included that in his speech.

Taste Battle! Local v. Big Box

Independent We Stand asked acclaimed chef Todd Jurich to prepare a meal using ingredients sourced locally and the very same meal with ingredients sourced at a big box grocery store. This video made us hungry.