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<P><FONT face="Times New Roman">From <A
href="http://bobaganda.blogspot.com">http://bobaganda.blogspot.com</A>
</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman">The hardest times we've experienced since the
beginning of the Oklahoma Food Cooperative are certainly upon us now. The triple
threats of peak energy, economic irrationality, and climate instability are
sending three strikes on farm country. Feed prices are climbing through the
roof, the drought and heat is destroying crops, and meanwhile, the see-saw
economic craziness that is beyond our control continues to run riot over the
globalized markets.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman">And its not just in farm country. Many of us in
the cities are having to cut back on our expenses because of situations that are
beyond our control. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman">What to do? Well, here is Bobby Max Waldrop's 4
point program for helping our growing local producer community to get through
these hard times that will also help you increase the quality of life of your
own household. </FONT></P>
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<P><B>Part the First: Eat What's Available.</B></P></DIV>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman">In the past, I have often said "Eat what's
available." That remains good advice. I'm the first to notice the shortage of
vegetables this summer, even though we have more vegetable producers than ever
before. The climate is against us this year, my home garden is doing no better.
I am barely keeping some container tomatoes and hot peppers alive, and getting
only a couple handfuls of small tomatoes each week off of 6 plants. So I buy
what I can, and get the rest at the store. But I continue to buy my meats from
the coop, since they remain in good supply. If you can't afford to buy all your
meats from the coop, then buy your ground meat, or some ground meat from the
coop. Ground meat from the big box supermarkets is true mystery meat. Each pound
may have meat from dozens of different animals from six different states. Isn't
it worth $30/month to help these farmers get through these hard
times?</FONT></P>
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<P><B>Part the Second: Cut Your Local Food Budget Last.</B></P></DIV>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman">If you have to cut your budget, cut your local
food purchases last. Some years ago, as the coop develop, I got a little behind
in my personal economy, looked critically at my budget, and dumped my monthly
cell phone contract in favor of a cheap pay as you go phone that I use as little
as possible. We shop a LOT in the after market -- thrift stores, flea markets,
etc.</FONT></P>
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<P><B>Part the Third: Buy Non-Food Items From Local Producers</B></P></DIV>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman">What about your non-food purchases? Are you
still buying bath and laundry soap at the grocery store? What about other body
care products? The artisanal body care products offered by our coop's producers
are true values. They may be priced a bit more than the supermarket, but they
last longer -- "more wash per bar" should be the motto of all of our soap
producers. Our producers' body care products are not tested on animals. Their
production does not pollute the environment. The money spent for them does not
go to giant soulless corporations but instead stays right here in our Oklahoma
economy and supports our producers and their families. If you want to feel good
physically -- and emotionally -- after you bathe, then use soap from our coop's
producers.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman">Here's one anecdote about using non-food
products. Early on, I bought some laundry detergent from Rowdy Stickhorse. It
came with a tiny little scoop and said One Scoop Per Load. I looked at that and
thought, "This can't be right" and kept on using my usual quarter cup scoop.
When I told Paulette about that, she laughed and said she was fine with selling
me all the soap I would be, but it really did only require one of those tiny
little scoops per load. So I tried it, and she was right. I've used Rowdy
Stickhorse and I've used Crosstimbers laundry soaps (the powders) and I like all
of them and consider all of them to be great values. If you have never tried
laundry detergent from the Oklahoma Food Coop, your clothes will thank you if
you try it this month.</FONT></P>
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<P><B>Part the Fourth: Keep the Faith.</B></P></DIV>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman">Finally, the third point is simple -- keep the
faith. Everything that we have said about local food for the last eight years
remains true and important.</FONT></P>
<UL>
<LI><FONT face="Times New Roman">Our cities will only prosper as our rural
areas prosper. </FONT>
<LI><FONT face="Times New Roman">When farm country is hurting, everyone is
hurting. </FONT>
<LI><FONT face="Times New Roman">Developing local food systems is an important
adaptation to the threats of peak energy, economy irrationality, and climate
instability which are upon us in all of their crazed fury. </FONT>
<LI><FONT face="Times New Roman">Local food is the best tasting food. </FONT>
<LI><FONT face="Times New Roman">Local food is best for the environment.
</FONT>
<LI><FONT face="Times New Roman">Local food is best for you and your family
and especially for your children.</FONT></LI></UL>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman">In healing our environment and creating a more
stable local economy, we can rank our decisions as good, better, and best.
"Best" of course would be to buy most of your food and non-food items from local
farmers and producers. But if you can't do that best choice, make a better
choice, and buy a significant proportion of your household's needs from local
producers. And if that isn't possible, make a good decision and buy something
every month, say $30 to $40 worth, to keep faith with our local producers and
help them get through these hard climate and economic times into a better
future.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman">Each of us holds the future of our local food
systems in our own hands. I hope you will join me this month, and each month to
come, in supporting our local producers by purchasing something from them that
your family can use.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman"><A
href="http://www.oklahomafood.coop">http://www.oklahomafood.coop</A> sign in and
order today -- or if you aren't a member, sign up now! If you are one of those
members who joined and has never ordered, while we appreciate the support of
your membership share, it is equally important that our local producer community
be supported on a regular basis with some of your grocery dollars. So take a
chance, spend $30 or $40 and see what good food and non-food items we have.
</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman">Bob Waldrop</FONT></P></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>