Living Local coupon book
There’s been something of a "local economy" movement floating around lately ("make local habit" is the prominent phrase I keep seeing) and now there’s a local coupon book that is embracing that philosophy. It’s called Living Local: A Community Coupon Book for Central Oregon, and has been out since May of this year.
It’s a $20 purchase, and funds partially benefit the Waldorf School of Bend. Here’s what they say about it:
2000 copies of LIVING LOCAL were printed Spring 2009, with a distribution premiere at the Waldorf School of Bend’s May Fair Festival, May 2, 2009. Books will be available for purchase ($20, tax deductible) from many local outlets; check www.livinglocalbook.org for all locations including Camalli Book Company, VisitBend, and Tower Theatre Box Office. Participating businesses were charged NO FEES to participate in this project so that more local businesses could participate in this community-building project. Also, current LL Book vendors are not receiving any book profits. Thus, all of the project’s proceeds come directly from book sales and support the local non-profit school and support the community!
For this first edition, coupons will not expire until November 2010 so that participants may use and enjoy its offers for a full 1½ years. Printed locally on FSC paper. Future editions in coming years are expected to surpass 5000 copies. We plan to publish annually in Fall after 2010 as a perpetual income source for the school and community at large.
They’ve assembled an impressive list of local participants but to be fair, I don’t know what kind of savings the coupon book represents; some sort of preview would be nice.
Has anyone seen this book around town?
2 for 1 at Pizza Mondo, Chow, La Rosa, backporch, bellatazza, lone pine, goodys, NYC sub shop, longboard louies, townshends, sage cafe, seasons @ 7th mtn, + lots more, plus tons of recreation and health/beauty and shopping offers. If you have kids, Bluefish Dental has $50 off! Flip through the book @ Camalli Book Co, Dudleys, or Between the Covers. I’ll add some of the offers to the web site today. And if you need me to drop a book at your place, Jon, send me your address. Thanks for getting the word out!
So does the "buy local" movement mean that tourists should avoid purchases here and only buy things at home?
They wouldn’t even leave their own locale if they were that strict: they’d take a "staycation." But the true core of the movement is to support the community which surrounds you, as it supports you, for the sake of the economy (money & jobs) and to reduce carbon footprint of shipping (think NW apples vs New Zealand) Also there is more authenticity of place in choosing local: landscaping plants, food, etc. 6152 Maybe it’s just me but I’d rather find a really good independent restaurant than some chain that’s the same everywhere: think McDonalds in the Vatican as an example. Check out the livinglocalbook.org web links or BALLE for more info. Shopping at local independents also keeps 3x more money in the local community according to a study in Austin TX!!! We are trying to grow peoples consciousness to be more aware, of choosing local first, then regional, then national, then continental, you get the idea. It will help the US economy, too! There. That’s mt mini dissertation on the subject.
The book is fantastic and the coupons are good through 2010! One visit to La Rosa and Back Porch in the morning and you’ve paid for the book. If the book is successful, more businesses will participate in 2011. Bend needs more people thinking like Claire!
Just get enough guns and a cabin in the wilderness, when, in fact, as the talk points out neighbors are crucial to survival and not just any neighbors. ,