Let’s put our money where our mouth is!

I’ll be honest, I have been guilty of purchasing an impulse buy here and there. And, if we are being honest here, I would bet that we have all at one time or another succumbed to the “impulse buy.”

An impulse buy is exactly what it sounds like, it’s defined as “to buy on impulse without proper reflection on commerce, commercialism, mercantilism”... and so on.

But there is a major factor left out of that definition. It does not consider the effects on our environment!

Sure, when shopping, consumers often consider price, budget, quality, and even where the product is made. And although there is a growing number of eco conscious consumers, many people still do not pause to think about the environmental footprint that went into the production of that new TV, or that new video game system your kids want, or even that night out to eat and drink with friends.

Working for small farms gives me a unique perspective on all the work that goes into the production of each food item and raw material produced. 

When we go into a store the experience is so far removed from the labor, time and resources that went into getting that one item neatly packaged on the shelf. 

It is so easy for us to literally reach out and grab anything we want off the shelf and pop it in our cart, and retailers know this!

They have teams of people dedicated to laying out the store to induce shoppers into impulse buys. 

For example you know that shelf that is at the end of an aisle at the food store, the one where they often put “featured products?” Well that is called an end cap and that was created specifically to induce impulse buying.

“Oh I didn’t come to the store for pumpkin spice chocolate chip cookies but here they are displayed so pretty and it’s fall so in the cart it goes!”

I know, I know that’s a silly example, but that is how it works, impulse buying is silly. I think we are smarter than that and we can do better as consumers.

As consumers we have a lot of power. Our money speaks, and those that run the market are always watching for new trends to play on.

Imagine if we all started only buying from companies that supported local farmers, ecologically sound farming practices, and sustainable resourcing of raw materials?!?

That would put out of business those companies who are damaging our earth, and it would support and help the companies who are helping our planet.

In turn we as consumers would have easy access to higher quality products and those products would not just be healthier for our environment, they would also be much healthier for our bodies!

Look I know a lot of factors go into navigating what we buy and what we don’t buy. Certainly each of our unique financial situations plays a huge role.

But, I just want to encourage all of us to try to have a more discerning eye whenever we make any purchase. 

Consider the environmental impact of each item that you bring into your life, and if that item doesn’t feel right to you don’t buy it and find an alternative that is good for you and good for the earth. 

We work hard for those dollars, let's use them consciously! 

One way that we can do that is by purchasing our food from local regenerative farms like Beiler Family Farm.

This small act of buying from the farm has a huge effect on your ecological footprint. 

It cuts back on gas usage for shipping food, it regenerates the environment the foods are grown in, it takes money out of the huge commercial agriculture industry that is destroying our planet, it nourishes your body and your families bodies, it supports humane treatment of animals, and it supports a family in Spring Mills, PA who work tirelessly to bring you food that they believe in.

Let’s put our money where our mouth is and buy our food from small farms, it’s good for everyone and everything involved...win-win!

Enjoy the food!