Week 7 Objectives:
-Reach out to main office of local food retail franchises (Kin’s Farm Market)
-Return to food markets that requested to be met at a different time
-Begin to set up database of food markets
Achievements:
-Collected all the necessary data from interviews
-Conducted follow up interviews at food markets where we were unable to speak to an owner or manager the previous week (including speaking to a HR representative Kin’s Farm Market, whom we sent a consent form and question to)
Upcoming objectives and strategies:
-On the week of Oct. 26th, analyze data from interviews that will contribute to the success measures of our project
-On the week of Oct. 26th, start to build the online database. Look into different platforms, including UBC blogs, WordPress, etc.
-Begin research on contacting farmers to interview once database is established
We will analyze our data by comparing the number of markets we visited that were locally owned with the total number visited. We will also compare the answers to our interview questions to extract common themes or variations. From this information we will formulate an online database to promote the existence of locally-owned food markets and to encourage consumer and producer access.
Once the data has been analyzed we can begin researching the appropriate method for setting up a database based on the number of responses and completed consent forms we have received. Throughout our work, it will be imperative to consider that since the public can access this database, we want to utilize the information from our interviews in a manner that is respectful of the interviewees and in accordance with their preferences.
Finally, our last objective for the upcoming week will be to contact local farms to interview (ask them the same questions we asked the local store owners). However, before this can happen, we must have the database completed for us to send to the farm owners should they be interested. The opinions/values of these stakeholders will contribute to the analysis of our data for this project.
What:
This week, two of our group members independently came across the article ‘Small business connects with you’ in The Vancouver Sun, that represents our moment of significance (Jones 2015). In the article, author Laura Jones discusses a wedding catering service a customer received from a small local company. On the wedding day there was a big windstorm and a blackout that affected most of the city. However, despite the extreme weather and traffic conditions, the caterer still managed to work and pulled off an amazing meal for all of their guests.
Local businesses are mostly small businesses. Small local business touches people in our community because they are not just profit-orientated. They give a great amount of attention to the human side of business. This article highlights the existence of small, locally-owned businesses, as they can often incur more stress and undergo more hardships to contribute to our community. They also interact with lots of different people in the community, which helps to form a close network. People with a strong sense of community are often more willing to assist each other during a crisis. Reflecting on the progress we have made, we realized that we were only focused on the economic and environmental benefits that locally-owned businesses can bring to the community. Although prosperity and sustainability are essential topics to discuss, we neglected to consider the human connection and personal aspects of the local food community. This article provides new perspectives and ideas to our existing objectives and success factors.
So What:
During the previous weeks of our project, our focus on the importance of locally-owned food markets was primarily concerning economic benefits. The article in the Vancouver Sun reminded us of a value that we had overlooked. When asked the question during interviews of why we were interested in promoting local food ownership, we cited off facts that considered environmental benefits such as a decrease in fossil fuel emissions from transportation, and economic ones such as fair wages and recirculation of money in the community. Another aspect of local businesses that is equally if not more important is the human connection that is formed when engaging with a small business.
There is an immensely different experience when shopping or eating at a large, corporately run business than when doing so at a small business. While there may be higher prices and less selection with the latter, this discrepancy is made up for with a genuine interest and gratitude of the customer base. That is not to say that corporations are not interested in the demands of their customers, rather that a small business can foster a sense of community and human interaction more easily, as the owners are already engaged in their community rather than in a distant office.
All businesses are profit driven to an extent, but the article provides an example of a business that was willing to go the extra step because of its commitment to its community. Another example that illustrates how small businesses can contribute to their food system in a just, sustainable way is the podcast “Latin Liver” by Dan Barber (2011). In this podcast, Barber discusses his experience interviewing an ethical foie gras producer named Eduardo Sousa. Sousa raises his geese in a wild environment that mimics their natural habitat, allowing the geese to be more comfortable. As a result, come winter the geese gorge themselves on food which enlarges their livers; rendering them perfect for foie gras. Traditionally foie gras is made by force feeding the geese by an arguably cruel method called “gavage”. Sousa demonstrates that it is possible to produce foie gras in a more ethical manner through his three year commitment comprising of many failed attempts. Like the owner of the catering company in Jones’ article, Sousa ensures a high quality product through hard work, commitment, and pride.
Now What:
What we can see behind the catering story in Jones’s article, is the sense of community involvement of those small local businesses, and the responsibility they take as community role players. This real story happened around us shows that being a part of our community, local businesses are generally more willing to provide extra support to other members in the community who they are connected to. Instead of putting large emphasis on profits, local business places a high value on the human side of the business. Indeed, small businesses are usually the ones who give back to local schools and community events. This form of community responsibility is also demonstrated by the foie gras producer in the podcast. In contrast to other business owners who aim for profit maximization by means of animal cruelty, Sousa constantly strives to establish a humane and ethical geese feeding system within the community. Reflecting on both the catering story and the podcast, the aspect of human kindness within the local business market demonstrated is driven by local owners’ sense of community, or their perception of interconnection and interdependence within the community. After learning about both of the stories, our scope for the project has changed. In the past few weeks, we only focused on the economic and profit-driven aspect of the local food market, but neglect the human side and social responsibility side of the local business. The new scope from the story and podcast this week taught us to be open-minded when considering and evaluating the benefits of local market ownership. While economic prosperity and environmental sustainability are important indicators for a successful local food system, community responsibility and the human side of the business are equally critical. For the further improvement of our project, it may be a good idea to have a brief background information section on our database to provide people with more knowledge about the relationship between local business and a strengthened sense of community. We feel that it is essential to raise the public awareness about the local involvement of the small private owned business, as well as their contribution to building a tightly bounded responsible local community.
Works Cited
Barber, Dan. (2011, December 12). Latin Liver. This American Life. Retrieved from http://m.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/452/poultry-slam-2011?act=3.
Jones, Laura. (2015, October 20). Small business connects with you. The Vancouver Sun, p.B8.