Some thoughts about Michigan, Local Currencies, and Emerging Markets

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(note: this was originally an email to Steve Bosserman and some others, that I have edited and reposted here -- Sam Rose)

 

 

Michigan is fast becoming a place for experimentation, as we have no where to go but up from here! :-)

There are some folkshere in Michigan who have already offered to publicize what we are doing in the http://localfoodsystems.org proect, like BonnieBucquereaux of http://www.sustainablefarmer.com/index.html and there are already some strong groups, like http://washtenawlocalfood.net/ (Ann Arbor area group)

InDetroit, we could ultimately help people that are entering local foodproduction also understand and learn about uptake of local currencies.One question worth answering: is it legal to back up local currencieswith locally produced goods, instead of US currency? I believe that itis, but it would be enlightening to know. If it were, a local currencyand those who adopt and participate, could create wealth faster than UScurrency.

Related to that, one of the properties of Local food systems that Iam starting to realize is that it is sustainable for a group of peoplein an area to team up, decide not to compete with each other, andfigure out together which niches are fill-able with specialty crops,line up buyers, and grow those. In natural ecosystems, as 2 speciesdiverge, they create a niche that a new species can evolve and fill.

So, many, many existing niches for local foods already exist, andas local food producers fill those niches in diverse ways, they willcreate new niches for new food producers, new equipment designers andfabricators, new social group coordinators, new educationopportunities, new food production, distribution, and sales, newproducts that can be made from the waste of local food production, newopprotunities for green energy and living technology to extend growingseasons, new opportunities for aquaculture, hydropnics (and thetechnologies to support them) etc etc

So, I am interested in creating a way to identify the "signals"that a new niche has emerged, and helping people see what thatniche/opportunity is. This is a role that localfoodsystems.org could potentially fill, I propose. If you look at something like http://www.signtific.org/en/discoveryou can see how the Institute for the Future (disclaimer: I have workedfor them in the past!) has created a way to collaboratively capturesignals about, in this case, the futures of science. But, couldsomething like this be used by interested people in different regionsto help collaboratively identify emerging niche markets in localeconomies and local food systems? I think it could. This same systemcould also help younger people learn to identify where opportunitiesare in business.

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Some thoughts about emerging markets

Chester Bowling's picture

Sam,

Can you give us a specific example of where you have seen?

"as local food producers fill those niches in diverse ways, they
will create new niches for new food producers, new equipment designers
and fabricators, new social group coordinators, new
education opportunities, new food production, distribution, and sales,
newproducts that can be made"

Chet

Chet,   Sure! Just one of

webadmin's picture

Chet,

 

Sure! Just one of many examples is http://www.cbgarden.org/Learn/Outreach.html  Ripe From Downtown Salsa. 

 

"Each year, Green Corps participants get real world experience by
playing a major role in the production and marketing of Ripe from
Downtown products, using crops grown in the Learning Gardens. The young
people grow and harvest many of the ingredients, chop vegetables,
participate in the bottling process, and handle the lion’s share of
product sales. Ripe from Downtown Salsa (medium and hot) has become a
favorite with customers in area restaurants, at farmers market stands
and street fairs, and at local stores such as Mustard Seed Market,
Heinen’s, Zagara’s Family Marketplace, Nature’s Bin, Flavor of Ohio and
Take a Bite. The line has recently been expanded to include a
Blackberry Vinaigrette salad dressing using fresh berries from the
Learning Garden."

So, a learning garden for young people has evolved a business teaching branch, and now supplies vendors in farmers markets, local stores, and restaurants with a popular product to sell. 

Also, Blue Pike Farm in Cleveland has found a way to capitalize on the lawn waste from area homes and turn that into compost to support it's operation. These are just a couple of example. the important point is that it is inherent in anyeconomic web that niches being filled create new niches. Stuart Kauffman talks about this in depth in "At Home In The Universe"  

So, it is clear that new production, distribution, sales can emerge. Fabrication is just beginning, but I think that progress is being made with open-licensed design ideas based around food production. Some examples include  http://www.milwaukeerenaissance.com/SweetWaterFishFarming/HomePage  and much if the technology at http://openfarmtech.org

 

testing this out to

testlogin's picture

testing this out to troubleshoot notifications duplicate posting