Our Vision:

"Think Local save the Environment!"

"Never doubt A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead

We believe we need to get back to the basics of community and supporting local economies. If we work closer to home, or at home, and shop close to home for local produce and products, it will reduce greenhouse gases and carbon emissions. Together we can role back the clock of time on our environment. It requires commitment -- and teamwork.

We hope you look at this website as YOUR community and that you become actively involved in Blog discussions, rating businesses in your community and shopping and supporting the Community Business Members who advertise their products and services on the site. Rating businesses builds word of mouth support for businesses offering good products and providing local talent.

You can share in building this online resource by becoming an affiliate and referring advertisers. The businesses listed in the Resource Directory do pay a fee for the services provided -- essentially this site operates as a advertising collective. This website operates without government funding.

They deserve your support. The global economy has made it difficult for the visionaries who want to do the "right thing" difficult. It may be easier, and more financially viable to use off-shore labour where employees are treated unfairly -- but is it right? We hope to give you a chance to make educated buying decisions.

From the Editor's Desk:

There is no doubt about it. Things have changed since I was a child. Growing up in Central Alberta my parents were far ahead of their time...and in other ways living the idyllic life of small town Canadians.  My father was adamant about organic farming. No DDT, or other weed killers. No processed animal feed.

Long before I was born he had drove around rural communities selling bedding plants. Then he operated a mixed farm. He had cows, pigs, chickens, some grain, and goats. When I was four my father sold his farm and moved to a small town. My father built houses. He used recycled lumber whenever he could, even when it didn't make sense to spend hours removing old nails so he could reuse a board. He used more insulation than required and ran hot water heating because it was more energy efficient and cleaner than coal -- the main heat source a the time. He insulated all his heating pipes to save energy.

In 1959, he purchased and dismantled a greenhouse and reconstructed several greenhouses on our property. Over the next 20 years he sterilized all the soil for that greenhouse operation in order to produce weed free bedding plants and crops without using weed killers. He produced bedding plants and then in the winter grew tomatoes and cucumbers. At the time hothouse tomatoes and hothouse cucumbers were a rarity...and his were organic which was even more rare.

He also grew mushrooms, and kept bees. But, not many people had an appreciation for fresh mushrooms, making marketing difficult. He developed a delivery route for his mushrooms, tomatoes, cucumbers and honey enabling him to market his products. All of his customers were individuals or restaurants.

We had more than an acre of garden. We grew all the vegetables we ate for the whole year. My parents bartered with friend's exchanging honey for pork, beef, eggs and chickens. My father was raised in Denmark and even though we lived on the prairies, he had to have fish. It was about the only food we bought (aside from staples such as flour, vinegar, baking powder etc.).

Each year in the dead of winter, we would bring in fish from the Atlantic. Why the Atlantic and not the Pacific - I do not know. But, I do know winters were much colder back then because you could count on the cold weather to provide safe transportation of fish from the Atlantic to Central Alberta, every January.

Throughout the winter one of our favorite desserts was, wild Saskatoons canned with honey. Each year we would pick approximately 100 pounds of Saskatoons from trees that grew wild in an abandoned gravel pit on a friend's farm.

Over the years, like most other Canadians, I have become accustom to the foods rolled out by the grocery store chains. However, after moving to BC in 1996 I quickly enjoyed the local produce, fish and seafood. I also started to buy organic chicken - one of the organic foods where the difference is immediately obvious.

 Like my father, I am an entrepreneur. I have always supported entrepreneurs, whenever possible. I am looking forward to bringing this resource to our communities.

Kristi Nielsen