Links and Resources

Thinking Global, Acting Local

Links that might be relevant locally, but whose ideas come from afar. It is also the name of a companion website, www.ThinkingGlobalActingLocal.com, that I am developing to come come on line soon. It will feature videos that illustrate Thinking Global Acting Local.

Display #
#	Web Link
1	A Tiny Fruit That Tricks the Tongue A New York Times article about "flavor-tripping parties". Let's think out of the box. We are located only 2 hours from NYC. Maybe there are unusual products that could be grown around here and sold down there. Like these "miracle berries" (needing hothouses) or paw paws, or flax oil, or... let's do some creative thinking, even if it's way, way out of the box, so we can keep agriculture as part of our economy.
2	The Saveur 100 List A great list of 100... well you have to check it out yourself. It's a brain-expander. Things that are being made and sold include some sources in the area. (Need to clarify this)
3	Food as a National Security Issue Listen to an interview with Michael Pollan as he discusses the economics of agriculture that are relevant to rural America.
4	The Passive House Growing in popularity in Northern Europe, the "passive house" has no need for a heating system and therefore requires no additional heating energy. This website is a source of information and links.
5	No Furnaces but Heat Aplenty A New York Times article about the "Passive House" concept in Northern Europe.
6	Braddock Rises from the Ashes "When steel collapsed, Braddock, Pa., suffered a post-industrial decline that an energetic new mayor hopes to turn around with leadership and some innovative ideas." What? What does a decaying old industrial town have to do with rural Pine Plains or similar communities? Watch this video from the New York Times and see for yourself if some thinking out of the box can be applied to other situations.
7	Aging Gracefully A New York Times story: "Nine years ago, Herb Eckhouse, then a 50-year-old Des Moines seed-company executive who’d been based in Parma, got a glimmer of what he’d like to do with his early retirement. He was eating prosciutto in Parma with a friend who said, “You know, if you make something this good, you’re going to make a lot of people happy.” A ham-shaped light bulb went off, Eckhouse recalled." He came back to Iowa and started La Quercia to produce a very special prosciutto. The rest of the story is found on its website, http://www.laquercia.us/.
8	La Quercia "We started La Quercia to create premium quality American prosciutto. Our appreciation for prosciutto grew out of the three and a half years we lived in Parma, Italy, prosciutto's area of origin. Our ambition to create our own came from our desire to take the bounty that surrounds us in Iowa to its highest expression. We seek to contribute to the growth of premium artisan-made American foods by offering fine quality, dry cured meats -- and Iowa with its abundance is the natural place to do this. "
9	The Youngest Grocer In America This is just an inspiring story on many levels. A YouTube video from a CBS News report of a high school student who bought and re-opened his small town's only grocery store after it went out of business.
10	Center for Rural Affairs "... works to establish strong rural communities, social and economic justice, environmental stewardship, and genuine opportunity for all while engaging people in decisions that affect the quality of their lives and the future of their communities." A Nebraska movement to support the family farm and appropriate economic rural development.
11	Ferrari Tractor CIE A California company that imports equipment for small scale grain and hay production mostly from Japan and Italy. Check this site out just to see some different ways of farming. Like being able to produce a 60 lb wrapped bale... And watch their videos! Remember, I'm pushing ideas, not equipment!

About Pine Plains (6)
Local Business Sites (27)
Local Media (9)
Local Farms (8)
Sustainable Agriculture and Economic Development (42)
Civic and Advocacy Groups (7)
Other Resources (3)
History and Sites in the Area (7)
Thinking Global Acting Local (11)

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I came to Pine Plains a few years ago by choice, not by chance of birth. But the small-town rural community I chose is changing. The farmers have, for the most part, sold to people from the city and fields are becoming lawns.

I am making this journal to preserve what I can of a changing way of life and to share it with the community. On a more personal level, I am making this as a way of holding on to the reasons why I came here.

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