I took part in an interesting conversation the other day. Which is more important when buying, Quality or Local?
I’m a big believer in “local” and was very gratified to see many people choose that answer. But it isn’t my answer… I believe in quality. My belief in local is because of my interest in quality, not despite it. I dont’ grow produce with the ambition of being the “closest” to our customers… I want to be the best. Being close helps make it better. Locality is a source of competitive advantage, not an end unto itself.
I buy local produce, music, art and other products all the time, but I buy them because they are good. There have been few times that I have bought something simply to support a local producer, but I knew the product was not the best it could be. I’ve always regretted those purchases later.
I try to hold our produce to the same standard. I’ll never ask a customer to buy from us because we are local, but I will proudly claim that being local is part of what makes us great.
