Today is the last day to
vote for Slow Money as one of change.org's Top Ten Ideas for Change
in America.
We started the day at number 15. We need 893 votes to jump
into the Top Ten and make it to folks in the Obama
Administration.
There can be 2 million earthworms in one acre of fertile soil.
(We're not sure how many organic beets there could be in a fertile
economy, but it's a pretty big number.)
vote here for Slow Money on
Change.org.
Folks
across the country know something is wrong. There's just something about
the system we've created over several decades that is inherently flawed.
Some blame the government, others big banks, still others blame political
parties, but all agree that there's something that's just not quite
working the way it should. People are losing homes, jobs, and health
coverage at an alarming rate because of the societal turbulence in the
enormous yet formless thing we call the economy.
Enter Change.org and
their
10 Ideas for Change
in America. Taking advantage of the concept of "the wisdom of
crowds," Change.org launched a campaign to find 10 great ideas. It
began with thousands that were submitted by ordinary individuals and
organized interest groups alike. These were whittled down through online
voting to a more manageable 70 or so, and right now the voting is getting
down to the wire to choose which 10 ideas will be presented to the White
House - as in formally presented to senior people there, not just sent in
an envelope to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. You can (and should!) vote
too.
All, or nearly all at least, are worthy ideas. Each has its merit
and is worthy of consideration. But for those with an interest in food,
three of them rise to the top quickly, and first among equals
is
Slow Money.
The idea is a simple one: invest as if food, farms and fertility actually
mattered. Get anyone who invests money (and if you have a 401k or an IRA,
that's you too) to direct just 1% of it toward small food enterprises and
local food systems. Get at least that small sum of money out of the hands
of Wall Street, huge banks and multinationals and use it, quite
literally, as seed money. Invest in local farms, food systems, artisans,
brewers, bakers, cheese-makers and so on and keep that money close to
home.
We'd create a thriving economy that makes real, healthy food, instead of
a fake one that just makes money for bankers. One that invests in people
and the land, not in some distant amorphous concept called Wall
Street.
In their book Inside the Apple, a Streetwise History of New York City,
this is how Michelle and James Nevius describe the building of the
palisade for which Wall Street was named: "The wall had two major
problems: it wasn't needed and it didn't work."
Also interested in investing in the land is the American Farmland Trust,
whose idea for saving farm and ranchland is doing quite well in the
balloting, as well as an initiative to put a garden in every school. Both
are important concepts you've heard me advocate for vociferously for
years.
Slow Money is new and novel though, and needs more votes before this
thing wraps up at 5pm EST this Friday, 3/12.
Please
visit Change.org, vote
for these 3 ideas and any other 7 you feel are worthy. It's fun,
important, and it only takes a couple minutes.
Thank you.
By Kurt Friese, Restaurant owner, SFUSA board
member, and publisher of Edible Iowa River Valley
Posted: March 10, 2010 09:28 AM