Living La Vida Local
He conceded that, “there are different definitions of local,” including the Arcata Chamber’s use of the word. “Their holiday ad said, ‘Shop Local First,’ then the biggest name in the ad was Best Western, which is a chain … I don’t feel that they were intentionally local-washing, but theirs is a definition of ‘local’ that doesn’t match ours. Part of our work is to educate people so they know local is not just geographical.”
My last call was to Lindra Lomeli, CEO of Casa Lindra, a business she founded locally in 1983. Her salsa is manufactured and packaged in Arcata. Most of her sales are local. She concedes that not all the ingredients are local.
“When you think about it, there’s nothing that’s processed locally that doesn’t have some material from elsewhere,” she said. “They don’t grow tomatoes in Humboldt County — not enough for my purposes, anyway.”
She is, in fact, fiercely independent. “I’m not a corporation; I don’t want to be a big corporation. I want to be independent. And I am.”
Why isn’t she listed in the trusted source book at the Co-op? Simply because she didn’t return the required form. “Too much eff-ing paperwork. I don’t need it. People know my salsa. They know I’m local.”
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44th Annual Kinetic Grand Championship Race
STAFF PICK / events, art, outdoors, sports, for kids, free / 9 a.m.-6 p.m. A 3-day, 42-mile kinetic sculpture race over land, sand, mud and water! LeMans start at the Noon Whistle on the Arcata Plaza. Follow the race through Manila, Eureka and into Ferndale on Memorial Day for the Glorious Finish. kineticgrandchampionship.com. 889-3024.
Flow 2012 Fashion Show
STAFF PICK / events / 8 p.m. Arcata Theatre Lounge, 1036 G St. Student designed and produced clothing. Fundraiser for Arcata Arts Institute. $35/$25 students. artsinstitute.net. 822-1220.
Woodside Preschool's Rummage/Bake Sale
events / 8 a.m.-noon. Woodside Preschool, 900 Hodgson St, Eureka. www.woodsidepreschool.com. 445-9132.
Lanphere Dunes Restoration
STAFF PICK / outdoors / 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Meet at Pacific Union School. Help remove non-native invasives at the Lanphere Dunes Unit of the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Tools and gloves provided, wear work clothes and bring water. Carpool to the protected site. 444-1397.
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TWO Comments
Comment / By Sourcetruster / July 9, 2009, 9:22 p.m.
The co-op book contains quite a few products that are finished/processed locally but come from far away so I am sure casa lindra qualifies. Coffee comes to mind as the least local of the so-called local products listed.
The two companies that listed don’t have much but vague lip service about their suppliers and probably have never set foot on their source’s farms. Hard to know your source if you’ve never met them.
The list is on the co-op website as well.
Comment / By WakeUp / July 17, 2009, 3:29 p.m.
Get a clue, Doran. HumIBA is a scam, its supposedly beloved small business members don’t even get a vote or any input in how HumIBA is run. Menzies and the other DUHC cult-brains run the place autocratically.
The Chamber is run by a member-elected board, which is why they’re so much more fact-based and down to earth.