After the grit and over commoditization of big city living, Chattanooga has been a refreshing little oasis for me. In the few months I’ve lived here, after a 12 year sabbatical, I have pretty much fallen in love with the entire lifestyle that comes along with being a ‘Noogan. This city just has an inexplicable uniqueness to it. I love that there is this mosaic of culture and progress and social consciousness, all melded with an intrinsic old south character that embraces hospitality, gentility and leisure. For certain, it is a city that is remarkably transformed from when I left as a teenager.
One of my absolute favorite discoveries is the Chattanooga Market at the Pavilion on Sundays. I love hopping on the bike and meeting friends for an afternoon of perusing arts vendors, eating kettle corn and running into people I haven’t seen in a million years. Last Sunday, we were grazing our way through the food samples and after trying the sweetest strawberry EVER, at the Sequatchie Cove Farm stand, we bought a little basket to munch on the rest of the afternoon. As we were walking around snacking and sticking the stems back in the basket, we were talking about how there is absolutely no comparison between prepackaged, force ripened, supermarket strawberries and the ones we had just picked up straight from the farm. I also thought it was pretty awesome that you could actually sit and chat with the owner of Sequatchie Cove. It’s not like you can go down to the produce isle in a mega-chain food store and go eyeball to eyeball with the guy responsible for growing what you’re buying, find out how its grown, and why it’s a good season or bad. On top of everything else, I love the notion of knowing that my money is staying right here at home, supporting local farmers and the community economy as a whole. There really is nothing like something home grown.
And, the whole “local rocks” concept doesn’t just apply to produce. It’s also quite applicable when it comes to your finances. There are several reasons why keeping it in the ‘noog makes sense, for your food and your finances. First of all, whether you are out picking berries at Sequatchie Cove Farm or sitting across the table from your financial advisor, it helps to know the people putting food on your plate. On the farm the growers can talk to you about the way the farm is run, why certain crops are grown and harvested instead of others and can talk to you about the processes behind the foods they produce. By the same token, when you keep your investment management local, you can meet with the founder of the company, meet the decision makers and can have the entire investment process laid out for you, by people you’ve met. In this day and age where trustworthy advisors are as rare as that perfectly dark red strawberry, there is an added level of comfort knowing that the people responsible for helping make decisions about your money are the same people you are going to see at the soccer field, or at church, or riding bikes through Coolidge Park. Another compelling reason to shop local across the board is that your money is staying in town. With farmers, the proceeds that go to the producers from a grocery store average about 3 cents on the dollar. If you buy local, directly from the farmer, it averages about 80-90 cents on the dollar. The same applies to your financial advisor. If you are working with a firm that is based here in Chattanooga, the proceeds stay local at the firm and the dollars the company applies to philanthropy stays here as well. Lastly, there is something to be said for accountability. I know that for me, personally, knowing that the people who are using your product or service are the same people you see around town provides an extra incentive to be the best at what you do. There is something about being a part of the same community as your clients that reminds you exactly why you work and who you’re working to serve.
PS Check out Sequatchie Cove at the Main Street Farmer’s Market this week..