The Project for Public Spaces is an amazing organization in the field helping local communities rebuild, or initiate the creation of commons spaces.  Often this includes crafts and farmers markets.   I have excerpted their article on buying local.  If you like what you read, or you want more information on how we got into our current situation, follow the link below to the full article.

–> How Public Markets can Rebuild Local Economies
Reviving local food traditions and economies does not mean junking the existing food system, but embracing new goals beyond just cheap prices and a steady supply. This is plain common sense in a time when economic uncertainty and fluctuating energy costs could mean a sudden drop in food shipped from afar or a huge jump in prices.

Changes in food distribution are already underway and this is evident in the exponential increase of farmers markets, the rebirth of public markets in many places, and the rapid emergence of the local food movement. Consumers increasingly want to know where their food comes from for reasons of nutrition and taste. They also see the benefits of investing in the local economy, rather than distant suppliers. And there’s growing awareness that the lack of fresh, healthy food in low-income communities heightens many of the problems associated with poverty.

Local economic revival goes farther than food. Through the Project for Public Spaces…