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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Cell phones and things related

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  • From: Pat Meadows <pat AT meadows.pair.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Cell phones and things related
  • Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2004 10:08:01 -0400

On Sun, 25 Apr 2004 18:32:17 -0500 (CDT), you wrote:

> So have these people lost all control? Not
>at all! If "Mom & Pop Store" in the next town has pretty much the same
>stuff and pretty much the same price, then all we need to figure out is
>how to get to that next town! To me, that solution is pretty easy.

This is my second (and better) answer.

First: What makes you think that there *is* still a 'Mom
and Pop' store in the next town? There isn't any in our
next town over - they were driven out by Wal-Mart. I
suspect this is true of much of rural America.

Second: I also didn't say in my first answer: You might
say that our circumstances are unusual - and so they are.

But there are two senior citizen housing complexes in our
town. I believe that at least 1000 senior citizens live
here, most of them in the senior housing complexes, as these
complexes serve the entire county. I suspect that at least
half of them no longer drive, no longer have cars.

The senior housing complexes run vans to the local
supermarket and to the local pharmacy.

But for other needs (non-food, non-drug): no, they don't
run a van 35 miles to the nearest town which still has a
'Mom and Pop' store.

We used to have an Ames (discount store) in town and the
senior housing complexes ran vans to it: Ames is bankrupt
now (like a lot of formerly existing discount and hardware
chains) and the store is closed. The big local hardware
store is also now closed.

How would you suggest that the approximately 500 carless
senior citizens get 35 miles to the nearest town with
existing small stores, and 35 miles home again? Don't
forget that there is no public transport here.

Even when people do have cars and do drive, a trip of that
length can be difficult here in winter because of weather
conditions.

Pat
--
"Rats and roaches live by competition under the laws of
supply and demand. It is the privilege of human beings to
live under the laws of justice and mercy." - Wendell Berry




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