Made In NYC

Here’s a wonderful resource of all sorts of items that are made right in New York City.

US Manufacturing UP

Obama seeks to double US exports in 5 Years

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Obama seeks to Double US exports in 5 Years

Gone Shoppin’

Made my first real shopping trip seeking only US products. I went to a Trader Joes. I bought an organic free range chicken and some chicken sausages. Meat is easy. But was pretty satisfied with the vegetable selection. I got some baby spinach in a cryo-bag, a few varieties of sprouts and even some grape tomatoes. Whole broccoli was from MEXICO but I found a big bag of broccoli florets marked”PRODUCT OF THE US” as well as”PACKED IN THE US” so I bought them. Bought apples from Vermont and clementines from California. And Californian extra virgin olive oil. And some great looking fingerling potatoes. It looks like if you want American grown vegetable in Feb. you are going to find smaller packages of smaller vegetables.
I made one more stop for beer and wine. I have confidence that Sierra Navada Stout will be great. And I bought several bottles of Californian red wines that will be interesting.
I also went to Sears yesterday to change the oil in my car. Valvoline is an American brand. I checked a bottle of Valvolene synthetic and found no indication of where it was made. I will try to find out before my next oil change. And where do the make the air filters and oil filters that I will need some time in the future?
One thing I have been thinking about is the carbonated Poland Spring Water that I considered an American alternative to the Pellegrino that we
always keep on hand. After I got it home I noticed that Poland Spring is a subsidiary of the Swiss giant Nestle. I need to find another alternative. Bottled in Maine but owned by Swiss Company. So what makes a product “American”?

First Steps

Saranac Brewery in Utica NY has released an Irish Stout in time for St. Paddy’s Day. I bought some and it is delicious. Very similar to Guinness Extra Stout right down to the dry and chalky finish. A limited release so I will be laying some in.

My Wife and I put on a little Valentines Day Brunch yesterday. Bagels from the local shop, Italian pastry from a local bakery. My Wife paid more for clementines from California than ones from South America. She has been as interested in buying US made products as I have been for years. Much more so than I when it comes to locally gown food. I bought her a pretty cool heart-shaped box of chocolates that is MADE of dark chocolate from a little local German luncheonette that makes its own candy, and roses from the Korean deli.

Now I am presuming that all raw chocolate comes from outside the country. But the finished product was made here so I think was OK. It was hours before I even thought of where the roses were from. I like buying flowers from my local deli so I am going to find out before I buy again.

I had an idea.

Our economy would be helped if more people bought American products. We as a nation must manufacture more . We can not merely be a country that consumes what the rest of the world makes. It is unsustainable.

So I have challenged myself to buy only American made products for one year. Is it even possible ? What constitutes “American Made” ?  Will it be just too expensive? And what about Guinness? That’ll hurt.

I am not an economist. I have followed the news of our suffering economy in the papers just like anyone. I am not an isolationist. We are one nation in a big world and there  always will be and must be trade with other nations.

I will post here from time to time what I learn about supporting American Manufacturing, what I can find produced in the US and what I can’t.