I came across a video online the other day, and decided to share it on Facebook. After looking into it further, I found there was more to it, much more…. My Buy Local Challenge column, and now called Local Focus, is showcasing businesses and events that help to remind us the importance of supporting our local economy. One of the things I have not been happy with of late, is that West Ocean City is being taken over by fast food and national chain restaurants. Little did I know the philosophy of Chipotle until I saw this video:
http://youtu.be/aMfSGt6rHos
This video was not only well done, it told a chilling story. This is a prime reason why we must support local, beginning with the farms that grow the produce and livestock that feeds us. Not only do we know where the food supply is coming from, it is most likely not mass produced, offering to us a better quality product, all the while supporting the local economy.
Chipotle not only wants to serve quality products, they want to support those local farmers that supply those products. I decided to look into it further, and they seem to truly support the quality products and the farms they are raised on, as well as the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation that raises money to help those small farmers. For Halloween they have Boorito, a costume contest with up to $1,000,000 in proceeds going to the foundation and FarmAid. Watch the short film created by the Foundation to raise awareness of the plight of small farmers.
http://youtu.be/AhG8gnEAKks
I have been struck by both the commercial and the short film, and I have liked all that I have seen by Chipotle and hope that it is not too good to be true that a large chain can have a philosophy that can actually help the small farmers, and support better quality food, that in the end is good for us all: the farmer, our health, and our environment.