Case(s) in point:  fast, prepared food versus slow, made-from-scratch meals. Cheap and mass produced versus costly and customized. Self-serve versus highly personalized service.

How about big-box warehouses versus small specialty stores. Or online buying versus in-store shopping.

The slow food movement, for example, was founded by Italian Carlo Petrini in 1986 as an alternative to fast food and big business. The organization spawned by his action now includes over 100,000 members with chapters (known as conviviums) in over 132 countries. At the heart of this grassroots movement is the goal of linking pleasure and food with awareness and responsibility. In essence, it encourages us to savour, share, and celebrate local food and local culinary traditions while preserving heirloom varieties and promoting local food producers. Truly the antithesis of fast food! To learn more about the The Lanark County Slow Food Convivium, call Janet Duncan at 613-256-2933, or check out Lanark Local Flavour to find a Farmer’s Market nearest you.

In Japan, there are now more than 100 cat cafes where customers pay to interact and observe the resident kitties whilst sipping coffee – presumably so they can feel warm and fuzzy all over. Small Things, Canada’s first cat cafe (or so it’s billing itself), recently opened in Sudbury, Ontario. But unlike its Japanese counterparts, Small Things offers feline interaction for free in hopes of promoting adoption. Even better! There are many cats and dogs waiting for their forever home. To learn how you can adopt one (or more), contact Lanark Animal Welfare Society. 

Why, you may ask, are people turning to real food and furry felines for comfort? A 2005 Leger Marketing survey found the average Canadian was spending five times longer per day on electronic communication than on touching people. And this was pre-iPhone! Martin Lindstrom, a world-renowned sensory marketing expert, predicts that as people’s social lives migrate further online, the need for tactile consumer experiences will rise in kind. (Ottawa Citizen, October 23)

So there you have it. The high-tech, living-online counter trend? Old-fashioned, hands-on human interaction.

This is where small stores like Ground Waves come in to play – literally!

It’s fun to shop at small owner-operated stores where they know your name (cheers, Cheers!)  Where you’ll discover a diverse collection of merchandise, which you are encouraged to touch and try. Where you’ll often find unique products crafted by talented Canadian artisans and designers.

Small stores contribute to the ‘fabric of their communities’ in a multitude of ways, from providing employment to making donations. Their owners and employees are your friends and neighbours. They choose to work in small stores because they sincerely like people, and take pride in helping customers find just the right item or service for the occasion. It doesn’t get much more human or hands-on than that.

So invest in your community, your neighbourhood, yourself. Take a break from your electronic equipment and treat yourself to a day of slow shopping at your local small businesses.

Shop at Ground Waves for fun, fine, one-of-a-kind gifts for the young – and the youthful – all handpicked and heartfelt by co-owners Charlee & Jude.

 Join us on the Ground Waves Facebook Page to see what’s new, save money - and smile!

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Savory Coconut Pumpkin, recipe courtesy of Cheryl Nash, Lanark Local Flavour

Local food is better for all of us

We’ve heard it before but it’s an important message that bears repeating, particularly this weekend when we’re celebrating the season’s bounty.

1. Food is more nutritious – and tastes better – when picked ripe and eaten fresh.

2. Every $1 spent on local food means $2.27 goes back into the local community.

3. The environment benefits the less food is packaged, refrigerated, and shipped.

4.  Buying locally-grown food helps to preserve farmland, and maintain the local capacity and skills to feed ourselves.

To tempt your tastebuds, Cheryl Nash of Lanark Local Flavour, has submitted this sensational seasonal recipe, made in part with homegrown ingredients.

Adapted from the Farmer John Cookbook,  it features pumpkin and curry, ideal culinary partners. Combined with ginger, coconut milk and just a spoonful of Lanark County sweetness, this hearty dish has over the top flavour.

For a complete meal, serve with potatoes or rice, along with a plate of crudities and crusty bread.  Enjoy!

Savory Coconut Pumpkin

Serves 4

• 3 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 large cooking onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp. freshly grated ginger
• 2 to 3 tsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. finely chopped jalapeno pepper (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom
• 1 small, locally-grown pie pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
• 1 tbsp. raisins
• 1 tsp. Lanark County maple syrup
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the butter and oil together in a heavy pan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until golden, about 15 minutes. Add the ginger and cook for 3 more minutes.

Stir in the curry powder, chopped jalapeno, cloves, and cardamom. Cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the pumpkin chunks, coconut milk, raisins, and maple syrup.  Cover and simmer over low heat until the pumpkin is tender, about 30 minutes. Uncover, and if the sauce seems too thin, let the pot boil until the mixture thickens to your liking.

Season with salt and pepper.

Extending the Harvest Hint

Most of our local farmers’ markets wrap up Thanksgiving weekend, so now is the perfect time to pick up a few different varieties to put away. Stored in a cool dark place, such as an unheated spare bedroom or a back porch that doesn’t freeze, squash and pumpkins can last up until the following spring, depending on the variety.

As a general rule, delicata, pie pumpkins, buttercup, and red kuri have a shorter storage life than acorn, sweet dumpling, and butternut.

Regardless of the variety, be sure to select ones with an attached section of stem. These tend to keep longer.

 Discover more recipe ideas at Ground Waves!

Let the journey begin!

Wise folks say life is about the journey, not the destination. I think the same is true for work, particularly for independent retailers like us whose workplace is always in a state of seasonal flux.

Charlee and I opened Ground Waves eleven years ago. At the time, the economy, the retail industry, and our local business community, were all fairly robust. As were we! We opened the store on July 8th to a waiting crowd, and for that first year, we were literally swept off our feet.  We were delighted – albeit exhausted – with our apparent success. The future looked rosy.

My, what a difference a decade made. A year following our grand opening, we witnessed the catastrophic 9/11, after which life, and work, never did seem quite the same. Then came SARS, West Nile virus, border restrictions, rainy summers, factory closings, road construction, economic turmoil, and a population that was aging, and we along with it.

And the face of retailing was changing too – dramatically. The advent of the big box stores, and the internet – along with the explosion of online shopping - were game-changers. 

Yet, throughout it all, we managed – thanks to the support of our dear employees, and loyal customers (and the occasional fancy footwork on our part!) – to stay in the game.

I won’t lie, it hasn’t been easy. Many times over the years we wondered if we should – or could – carry on. But just when we thought about bowing out gracefully (or not), a little bit of sunshine would break through…we’d receive a glowing compliment from a customer, or find an awesome product, and once again, we’d be making plans for the next season.

Truth be known, we LOVE what we do. Despite all the challenges, retailing – at least the way we do it – is still a lot of fun. We get to work with a bevy of bright and beautiful women while listening to great music. Our customers are wonderful.  And when we hear the knock on the stock room door, we know those boxes being delivered will contain some delightful new treasures – just like Christmas.

This spring, we decided it was time to grow – forward. Rather than just keep on keeping on, we wanted to keep up! Join the party! Embrace this new and ever-changing world of commerce. 

So, we invite you to share our journey of learning and discovery. Soon, our little community of Ground Wavers can meet on the Ground Waves Facebook Page, talk on this blog, and buy online. Stay tuned. The fun has just begun.

Discover more at Ground Waves!