Ashland's Local Economy

Support Ashland Area's Local Economy (S.A.A.L.E.)

The Purpose of S.A.A.L.E. is to:
Support Ashland's local economy
recirculate money within the Rogue Valley and avoid money "leaking out".
provide greater recognition to Ashland's merchants
increase public awareness of local products
establish a forum for building economic community
educate ourselves
provide opportunities for non-local businesses to contribute to the Ashland community

How local respending multiplies the effect of export sales
"Sectoral Output Multipliers" (OSU Extension EC1166 Feb. 1984) shows that for each $1.00 which comes into the community (payments for exports), 40 cents is respent locally. Smaller fractions remain each time the dollar is respent, so that by the sixth time the full impact of that dollar multiplies to $1.66.

Role of the S.A.A.L.E. Group:
This is an independent certifying body similar to UL or CCOF. The Group will develop criteria for qualifying merchants, and coordinate their identification. A newsletter will be published periodically. The questionnaire required to qualify merchants will be a valuable tool in itself and will be available for public inspection. We are developing the necessary certificates, stickers, etc. with feedback from merchants and others.
S.A.A.L.E. participation certificates are renewed annually.

Responsibilities of Participants:
Identify a liaison to be the point of contact with S.A.A.L.E. and with the public regarding S.A.A.L.E.
Complete an initial application and questionnaire
Display identifying stickers and certificate at place of business

Sample of certificate to be displayed by merchant


Market
is a local Ashland merchant,
participating in the
"Support Ashland Area's Local Economy"
(S.A.A.L.E.) Program.
Market is locally owned;
and carries products from about 100 local businesses


All S.A.A.L.E. merchants display a window sticker, a participant sticker similar to this one, and identify local products with S.A.A.L.E. shelf stickers
Cantwell's Market also promotes local businesses by: special events

Questions about this program can be answered by this merchant's S.A.A.L.E. contact
S.A.A.L.E. phone #488-4760.
and this certificate renewed each year.
__________


Support Ashland Area's Local Economy
Questionnaire
Name of Merchant or Business

Date

SAALE liaison name

best time to contact

1. How many years has the business been in the community?

2. Local ownership?

3. Parent corporation?

4. Number of employees full time? Part time?

5. Do you have a policy on local products? Please attach a copy.

6. About how many local products do you carry? Please list if convenient.

7. Things we do to promote local products and businesses already. (For example, featuring local authors or products, special events like tastings)

8. Where will you display the SAALE certificate?

9. How will you implement identifying local products? How can SAALE help?

10. In what ways do you recycle?

11. General categories of major products and services obtained from outside the Rogue Valley?

12. Have past circumstances deterred you from using local products and services? Please be specific.

13. Rough percentage of local to non-local product volume?

14. Any categories of products that you do not sell?

15. Please list local charities to which you have contributed in the last year.

16. Member of the Chamber of Commerce?

17. Member of SOTA?

18. Other Associations? (For example, Independent Grocers, Independent Booksellers)

19. Favorite thing about Ashland

20. Vision for Ashland's future


21. Anything else you care to add?

22. How long have you done business in Ashland?

23. Do you live in Ashland?

Thank you very much for participating in SAALE.

Please return to:
Daniel Shaw
PO Box 3028, Ashland OR 97520
e-mail me

City meetings about grocery shopping
Mapping food in Ashland

What is the shape of food production and distribution in Ashland? What are the geographic factors which influence food shopping? What are the effects, economic and otherwise, of the present circumstance, and how can people affect the process positively?

Ashland's retail businesses are tourism-dependent, with restaurants and boutiques paying the highest rents for space on the plaza near the Theater. Retail businesses cluster in three places: between Interstate 5 and the railroad tracks on Highway 66, in the historic district, and in the railroad district. See map.

Ashland has a distinct core, the historic district. Ashland's historic district has of course been carefully preserved by intent, even to the extent of 'facodomy' the complete reconstruction of a building while preserving the facade, as with the Craterian Theater in Medford. The morphology is also linear, the axis parallel to I-5, Bear Creek, the railroad tracks, and Siskiyou Boulevard.

Food distribution points: Local business competing with multi-nationals
Amazingly, Ashland has only two multi-national food stores: Safeway and Albertson's. Albertson's shares the Highway 66 - Tolman Creek junction with nearly all the other multi-national corporations: Taco Bell, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Payless, and most recently Round Table Pizza. That is most likely where Supercuts will locate next year. Note that with the exception of the last these are all food businesses. (Payless was an Oregon corporation, but just sold.) Meanwhile, Ashland has a super-abundance of locally owned stores (perhaps because there are only two big players), Cantwell's, Community Food Store ("Coop"), Meister's Buy- Rite, and you could even count Farmer's Market (in Talent). Shop 'N Kart is also likely to be included. Safeway is the only food store between the railroad district (Cantwells and coop) and Buy-Rite, so would capture much walking business even of customers who might prefer to shop elsewhere.

In 1987, Census of Retail Trade (Dept. of Commerce RC87-A-38) showed 125 food stores in the Medford MSA. Ninetyfour of these were groceries, 17 were retail bakeries, 12 other and 2 meat and fish stores.

Grower's markets are worthy of mention. In season, Ashland's weekly market takes place on Water Street, and many of the local farmers gather to sell direct to the consumer. Medford's market, which has been held in the Sears shopping center, is being relocated to the downtown with the hope of attracting more customers to other businesses. In 1985 there were more than 600 roadside fruit stands in the state.

Agricultural Geography
Less than 8% of the workforce is employed in ag, forestry, fishing and mining in the county, and less than 3% involved in agriculture. (The first figure declined about 1% between 1980 and 1990.) Agricultural production is not significant within the city of Ashland, with the Four Eagles Garden (at Valley View) being an exception. Two wineries hug Ashland, one across I-5 and one at the extreme southern end. Grapes have the highest value added, when bottled as wine. Across I-5 on Valley View, there is another small farm, and more orchards east and north into Talent and Phoenix. About 200 farms are listed in the Oregon Business Directory. Much more info will hopefully be available in the new Ashland Atlas which is just being published by Pittmon.

By far the predominant orchard crop in this part of Oregon is pears and peaches, with wheat, and corn dominant food crops in other parts of the state. The Oregon wheat commission in 1980 published "Oregon wheat around the world". 80% of Oregon's wheat is exported. Seed crops and feed also are significant, especially because of the dairy cows. Half the milk is liquid, and half is processed. "Oregon produces enough milk to supply its own needs, but in practice, the state imports milk from Washington and exports to Idaho." (Farming and Ranching in Oregon, OSU Extension Jan. 1985, page 20).

Food processing
The Fruit Growers League is discussing ways to increase the local market, since lower transporation costs mean higher profits. FGL may provide incentives to local food processors. The Agricultural Committee works with produce processed and sold locally, such as jams and chutneys. Other possibilities for food processing include: juicing, freezing, freeze-drying (also works for herbs), canning and brining.

A few local food processors; Nalley's (773-1550), Monfort (772-6205), Medford Beverage (772-8038) Ashland Soy Works (482-1865). Sappo Hill cosmetics (482-4485) represents an important category of low order goods sold at grocers (Oregon Bus. Directory).

Ashland has many, many small food processors. Some of these are listed below. These local farm products, breads, salsa, tofu, etc. account for more than a hundred products at the local grocer's, a large percentage given Ashland's meager population. These fruits, vegetables, and other goods compete head to head with multi-national products.

Multi-national locals
Of the Oregon Hot 150 in Oregon Business Magazine, very few are from southern Oregon, among the handful are food giants Naumes (#117), and Sherm's Thunderbird Markets (#87). Others include Croman (timber) and Lithia cars (#47), and Darex. (Oct. 1996). Supercuts (in Jacksonville) and Nike both call Oregon home.

Consequences of food distribution patterns
Now that we've looked at some of the agriculture in the state and county, and at the shape of Ashland in particular, with regard to food distribution businesses, we can examine the effects of the present situation and desireable outcomes.

Programs to strengthen local economies are nothing new, as the economic cycle turns downward, city governments recite the parochial version of "buy American," which is, "buy local!" Bumper stickers are sometimes displayed to raise awareness of the benefits of spending locally.

Support Ashland Area's Local Economy -- Project
For some time I have been working on a project to promote local products and businesses. The core of the project is to identify local products at the point of purchase. Local products will be registered with an organization which may be called simply the "Local Products Registry." The purpose and role of the organization are described in more detail below.

I have met with many local business owners in person, and attended two meetings with that specific agenda this term.

Shorten the supply lines meetings
About six months ago I attended two meetings organized by Dot Fisher Smith called, "Shorten the supply lines." I knew of Dot and I was impressed by the directness of the title. Here, in a sentence, Dot had encapsulated the core urban processes of production, consumption and distribution of goods, and also called for a shortening, a keeping closer to home. The meetings attracted about twentyfive people each time. Introductions were a revealing and most important part of the meeting. As each person shared their reasons for coming to the meeting, others would nod their heads in agreement; we saw ourselves in each other's stories. We shared stories of things we do to shorten the supply lines, and we also spoke of wrestling with our weaknesses... one person said, "I love to drive!" Other topics included community garden space, tool sharing, and community bicycles. Brainstorming was effusive, but then there was discussion of attempting to weigh our priorities (between often similar and overlapping ideas) and vote, and the voting was inconclusive.

Reduce car trips for commuting to work and grocery shopping.
Density is the answer to many urban challenges, including non-agricultural development of good farmlands. Sewers and other infrastructure is more efficient, and so is transit. Each work day, 7,558 people of who 'commute to work', 78% commute by car (11% carpool, 67% single occupant vehicle). In Ashland, 17.5% walked or worked at home. Only 1% are using public transit. Is working at home the predominant factor, or is it walking? The area of easy walking for work and shopping is not symmetric around the core because of the slope of the hills to the west of the main axis. (Map of area of easy walking to retail businesses.) The figures would be more useful broken down into its two parts. (SOSC Regional Services Inst. 1990 Census data.)

Service, professional, industrial and light industry businesses are more dispersed along the Siskiyou axis, with some outer clusters on Hersey and near the airport.

Local news
"Celebrating Ashland's Local Artisans", by this author, I am now distributing as part of the SAALE package. An article in Lithiagraph called "Barnes and Ignoble" discusses the threat to our many independent booksellers. Starbucks coffee shop is moving into the historic district and some small business owners are indignant.

Bloomsbury Independent Booksellers
I had already given a questionaire to Bloomsbury and been rejected, because their products aren't local, Nancy said. So I drew up the following chart of four types of businesses.

Then Thursday I attended Friends of the SOSC Library presentation by them. During their presentation, to my surprise, the three ladies didn't really address the question of independence. I was not the only one to ask the question after the talk, though. One fellow commented that he speaks of it to friends and the most common reaction he gets is apathy. I asked the question, "You have a lot in common with independent grocers, pharmacists... what can be done to raise people's awareness of independents?" and "You're a member of the independent bookseller's association. What benefits are there?"
One of the fellows in the audience also responded to my question, saying that he'd spoken to the new owners of the (Hubbard?) hardware store about it, and the answer is personal service. Afterwards Bloomsbury agreed to participate.

Friday morning Chamber Greeters
I described the program to Greeters, "In Ashland we're lucky to have so many independent grocers and independent bookstores and pharmacies; and the multi-nationals we pretty much keep out of the historic district and across the railroad tracks..." and one fellow (Mr. K.) responded that we need to remember that companies like Supercuts are locally owned. I responded that the program is designed to be inclusive. Then I called and responded personally to Mr. K afterwards. I promptly called Supercuts.

Conclusions
Support and enthusiasm for the SAALE program is high. Logistical questions remain to be answered, such as who will pay for the stickers, who will maintain the database, will the merchants mind having to apply an extra sticker? A certain critical mass of merchants and food businesses is necessary to initiate the campaign. I reason that 60 to 70 products in the major local markets is about adequate to start. I hope that the project is successful in increasing the multiplier many times over, and improving Ashland's food business geography, ultimately stimulating more food processing facilities (such as a freeze-dryer) and more producers. If successful here, the SAALE campaign could be useful in other cities where corner stores are disappearing.



SAALE participants

Category I
Local merchant, local products, competing against multi-nationals for mostly local sales
Heart and Hands Gallery

Local merchant, few local products, competing against multi-nationals for mostly local sales
Ashland Pharmacy, Bloomsbury, furniture, Inti Imports

Category II
Local business with national market, few local sales
Maranatha

Category III
Local producer or manufacturer, local market
Wiley's
Four and Twenty bakery
Ashland Tofu
Pyramid Juice

Category IV
Multi-nationals
Food stores, restaurants and variety stores in Ashland; other
Darex
Body Support
Fabricated specialties
3M
Sky cranes


Taco Bell
Round Table
McDonald's
Pizza Hut
Safeway
Albertson's
66.
Payless
Buy-Mart
with the exception of Safeway, all these are on the I-5 side of the rail-road tracks on Hwy

Category V
Individuals

Category VI
Organizations
Chamber of Commerce
Sandra

SOTA

Pac NW Museum of Natural History
Tony Kerwin curator

Arts Council
Carol Sue
Ashland Community Food Store
Annie Hoy 482-2237
Lynn has provided a list of local producers

Farmer's Market
Kathy 535-1322

Shop 'n Kart

Ashland Chamber of Commerce
Sandra
482-3486

Financial Institutions
Rogue Federal Credit Union
attn: Michael Moore
1093 Royal Ct.
Medford, Oregon 97504
858-7328

Klamath
Washington Mutual?

Ashland Recycling Depot

Furniture

Ashland Recycled Furniture
Mitchell Powell

Local Merchants and producers

Great American Pizza
Bud and Maureen Sadler

Wiley's
Terri

Mind's Eye
Judd Pindell

Bloomsbury Books
Nancy - YES

Lightning Copy
Cher

Maranatha
Jeff 488-2747
possible - left msg 12-5

Supercuts
PO Box 959
J'ville 97530
Madeleine Fabris 899-1935
glad to fill questionnaire

media contacts:
Ashland Daily Tidings 482-3456

To what degree do local restaurants compete with the chains?

Pyramid Juice
Lenny 482-2292
yes

Gourmet Coffee Cellar
on TV about Starbuck's
Laura and Carol 488-3354
yes

More Fun Comics
Erik Piper 482-5540
yes
yes
______________


What can the State tell us about this? After all, Oregon and Nevada must attract a disproportionate amount of big companies because there are no state taxes.
John Anderson Economist 776-6060 referred

SOREDI
332 West 6th
Medford 97501
Pam Green
Executive sect'y

Regional Strategies
Cheryl Stout
grants
Jay Ferguson
works with OED & growers market downtown instead of Sears

Oregon Marketplace
Al

history, tasks, various items for consideration

"Celebrate Art! A salute to... local talent," an article in the last issue of Fringes magazine marked the inception of this program.

Initial agreement from Annie Hoy of the ACFS; Tom Cantwell; Steve Meister of Buy-Rite; Sandra at the Chamber; various others

to contact:
Ken Hagens
PNWMNH

Lightning Copy willing to donate some services

What kind of shelf sticker would merchants prefer?
What might be the role of the Chamber?

Better names?
S.A.A.L.E. Supporting Ashland Area Local Economy
can be spelled SAALE (without periods) without confusion
explicitly larger than just Ashland

SERVE Support Everyone's Rogue Valley Economy
Local Products Registry
Ashland's Favorites


Directory of manufacturers available in the reference section of the library.

These three questions possible for future questionaire:

Where did you come from, and why?

How many of your employees live in Ashland?

What percentages of your customers are college students? retired? tourists? ______/ _______/ _______/.

Contact Daniel Shaw

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