Local First aims to get 1000 people to sign the pledge who will together shift $100,000 to the local food system.
The Pledge: I pledge to be part of a healthy, sustainable food system by shifting $10 of my weekly food budget for 10 weeks toward local food sources.
The 10x10 Pledge, presented by Valley City Linen, starts on August 28th and will last for 10 weeks. Local First is aiming to have 1000 people sign by the start date but will welcome late joiners. During the ten weeks, Local First and the many sponsors (listed and linked below) of the 10x10 Pledge will provide support for pledgers in the form of emails including info about how to get the best local food, deals, recipes, and eat local tips. Support for pledgers will come in the form of social network interactions via a Facebook Group "The 10x10 Pledgers," and conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #10x10. Local First will also host and numerous free workshops that will be open to pledgers and the general public.
The main objective of the pledge is to show how easy it is to make a big difference in our local food system. A 10x10 pledger can start with something as simple as finding a local source for their morning coffee. For someone who is already skilled at getting food locally, they might need to be more creative in finding that extra $10 a week to shift to a local food producer. Local First hopes to hit the goal of 1000 pledgers this year and aims to expand that in years to come. If in the future 10,000 people, just around 5% of the population of Grand Rapids, sign the pledge, a shift of $1 million dollars could be created.
The 10x10 Pledge will conclude on October 30th and Fork Fest, a grand finale celebration featuring over 30 of the best local food and beverage producers will be held in the Greenhouse at Romence Gardens on October 18th.
The pledge can be taken here: www.surveymonkey.com/s/BDCMJ9N