Oregon is well know for its resistance to Wal-Mart's big box blight. But according to an recent article in the Willamate Week, there's a new homesteader quietly setting up shop in the Pacific Northwest - St. Louis based Save-A-Lot. There are currently two stores open in the Portland metro area with plans to open 25 to 30 news stores in Oregon and Washington in the next year (there are 1100 nationwide). While Save-A-Lot is similar to Wal-Mart in selling goods at extremely low prices, it differs by carrying just an average of 1,250 items compared to the 25,000 at an average Wal-Mart, allowing them to set up in much smaller store fronts and strip malls. While this strategy limits the variety of items that they offer, it allows them buy a small range of items in large quantities and drive hard bargains with their vendors, similar to Wal-Mart. Save-A-Lot's other similarity with Wal-Mart is that it is decidedly non-union and pays lower than average wages.
While the trend in Oregon, and the Portland area in particular, is to buy local as much as possible, Save-A-Lot does have a built in market as the Census Bureau reported in August that 37 million Americans survive on $10,000 or less a year. For people living at that level of poverty it is difficult to convince them to buy the often more expensive organic and locally grown produce and other local products.
So what other options do they have? Well, I recently found out about a program in Portland called Growing Gardens, which teaches low income families how to grow their own food by providing seeds and 3 years of mentoring. When I first heard about the program, I was struck by its brilliant simplicity (as my friend Steph put it, "Food security at its finest"). But when you think about the agricultural roots of our nation, it does seem strange that most of us do not grow any of our own food. By providing inexpensive and nutritious food to those that might otherwise rely on cheap processed foods to make ends meet, it not only promotes economic stability, it also helps promote a healthier lifestyle as well. If you are fortunate enough to not be in such a situation, this is a good opportunity to help others and to learn some skills that may come in handy should you ever find yourself among the 37 million. Plus, you can't beat the freshness of your own produce.
