We Are Seeds: #5 of 10
Action Item 5: Support Local Businesses and Marginalized Business Owners!
Amazon may be convenient, cheap, and all in one spot, but when you buy from local vendors and artisans, you’re supporting your local economy. Local businesses and employees can then buy local products and patronize local services themselves, and local shipping requires less packaging and allows for use of more sustainable material.
Buying locally also gives community members opportunities to support and promote businesses owned and operated by women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disabled folx.
Madison Black Chamber of Commerce has a comprehensive list of BIPOC business owners here!
These are also some of our personal favorite businesses to buy from in Madison (a lot of these are online and don't have physical storefronts):
- Green Life Trading Co: low-waste and sustainable household practices!
- TacoCat Creations: beautiful handmade cat toys and cat accessories!
- A Room of One’s Own Bookstore: trans/queer/nb-centered books!
- Shade Tree Naturals: small-batch soaps, balms, and essential oils!
- Cedar and Bone: candles, crystals, bone jewelry, and other witchy stuff!
- Fromagination: CHEESE!
- Daisy Cafe & Cupcakery: vegan and gluten-free-friendly CUPCAKES!
- Fair Trade Coffee House: ‘nuff said!
- Wayward tattoo and giige: artwork for all bodies!
- Cocovaa Chocolatier: delicious eating and drinking chocolate!
- Kneaded Relief Day Spa: COVID-safe wellness!
- JustVeggiez: vegan meal planning and catering!
- Humble: delicious pies, big and small!
- Heirloom Bakery & Kitchen: vegan desserts that taste like HEAVEN!
Why is this sustainable?
More eco-friendly packaging, boosting your local economy, and supporting minority-owned businesses creates a positive feedback loop where more minority entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to create more locally-produced goods and services with more sustainable materials! Plus Jeff Bezos makes a little less money off exploited workers. What’s not to love?
#weareseedshunt
Thank you so much for participating in We Are Seeds, the sustainability-conscious scavenger hunt by T.L. Luke here in Madison, WI! This event is part of Winter is Alive! a cooler world carnival (a city-wide, multi-disciplinary event fusing art and spectacle to revision climate change and activate a global relationship) in an effort to educate the community about local sustainable action items and to highlight 50 local small businesses who have gone above and beyond during this pandemic.
This event will be going on from February 12th - March 7th, 2021.
Business Locations
- Brasserie V - Vilas Neighborhood - Born out of "passion for the French Joie de Vivre", this restaurant is offering virtual beer tastings and carryout beer to bring to it!
- Pig in a Fur Coat - Marquette Neighborhood - A take-and-bake warm spinach salad never sounded more romantic!
- Megan’s Custom Framing - Emerson East Neighborhood - Archival and repair services available here to help all "preserve your memories and heirlooms."
- Short Stack - Downtown Neighborhood - "Sweet or savory?" "Savory!" Pay $11 for a second question or $7.50 for a tasty wager!
- Square Wine - Downtown Neighborhood - Weekly recommendations of "honest [...] agricultural products" that are "always changing in the bottle" and focused on unique finds from family run farms.
- Muse Independent Styling - Downtown Neighborhood - As their namesake, the stylists here "preside over art and science."
Heads up, some of these decals have been stolen off of storefronts throughout the hunt. You may have even guessed our clues accurately but still didn't find the decal, and that sucks! But, it's not the businesses' faults, so please still show them your support! Thank you!
Credits
Illustrator & We Are Seeds Organizer: T.L. Luke
We Are Seeds Collaborator: Madison's Central Business Improvement District and City of Madison
Winter is Alive! Organizers: Tamsie Ringler, Bethany Jurewicz, and Karin Wolf
Sustainability Wisdom: Sustain Dane
Decal Fabricator: Billy Goat Graphics (Madison, WI)
T.L.'s Executive Assistant & Researcher: Eli Watson
"They buried us, but they didn't know we were seeds." - Dinos Christianopoulos