Michigan Pride will take us far

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) January 14, 2009 -- Hurrah! We finally got "our ducks in a row" as the old saying goes and are ready to show off our new product, but now we face the hardest economic times this country has seen since the Great Depression. The weak of heart would just walk away and go begging for their old jobs back. Wait a minute - I have not worked for anyone else for almost eight years. I love the independence and I believe in what my husband and I have done.

Creating products that actually benefit people has always been my dream. I have always been considered the fearless type who is willing to jump in with both feet and then look back and ask, "Is this quicksand?" Life is an adventure and in economic hard times we must all look within ourselves and figure out how we are going to survive. Let us be honest that is the American Dream.

In a recent "Other Voices" essay by Chuck Warpehoski, he says, "The first thing we must do is buy local." If you take a look at your grocery bill for the week, how much came from your farmer, bakers and candlestick makers here in Michigan? If the answer is only 10 percent, you need to work on it. If you can honestly say at least 50 percent, give yourself a big pat on your back.

Of course we all have to be realistic; not everything is produced in this state. Our products use many Michigan goods, including our famous Michigan cherries and cranberries. But to my knowledge no one in the state grows peanuts, so I have to rely on our southern states to provide this vital component - but I am always searching, and if I can buy it local I will.

I am continuously amazed with what this state offers its residents for choice. We have a regional dairy, Calder, which still offers milk in glass bottles and make fresh butter and will deliver it to your door. We have a buffalo ranch called TMZ in Pinckney that provides us with fresh buffalo meat that is given no antibiotics or hormones. We have fresh vegetables grown on local farms and brought to farmers markets even in the dead of winter. Those people do not do it for their health. They do it because they are passionate to provide a product that far succeeds the competitors from Florida and California. So how do we repay them? We buy from them.

When we started Bizzy Lizzy Bakery and created the flourless cookie we were not sure where it would take us. I did not know if the community would embrace different, unusual no flour cookies or would just laugh at the idea. We are happy to report they embraced us. Just like it embraces Henry Ford so many years ago, Michigan needs to take pride in its people and businesses. Michigan’s second largest industry is agriculture so let’s support these farmers and ranchers and buy their amazing products because we all need to eat, the simple principle of supply and demand.

We are so fortunate to live in a state with such diversity and so many talented individuals. I think as a state we need to come to realize we are more than the auto industry, even though this is a very important part of our history that we do not want to forget.

We have one of the most amazing medical communities in the world right here in Ann Arbor. We have companies like Google that know the value of coming here and tapping into our talented employee pool. People of Michigan, let's jump up and cheer for what we have, become locavores, get creative and develop new products that the world needs and wants and stop feeling sorry for ourselves because our car industry is struggling. We have brilliant people in that industry that will work hard to fix the problems and bring it back to the cutting edge.

More information can be found online at http://www.bizzylizzybakery.com

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