local food economy game
TIME: Approximately 1 hour for the activity, not including prep work.
PURPOSE: To show the factors that impact food choices and the costs associated with the
food choices that are made.
MATERIALS:
• 3 Tables (or stations)
• Paper
• Play Money
• Situation cards - following
page
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To Make:
Name signs for three stores
Price lists for each store
Icons of all items to make spaghetti, or another
dish (tomatoes, onions, peppers, spaghetti
sauce, pasta) with the label “Grown in.......” or
“Made in........” on each,
• A poster for each store explaining where their
money goes.
INSTRUCTIONS
Players must choose between products (and values) as they try to make a dinner (ex. given
by The Food Project is spaghetti). After completion of the first round of the game, players
have a chance to discuss the true costs of choosing organic produce (economic, health,
environmental), the changes in the past century in where food is produced, and the impact
of supporting or not supporting the local economy. After the discussion, players have an
opportunity to play again.
1. The activity includes “situation cards” that impacts how they might spend their money i.e.
• Have to use some of their money to pay for a babysitter or a prescription
• Ill loved one who needs an especially healthy meal
2. The three shopkeepers set up their “stands” on three tables spread around the room,
display their wares, and hang their signs. Each shopkeeper can decide whether or not to
display the price list.
3. Give each player $10. Shopkeepers should have $30 in $1’s to make change, and the
banker should also have money.
Tell the players that they are preparing a spaghetti dinner for tonight and will need to purchase
the ingredients to make it: pasta and sauce. They can either buy pre-made spaghetti sauce
or make it themselves from tomatoes, peppers and onions. The shopkeepers each have
different items to offer that the shoppers may wish to buy. Shoppers should listen carefully as
the merchants describe the items that they have for sale and consider factors such as price,
quality, health, convenience, and environmental and economic impacts as they make their
purchases.
Now the three shopkeepers will each be given one minute each to “pitch their products.”
They should let buyers know where the items were grown or made and whether or not they
are “organic.” They can stress convenience, quality or price as appropriate. The purpose is to
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