One American Year Project, One year of living with only American products

One American year ^ | 12/16/10 | Shaina Gaul

[Nachum]

The One American Year Project

1029 Commercial Street Waterloo, IA 50702 (319) 572-6269

December 15, 2010

To whom it may concern:

My name is Shaina Gaul and I'm writing to inquire as to your possible interest in a project currently underway called One American Year. One American Year was conceived of, and is being executed by, Zachary Beschorner and Shaina Gaul of Waterloo, Iowa. It was formed on a simple premise: to see whether it was possible to go one full year without purchasing any products made outside of the United States of America. Each day from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011, we will chronicle the hurdles and struggles we face simply by shopping for only American-made products at http://www.oneamericanyear.com. At the end of the year, we plan on releasing a book that details the experience as a whole.

The aspects of the project we plan to report on include the cost of items purchased, the ease of finding such products, and the quality of the items we find. We’d also like to provide commentary on the specific interactions we engage in as we complete this journey.

Of course, the involvement of American companies is an important factor in our success. Not only do we advocate their products and services to our followers, but we also make it clear on our website which businesses do NOT engage in honest practices – a sort of corporate black list, if you will. So if you are interested in becoming one of our featured companies, we will do a full profile on you and advertise your products to our fans. In return, we expect a reciprocal relationship in which we have the opportunity to utilize your products or services for a discounted or non-existent charge.

This project was conceived as a response to the recent economic recession and a way for American citizens to more closely examine what we perceive as several possible causes and solutions to what has become a full-blown crisis. It is not about domination, imperialism, or supremacy. It is about common sense and the desire to improve the living conditions of our fellow Americans. It begs the question; could you survive one American year?

Please feel free to respond if you would like to be a part of this movement. Thank you, Shaina Gaul

[Cloverfarm]

I would include “assembled in America” because the place where I work assembles appliances out of parts from all over.

However, we spend our pay checks here. There’s a nice ripple effect — because of the factory, there’s more work for truck drivers, contractors, temps, security services, even food vendors.

Some of our assembly has been moved from Europe to here, BTW.