@Andy – excellent idea for extending this kind of app – I would love to see a list of restaurants and groceries that had local produce, and amounts / additional information.

I think simply making an app with a group wiki could pull this off. Having qr codes and location awareness would make it easier. I have seen some news stories with Diane Sawyer talking about stuff being made in the usa – perhaps a database or wiki could be started with that information. IF google ever releases the “take a phone pic for instant search and recognize-ability” thing, having that kind of technology to take a picture, identify, and pull pertinent info from the, let’s call it “Made Where” app or something…
It wouldn’t have to be a “made in the USA” app -but more of a “made where” app. I wonder what percentage of the new Nissan leaf will be made in the USA, with production and battery production happening in Smyrna TN soon, what percentage of parts are coming from here. I’d love to have similar info about the food in the area as well.
What a great project this would be for the world.

@Wade – ROFL

The database will be lacking unless you let your users help populate it. Once someone finds something that is (supposedly) made in the USA, they should scan the barcode and GPS location/store location and upload it to your database for you to investigate/verify.

I would buy this app today.

Similarly, I would like an app that shows me where I can buy local food and merchandise, not jut USA.

About three years ago, I heard about a new app that scanned barcodes. I thought it was going to find the cheapest prices for anything I scanned. To save money, I went out and bought the only phone that used this app. Like a child with a new toy, I scanned everything I could. I loved the app. It was the first of its kind as far as I know. Like other users, I quickly found that the app was limited. Don’t get me wrong, the app is great for larger priced items and electronics that you would find in large stores or online. It didn’t really help users find prices on smaller things like groceries in their area. I was upset about it at first but came to understand why.

I still love the app but it lost its charm after a few days. I quit scanning everything I saw after awhile. However, when I was shopping for groceries, I noticed a bag of potatoes with a barcode. Above the bags, there was a “Made in Texas” sign (with a giant Texas flag in the background). I figured the sign was just a marketing ploy.

I don’t know about other states, but Texans are very proud to support our local growers. Feeling that the sign may mislead shoppers, I pulled my phone out and scanned the bag. Not to my surprise, the bar code on the potatoes tracked back to a P.O. Box in Texas with no company name attached. I was able to use the app to look a little deeper. It only took a few minutes to track the bag of “local grown” potatoes to another P.O. Box- in New Jersey! Crazy, huh? If you think about it, it’s not really that hard to believe. It happens more than people know. Who would have thought the largest supplier in our country isn’t being honest?

I’d love to see how your idea develops. It would be so great to see what other people find with a little bar code scanning and database lookup. I never found out where those bags of potatoes really came from. It looks like good ol’ Wally lied again. Surprise. Surprise.

Recent events are making people question everything in “Big Business”. Places like muckety.com have become a giant help for people trying to make better buying decisions- for their own protection. Having a database right at our fingertips would be a great service.

Thank you for sharing your ideas.