R U supporting your neighbors and local homesteaders?

[BamaSuzy]

Today I was foced to go to the local "big box" store for something medical for my husband....

I saw countless folks from our community with their buggies bulging full of cheap gifts (the MAJORITY OF WHICH WERE MADE OUTSIDE THE U.S.A!) which will likely come apart soon after they are given...

There are lots of folks in our community who are small famers, homesteaders, craftsmen, etc. who have NICE, USEFUL and DURABLE things for sale that would make great Christmas gifts....I'm sure it's the same in your community. If not there are countless people on the "barter board" here who have such things for sale..

Are you remembering THEM when you are doing your Christmas shopping???

Yes, I do have a small general store on my farm and I am thankful for the folks who have bought my homemade jellies, goat milk soap, aprons, baby quilts, and other items as Christmas gifts.

Making your own gifts to give is also a wonderful idea. Use things from your own farm and try not to buy the makings of those gifts from stores who utilize items made OUTSIDE the U.S.A!

If it's too late and you've already done your Christmas shopping, please remember the homesteaders, small farmers, and craftsmen in your community when you need to give a gift for a birthday, birth, etc.

The SMALL farm is the backbone of this nation. We must support our SMALL farms or our nation will remain in the crippled mess it's in now!

Thank you for allowing me to have my say!

I'm just one little gray-haired small lady homesteader in Alabama! Have a peace-filled Christmas!

[Shygal]

I support my neighbors by shopping in the stores they are employed in, as well. If I dont shop, they are out of a job

[sisterpine]

I agree with you both! America needs jobs and small farmers/crafters etc. I do the best I am able to purchase stuff made in America no matter where I need to go to find it but I also shop the big stores sometimes to support my neighbors. I also support my neighbor by not reporting her for having chickens and a rooster in the city LOL

[Yvonne's hubby]

yesterday I made some wooden trivets for the inlaw's camper. I supported our local economy in several ways while doing so. I suppose first we could look to the massey ferguson dealer who supplies the parts I need for my tractor.... which pulled the tree out of the woods that I had cut with my chainsaw purchased from our local "fix it" shop. It was powered by fuel purchased from our local service station. Once the tree was on the ground and out of the woods, I employed a neighbor to bring his woodmizer sawmill over and turn it into planks for me. Those planks were then stored in a storage building that was purchased from a local storage building manufacturer for about a year to "cure", I then used my planer purchased from a local feller that runs a cabinet shop to slick the boards down nice, then cut the boards to length using my porter cable skill saw, powered by our local coop power company, routed them around the edges with my skil brand router, and sanded them down using another porter cable tool, and 3m sand paper. Once I had them all polished up nice, I coated them with genuine wesson canola oil purchased from our local grocery. Making those trivets was no trivial matter but they provided lots of support to lots of our local businesses and homesteaders.

[MO_cows]

I supported local business this morning by getting gas there, even though it is always higher than in the city near my work. But, mom and pop don't sell as much gas as Quik Trip, so they gotta make more per gallon. My insides were staging a mutiny against me this morning, so I also bought a bottle of Kaopectate at the mom and pop store. It didn't taste right, so I got to looking and it is expired. Since 2009!! So I am very disappointed in mom and pop for not checking their stock better, but I also feel confident I will get my money back without a receipt because they will remember me.

[SFM in KY]

I don't do much for Christmas now, but with the gifts I give/receive ... gift cards to Amazon for books as I don't have access to local bookstores and my friend in Denver has a Kindle and downloads all her books now. Gift card to one of the auto parts stores for a grandson who is always needing parts to fix his car. Gift card received for chocolates from a company based in Denver. Art calendar I give every year with reproductions of western drawings by a MT artist. Two of the "actual" gifts I gave this year were original drawings I did myself. Butchered rabbit to my hay guy, who really likes rabbit.

I don't think anything I've given as gifts for years have been bought at any of the big commercial stores or were manufactured overseas. DH bought some stuffed animals when his grandkids were very small that might have been, but other than that, can't think of anything that we didn't make ourselves or that wasn't made in the U.S. But then, I don't imagine our total expense for Christmas has been more than $200 at the most for years either.

[FrogTacos]

Originally Posted by Yvonne's hubby

yesterday I made some wooden trivets for the inlaw's camper. I supported our local economy in several ways while doing so. I suppose first we could look to the massey ferguson dealer who supplies the parts I need for my tractor.... which pulled the tree out of the woods that I had cut with my chainsaw purchased from our local "fix it" shop. It was powered by fuel purchased from our local service station. Once the tree was on the ground and out of the woods, I employed a neighbor to bring his woodmizer sawmill over and turn it into planks for me. Those planks were then stored in a storage building that was purchased from a local storage building manufacturer for about a year to "cure", I then used my planer purchased from a local feller that runs a cabinet shop to slick the boards down nice, then cut the boards to length using my porter cable skill saw, powered by our local coop power company, routed them around the edges with my skil brand router, and sanded them down using another porter cable tool, and 3m sand paper. Once I had them all polished up nice, I coated them with genuine wesson canola oil purchased from our local grocery. Making those trivets was no trivial matter but they provided lots of support to lots of our local businesses and homesteaders.

YOu got a picture of them trivets? I would love to have some wooden ones that will stand up to my accident prone family. (Send me a pm - I regularly forget which posts I post on)

[emdeengee]

We support local farmers and farmers markets. The North has a huge arts community so there are always lots of fairs and exhibits with fabulous items for sale. The business community here does support local products a lot. Even the chain grocery stores buy local produce and will advertise it as such. Our distance and isolation makes local produce very appealing. And yet one thing that has really harmed local businesses as well as craftspeople is internet shopping. If the prices are less even with shipping people usually make the choice to save money.

[NickieL]

I don't buy any christmas gifts at all. I do support local farms/neighbors the rest of the year when I buy groceries and things like that.

[geo in mi]

Interesting comments, but....... Our little town, a couple years ago, got a new village manager...... well, pretty soon, when it came time to order new Christmas lighting, they all showed up with boring white lights, just like the town he came from...... Public Radio radio spots started showing up, "Discover ... ..., Close, Friendly, Nearby" etc, etc spending money to try to get people to drive here for festivals, events, etc...... Placed ads in the local weekly paper and shopper to convince folks to shop at home first......

A few years ago, before the crash, the local grocery owner closed down because Walmart had bought a property on the edge of town(but put the new store on hold after the crash)--and another Michigan Corp(Spartan) bought out another and put a grocery store in....I swear, the prices are about ten to fifteen percent higher there than another big store 17 miles east of here at the edge of a bigger city...... and the lumber store went out of business, and the local Do--It store simply doesn't even begin to have prices like Menard's--for the same brand stuff!

So, on my way home in early December, from the 17 mile away place, here's the village work crew setting live Christmas trees in the big pots(where the village had planted flowers in the summertime)--about one at each store location. Fast forward, this week, only two or three trees have any decorations on them--they're just bare, in front of the stores, as they were put there a few weeks ago. Now, just how much would it take for the storekeep to go out there---ten bucks?--in front of his own store, mind you, and attach a few ribbons, a few balls or icicles, or bows, to brighten up--as it was supposed to do.....and INVITE folks into their very own LOCAL stores to shop. (In other words, am I supposed to give my money to HUMBUGS?)

The ice cream store, still in business in December, had a really nice, pretty, shiny decorated tree in front of their store. I WILL buy some ice cream cone certificates for my grandkid's stockings this year.

geo

[Horseyrider]

I wish I could buy local more. I love to buy local. But many of the farms in my area have both spouses working off farm to make ends meet. They work at whatever chain stores that have had the courage to come in and accept such a small market.

I have bought candles, soaps, and crafts this Christmas for gifts and my own use. But that's nothing close to my total Christmas purchases.

There are several places where I feel that local vendors fall short. One is that many don't make themselves available, either by advertising or through consignment, to claim their segment of the market. How can I buy if I don't know they exist?

Another is that many times, they produce something that costs more and performs below the standard in the market. I sure like to buy local, but who wants wormy, shriveled fruit? Furniture with a poor finish? Bags with seams that rip out with a first or second use? And then pay more for that than what you are offered at the stores? Because when it's all said and done, we have to take this stuff home and use it, and it needs to perform.

Lastly, I'm really turned off by the attitude that occasionally accompanies the item; like the seller has a chip on their shoulder, like their goods ought to be plenty good enough for you, and if you question anything about their goods they get defensive or aggressive, rather than educate the customer about why their product is exactly what the consumer needs. Producing an item is only part of the transaction; a person has to be able to sell their goods, and help the consumer understand the features of their item and how it will make their lives better. If a producer doesn't have enthusiasm, pride, or positive passion about the goods they offer, why in the world should I?

Gosh, I guess I got on a soapbox there. I hope you understand the spirit in which it was said.

[speedfunk]

all my chistmas shopping local.

Crazy thing about economics is that you do not have to buy cheapest item.

I shop at both box stores and local while building our house . However I value that they are open on days the local stores are not.
That being said i always try to support local first. 95 precent of the time latley. Did all chirstmas shopping in local crafts guilds/used clothing/ second hand vinyl. A new book but by locally owned company.

Support your neighbors makes a strong community

[Wrangler Blue]

I was thinking this dilemma over while shopping the other day: should I buy the made in China item from my local store, or should I go farther afield (possibly online) to find one made somewhere in America?

Ideally, I suppose I could ask my local store if they could special order me one made in America...but really...in this case it was just a spatula.

[BamaSuzy]

I think we all need to remember the differance between a SMALL farmer or a homesteader, and one who is engaged in "agribusiness."

I make my living on my little homestead but I'm sure not one of those big agribusiness guys...

(I get so tireeeeedddddddd of a local agribusiness chicken farm (with four huge multimillion dollar chicken houses, telling folks it's not SAFE to eat the farm fresh eggs from my chickens.....but evidently no one is listening to him because I could sell 1000 eggs a day if I had enough chickens!

I LOVED the story of how the trivets were made! very good!!!!!

But the point I was trying to make is that so many of buy those shoddily made gifts from the big-box stores while the homesteaders and crafts people around us are hurting....I can buy needles, made in China, from a big box store, and they BREAK usually after I've quilted only a couple of rows...

Sometimes it's much much better to pay more in the long run than to buy cheap and then need more cheap stuff...

A friend sent me a wonderful homesteading book that I have been devouring ono this cloudy yukey day, but even though it's from a Utah Publishing company, it was PRINTED IN CHINA!

I just wanted folks to THINK THINK THINK!

We are not really buying Christmas gifts this year due to husband's battle with cancer....what we are giving is homemade or directly from our farm....and directly from our hearts...

[fellini123]

I love to get home made things. Or homemade cakes or pies or jellies. But try and convince my DH or DD of that.
They want to know what to get me, and they mean what can they go out and buy.
I really dont need anything and the house certainly doesnt need any more knick knacks, did I mention I hate dusting!! LOL
They also dont understand that I would like to make them things. DD has a new house, I would have loved to make her dish scrubbers, or quits, or other things that are home made. But she doesnt want THAT kind of stuff.
Depressing.

Alice in Virginia

[blynn]

I've got a flat and a half of homemade jam, jelly, apple butter, and peach liqueur for friends and family this year, I guess that's pretty local. My husband bought me gifts from the local gift shop in our small town, neat stuff!

[bugstabber]

We usually give one of my husbands bosses a gift of cheese made at the University. This year I was working at a local bazaar and bought a honey bear of local honey to add to the gift. I'm going to try and remember this for future gifts, silent auction items etc.

The university also has two museums with gift shops to support and they both sell hand crafted items as well as mass produced things.

[Callieslamb]

I buy as much locally as I can. But I think some local produces think a WHOLE lot of their products and charge an outrageous price. Soap for $7 a bar....sorry, I'll buy elsewhere. I expect to pay a bit more for local - and hand crafted....but there's a limit to what I will do to help others if I feel they are going overboard on their profit.

[fordy]

...................So far I've never seen.......'Hatched in China'.......stamped on the eggs I buy locally , regardless of where I purchase them ! Same for milk , although I suppose it's possible that they could import milk from China on jets . , fordy

[plowjockey]

I (Santa) purchased an American made crossbow, from the local archery shop.

I did not haggle on the price, but I checked and his prices for the crossbow and accessories, were the same or less, than Cabelas. He also trained me how to use it and care for it, even sighting it in at his indoor range.

The crossbow has a defect that makes the scope mount crack, so the local dealer, said that he would replace the entire crossbow, when he gets a new shipment in.

Not all local businesses offer this level of value, but this one does.