Buying Locally

I produce as much of our own food as possible. After that I buy all beef products reared on the island, pork reared on the island, bacon and sausage bought in as carcasses and processed on the island, milk and butter produced here. Veg, not so much so as I usually grow most of our own. Eggs when I don't have our own, I buy eggs produced on the next island (25 miles away)

hoggie

I grow for myself as much as possible through the garden and barn.
I preserve as much of the summer's goodness as I can.

But outside of that, I will check small local stores before I go to big stores. I shop thrift rather than search out new clothes. I shop the salvage grocery first, then Aldi's and lastly the major grocery store to get what I need.
I get things at the local hardware store before I try Lowe's etc..
And 90% of my Christmas this year is locally produced. A few little things will be from small stores or old nearly defunct stores with a bike for DS being a large store purchase. (last year I made all the presents I gave, this year I am buying from a friend at friend prices)

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http://www.thehennery.blogspot.com -
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http://thehennerytraditionals.blogspot.com/ -
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Even Whole Foods hasn't done that great at it there is still far more demand than supply. I doubt Walmarts will get very far. You need big growers who make their money off volume and at least here in AR there aren't too many of those so far. Most of us need to sell straight to customers to make enough.

One of the western universities did a study and they found that the average food item on America's table had traveled over 1,200 miles and already changed hands five times before the consumer bought it. This was published in a livestock/ag publication, can't recall which one right now. Is that just sad or what??

Buying local is a good idea in many ways. Every dollar you spend right in your own county helps the tax base.

Since we moved here we have been able to grow most of our own food and what we dont grow we have been able to find from local producers (like cheese, milk, meat processors etc) or local growers. BUT....the farmers markets around here are slim pickings and dont offer much. In doing research on the history of our farm and this area we found that there used to be all kinds of local farms growing row crops and grains, there were small hog and chicken farms, grain mills etc but they died out as a means to make a living over the past 30 years when they couldnt compete with big ag. Once you get through the Ozarkian suspicion of outsiders though you find access to a lot of the resources. There is a lot more grown here and produced here than I ever imagined but you have to seek it out.

We also bought all of our Christmas gifts in the local area and give our business to local small business owners almost exclusively. I dont find the prices to be much higher than the box stores (and in many cases its cheaper) and I dont have to drive for 45 minutes to get there. Its also nice to have someone know who you are and that worth a lot.

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www.salmonslayer-simplelife.blogspot.com

Buying local used to be my mantra. Then Walmart came to town, and I realized the issue is more complicated than that. While Walmart employs huge numbers of people who otherwise would not have work here, their recent alliance with Big Sis ("Report your fellow Americans here") and their longstanding commitment to RFID tracking of shoppers has made me dead set against ever setting foot in the store again. So much for buying local.

Now my commitment is to seeking out those individuals and families that share my values and that are building, rather than detracting, from the community. And there are plenty. I not only give them my business, but I take every opportunity to promote them.

Buying local is a great concept, except when I want grapfruit in December, or when I want shrimp or any seafood for that matter, or when we want bananas or papaya.

So don't buy the grapefruit in December.

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I'm an environmentalist, left wing, Ron Paul loving Prius driver with a farm. If you have a problem with that, kindly go take a leap.

That isn't going to happen, gotta have my grapefruit.