5 Reasons to Buy Locally

I've talked about this before and I'll talk about it again, I'm sure. Here's why.

1. Buying locally gives us a face to put with our purchases. I know who makes the ice cream in my neighborhood and she's a wonderful woman. Not only does she make great and unique flavors but she's part of the neighborhood. 
2. Plus, She's not trucking in her product from across the country and wasting fuel and increasing her carbon footprint. She makes the ice cream right here. Sure, there's a Ben and Jerry's in my neighborhood, too and it's hard to pass up some days but it's not the same anymore.
3. A drive through the neighborhood also showed that an increasing number of stores are now sitting vacant. I'm not great at math but that can't be good for the city's tax revenue. If businesses aren't open they aren't paying taxes or collecting sales tax and someone is going to lose - either by losing services or by paying higher taxes. Buying locally helps keep these businesses open and keeps tax revenue local, too.
4. You know where they came from. This can be especially comforting when it comes to food products. Buying your fruits and vegetables from the Farmer's Market or through a CSA is one way to make sure that you are eating food that hasn't been waxed or coated to make it hardy for transport or that has been mishandled in some way. You still need to clean foods properly but a reputable grower that is listed in localharvest.org will have their growing information and will answer any questions you might have. This is Earth Day Month - Go Green and Stay There.
5. Be a role model for your children. Teach them that being part of your community is important. Show them that knowing the people in the neighborhood is fun. We walked up to the Crayon Store [which actually has nothing to do with crayons but happens to have a place for kids to draw while adults shop], stopped by Amy's shop on the way back, ducked into the Mirror Store [it has a fun house style mirror out front], and then went into the Homer Store [so called because the owner used to have a dog by this name]. This is the way Comfort navigates our neighborhood. She feels a connection to our neighborhood and to the people who live and work here. What more could we want.