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list of ways you can make a difference by buying local

Do you ever wish that you could take what you’ve learned and go back in time and try again? I have always considered myself to be socially responsible, but I’ve had so many revelations in the past few years. Wisdom truly does come with age and experience. I know that I still have so much to learn and hopefully, I will have many years to soak it in, make changes for the better for my family and the greater good, and give back by teaching others the lessons I’ve learned.

Of the things that have made an impression on me most recently, buying my food and goods locally has been one of the biggest.  I’ve discovered so many ways that I can feel good about skipping the chain grocery stores and big box stores (at least some of the time) in favor of buying from places that purchase goods and services from people in my area.  Here are just some of the benefits to seeking out local vendors.

  • supporting local economy – Sure, today’s economy is a global one, but by buying from my friends and neighbors, I am not only helping them out, but I am helping my family.  Keeping good, hard-working families in the area is a benefit in every way.
  • saving fossil fuels – The amount of fuel that it takes to ship apples from Argentina is a lot.  Thinking about what sits on an average grocery shelf, most everything has traveled long distances to get there.  Food and goods that travel from a local grower or manufacturer use almost nothing in gas or energy to get it to you.
  • reducing chemicals in our food and goods – Let’s face it, major farms and manufacturers load up our food and goods with chemicals and preservatives.  For some reason, years ago we began to equate chemicals with clean and healthy.  Now we have to erase that and do our best to eliminate our dependence on chemicals in our food, cleaning supplies, soaps and shampoos, and other items.  We want our family to be healthy and free of water-poisoning, growth-inducing, cancer-causing agents.
  • skipping the packagingOne thing that I have become hyper-aware of is packaging for a store-bought item.  Because we want fresh, clean food and other things, so much of what we buy from the store comes in lots of packaging.  That plastic wrapper may not seem like a big deal, but all of that together combined with everyone else’s packaging waste can make a mountain of trash that won’t break down in the landfill or winds up killing our oceans.
  • enjoying the process – When I buy from my local farmer’s market or farm, I love that my children get to see who has been growing our food.  They gain a better understanding of where our food comes from when we see the fruits and vegetables lined up at the farm stand or out of the farm truck.  This summer, my children will enjoy the experience of digging veggies out of the dirt in our own garden, but for the first time will get to experience picking up fruits and vegetables from a local farm as a part of a CSA (community supported agriculture) harvest share.  We love going to another local farm for dairy (and fresh ice cream), and while we are there, we head to the barn to pet the animals.

What are your favorite things to buy where you live?  What local items could you not live without?

Jennifer Tankersley:

View Comments (3)

  • Just started using Listplanit and it has come in handy so far :) hoping to use it for my business soon. I am excited about finding more local resources. Just found a great one for local meats. We have summer farmer's market and I am blessed to have a father-in-law who has a garden each year. Thanks for the additional thoughts. Great encouragement!

  • First of all, I am so happy that you are enjoying being a part of ListPlanIt! Always happy to hear that.

    Second, I am so curious about where you live! Without giving away a specific location, where is your home? It sounds rural. Is it not a farming community? These things do put a damper on buying local. It is not always easy, and true that it is rarely cheap. Keep at it. It sounds like you are already making lots of good choices! Thanks for sharing.

    Jen, a.k.a. List Mama

  • I agree with you on every one of your points. I only wish we lived in an area that had local farms and dairies.
    We try really hard to find state grown things at the grocers, but that is hard sometimes given the particular
    time of the year. We buy as much organics as possible even though the prices here are through the roof.
    You see we are 600 to 650 miles from any large town/city where there would be a better chance of buying
    locally. Everything is trucked in and the freight charges are passed on to the consumers.

    We are more conscious of packaging and are trying to reuse and recycle more than ever before.
    We are also using more natural cleaners for our home, too.

    Love my ListPlanIt...