During hard economic times it is more important than ever to support your local stores and businesses. Nothing you say or do has a bigger impact than where you choose to spend your money with each and every purchase. Each time you choose to spend your dollars at a local, independent business, you are voting for the continued strength and vitality of our community.

• Independent businesses raise the standard of living in your community because they take their profits and buy products and services from other local businesses, thus creating more and more tax revenues needed for the community to thrive.
• Millions of dollars of tax revenue subsidies handed to chains by financially-starved local governments drain even more tax revenue from our community and state.
• Blighted empty shopping areas are created in your community when chain stores re-locate to a more lucrative shopping center, or leave altogether. Literally hundreds of big stores are abandoned each year across the United States.
• Carefully planned predatory pricing practices have allowed national chains to establish virtual monopolies as they drive local competition out of business. And then they raise their prices.
• A locally owned independent business returns approximately 80% of each dollar spent back to the community. Chains and franchises only contribute roughly 40%-20% of the store’s sales back into the community through employee wages, sales taxes, and property taxes.
• Local, independent businesses assist the community through a “multiplier effect”: one dollar spent at a locally owned business will return five times that amount within the community through city taxes, employees’ wages, and purchase of materials and supplies at other independent businesses. In addition, these businesses will turn that dollar back into the community through school funding, social services, and contributions to local non-profit organizations.
• For every two jobs national retailers bring to a community, three jobs are lost as a result of local businesses closing down.
• When you shop locally owned businesses, your money is re-circulated over and over and creates up to 75% more tax revenue to our community and state.

Every time you make a purchase, you're exercising power of choice.
The choice is yours. You have the power to strengthen and enrich our community..................or weaken it.

This holiday season I ask everyone to give gifts purchased from local artists or businesses. Not only will you give unique and special items to the recipient, you will be also be giving a gift to our community.

Sowal is full of great art galleries, boutiques, shops, restaurants, and has an ever expanding farmer's market with great specialty items. Many local merchants are giving discounts and bonus items. Plus, to make your life even easier, many will also wrap your gifts for you free of charge!

Please also remember our many local charities that are doing more than ever during these hard times - a donation to Alaqua for an animal lover, some books donated to the library for an avid reader, food or money to help feed those going without, toys for kids whose parents can't afford them, even an old coat you don't ever wear can make a big difference to your friends and neighbors.

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"Chemicals should not be innocent until proven guilty."

Indeed!

So, bearing all that in mind, I encourage all sowallers to get down to Seaside this morning and support our local farmers! We have local honey, organic natural fruit preserves, free range pastured eggs, organic local milk and milk products, tasty super-fresh organic produce from several vendors, baked goods, sprouts and seeds to grow your own, and more. The honeys and preserves make great Christmas gifts, and they are delicious!

On Saturdays and 5 other days of the week (but never on a Sunday), Ed and Rachel and Pete the veggie-man at For the Health of It stock a great selection of fresh organic produce, dairy, live cultured foods, organic and free range meats, and other healthy yums. They also have a tasty menu of fresh made-to-order juices and smoothies, a lot of knowledge about nutrition and wellness, and a welcoming atmosphere that always makes me feel good. In the same complex, you can get jamming fresh baked goods from La Loba.

They also sell Vitamix blenders, if you're looking for the perfect holiday gift for a lucky loved one. Santa came to my house early, Vitamixes ROCK.

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Susan Horn
www.artisan-builds.com

Vitamixers are more than blenders and will be the last blender you'll ever need to buy. A couple of years ago I left a spoon in my vita mixer on third or fourth round of frozen cocktails. Realized it sounded funny and found mangled spoon, mixer still going strong. Had done same thing years ago with a regular blender and it ended up in the trash and margaritas were all over the kitchen cabinets.
I have both the wet and dry containers and can grind just about anything. Any grain can become a delicate flour with the dry container.

Items from the farmer's market make great gifts for gourmets and hostesses too!

Another bonus is that the growers/producers can give you recipe ideas and specific instructions on the best way to use/prepare their products.

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"Chemicals should not be innocent until proven guilty."

The Seaside farmers' market is a good idea in theory, but every time I've been (since the Grayton lady that sold vegetables moved) it's been one lady selling eggs and about a dozen people selling hemp bracelets and dream catchers.

It's not just a good idea in theory, but a great little market that continues to grow and offer a wider variety of items as it does so.

Last saturday you could have bought eggs (chicken or duck), chicken broth/soup base, fresh fruits & veggies (2 stands), a freshly baked item to eat while shopping (2 options), honey, a variety of salsa, jellies or fruit preserves, heirloom seeds, sprouts, fresh organic butter, milk, and cream, organic cheese, soaps & lotions, free trade coffee, beef jerky, jewelry (just one stand w/ no dreamcatchers BTW), and many other items.

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"Chemicals should not be innocent until proven guilty."

The reason there were a few weeks without much fresh produce, I think, might be because Toni (who had been offering local produce at the market since it began) moved to Maine recently. Also, late summer/early fall, a lot of local stuff is shot, bug-eaten, burned up, whatever, except the basil and peppers keep on coming. That's the worst time in my garden anyway, for herbs and everything. But that's why the sprouts are so cool, since they are grown indoors year-round--nice salads any time of year even when fresh lettuce, spinach, etc. aren't available

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Susan Horn
www.artisan-builds.com

My dinner tonight included the following from last Saturday's Farmer's Market at Seaside: Roasted zucchini, yellow squash, onions, bell pepper. Salad was all from Farmer's market: sprouts, fall mix greens, tomatoes that were yummy. Cheese from the Ochessee Dairy stuffed into peppers from Dragonfly Farms.

Every morning I have a duck egg from Twin Oak Farms, duck eggs( 50% of you daily B12 requirement) are nutritionally superior to a chicken egg and taste so much better in my opinion.

Thanks for this thread Scooty. shopping in SoWal is funn! I've had to venture out to Michael's and Barnes & Nobles, but the rest of my shopping has been within a few miles from home. mostly Seaside & WaterColor shopping but looking forward to making it down to Rosemary Beach!

Oh, I have visited the Artists at Gulf Place several times recently and purchased Dwight's pottery & glass, and jewelry from another artist. They would really appreciate community support especially at this time of year.

also, Learning Express has some wonderful toys! Visit julie and tom at Grand Blvd! We have ONE toy store in our area. I would LOVE to keep it.

wish I had known about learning express! Since perpetual imagination closed I went to target for elf ride toys

I knew about it; but forgot...I just loved Perpetual Imagination!

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"It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure..."Alan Cohen

oh no! we need to do a whole thread on those guys.

Oh man, I had one of Renee's duck eggs this morning -- scrambled with a little olive oil and fresh spinach, just a dab of salt, yummola. They really are tasty, even richer flavor than her chicken eggs.

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Susan Horn
www.artisan-builds.com

Ditto, thanks Scooterbug for starting this thread and thanks to all the farmer's market supporters. With your continued support, we are able to attract more vendors. It's sort of a chicken and egg thing.

Moonlight Micro-Farm offers great stocking stuffer gifts for gardeners and the health conscious, including heirloom garden seeds, gift seed tins, organic sprout seeds, and sprout jar kits. Individual seed packets are $2 and gift jars and tins are $10.

We also have handmade hoola hoops. I'm taking custom holiday orders until Dec. 21. Kids hoops are $10-15 and adult hoops are $25-35.

Nice article by Walton Outdoors about local farms:
Buying locally grown produce a winner for consumer and farmer | Welcome to Walton Outdoors



Handmade sparkly hoola hoops - 2lb and 42" diameter. You won't find these at Wal-Mart or Target.

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CFH Design Studio

Those hula hoops are the BEST. The have just the right weight to work well, and Chandra can help you choose the size best for your height and wiggle.

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Susan Horn
www.artisan-builds.com

You won't find us at Subway on 30A. Yes, we are guilty of going to Publix on CR395. I still feel guilty about supporting it when it's not much farther to the Winn-Dixie at Inlet Beach where we used to shop.

Honestly, the invasion of chains on 30A really scares the $hit out of us. We decided to invest on 30A because of the non-existence of chains on 30A. That's what makes the area so special and different in our opinion. If it's gonna become chain city, we'll just put in a pool in our GA home, project photos of the Gulf as a background, and not put so many miles on our vehicles. There are a lot of really great non-chain restaurants that we can support in the ATL.

EDIT: The movie "Jaws" has left an indelible scar on my life with regard to large bodies of water and the creatures therein.

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Duck eggs, eh? Who would have thunk it? I will have to try some. Thanks for the tip.

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Re post No. 16, It may be worth noting that the Winn-Dixie east of Inlet Beach is actually in Bay County.

True.dat. But supporting it means less support for chains in SoWal land.

That being said, I'm not gonna lie. I like the convenience of Publix on 395. But it has always bothered me in that it is an opening of a floodgate to more chains. I don't like the idea of Walmart on 98 in SoWal. But jeez, let's at least try to keep them off 30A.

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I do buy my groceries at publix and a few clothing items or household items at target but other than that I shop and eat at locally owned businesses. Better amd umique products better overall experience and once you factor in my time, how long things last, and local/frequent discount - better prices. Have to still shop for scooterbro but therest of my Xmas shopping is all done and at local places!

I am not sure what the problem is with our beloved little Publix at WaterColor? Publix WaterColor was a blessing and a dream come true for local residents. the two others are an added bonus. We went forever with NO grocery store! why would you not want a place to buy food nearby? Yes, publix is a chain but is a premier supermarket that we had waited on forever. thank goodness it was not a Winn Dixie. I am so happy to be able to swing by Publix nearly every day to pick up fresh foods, wines, flowers, and whatever it is I need that day. and the employees are almost family to me.

Thanks for your blessing, Tootsie. I will no longer feel guilty. I know everyone there as well.

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no guilt whatsoever. PCB & Destin grocers get a ton of business in their area. enough to go around with locals and visitors I do believe.

I can't begin to express how important publix has become to residents and vacationers here in SoWal. But don't forget about For The Health of It. Ed and Rach have built an extraordinary health food grocery in BMB where you can a wide range of natural foods, organic/free range meats and wines, vitamins & supplements, and so much more. Our little area is now very rich with quality food products from many sources offering a wide range of choices for its residents and visitors.

I guess some will say the same about Walmart after it arrives on 98 - but I just can't imagine. to each his own shopping needs.

take a look at For the Health of It - the website. This is a gem of a grocery store on 30A - the only grocery we will ever need on 30A I believe.

I agree. I can't wait to get to For the Health of It after Big D recovers. I love their pancake mix!

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try out the massage while you are there... it will make your stress melt away at least for the day.

For moi it would be welcomed for 30 minutes of stress relief. One of my middle names is "Stress."

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go all out and get the hour and a half massage. it goes by so fast you can't believe its been that long.

a massage is what we all need during the holidays! I think I shall get that for myself for xmas.

Thanks for the link to their website, was not aware they did massage, when in the area I had been driving back to Sandestin, I will definitely book "For the Health of It" next time, much closer to our location in Seacrest.

I received a gift certificate on my birthday from For The Health of It from my husband - not for groceries, but for ME! Treats like juices and smoothies and soaps, anything special. What a GREAT gift to give anyone.

G

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T-shirts from favorite restaurants and stores are great also. I bought my DH a t-shirt from El Mercadito! He's gonna love it mucho! I wonder if FTHOI has a t-shirt - I need to look.

G

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The WaterColor Store has some great gifts!

Just put a bunch of things on sale too!

We have some great oyster wreaths made locally that look great on your front door year around! (and they are 40% off)

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"Nice parking. I guess they didn't have you in mind when they painted these lines." note left on Whiteyfunn's car
www.30afunn.com
30A Funn Facebook

I adore those wreaths. I'm going to have one some day!