How do I "go local?" - The Final Chapter

We’ve discussed a lot of important aspects of eating local. Where to find great local food. How to store it. How to surround yourself with like-minded locavores. What to do if you can’t find enough of something you love. And how to cope when something you want simply doesn’t grow here. Armed with this information, anyone can eat delicious, Arkansas farmed food all year long, and make informed choices when they do splurge on something shipped. Yet there’s something missing. If you truly want to “go local” you have to look at more than just the things you put in your mouth.

Consider other mouths. If you have children or pets, what are they eating? Have you thought about making your own baby food, or even pet food? Human, scaled, finned, feathered, or furred, everyone can benefit from a diet of wholesome local foods.

There’s also a wide variety of goods that all count towards your “going local” karma. In each room of your house, there’s at least half a dozen things that someone in Arkansas makes. Need an example? Look in your bathroom. Locally made soap, lotion, lip balm, body butter, deodorant, facial soap and moisturizer, shampoo bars, hair rinse, hand sanitizer, and shaving bars are all available on The Market. Most of them even star fabulous locally grown ingredients. How many do you use?

The cornucopia doesn’t end there. You can find locally made candles, jewelry, T-shirts, bug repellent, cleaning supplies, cutting boards, laundry soap, rain barrels, wash cloths, gardening supplies, medicinal tinctures, quilts, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg! If it’s not available through us and you don’t know where to find it, just ask! I’m always up for tracking down something that helps support a local producer.

However, Arkansas is only one state, and we can’t produce everything. Luckily, where there’s not a local producer there’s still a local vendor. Small, independent shops ought not to be overlooked. If you really need an imported good, be it clothes, coffee, or Claritin, you can still support a local business. Choose The Box Turtle over Target, River City Coffee over Starbucks, Rhea Drug over Walgreens, and you’ll be supporting Arkansas’ business owners and get great customer service to boot.

Don’t forget about the less tangible things that Arkansas has to offer. Services fill out a very important portion of the local economy, and are utilized by everyone at some time or another. Choosing Hillcrest Animal Hospital, The Local, and Maddie’s Place over Banfield, Supercuts, and Applebee’s goes a long way towards balancing out your chocolate and avocado indulgences.

As it turns out, there are a lot of ways to “go local.” There’s no need to strive for 100%, but you can always try to do just a little bit more. Above all, enjoy whatever amount of going local you’re able to achieve. Every little bit really does counts, and the more you revel in what you are able to do, the more likely you’ll want to do even more.

-Rebecca Wild
Program Manager

Do you have questions or comments about this, or any, weblog? Thoughts on local food, goods, or events? Reply to this email and let us know what’s on your mind. Your feedback is always greatly appreciated!