
Buying Local is all over the news at the moment.
There are programs on it, articles written about it and many, many celebrities endorsing it.
People have excuses as to why they don't shop local: It's more expensive or they don't have the time to shop around.
Well things are changing. I do it but why should you?
I have fond memories of shopping with my mother on a Saturday when I was young.
We'd walk the mile or so into the town centre pulling our shopping cart behind us and when we got there we would go to the small supermarket, then visit the butcher, the greengrocer on the market, Woolworths (for pick-and-mix) and lastly we would stop in at the bakery.
This was the highlight of the morning, picking up a freshly baked loaf and a couple of sausage rolls, still hot from the oven. We would then walk home happy and in anticipation of devouring our sausage rolls as our Saturday morning treat.
That was then and what great memories they still are.
Sadly that kind of shopping doesn't happen a lot anymore.
Cars became affordable and so the walking part stopped. Supermarkets got bigger, carried more stock, were cheaper and became the one-stop-shop for nearly everyone. The internet made things "accessible" and time became a commodity.
Today, visits to town centre's have all but stopped as now the supermarkets are even bigger and carry just about everything you ever thought you'd need and then some.
The decline in high-street small businesses due to low traffic has been well documented and a push has started through media and other avenues to re-grow our community spirit and support local businesses.
Comments
by Sarah-Ann (not verified) Jun 18, 2015 Permalink
Love this post! I couldn't agree with you more, which is why I buy local as much as I can. ANd whenever I find great resources I share them with others. But sometimes it's hard because our budget is super tight. But just last week I came across a farm giving away free veggie plants to anyone who wants them. There were almost a 100 plants so I took as many as I could fit and told as many other people as I could about this awesome farm & what it was offering.
by di Jun 19, 2015 Permalink
Good find on the veggie plant front, I think it's great that we can do that when we have extra. I love giving back, makes my day a little bighter.
by Elaine Hodges (not verified) Jun 20, 2015 Permalink
Great post! Thanks for sharing on the Healthy Living Link Party.
by Anne (not verified) Jun 22, 2015 Permalink
I love this post! I shop local whenever I can! The food taste fresher and it's more fun when you chat with the farmer's/vendors about their products. Something that has been lost over the years. Thanks for sharing on healthy living link party.
by Jill Barth (not verified) Apr 07, 2016 Permalink
This is simply beautiful, so lovely ideas, pictures and words. I love the pic of the couple behind the flowers in the stall...such expression.
Thanks for sharing and so happy I found The Sommelier Chef through #AllAboutFrance!
by Harriet Springbett (not verified) Apr 07, 2016 Permalink
Yes, we should all be buying local. One idea I really like is the 'panier bio', in which you pick up a basket of organic veggies once a week from a local producer. The produce varies according to the season, so it's a great way of discovering vegetables you wouldn't otherwise buy.
And yes, I wish my baker would make 'proper' sausage rolls. Pork pies. Cream doughnuts. Iced buns...
by Kerri (not verified) Apr 07, 2016 Permalink
Buying locally is one of the things I love the most about France. They make it so easy. The local markets, boulangeries, seafood stores......The fact that they have regional foods, and approved origin legislation means that everything, even wine, is local. When we are in France, we just spend so much time in markets,buying locally made, or locally produced foods. Great article. #allaboutfrance
by Emily (not verified) Apr 11, 2016 Permalink
Quite right! I think the French are interesting because they are masters both of the hypermarché and the local market. I am often baffled by how the two co-exist...
by Phoebe @ Lou Messugo (not verified) Apr 19, 2016 Permalink
Emily makes a good point, the French are masters of both shopping locally and enormous out of town hypermarchés and both do well. I think we're lucky in France how much easier it is to shop locally. My town has a thriving high street and I rarely go anywhere else. I also have subscribed to local veggie box schemes to support local producers. It's about finding a balance between the convenience of shopping on line and in the big supermarkets and supporting local business. If only everyone would do a little more of the local stuff that would be a step in the right direction. Thanks for linking this to #AllAboutFranceyou make a very important and topical point.
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