Doing my part to support the "localvore" movement

So here we are this past week, buying – and tasting – fruit from the farm stand down the road:

Maya (our 3-year-old daughter), delighted in feeding Jeff and me blueberries. We also picked up some peaches for a fruit salad I was bringing to my brother-in-law's birthday party.

I'd made a point of going to the farm stand (run by Sunscape Farms, which happens to grow its plants in the field right next to our subdivision) instead of the grocery store. I think sometimes we just run computer programs in our head like "Go to Grocery Store" or "Go to Home Depot" every time we need something. And I realized I needed to stop running on autopilot and start patronizing more fruit and veggy stands, farm markets and independent garden centers. I'm glad I did, since I've found so many sales (like $1 packs of annuals at the farm stand and family-friendly activities like an ice cream stand (and a haywagon to eat it in) at Wambach's garden center):

I'd first heard the rumblings of a growing "buy local" movement a few years back when Rochester, NY food, wine and gardening show host Michael Warren Thomas started a Savor Independents project, encouraging people to patronize local restaurants and eateries instead of the big chains. "Did you realize that we could add millions of dollars to the local economy by patronizing local, independent businesses? he asked. "for every $100 spent at a chain, only $13 stays in our community," he added.

Then, as I started to join and read garden blogs and web forums, I noticed how people kept mentioning "localvores" and how they were going out of their way to patronize independent garden centers and farm markets. It wasn't just that they wanted to boost the local economy – they believed that locally grown and sold plants would thrive better in their landscapes.

Indeed, I saw evidence of this when shopping at one of the local independent garden centers in my area – Bristol's Garden Center in Victor, NY, which I love because I know I'll find the Volcano^® Phlox, Bonfire^® begonias and large selection of Flower Carpet^® roses I know I won't find at Lowe's, Walmart or Home Depot. On the ground near me was a nicely designed plastic plant tag from a white-bloomed peony, "Locally Grown - to thrive in your landscape."

Then, just a few days after that, I got a notice from local legislator David Koon (D), encouraging everyone to "buy local."

I have to admit: It's all too easy to buy garden plants at the big-box stores and produce at the supermarket. But it only takes a few minutes more (not even that, sometimes) to patronize local businesses growing and selling garden plants and produce. Take the challenge, and try to buy local at least once before the summer's over!

Do you make a point of buying local when it comes to your garden and the food on your plate? Post a comment and tell me all  about it!