Buying Local

There's a lot of noise these days about being a locavore and buying locally and so on. As with so many "new" ideas, this is something I've always done as much as I could, because I was Amish/Mennonite and frugal.

Today I went to the Harrisburg Pharmacy and got some Advair, and I got to thinking about all the goods and services available locally. Both Harrisburg (4 miles away) and Halsey (6 miles the other way) are small towns where people go elsewhere to do most of their shopping. But they still offer a lot.

Here's where I patronize in Harrisburg:
the pharmacy
the post office
Dr. Burnett's (dentist)
Harrisburg Medical Clinic
Dari-Mart and the other convenience store--can't remember the name
Torero's--wonderful Mexican food
Citizen's Bank
Harrisburg Insurance
that red coffee kiosk with the green roof, now and then, when I've been really really good
that perpetual garage sale in the old gas station
Petra Automotive--nicest mechanic ever
Hurd's Hardware--Paul goes there a lot more than I do, and they do high-quality custom welding/metalworking in addition to selling hoses and nails
the Thai restaurant--maybe once a year
the library
the cafe' that used to be Serena's diner--might be "Jake's" now, I'm not sure--the place for good country breakfasts with waitresses that call you honey or sweetie

Halsey:
post office
Shoppe of Shalom--the Mennonite store where you can get gifts and bulk foods and hairpins
Select Market (grocery store)

And we mustn't forget Horse Creek Farms on Peoria Road, where you can get fantastic fruits and vegetables for great prices. And just up the road from that is the Country Bakery, but I very seldom go there because it's too dangerous.

Business opportunities: Halsey needs a drive-through coffee place. How in the world did Harrisburg have three of them at one time and Halsey none? I would stop there on the way to Albany or Brownsville and probably wouldn't work too hard at justifying it, either. Harrisburg needs a WinCo and a fabric store.

The places I patronize locally, instead of going to Eugene for the same thing, have won my loyalty by doing a good job at what they offer, for a decent price. True, the prices at the pharmacy are higher than they would be at Walmart or Target, but I've found that when you have a really sick person in the house, a pharmacy close by is a godsend.

Quote of the Day:
"Your majesty, I will miss you. Then again, I will murder you."
--Jenny, to what she was sure was the queen ant