A “locavore” may sound like a type of dinosaur, but it is actually a term coined by Jessica Prentice in 2005 for someone who tries to eat only locally grown food. The idea is to build a more locally based, self-reliant society that supports small-scale farmers by emphasizing the produce that has not been trucked in from some huge, distant agribusiness.

Restaurants here in the midwest — such as this one in Lanesboro, Minnesota, where I saw this sign — are making an effort to use locally grown produce.  The Peddler’s Cafe has cleverly painted areas of their wall with chalkboard paint, a product originally intended for children’s rooms, to post the sources of their eggs, meats, fruits, etc.  It’s one thing to promise to use local produce,and quite another to be specific about the farms and producers that are their sources.

Few retailers can survive today without imported or at least commercially-made products (and I wouldn’t want to have to limit myself to the fruits and vegetables that can be grown in Wisconsin in January).  But we can all make an effort to include locally-made goods in our product mix. 

We regularly meet with craftspeople interested in getting started selling wholesale, and we give them tips about how to sell to our store and others like us. Often we’ll suggest modifications to a product to make it more likely to succeed. 

Many stores add local merchandise to their assortment by buying it on consignment, which means they only pay for the goods if they are sold. Although this requires more record-keeping than buying something outright, it can be an economical way to expand your inventory and to take a risk on some items you aren’t sure about.

Be sure to follow the lead of the Peddler’s Cafe and use signage of some kind to let your shoppers know which of your products are local. We encourage craftspeople to label their items as being locally made, and we use shelf-talker signs to say “Made in Wisconsin.”  We thing it’s something to be proud of.

Happy Retailing,

Carol “Orange” Schroeder