A candy shop in the 200 block of Central Avenue in historic downtown Faribault.
DO YOU BUY LOCAL?
Seems like a simple question, doesn’t it?
I’d like to answer, “Yes, I only patronize the Central Avenue mom and pop businesses in downtown Faribault and never set foot inside a big-box retailer.” But I would be lying.
I do shop at places like Walmart in Faribault and occasionally at other big-box stores 15 miles away.
However, I don’t run up to the Burnsville Center a half hour north on Interstate 35 except to shop at the next door National Camera Exchange.
That leads me to a little anecdote. Late Saturday morning my 17-year-old told me he was driving to Menards to purchase a sheet of plywood and other materials for a high school science team project. I put the kibosh on that, advising him to wait until his dad arrived home from ringing the Salvation Army bell. I thought perhaps my husband had materials in the garage that could be used to build a car ramp. (He didn’t.)
I asked my son why he couldn’t just buy his materials at a Faribault lumber yard, thus saving time and a 30-mile round trip. Students were apparently told they could get a better deal at the out-of-town big-box store.
That’s probably true if you just walk in and purchase materials. But, I wondered whether the local lumber yard had been approached by a teacher and offered the opportunity to price match.
By the time my husband arrived home, the local lumber yard was closed and there was no option except to go out of town.
A small-town lumber yard in nearby Janesville, not to be confused with the Lamperts referenced in this post.
Last year, when we were planning to replace five windows, two front doors and the siding on the front of our house, we briefly toyed with the idea of going to a big-box retailer. Instead, we bought from a Faribault lumber yard. Yes, we paid more for product. But the personal service extended to us far exceeded anything I’ve ever experienced through a big-box retailer. When we had a problem, John from Lamperts responded and solved the issue. He kept tabs on our project and was always there to answer questions and offer advice.
Service sells me on buying local. Ace Hardware in downtown Faribault is a stellar example of customer service. Walk in the door there and an attentive employee immediately greets you, asks if you need help, leads you to the merchandise and answers any questions. The place is always busy and it’s not because prices are lower. It’s the service. And the free popcorn is a nice small-town touch, too.
Burkhartzmeyer Shoes, a family-owned shoe store along Central Avenue in Faribault.
Several blocks away, you’ll experience equally great service at Burkhartzmeyer Shoes, a third-generation family-owned shoe store. The folks there will measure your feet and assure you get a perfect fit. Have special needs? Burkhartzmeyer has specialists on staff to assist. Service, friendliness, care and quality product sell this shoe store to me and so many others. And the shoebox tied with cotton string and a sucker attached is a nice small-town touch, too.
During the warmer months, I like to shop local for fresh produce at the farmers’ market,Twiehoff Gardens and Nursery, and Trump’s Orchards. Again, the friendly service and fresh, quality products sell themselves. The advice on baking squash or on choosing just the right apples for crisp are nice small-town touches, too.
Bottom line, service sells Main Street.
That all said, I, like most of you, live on a tight budget. Cost matters to me. But oftentimes, so does service.
DO YOU SHOP LOCAL? Why or why not? What would entice you to shop local more often?
© Copyright 2011 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
AND what about the TIME and GAS spent driving the 30 mile trip. do mention to that teacher to think about calling local before he ADVISES his students to go out of town and take their parents money elsewhere.. very bad form on his part! c
I agree. Perhaps this did not even cross the teacher’s mind to approach the local lumber yard.
Tell it, sister!
I did. I will.
Audrey and friends,
Just so you have a little background on where the ideas for Little Free Libraries found their roots, Todd Bol and I met at a workshop I was running on supporting vibrant local economies. As co-founder of Dane (County, home of Madison, Wisconsin) Buy Local, now with more than 550 local, independently owned business members, I have been moved by the stories like the ones you’re sharing about small towns and neighborhoods. So many of them seem to have had the air taken out of their lungs and the beats of their hearts slowing down.
That’s why I enjoy your stories so much. You definitely have the spirit and awareness of community life that can light up some of those same small towns…in small ways first, then in relationships and gatherings that we all can feel good about. So…thanks! I love the idea of sharing Little Libraries with towns that have lost their public libraries. It’s a brilliant idea. Want to travel from town to town in the summers, Chataqua-like, and make this happen? What great fun that could be…
Thanks, Rick, for explaining how the Little Free Library project evolved. Readers, click on the link here and also check out my November 10 and 17 blog posts about getting LFL into small towns in Minnesota without libraries. Rick, these are towns that have NEVER had libraries, such as my hometown of Vesta.
So…if we traveled from town to town promoting the Little Free Library concept, would we be kind of like gypsies? I always thought life as a gypsy would be interesting after listening to stories from my paternal grandma. No, she wasn’t a gypsy; she simply liked to weave tales.
Rick, I look forward to working with you and Todd Bol and others on this idea of getting LFL into Small-Town, Minnesota.
Additionally, because of my farm background, I possess a deep appreciation for small towns and rural life. I’m glad that shines in my writing. Truly, my Minnesota prairie roots shaped who I became as a writer and a person.