Planet Garden Working Together for Garden and Arts Gift Baskets

When I owned and operated an Atlanta Wine and Cheese shop our number one best seller over the holidays was our Georgia Gift Baskets. Each one was filled with everyone’s favorite Vidalia Onion Relish, peach preserves and much more. Area business leaders and realtors would bring in their list for gratitude gifts during the holidays and we would make up the baskets according to their budget and deliver them over the holiday season. Other favorites were the coffee basket, the cookie basket and the children’s basket.
Because we have all of those great products locally at the Bluebird Market, this was a great way to offer local products to those in Thomaston who believe in our community and our local people. I am so impressed at the cooperative spirit of these people to come together and bring us their best products for the holiday season. Over 50 growers, bakers and artisans were invited to participate and have brought a delicious and beautiful assortment of fresh pies, breads, preserves, relishes, handmade soaps, Georgia Roasted coffee, handmade jewelry and Framable Art cards. Together they make up what I believe is the most delightful Christmas gift of the season. Nothing store bought compares to the arts and harvest of our local people! Handmade and farm grown items from people right here in our area are my favorite holiday gifts.
If you own or operate a local business and want to thank your customers for a year of patronage, email bluebirdmarket@gmail.com or come by your local Bluebird Farmers’ Market on Saturdays from 8 am until noon. Meet the people that are bringing you produce directly from their farm or local garden. We are so fortunate to have these beautiful people each week and now that it is the holiday season, it is my aim to boost their efforts for another year here in Thomaston by encouraging everyone to buy local.
It is vital, I believe, to our health and wellness as a community to support our local people above all. If you do the math, you will see the value of buying local for our community. Locally owned and operated businesses would be thriving if everyone would simple redirect a small portion of their buying power to keep community money where it belongs… in our community.
We have about 10,000 households and if everyone redirected a small portion of their holiday dollars to our local people, we would not need soup kitchens and stimulus packages. We have bountiful means to provide for our hometown and community but it takes cooperation and a Do-It-Yourself way of thinking. We are half way there because these people have the products. Now it is up to our hometown to make a difference that counts locally by supporting their efforts! While we all love the efficiency and selections of the chain stores, it is vital for our hometown to remember our local business owners who provide wonderful products at affordable prices.
The best way I know to insure your local growers and ag people are receiving the dollars is to forget telling them to apply for government loans and funds. Although grants and loans are tremendous boosts, the best way I have learned is Do-It-Yourself and for local people to put the dollars directly into the hands of those local people who are doing the work all year, growing the products, bringing them to market for us on a weekly basis.
Please email bluebirdmarket@gmail.com to direct your dollars back into our area growers, bakers and artisans who are striving to be self reliant and small business entrepreneurs. Thank your patrons this week by ordering a holiday gift basket filled with local Blue Ribbon award winning products that are delightful for anyone to receive and a wonderful experience overall. Working together can make a hometown thrive during the holiday season. Give an affordable basket assortment of garden and arts products from our community to keep your holiday dollars rebuilding our community.
　
Enrich your life on Saturday at the Bluebird Market. Explore with us each week to discover simple ways we can affordably contribute to sustainable and renewable eco-friendly living. Find resources online at http://www.bluebirdmarket.com and http://www.planetgarden.wordpress.com.

Email EE questions to: bluebirdmarket@gmail.com.