Hi everyone! Anita here with my first blog post for Bessie Box!  Just wanted to share a few reasons I love shopping local and what kind of impact I believe it has on our community. I'm a big believer in supporting small Alberta business, whether it's the local bakery, small restaurants, farmers markets showcasing amazing fresh products, or online shopping stores like Bessie Box.   Growing up on a farm in Saskatchewan really set the stage for me on what supporting community means. It meant that you got your farm eggs from one neighbor, an ice cream pail of fresh raw honey, or a cow or pig to butcher from another and so on! It was a rare treat for us to go to the city and we never grocery shopped there. We relied on the local butcher, grocery stores or neighbors for everything.   Supporting local means that you care about the people and the community that you live in. By buying local you are putting money back into the community that you live in and letting an amazing person(s) flourish doing something that is their passion!  Local businesses put their heart into their products and showcase such unique and quality products and it shows.    What other ways can you support local? Buy gift cards as a gift or keep it for a later date! Explore new local markets and businesses in your neighborhoods. Leave positive reviews- if you've enjoyed a product or had a great experience leave a review! Share with friends - word of mouth is a powerful thing! We'd love to hear your ideas on what you would like to see more of from us! Send us an email get@bessiebox.com and let us know how we are doing and if there is something more you would like to see! Leave us a google review!   We hope that you see the passion our team at Bessie Box shows for finding quality products for you to try at home. We hope by us showcasing these products and sending you samples from some of our favorite places, you too can support these fabulous Alberta businesses.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for letting us serve you!  Anita