With the holiday season upon us, gift shopping offers an opportunity to do more than check names off a list. By choosing products made close to home, gift giving can support local entrepreneurs, strengthen small businesses and help keep dollars circulating in the communities we care about most. And by investing in the people and places that make our state unique, every purchase makes an impact.
This fall, Chase Dauenhauer will wake up each morning in his home off Bismarck’s River Road to the idyllic view of orange pumpkins streaming through his yard. His neighbor, Dave Pearce, knows the scene well. Every September through October for 43 years, it marked the start of a meaningful day’s work.
While Christmas may seem like a long way off, it seems to sneak up on us every year. One day, you’re enjoying the changing colors and reaching for a warmer jacket. The next, the morning dew on your commute turns to ice. Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” is all over the radio. And you sound like Scrooge from “The Christmas Carol” as you realize, “Bah, humbug. The holiday season is already here.” Store aisles are full of shoppers looking for last-minute gifts and you’re forced to leave Christmas ham preparation to the wrong person.
Each spring, Thomas Hanna walked alongside his father and grandfather, surrounded by the sweet scent of clover and the hum of hundreds of hives. There, he learned the rhythms of beekeeping, watching, listening and gaining hands-on experience all through high school. By 2009, he became a full-time beekeeper. Today, Thomas and his family continue their grandfather’s legacy at Hanna Honey Farm.
North Dakota now has less than 90 rural grocery stores, down from 137 in 2014.
Rural residents often drive 100 miles or more for basic groceries.
In Ashley, Towner, Turtle Lake, Velva and other small towns across the state, rural grocers are fighting to keep their stores operational. The margins are slim. The challenges mount. But their communities are relying on them.
So seniors don't have to drive long distances during the winter. So busy moms can stay close to home. So their small town survives.
Are these the last rural grocers?
Anyone who grew up watching “Tom and Jerry” understands the basics of a cat-and-mouse game. The cat devises a new scheme. The mouse finds a way around it. Then the chase begins again.
