As a small business owner, I can't stress enough the importance of supporting your local businesses. Not only are we the backbone of America (as my uncle declares whenever the opportunity presents), but most major conglomerates started as entreprenurial endeavors out of home offices or garages (i.e. Wal-Mart and O'Sullivans, of local fame).
Living in Kansas City, Shane and I go to the fabulous City Market whenever we get the chance to buy locally-grown produce, locally-baked breads, and locally-bottled jams, jellies, and honey. We enjoy chatting with vendors (Shane knows no stranger) and it's amusing and inspiring to hear their stories of life back on the farm. So this week I was thrilled to see the latest cover story for the Pitch on the Shatto Milk Company, "Message in a Bottle" (David Martin, Sept. 18-24, 2008). Not only is life on the Shatto dairy farm amusing (they name every cow!), but the story of how this little family dairy came to be one of the most recognizable and tastiest small businesses in Kansas City is truly amazing.
Browse the dairy aisle in any local supermarket and you'll encounter some of the cutest and most cleverly-packaged milk I've ever seen. Not that I search the dairy aisle on a regular basis, but the fact that a bottle of milk caught my eye...well, they're obviously doing something right! The gleam of the shiny glass bottles envokes a nostalic feeling of the 1950s when a true-to-life milkman would deliver the week's supply to your front porch. The smart font that is used (Futura) to convey the milk's qualities - "Yummy," "Fresh," and of couse, "Local" - sparks more interest in this brand and adds a bit of modernism to your nostalia. Start reading the labels and learn that this milk is not only hormone-free, but it comes in all varieties, including whole, 2%, skim...and ROOT BEER!!!!!
I realize in these harsh economic times that families need to save wherever they can, and groceries seem to be one of the first places people look to cut back costs. However, spending a few cents more on a gallon of milk can ensure that your family will ingest healthy, hormone-free milky goodness. And I don't know about you, but when I put that glass bottle of Shatto milk (plus a few pints of their root beer and banana flavors) on the conveyer belt at the grocery store, it makes me feel pretty darn good that I'm supporting healthy animals, a healthier me, and a local business.
Living in Kansas City, Shane and I go to the fabulous City Market whenever we get the chance to buy locally-grown produce, locally-baked breads, and locally-bottled jams, jellies, and honey. We enjoy chatting with vendors (Shane knows no stranger) and it's amusing and inspiring to hear their stories of life back on the farm. So this week I was thrilled to see the latest cover story for the Pitch on the Shatto Milk Company, "Message in a Bottle" (David Martin, Sept. 18-24, 2008). Not only is life on the Shatto dairy farm amusing (they name every cow!), but the story of how this little family dairy came to be one of the most recognizable and tastiest small businesses in Kansas City is truly amazing.
Browse the dairy aisle in any local supermarket and you'll encounter some of the cutest and most cleverly-packaged milk I've ever seen. Not that I search the dairy aisle on a regular basis, but the fact that a bottle of milk caught my eye...well, they're obviously doing something right! The gleam of the shiny glass bottles envokes a nostalic feeling of the 1950s when a true-to-life milkman would deliver the week's supply to your front porch. The smart font that is used (Futura) to convey the milk's qualities - "Yummy," "Fresh," and of couse, "Local" - sparks more interest in this brand and adds a bit of modernism to your nostalia. Start reading the labels and learn that this milk is not only hormone-free, but it comes in all varieties, including whole, 2%, skim...and ROOT BEER!!!!!
I realize in these harsh economic times that families need to save wherever they can, and groceries seem to be one of the first places people look to cut back costs. However, spending a few cents more on a gallon of milk can ensure that your family will ingest healthy, hormone-free milky goodness. And I don't know about you, but when I put that glass bottle of Shatto milk (plus a few pints of their root beer and banana flavors) on the conveyer belt at the grocery store, it makes me feel pretty darn good that I'm supporting healthy animals, a healthier me, and a local business.
