by Georgy Palugher, WVU Extension Service agent

Do you struggle with holiday shopping? You may be surprised to know that the perfect gifts for everyone on your list are closer to home and easier to find than you might think.

West Virginia is full of talented folks who produce food, harvest products from nature, and create handmade items. By shopping locally, you support small, independent businesses. So, why not look over the fence and buy something local?

Gifts for “foodies”

Everyone likes to eat, and food is always a perfect fit. Jams, jellies, pickles, relishes, salsas, dried herbs, and dips are good for starters. For those who like to cook, consider a bag of stone-ground buckwheat flour, whole-wheat flour, or cornmeal.

A quarter or side of freezer beef, pork, or lamb; a whole chicken or turkey; and trout fillets are foods that an entire family can enjoy.
Those who can’t garden but love to eat fresh vegetables would welcome a subscription to a West Virginia Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm.

Gifts for nature-lovers

West Virginia’s woodlands supply a variety of unique gifts. A gallon of maple syrup, an evergreen wreath, a live evergreen tree, a wooden birdhouse or bird feeder, a shiitake mushroom log, or a cord of firewood would suit someone who loves the outdoors. A bushel of ear corn is a good gift for friends who feed birds and squirrels during the winter.

Gifts for gardeners

You may not want to buy a plant in winter, but you could purchase a gift certificate from a West Virginia native plant nursery. You could also buy hand-forged gardening tools or split-rail fencing.

Gifts for art-lovers

Skilled state artisans create a variety of items – wooden utensils, chainsaw-carved wooden statues, baskets, pottery, dried floral
arrangements – that are sure to become treasured family heirlooms.

Gifts for connoisseurs

For someone who enjoys the finer things in life, you could choose a knitted wool sweater, herbal bath and body supplies, beeswax candles, wines, cheeses, or hand-rolled cigars.

Many of these items are available through farmers markets and retail outlets. To shop online, try these sites:
• West Virginia Department of Agriculture
• Tamarack, The Best of West Virginia
• Mountain Made

Contact your county WVU Extension Office for information on farmers and producers who sell local products.

—WVU-ES—