Your view: Homegrown benefits

Think about your definition of "Homegrown"

Homegrown has a lot of different meanings. It might mean the tomatoes were homegrown. His watermelon was homegrown.

Or homegrown could mean a graduate, fresh out of high school. He's homegrown, but leaves his hometown to further his education, or find a job in the bigger city. But what usually happens in a few years? That homegrown boy finds his way back home. He realizes that the big city lights weren't made for him. He realizes that he misses his family and friends he left behind. He realizes that the American Dream can start at home, that the grass isn't always greener on the other side, and that sometimes, staying at home and raising his family is the best part of life he can imagine.

Now, think about another term for homegrown. Small businesses such as downtown merchant's to us are usually homegrown 'mom and pop' stores. They create their businesses here in Sikeston, and instead of moving to the big city lights and bigger communities, they didn't move, their roots were stuck here in Sikeston and they serviced Sikeston and the surrounding communities for miles and for many years.

But being homegrown doesn't mean the same to everyone. Sometimes loyalty and 'saving money' or making money overrides that homegrown feeling. Sometimes (and sometimes not) the 'bigger businesses' can offer more to folks than the homegrown business. But sometimes it takes the homegrown business to specialize in things that other big companies don't. And sometimes the small town homegrown business goes by the wayside because the folks here at home don't support it.

Think about that the next time you go online or go to the bigger city to buy the same items the homegrown store has. Who is enjoying your business and who is enjoying the taxes you pay for what you purchased? The big city, that's who! Your homegrown business is losing, but you're helping other towns grow.

So if you are able, please visit your homegrown stores more often. You'll still find the friendly smiling faces, as well as comparable prices.

Roger and Nancy Craft

Craftmasters