“Secret’s in the sauce.” (A line spoken by the famous actress Cicely Tison playing the role of “Sipsy” in the movie “Fried Green Tomatoes.”)

This past week a good friend suggested I write something about cottage industries.  I had some basic idea what cottage industries are, but I wasn’t completely sure, so I did something I do more and more these days, I googled the term and I found that cottage industries are those industries, in the purest sense where people create goods for sale at home and sell them to the general public.

Now, my mind went where it often goes, to good food and friends, you only have to see me to know that I am more than an authority on it. I am not the poster boy for any of the great names of the diet industry, and I have often joked I was born tired and hungry.

Really, though, I can think of any number of cottage industries in this area that existed and the proprietors did quite well. Near my hometown of White Springs, Florida, the late Mrs. Marie Norris, sold hundreds and probably thousands of jars of her famous jams, jellies and preserves to individuals all over the nation. Her chow chow and pepper jelly were shared and enjoyed by individuals from Key West to Kalamazoo. Her daughters still carry on their mother’s proud tradition, selling her famous jams and jellies at any number of festivals in the area.

Another individual who comes to mind is the lady from over in Madison County, near Pinetta, who bakes and sells Mrs. Leslie’s Cakes and they are sold at the Busy Bee Truck Stop and what I call a General Emporium, my word. I have to say if ever a place of business we would have once called a filling station impresses me, it’s that Busy B located on 129 outside of Live Oak, I-10 and SR 129. They carry everything from gourmet yogurt and chocolates to those multi-layer Mrs. Leslie’s Cakes and they are wonderful. My first experience with them was purchasing them over in Madison at their store in Madison. Several layers, 10 or 12, of their chocolate, made with fudge icing, their caramel, red velvet, coconut and oooooh, are they good. Mrs. Leslie’s began as a cottage industry.

We have any number of businesses in an around our area that may not fit the true mold of cottage industries, but they are smaller, Mom and Pop stores, meaning not owned by a major industrial chain but owned by an individual. I can recall the Mom and Pop Grocery Stores.

In White Springs, Florida, we had Carver’s; in Jasper, was Mallory’s, owned by Mallory Tuten; Johnson’s Thriftyway, owned by the late Mr. Myron Johnson; Mike’s IGA, owned by the late Charles Jones and Mike Jones. Live Oak had Kent’s Groceries, Wooley’s IGA, Howland’s carried groceries and there were many others. Winn Dixie was the original chain type grocery store that came to this area.

Many of the local grocery stores in Hamilton County delivered. You phoned your order in and some times, a delivery man brought your groceries to your door. Many of the local businesses did credit business. The customers charged their groceries and paid up at a certain time period. This was before Master Charge, way before and the interest was lower.

All of the pharmacies of my childhood were home owned and operated and many had fountains. There were any number of department stores, small ones and specialty stores that sold shoes and clothes. Jasper had Lang’s and Levin’s. Live Oak had Fleet’s, Gilmore’s and Gibbs’ when I can remember.

Today, we live in a world where chain stores and the corporate mentality seem to rule supreme. I am not taking anything away from them, but what they make up in product and in price, they sometimes lack in personal attention to the customer.

At those department stores I mentioned, regular customers could take items out on approval and have someone in house at the store pin and alter clothing. Try asking for that now unless you are a specialty store at some place and you have someone who will do that kind of work for you.

In Live Oak, I love the combination of the car wash—and they do a marvelous job with hand washing your automobile, stellar detailing—a little boutique and a beauty and tanning parlor, owned by David and Kathy Lee, located right off 129 kind of catty corner across the street from Harris’ Funeral Home. I also love B’Posh, a great boutique and restaurant, with marvelous chicken salad, and unique, one of a kind items. And I love Gwyn’s Gifts and Home Décor on US 90, great gift items, unique decorative items and the business that sells frozen treats out at the area where Publix is located [Ed. Note: Live Oak Frozen Treats]. All these businesses are small town businesses working hard and contributing to our community.

In Jasper, Cathy Jo Foster’s Sunsations, Brown’s Flowers, the H and F and Jasper Hardware are all locally owned and operated businesses that are home owned and offer services to their customers you may not get in big chain.

The W.B. Howland Company in Live Oak is the same, along with the produce market on Ohio Avenue not far from Publix.

I am not singling any of these businesses out to grant favor of one business over another; I am simply pointing out that local businesses serving the local community are, well folks, fading faster and faster.

As Americans, we value our independence, our right to choose, our individuality. We can endorse that individuality by patronizing local businesses who serve us with sensitivity and as individuals.

Cottage industries, home owned and operated, folks you know who attend your church, whose children attend the local schools and who support local events. You see them each day and they see you. They are a part of our community. Our progress is their progress.

Soon the holiday season will be upon us. We may not be able to do all our shopping at home, but let’s make an effort to support those who are a part of our own communities here “Around the Banks of the Suwannee.”

Give someone a gift basket filled with local goodies, give someone a Mrs. Leslie’s cake and they will be your friend forever. Purchase something from someone locally, support local artists and photographers. There are many beautiful items at some of the shops in downtown Live Oak, including paintings and photographs.

In White Springs, go over to Cousin Thelma Boltin’s Craft and Gift Shop at Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park and shop for regionally made items, as well as at Adams Brothers Store on the Corner of Bridge and U.S. 41. Give someone a gift card to any number of our fine local stores.

There are any number of wonderful restaurants in our area: The Brown Lantern, Dixie Grill, Jay’s and Robbie’s, in Live Oak, H and F, Myra’s and Lindy’s in Jasper and let’s not forget the Crossroads Market and Grill north of Jasper at Crossroads, as well as Fat Belly’s and Bridge Street Café in White Springs. There are a number of wonderful Hispanic restaurants and bakeries in our area offering great items each day. The one located next to McCrimmon’s in Live Oak, wonderful and so many others. I love Sandy’s in Live Oak, killer guacamole.

Yes, we must always be about supporting home folks. Now, if I overlooked you, don’t cut a gallberry whip to put on me. Know I am on your side and am all about supporting our local folks…and I thank them from the bottom of this old heart of mine for hanging on and figuring out a way to hang on when many did not and could not any longer.

The only thing constant in life is change. I am attending many more funerals these days than I would like to admit and the folks are getting closer and closer to my age and some younger.

I am thankful to be able to sit up and take nourishment and be a part of this wonderful place we call home here “Around the Banks of the Suwannee.”

If you want to be reminded of how wonderful home is, step into Huffman and Gilmore and breathe in and purchase you a “cold drink” from the drink box. That is home.

From the Eight Mile Still on the Woodpecker Route north of White Springs, wishing you a day filled with joy, peace and, above all, lots of love and laughter. So blessed to be in the number one more time.