Here’s an Eco-Warrior challenge — pick ONE product or service you use and switch to a brand locally produced.

Enviro-Girl has switched beers to reduce her beer miles (she used to drink Guinness from Dublin, Ireland and switched to brews made in New Glarus, Wisconsin). Almost all the cheese she buys comes from her home state. She shops at a local five and dime for office and craft supplies instead of driving across town to a big box store. Her family doesn’t eat at chain restaurants — they head to a family restaurant where the waitresses know their name and the owner donates money to the local sports teams.

By shifting the money you spend to your local economy, you do more good and you do more green. Before you shop, consider how you might patronize a locally owned and operated business or purchase locally produced goods. And if you’re currently doing so, start spreading the word to your friends and family. Debunk the myth that big box stores are a better value!