usa made
Join Our “Buy American Made” Holiday Shopping Challenge
I'm really not an early Christmas shopper. In fact I'm not a shopper at all. When the kids were little they used to like to holiday shop at the local craft fair… that was fun. But the boys are teenagers now and I can't imagine getting them to do that anymore. A couple times in recent years, I was able to convince Ken and the boys to make an overnight holiday shopping trip to Boston where we wandered around downtown and at the Wrentham Mall picking up a few gifts. I enjoyed that but the kids seem to have outgrown any kind of activity that involves parents.
Anyway… yesterday in the office, Dennis floated the idea of buying only American made things for Christmas presents. Pretty cool idea, don't you think?
But the thing is, this is shopping we can't leave till the last minute. It will take a bit of research and planning. Isn't it ironic that many American made gifts would have to be purchased online and shipped here from across the country, whereas imports are available anytime, in every store in town, at a moment's notice?
So at Vermont Woods Studios we'll plan to start our shopping now and share our research with you as we go. Saturday I tagged along with Annette at the Brattleboro Farmer's Market. That's probably a reasonable place to start… maple syrup, handmade pottery, wooden bowls.
Why not join us in our "Buy American Made" Holiday Gifts Challenge? If you have gift suggestions, pass them along in the comment section below or send photos and links and we'll post here or on our Facebook page.
They say that if each of us in the USA spent just $3.33 on American made goods, that would generate 10,000 jobs… a pretty decent Christmas present in itself, I say.
Made in America: How College Students Can Create 500,000 American Jobs
Have you seen any of the ABC News Made in America specials on World News with Diane Sawyer? This week they're talking about the impact college students could have on our economy if they purchased USA made dorm room accessories and linens from American companies.
It's tough to do since universities are unwittingly pushing imported goods through their campus stores, but it is possible, as demonstrated on the show. And in fact this room was $92 cheaper to furnish with American made items than similar imported ones.
Sawyer notes that the average college student shopper spent $800 this season or a total of $46 BILLION. If that money had been spent purchasing American goods, it could have provided almost half a million American jobs!
So it turns out it can be cheaper to furnish a college dorm with American made items than imported ones? Maybe some smart college presidents will commission their business school faculty and students to get on this and transform their campuses into American Made spaces.
Oh and if they're looking to add American made furniture to the dorms, Vermont's own New England Woodcraft has been building solid wood furniture for college dorms right here in the USA for over 50 years.
It looks like this Vermont-made furniture is pretty well equipped to handle college students, wouldn't you think?
And while we're on the subject of USA made furniture, I can say that 100% of our furniture at Vermont Woods Studios is 100% made in America… in Vermont to be precise.
Your purchases here employ our 5 staff members who operate the website and take care of sales and customer service, plus about 15-20 furniture makers and many additional support people including shippers. You are making a difference when you Buy American and we are grateful for your support.
The Best of Vermont’s 4th of July Events (Including Our American Made Furniture Sale)
My favorite 4th of July event in Vermont has always been the Vermont Symphony Orchestra (VSO) concert. In Southeastern Vermont the concert is on July 3 this year at Grafton Ponds. It's an incredibly lovely, typically Vermont setting where you can stretch out with your finest picnic wares and enjoy wine, cheese and other favorite delicasies. For those in the northern part of the state, the VSO concert will be at Shelburne Farms on the 4th.
Lots of other fun events are going on this Independence weekend and one of the best places to scope them out is Vermont Vacation. Many Vermont State Parks have fireworks, free entry and later hours on the Fourth. Another favorite activity, especially for families is the Old Vermont 4th at the Billings Farm & Museum, a working dairy farm where they have historic debates, wagon rides, a spelling bee, an egg toss, and more.
And of course, at Vermont Woods Studios we're celebrating America’s Independence with a 4th of July, USA Made Furniture Sale. While you’re traveling to Vermont’s music festivals, concerts, fireworks displays, parades, carnivals or fairs– stop in and see our solid wood furniture. Or shop online or by phone to save time and make the most of your outdoor events schedule.
In honor of our nation's Revolutionary heros, we're offering 20% off every piece of our 100% American made, solid wood furniture storewide. This is huge because as you may know, we offer this big discount only twice a year. We have a Black Friday sale at Thanksgiving and one other storewide sale, which is usually in the summer. This is it! These are the best prices we can offer — it's a great time to finally buy the authentic, USA made handcrafted solid wood furniture you've been longing for. Give us a call today with your questions or customizations. We look forward to serving you.
Why Buy Furniture That’s Made in America?
Manjula sent me this article she found on the Made In USA website. We have an active campaign to raise awareness about where your furnitue comes from and why it's important to buy furniture and other goods that are Made in America. Thought you might be interested to read this:
John Smith started the day early,
having set his alarm clock (MADE IN JAPAN) for 6 am.
While his coffeepot (MADE IN CHINA) was perking,
he shaved with his electric razor (MADE IN HONG KONG),
and put on a dress shirt (MADE IN SRI LANKA),
designer jeans (MADE IN SINGAPORE) and
tennis shoes (MADE IN KOREA).
After cooking his breakfast in his new
electric skillet (MADE IN INDIA),
he sat down with his calculator (MADE IN MEXICO),
to see how much he could spend today.
After setting his watch (MADE IN TAIWAN)
to the radio (MADE IN INDIA),
he got in his car (MADE IN JAPAN),
filled it with GAS (from SAUDIA ARABIA)
to continued his search for a good paying AMERICAN JOB.
At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless day
checking his Computer (made in MALAYSIA),
John decided to relax for a while.
He put on his sandals (MADE IN BRAZIL),
poured himself a glass of wine (MADE IN FRANCE)
and turned on his TV (MADE IN INDONESIA),
and then wondered why he can't find
a good paying job in AMERICA.
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