Local Gift Ideas

Looking for a way to shop local this holiday season? Check out our holiday gift guide and support Michigan producers and growers this season.

Local Seeds. Help your garden loving friends get a jump start on their spring planting with locally produced, open-pollinated seeds. Michigan is lucky enough to boast a variety of sustainable seed companies.

Ann Arbor Seed Company
•Nature and Nurture Seeds
•Michigan Flower Farm
•Michigan Wildflower Farm
•Michigan Heirlooms
•The Garden Hoard

CSA Membership. Give the gift of healthy, local food with a certificate toward a CSA membership. Find a CSA farm here.

Mug Clubs. Give you favorite craft beer aficionado the gift of good beer with a mug club membership at a local brewery. Mug Club membership gives members access to discounts and exclusive members-only events.

Gift Baskets. Head to an independently owned retailer and make your own gift basket featuring Michigan produced goods. Some retailers will even assist you in creating a basket. (Check out American Spoon, Breakaway Cafe & Coffee Bar, Cherry Republic,  Grocer’s Daughter, Oryana Community Coop, The Old Town General Store, The Local Grocer, Essence on Main, Lockstock and Barrel Ranch, MI Farm Market, Thunder Bay Winery, Stoney Acres Winery, The Flying Moose, Applecore General Store, Grand Marais Farm Fisheries and Mercantile and more!)

Theme Ideas:
Holiday Brunch: locally roasted coffee or locally blended tea, maple syrup or honey, pancake mix or granola

•Craft Brews: an assortment of local beers, Michigan bottle opener, local popcorn or nut mix

•Wine and Dine: a bottle or two of wine, Michigan cheese, crackers, jam

Farmers Market Finds. Many farmers markets across the state are open year-round or through the holidays. Peruse handmade gifts as unique and special as your loved one. Think everything from handspun wool gloves to handbound notebooks.

Find winter markets on our regional events calendars

Upper Peninsula       Northeast Michigan

Northwest Michigan  Southeast Michigan

Find winter markets in your area:

Support an Agricultural Non-Profit. Honor your loved one with a gift that positively impacts food production and food access. Some great organizations to support include:

•Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS)
Grow Benzie
Growing Hope
Food Gatherers
Allen Neighborhood Center
Detroit Black Community Food Security Network
Edible Flint, Edible Grand Traverse, Edible WOW
Keep Growing Detroit
Food Bank Council of Michigan
Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities
Crosshatch Center for Art and Ecology
U.P. Food Exchange
Partridge Creek Educational Farm

Kelly Wilson is TLD’s SE Michigan Local Food Coordinator. She is looking forward to sharing lots of good Michigan food with loved ones this holiday season and catching up on the pile of books stacked next to her bed. Contact her at [email protected]