Colorado wants its share of the more than $678.8 billion that economists at the National Retail Federation project Americans will spend this year on decorations, gifts and other items during their holiday shopping.
Officials from the Colorado Proud program rep the more than 2,500 companies that grow, raise or process food and agriculture products made in Colorado. It's generally believed that buying from neighborhood and independent companies has a greater economic return for communities since more of the money is recirculated locally.
"People can make a difference when they buy local," said Wendy White, who manages the Colorado Proud program for the Colorado Department of Agriculture.
Colorado's agriculture industry employees more than 170,000 people and contributes more than $40 billion annually to the state economy, White said.
"It's getting easier and easier to find Colorado products," she said.
In addition to labeling products with the Colorado Proud logo featuring purple mountains backed by sun rays, grocery stores are creating special sections for products. The state doesn't have as robust a program for identifying books, clothes and other products without ties to the state's agriculture industry.
Jennifer Miller is working to start pop-up dinners in Denver and said she likes to buy products from companies in the state so she can give "a little piece of Colorado" to her friends and family who live elsewhere.
"Of course I go to Target and big-box places," Miller said, "but I also carve out time to go to small stores."
5 Colorado gift ideas:
-Colorado craft beer, spirits, meads and wine or the new "intense and pleasing tingling" liqueur Tingala
-Socks made from Colorado Alpaca fleece
-Rubs and spices or a whole lot of beef
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Business & data reporter Adrian D. Garcia can be reached via email at [email protected] or twitter.com/adriandgarcia.
