SWEET HOME: It’s the 40th anniversary of Earth Day today, so we
couldn’t pass up the opportunity to mention something on the
regional scene that brings the environmental message “home.”

A new local goods store — Super Localmart — will open this
weekend in the former Humphrey, N.Y., general store.

Tickletown Trust & Trade, the building that houses the Super
Localmart, has been “recycled” as a not-for-profit environmental
education organization. The new store features products that are
biodegradable, recycled, and sustainable. Owner Lois Hilton wants
the building to have a second life as a store that encourages
sustainable living and local economy.

“All products for sale are locally made in southwestern New York
or northwestern Pennsylvania, and many of them are produced just
down the road from the store,” she said. “We wanted people to be
able to buy an earth friendly product, created by a local person
that they could meet, maybe even a neighbor. We also wanted to keep
the money exchange entirely local, and the impact on the planet
minimal.”

Among the cooler items will be locally made woven baskets and
wreaths; dolls made with reused bedsheets and pillow cases, and
stuffed with local wool. Other products are soaps, wool and yarn,
candles, recycled fabric creations, and wooden bowls. In addition,
the store has a “tools for sustainable living” category, under
which it sells items such as reused food mills, hand tools, and
books about homesteading and the environment.

Stephanie English, a volunteer with the Super Localmart and
resident of the building, explained that the word “local” is about
“so much more than being locally made. It’s about home. These
rolling mountains are our home, and anything we make here or buy
here impacts that home.”

“We can decrease fuel waste by creating from materials we have
at home. We can protect our home’s water supply and ecosystem by
making sure that what we make and buy biodegrades safely.  Every
purchase we make can be a celebration of ‘home’ that supports our
neighbors and is gentle on the Earth that sustains us.”

The grand opening starts tomorrow and runs through Monday.
Special events will include a gardeners’ roundtable and seed swap,
and horse-drawn wagon rides.

Tickletown Trust & Trade is located at 4484 Humphrey Road,
County Route 18, Great Valley, N.Y.