Category: ShopLocal

Business Women

Debbie Roney Smith on
Debbie Roney-Smith

Today is America Business Women’s Day, celebrated annually on September 22nd to mark the founding date of the American Business Women’s Association. Created in 1949, this day is designed “to bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and to provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership; education, networking support and national recognition.” It was officially recognized in 1983, and thrives to this day as female entrepreneurship flourishes in the 21st century. Below are just three of many local women-owned businesses to support today:

Our very own Debbie Roney-Smith with American Gold Realty, located in Marianna, FL. Debbie offers specialized information gained from over 20yrs living and enjoying the Florida Panhandle and surrounding areas. With 25yrs of realtor experience, Debbie is a wonderful choice for your future buying, selling, and renting needs!

Black Dog Cafe. Located in Tallahassee, FL. Women-owned for over 20yrs, this cafe offers excellent customer service, locally sourced baked goods, sustainable coffee, and more! 

Florida Star Nurseries & Supply. Located in Marianna, FL. This is a local contractor who has been operating for almost 40yrs. They specialize in landscaping, nursery plants & trees, nursery equipment, and more! 

Tallahassee Nurseries

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Did you know that indoor plants offer both physical and psychological benefits to humans who own them? The benefits of houseplants are:

  • Boosts indoor air quality
  • Promotes exercise
  • Encourages healthy eating
  • Improves mood
  • Relieves stress and anxiety
  • Helps prolong attention span
  • Boosts self-esteem
  • And More!!!

This means the ongoing 2-for-1 houseplant sale at Tallahassee Nurseries is a wonderful opportunity to improve the well-being of your household! From now until September 2nd, or until supplies run out, the garden center will be selling 2-for-1 of equal-or-lesser value houseplants; rare plants and orchids are not included, despite being indoor plants.

Bear Paws Adventures

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Located at 2100 Bear Paw Lane in Marianna, Bear Paws Adventures offers a natural river float trip in kayaks, canoes, or tubes. They offer equipment rentals and shuttles. Pricing is as follows:

  • Kayak $35 per person; includes a parking pass and shuttle pass
  • Canoe $50 for two people; includes a parking pass and shuttle pass
  • Bring Your Own Kayak/Canoe $25 per vessel; includes a parking pass and shuttle pass
  • Tubing $15-60 
  • Bring Your Own Tubes $10 per person; includes inflating the tubes, shuttle pass, and parking pass

Visit their official website for more detailed information on pricing and to familiarize yourself with the service rules on parking. 

 

Business Spotlight: Chautauqua Winery

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Chautauqua Vineyards & Winery is Florida Farm Winery Certified. They produce wine from Carlos Muscadine and Noble Muscadine grapes that have been growing since 1979. Conveniently located next to I-10 in DeFuniak Springs, the winery offers free grape picking, a gift shop full of unique items, and a tasting bar.

The winery is family-friendly – bring the kids! Juices are served for anyone under the age of 21. Pets are welcome permitted they are leashed or held, and they are not allowed in the tasting area. They regularly host tastings and events, alongside being open daily (except for major holidays).

Want to place an order for home delivery or learn more about the Vineyards? Visit the official Chautauqua Vineyards & Winery website. 

Celebrating National Thrift Store Day

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Today is National Thrift Store Day! Looking to celebrate? Visit a local thrift store to support your community and maybe find your new favorite treasure! For instance, perhaps visit the recently opened Fusion Church Thrift Store in Blountstown. They are located at 17256 N. Main Street, Tuesday through Saturday. For more detailed information, visit their Facebook webpage. 

Tupelo Honey

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The center of tupelo honey production is the Apalachicola River in the Florida Panhandle which makes tupelo honey a local honey star! Tupelo honey is a very special form of honey that has a lower glucose content with a very small harvesting window which makes it a more expensive alternative to the general store-bought honey. It is also known as Ogeechee tupelo due to the popular growing region; there are thousands of hectares of Ogeechee tupelo have been planted in bee farms along the lower Apalachicola River and around swamps where it grows naturally.

Tupelo has an incredible amber color alongside a sweet taste and aroma. It is high-grade honey that is good for the digestive and immune system, as well as working for those dressing wounds. Tupelo honey gets its name from the tupelo tree species, a nod to the fact it is harvested from the specific tupelo tree species Nyssa ogeche. Tupelos are popular ornamental trees because they offer form, flowers from March to May, shade, and autumn leaf colors. Honey is only harvestable for a short period of 2-3 weeks and is heavily subjected to poor weather. 

Celebrating Prosecco

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Today is National Prosecco Day, an annual event founded in 2011 by Riondo Prosecco. It is a day dedicated to the celebration of prosecco, a sparkling wine perfect for a summer evening. It is a versatile wine that is bright and bubbly, often with pleasing fruit or floral flavor.

Prosecco Region

Prosecco is made from the Glera grape. It is believed to have been cultivated in the Italian village of Prosecco in Trieste circa the 16th century. Nowadays, the best prosecco is actually located about 2-3hours away from Trieste near Venice; this area is called the Prosecco region (also known as the DOCG Prosecco region). 

U-Pick Produce in Northwest FL Panhandle

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July is the end of U-Pick Produce at Jackson Farms for this growing season until October. U-Pick is a fun, cheap, and delicious activity for those of all ages. From 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., you can pick a variety of peak produce including tomatoes, watermelons, peppers, snap beans, eggplants, pickles and more. 

Jackson Farms also offers packaged produce that offers the same freshness as picking produce yourself; this is because they are picked and sealed at peak ripeness instead of being picked early in order to be shipped to a secondary location like your local grocery store. They have been offering homegrown produce for over 20 years. Visit them in Grand Ridge or visit their official website for more information. 

NEW BUSINESS: Jemison Heating & Cooling

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Tomorrow at 8:15 a.m., Jemison Heating and Cooling will be hosting a Ribbon Cutting to celebrate their grand opening. Jemison Heating and Cooling is owned and operated by David Jemison, and this grand opening is for their second store. Jemison has over 20 years of service and offers residential & commercial installation, maintenance, repairs and free estimates. Call 850-482-8100 for more information. 

Tax Free Weekends

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Tax-free weekends are coming up quickly! Alabama’s back-to-school event is this weekend, July 16th-18th. Clothing, computers, school supplies, and more will be tax-free. Visit the Alabama Department of Revenue’s site for more information, including a list of specific exemptions. Florida’s tax-free event is longer and begins the last weekend of the month, July 30th to August 9th. Visit the Florida Department of Revenue’s site for more information, and be sure to mark your calendars.