I'm a keep it local and hand made sort of guy.

The local farmers markets are great places to shop. I went to the Traders Point Creamery one two weeks ago and got a ridiculous amount of tasty mushrooms, cheese, and bread for no more than it'd run me at Marsh. Throughout the summer I frequent the BR farmers market and there's talk of starting one up downtown at Buggs Temple at the end of the Canal.

http://www.traderspointcreamery.com/

I've bought kitchen supplies (ladles, spatulas, etc...) from people involved with the Indianan Blacksmithing Association before, they are all super nice and eager to share.

http://www.indianablacksmithing.org/

The annual Herron ceramics sale is a great place to stock up on bowls, plates, vases, and mugs. The artists always know if their glazes are food safe and are happy to help. Besides that how cool is it serve guests on one of a kind plates. Prices are very reasonable and you can get and impressive haul for $300.

I try to keep it local the best that I can. I can't imagine going to Starbucks when the Black Thunder at Cornerstone Coffee is so good.

Oh of course a big bad Republican like myself prefers chains. I like some local restaurants. Chains are chains for a reason, they have good food (not all of them0.

I like buying local. It's more environmentally friendly, and I think it's cool to buy directly from the farmer/maker cause you can get some back story about the items you're buying. Plus, it tends to be fresher then buying shipped in food from where ever. And perhaps it makes it more personal and is more appreciated. And if Elements wasn't so expensive, I'd eat there more often. All or most of the food they serve comes from the Indianapolis area. I wish more places would do it.

Plus, local businesses add character to our city. I know that chains are a fact of life and there will always be that customer who wants the same entree he is used to eating or the same entree he eats in another city with the comfort (monotony) of the same atmosphere he is used to eating it in. However, we've got to keep locally owned businesses to keep the whole country from completely becoming a bland, homogenized landscape.

I'm definitely a supporter of local stuff. We have a great selection of one-of-a-kind restaurants in the area, and out-of-town guests always get treated to these rather than chain restaurants.

I try to make it out to every First Friday and buy local art as much as possible. Unfortunately, I've only got a collection of prints so far. I've expressed this before, but I find it unfortunate that so many local artists want $1,000+ for an original or $50+ for a print. When I'm forced to choose between buying a new piece of furniture with my $1,000, or a piece of local art, I have to go with the furniture which has a visual AND functional use. Then I just end up filling my walls with my own photography so they don't look so bare. I wish more artists would get the WalMart mentality and sell their originals at a more reasonable price (at least until they are famous, at which time they have a right to be elitist) and make their money on volume of sales.

If don't really make it out to the farmer's markets that much. I love cooking, but my kitchen is so small that I can literally stand in the same place and be at the sink or the stove. Once I get a bigger kitchen, I'll have a greater need for fresh produce.

I'm also a big supporter (and member) of the local music scene, promoting local acts and attending as many local shows as possible.

Besides the obvious reason, I definitely support local. Chains are fine, but what makes a city unique is the interesting alternatives that can only be found in certain locales. Locally, I love Bourbon Street Distillery, Yats, The Legend and Lazy Daze Coffee just to name a few.

I support local whenever possible, especially when eating out. My wife loves the chains, but I try not support them.