For Preserving...

How's this for Made in America? I'm sitting in my office with 4 cases (48 total) of Ball Mason Jars.

All made in the USA.

And all usually filled with things made in the USA, often things made in our own back yard.

At home I have more cases of these things, filled with honey, maple syrup, apple sauce, apple jelly, strawberry jelly, pasta sauce, salsa, pickled peppers.

The label on the case says, "Mason Jars for Preserving."

I think that speaks volumes. For preserving home-grown foods. For preserving a way of life. For preserving a little bit of Americana.

Thanks, Ball, for making these jars in the USA!

They come in Threes

This is the third post today, and it's also a good one.

www.polartec.com

Polartec is another company that makes performance apparel, right here in their mill in neighboring Mass.

Heard of Polar Fleece? This is the company that coined the product.

Hats, jackets, technical clothing, mittens, etc. Stay warm.

Turtle Fur

This is a good one for this kind of weather.

www.turtlefur.com offers neck gaiters, hats, balaclavas, frost masks and head bands, many of which are made in America. And the designs are pretty cool, too.

Check 'em out.

Princeton

The Princeton Tec Solo Headlamp is made in the USA, and is REALLY handy.

I don't think it's designed for a speedy and well lighted travel, as in trail running or mountain biking at night, but it's really good for lighting a two-handed project in the dark.

See www.Princetontec.com

And it's made in America.

Hey, nice pants...

Today it was -11 degrees F when I rode my bike to work. Granted, I have less than a 1-mile commute, but it looked like a challenge, so I bit.

My four-season parka, a sweater, long-sleeved T were on top. Khaki's lined with today's favorite Made-in-America product...my SportHill running pants. They're made in "careful with that Axe" Eugene, Oregon. (who can pinpoint that reference?)

SportHill carries a good line of athletic apparel. It ain't cheap, but it's good quality...and it'slocal. REALLY local if you live in Oregon.

You can find them online www.sporthill.com (why isn't this link working?), or at any number of nationwide online retailer such as REI, Sierra Trading Post, LL Bean, zappos.com, Scheels, Backcountry.com, Reno Sports and others.

Stay warm!

Playing Catch Up

This from the Financial Times today:

Goldman Sachs forecasts that the Chinese economy will overtake that of the US by about 2040. The Economist Intelligence Unit forecasts in terms of purchasing power parity – which adjusts for price differences between countries to reflect actual buying power of local incomes – China will outstrip the US by 2017.

Okay, here's the thing. China's growing economy has lifted millions of Chinese out of poverty, and that's a good thing. But is it such a good thing that it eclipses putting Americans out of work?

Buy local, kids!

made in USA Forever

Hey, while searching for snow tubes, I found a site that has a large selection of American made products. It's

www.madeinusaforever.com

And, while there are LOTS of products not listed, this is a good place to start!