Luminous Local Gifts

Spread light and love with luminous gifts from local merchants.

Pictured here: Find recycled glass bottles at the Ecology Center; See blooming succulents at the Ruth Bancroft Garden; Pick up some charcuterie from Clove & Hoof. These are just a few of our editor’s ideas for holiday gifting that benefits our local community.

In each issue of Edible East Bay, we look to spark ideas on how we all can participate in making a more vibrant local economy. Many of our advertisers offer locally made gifts at their shops, but maybe you’ve run out of time to get there? By gifting a loved one a subscription or gift card, you don’t have to fuss over your choices, and these items are easy to order online or by phone at the last minute!

Or give a gift that renews itself throughout the year with a subscription to a wine club or CSA farm. Here are some ideas that key right in with long-established subscription programs, while others await your own DIY innovations:

  • Visit Edible East Bay‘s CSA guide for a full array of local producers’ CSA subscription options, which range from veggie boxes to fish or olive oil programs.
  • Farmers’ Market Associations sell gift cards that will spur a weekly visit to see what local farmers and crafters are growing and producing.
  • Membership in a local winery‘s wine club can instigate a fun social visit to the tasting room each month. Know your producers and meet your neighbors!
  • Grow your own Seedling of the Month Club. A monthly gift certificate to your local nursery provides not only the seeds and starts, but also the skills and knowledge of nursery staff regarding what and when to plant.
  • Launch a Local Sweets Adventure with a set of gift certificates to favorite local bakers, makers, and purveyors.
  • Dream up a Passport to World Flavors: A book of gift certificates to local herb and spice shops can be an invitation to explore the world of flavors. Staff can offer advice on how to creatively use a new item to promote good cooking and good health.

Pictured above: Try West Oakland’s Phat Beets Youth Pickling Co.’s pickles and krauts; Grow a romanesco from Orchard Nursery & Florist; Taste Millennium Restaurant’s seasonal vegan cheesecake, this one with persimmon.