With just one shopping week left before Christmas, Dottie Blackstone, owner of Urban Farmgirl Market in downtown Centralia, said her advice to those with a list still to check off is simple: buy local.
Shopping local avoids shipping headaches and has a decidedly more personal touch. And in a year that saw shutdowns and new standards for all retail brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Blackstone said even a small purchase could make a huge difference for a community member who owns that shop.
“It’s not important. It’s critical,” Blackstone said of shopping local this Christmas season. “And it’s a much more pleasant experience.”
Blackstone opened Urban Farmgirl Market in downtown Centralia three and a half years ago. She moved to Lewis County in 2013 to be closer to her parents, who owned property in Adna. Blackstone lives on property adjacent to her parents and now her grown daughter purchased a farmhouse adjacent to her. Blackstone said during the COVID pandemic, living so close has been even more important.
“It’s made us all grateful we’re together,” Blackstone said. “I feel bad there’s families who haven’t seen each other in months.”
Formerly an executive with a large corporation, Blackstone said she took an offer to leave her position during a company reorganization because she had wanted to spend more time on her hobby farm and less time traveling for work. She said the transition from corporate life also gave her the opportunity to open a store that she had been thinking of for some time.
“I really wanted to do something different for Lewis County,” Blackstone said. “You shouldn’t have to drive to Olympia for unique, different shops.”
Blackstone said she regularly sees shoppers from Portland and Seattle, who take the train to Centralia for shopping excursions. She said many people are pleasantly surprised to find downtown Centralia has good food, unique shops and shopkeepers who are happy to help you find just the right thing, even if it means referring you to their neighbors.
“People are putting a lot more thought into unique items this year,” Blackstone said. “A lot of times when you shop online, you get it and it’s not what you ordered. It’s really easy coming into businesses downtown to shop and there’s so many things you won’t see in the big box stores.”
Describing her style as “a little French Country and a little Boho,” Blackstone stocks Urban Farmgirl Market with an eclectic collection of home items including furniture, apparel, jewelry and gifts, all packaged alongside whimsical artwork, including colorful chicken and cow paintings.
“It’s a happy place to be. It’s my vibe,” Blackstone said of the shop.
Besides feeling good, Blackstone said her shop is also about doing good. She has a particular focus on stocking items by local vendors, including: paintings and wood burned art by Kim Norman; candles by Crow Cottage; and treats from Northwest Biscotti. She also emphasizes items that are ethically sourced, choosing items such as wool animal ornaments from a women’s group in Kathmandu, Nepal, fair trade soaps, and recycled jewelry that supports law enforcement.
“I’m thoughtful in what I bring in and it goes way beyond all my paper products are recycled,” she said.
And Blackstone said she is hopeful for herself and her fellow small business owners that the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected them so much will have made a few more people thoughtful about where their Christmas gifts come from. Small businesses statewide were devastated by statewide lockdowns in the spring, which were originally supposed to be two weeks but stretched into about 60 days. And even after being able to reopen, Blackstone said she knows many of her customers, especially seniors, are fearful to be out in public or find mask-wearing difficult. The pandemic has also meant that Urban Farmgirl Market shoppers are not being greeted at the door by Blackstone’s friendly lab, Lola. Blackstone said seeing people in masks frightened the dog and she had to make the decision to leave Lola at home for now.
“I’m hoping next year Lola can come back,” Blackstone said. “That, for me, was one of the saddest parts of this.”
Besides following COVID-19 regulations for sanitation and social distancing in her shop, Blackstone said she has also increased her offerings to respond to the pandemic. She added a new personal hygiene section to the store, including bamboo toothbrushes, soaps and lotions and a few topical CBD products. She also added a few food items and other essential products so that if there were to be another shut down, she would be able to qualify as an essential business. But she is hoping that it doesn’t come to that.
“None of us shop keepers can survive another shut down,” she said.
One of the ways Blackstone plans to reach more customers in 2021 is by bringing a small selection of her shop’s offerings to an online store. She said items such as furniture will likely always remain in store but offering shoppers some items online may be a way to help shoppers while COVID is still affecting the community. She said many local businesses were able to pivot quickly to offer online shopping when COVID hit, but she wanted to take it slowly because she wants to build a system that she can sustain long term.
“I’m a sole proprietor and that’s another full-time job to do that,” she said.
Urban Farmgirl Market
326 N. Tower Ave., Centralia
(360) 736-1951 urbanfarmgirlmarket.us
This business is part of the Hub City Love promotion by the Centralia Downtown Association. Collect a sticker or receipt when you spend $10 or more online or in person at five shops or restaurants in downtown Centralia now through Jan. 2, 2021. Turn in your receipts for a choice of Centralia swag and to be entered in a drawing for a prize valued at $250. Info: downtowncentralia.org.
