As you begin filling stockings and preparing presents this holiday season, locally made artisan or farm products can be the meaningful and personal gift that your family and friends will love.

Small Business Saturday is Nov. 24, and many of the businesses showcased that day focus on products found on the farm. Independent shop owners across Tennessee will be looking for a bump in sales from consumers who support the retailers rooted in their own communities.

“Small Business Saturday provides a great opportunity to support local economies and to get to know your neighbors,” Agriculture Commissioner Jai Templeton said. “Those who live and give locally will help more than just the storeowner. Their support can produce an economic ripple effect that benefits the entire community.”

Typical independent businesses with local products include on-farm and farmers market retail stores, gift shops, florists, wineries, food co-ops, or regional diners and restaurants. Some of these small businesses specialize in gift baskets made with Tennessee products and can ship those baskets nationwide.

“Supporting the local farmer and producer is very important to me, and I am discovering more and more that it is very important to others as well,” Coffee County’s Harvest Local Foods owner Ellen Fletcher said. “People are becoming more conscious of where their money is being spent. The act of supporting local helps boost the local economy. It’s important.”

Rebecca Paschal with Cellar 53 Winery in Smith County encourages everyone to shop local on Small Business Saturday. “Strong local businesses help to create strong communities,” Paschal said. “We donate $1 from the sale of each bottle of our Independence Red Tennessee Chambourcin to the Fisher House in Murfreesboro in support of veterans and their families.”

Find farm-related businesses across the state through the Taste of Tennessee Online Store at www.PickTnProducts.org. Shoppers can connect directly to a business or producer website, and products can then be purchased from the producer.

Pick Tennessee Products is the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s program to connect customers to local farm products. Find farms and retail stores with local products, seasonal foods, wineries, and gift baskets at www.PickTnProducts.org or with the Pick TN mobile app. Follow Pick Tennessee on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram