"Wal-Mart to Buy More Local Produce"

Walmart is MAJOR down here, which I found kinda shocking until I found out that they're not big on unions down here. Not even the schools/teachers are unionized. Anyway, there are "Super" Walmarts on just about every corner & they're not like the ones in NY, these sell everything like the ones in NY plus they're like major supermarkets and sell everything under one roof, which is very convenient, but I still find it odd & prefer to use the supermarkets for my grocery shopping. Walmart does however keep it local here whenever possible. In fact, they're even sponsoring a beer fest here featuring all local breweries.
I have to say though, SC is very pro buy local. All the restaurants advertise they only use local seafood & produce, unlike the chains which don't.
One of my fave local restaurants, and most local restaurants, even prints this on their menus:

Our menus have received a Platinum Partner certification based on the sustainability of our seafood products. Shrimp, flounder, clams and oysters are just a few examples here at Gilligan’s that the South Carolina Aquarium deems sustainable through their Sustainable Seafood Initiative. We make every effort to obtain seafood from sustainable and, as often as possible, local and domestic sources. In addition, we agree to not serve or sell Chilean sea bass, orange roughy and imported shark because of concerns regarding the status of these species in the wild. Help sustain our local seafood by asking for and ordering sustainable products at your local grocery store and when dining out.

We have teamed up with the SC Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) to help conserve South Carolina’s oyster beds by instituting an oyster shell recycling program in all of our restaurants to help sustain the growth and propagation of local oysters. Every shell Gilligan’s recycles over the course of the winter will be replanted by DNR back into the estuarine environment, replenishing and enhancing the State’s oyster resource. When eating local oyster clusters at any of our restaurants, your server will bring a green recycling bucket to your table to dump your shells into. We invite you to help us in our efforts to conserve our local oyster beds.

Sometimes it feels as if I'm living in a giant hippy commune. Its great to see the local people care so, the local business care so and they strive to keep it all local. Its all good.