Gather Locally

The countdown to Valentine’s Day is on and there's never a more perfect time to source local for this year's box of chocolates. Here are some suggestions of a small group of local artisanal chocolatiers who creatively and passionately ply their trade. Casa de Chocolates The Berkeley Elmwood neighborhood’s Casa de Chocolates creates delicious confections with “premium chocolate from Bay Area- based chocolate providers known for their quality and sustainability practices.” Yo

Remembering to shop locally can be hard. We’re all so used to buying things at our tried and true big box stores or the websites that are conveniently bookmarked in our browsers. But we should shop locally because by doing so, we keep our neighborhoods healthy and strong. Of the everyday items that we pick up running errands each week, almost all could be purchased at a local independent retailer. And for every $100 we spend locally, $68 will stay in our community --fixin