FOODZIE FOR ME, FOODZIE FOR YOU!

Being the somewhat 'food-obsessed' person that I am, I always find myself stumbling upon stuff on the web that touches on anything from new recipes to the latest restaurant openings. Lately, I've been frequenting Foodzie, an online marketplace that specializes in products from "small passionate food producers and growers." Essentially, it's like an online Farmer's Market. One of the site's missions is "...to help the small food producers across the country find customers and grow their business," which - to me - is a noble effort.

Having spent over four years in the Los Angeles area, I have come to love the idea of the Farmer's Market. In L.A. alone there are markets in almost every enclave and neighborhood around. Within driving distance to my apartment, there are at least four or five weekend Farmer's Markets that thrive with the help of local businesses and food growers.

And it's not that I'm against corporate grocers. I am in love with Ralph's, and Vons, Trader Joe's, and all their friends. But there's really something special about small-scale artisan growers and producers. Like a Farmer's Market, Foodzie brings the community together... just on the world wide web.

Foodzie's vendors are from all corners of the U.S.: Tucson Tamale Company from Arizona, Wayne's Fine Foods from Illinois, Michele's Granola from Maryland, and Sunchowder's Emporia Jams from Florida are just a few. The site always features a special product (this month they highlight PavoneSonoma Sage Vinegar), a special producer (this month: Allstar Organics from Nicasio, CA), and a blog with interesting interviews with different vendors, features from media outlets and television, and lots of other cool stuff.

The site offers valuable info on how to become one of their "producers," as they are a perfect outlet for companies that tend to have limited distribution. By engaging in their online business, these companies are given the opportunity to share their products with a wider consumer base. And generally, their main draw is 'food.' Foodzie is not the place to go to if you're looking for the perfect kitchen tool. But if you're in Forks, WA, and are in the hunt for a bottle of McRae's Foods' Sweet n Sassy Mama's Backwoods BBQ Sauce from Huntsville, AL ... then Foodzie.com is home.

Afterall, home is where the heart (and food) is.