What do you buy for the person/couple who has it all? It’s wedding season, so this question haunts me. I usually just default to money, but sometimes it just doesn’t work. I know, it’s a pretty impersonal gift, but weddings are expensive and now that I’m in my 30’s most of my friends that are getting married have already established their households.

My husband’s best friend was just married this past weekend in Alberta and we were racking our brains trying to think of a creative gift that would be appropriate for the couple that appears to have it all.

And then it struck me. Back in May, Halifax held a brilliant event called “Open City”  where many Nova Scotian local producers and businesses held an open house weekend and offered discounts to locals. It was a great weekend and it really cemented for me concept of choosing local given the opportunity.

So, we decided that we would assemble the perfect Nova Scotia local products care package. David & Stephanie (our friends) are foodies so we wanted to focus the package around local foods specifically but you could think of a variety of themes: bath products, clothing, art.

We included the following:

Iron Works Distillery– Vodka
Ironworks is a micro-distillery located in the old port of Lunenburg on Nova Scotia’s historic South Shore. Their vodka is made from Nova Scotian apples picked in the Annapolis Valley

Acadian Maple Syrup– Wild Nova Scotian Blueberry Juice
Picked in the Northern blueberry-growing region of Nova Scotia, these berries produce a beautiful tasting juice with no water, sugar or preservatives added.

That Dutchman’s Cheese Farm– Spreadable Gouda Cheese
That Dutchman’s Farm is owned and operated by the van den Hoek family who live in Upper Economy, NS.

Seafoam Lavender Farm– Culinary Lavender & Lavender Jelly
Seaform Lavender Farms is a beautiful farm located in Seafoam, NS. We purchase jelly and dried lavender buds that are a herb used for baking or roasting meats.

Nova Scotian Dulse
Dulse is a red seaweed that grows attached to rocks by a holdfast in the North Atlantic and Northwest Pacific.

Honey Meadows Farm- Nova Scotian Honey
Honey created by Nova Scotian bees.

Cape Breton- Maple Syrup
Maple syrup collected from trees in Cape Breton

The Naked Pickle- Locally produced Salsa
The Naked Pickle produces many condiments that are used in many local restaurants.

This is an example of some local products available in Nova Scotia, but this idea is possible in any area. In Alberta, you could include bison jerky or in BC, you could include a locally brewed beer or wine. The possibilites are endless!

Do you make a point of purchasing or gifting local products to your friends and family? We’d love to hear about your favorite local products.