![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/lebanon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/09\/2-1024x683.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nDemeter\u2019s Common aims to support local farmers by providing healthy, high-quality ingredients to the families of Lebanon. As a farm girl herself, Jennings loved to celebrate those things and had the knowledge to teach others. All of those facets became folded into her store. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI love to not only sell and be a small grocery, but I love to empower people to know not only that they should eat local or support local but also why,\u201d Jennings said. \u201cI also like to just sell the products so I can teach people different ways to cook it and different ways to celebrate the seasons.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The store often offers classes and community events to facilitate that celebration. Some are seasonal, like a gravy and dressing class for Thanksgiving, but many are simply meant to get people together to make friends. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since Demeter\u2019s Common sells produce from local growers, its offerings are heavily dependent on the seasons. However, some things are constant, and many families depend on Demeter\u2019s for that consistency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI get local glass-bottled milk. I get fresh bread delivered on Wednesdays, and I get fresh eggs almost every day,\u201d Jennings said. \u201cI have over 40 families in Wilson County and the surrounding counties that solely count on Demeter\u2019s Common for their eggs, bread, and milk \u2014 and I think that\u2019s pretty cool.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Having so many regular customers is a wonderful responsibility, Jennings said, since she has the resources to find the farms and artisans that provide goods, as well as the place for her customers to see those goods. Jennings also sees herself as having a responsibility to the community as a whole and regularly donates leftover food to the nearby homeless shelter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c[It] has been able to help with us reducing waste, and to help us to give back to our community as well,\u201d Jennings said. \u201cThat\u2019s been really nice \u2014 to be able to [do] that.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n As the store grows, Jennings\u2019 ability to give back will also increase. The hope is for Demeter\u2019s Common to become a hub for the community, with people constantly coming in and out and aisles full of amazing, wonderful stuff that locals have made for the community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI love the location that we\u2019re at now, and I really just want to continue to make this location a well-oiled machine,\u201d Jennings said. \u201cI want to be able to have more products on my shelves. I want to be able to have eventually more employees to where I can do more and have different facets of the store \u2014 to where we can just keep growing and keep perfecting our craft.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n It may start with just a few eggs and a jug of milk, but anyone can eat local and support local, as Demeter\u2019s Common is trying to do. After all, a community that supports itself is a community that thrives. GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A PEACH SO juicy it drips down to your elbows, fresh and creamy pimento cheese, crisp yellow squash \u2014 all of this can be found at Demeter\u2019s Common, lovingly gathered from growers and artisans across Lebanon. Alongside the produce are fresh flowers, organic soaps, and daily grab-and-go foods like chicken pot pies and bowtie pasta.\u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":22006,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22004","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/lebanon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/09\/1-1024x683.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n