Bringing Back A Rural Economy

by J John Swanko

(People Port) When I moved back to the Suwannee Valley last year almost 25% of the homes were about to go into, in, just out of, foreclosure.  It came back hard early this year, with the help of jewelry.

As most of my readers know, my articles have slowed.  I went unemployed last year and worked long enough to revive the valley.  This article tells that never ending story.

My first stop, a family that buys those types of homes.  They rebuild them, Find a nice tenant. Eventually, the tenant will buy the house, that tenant made into -their home.  Sometimes, the home rebuilders, find  a way for their tenants to finance the purchase.  I explained what I found.  They explained how they would help fix the problem.  

According to the kids in the Suwannee Valley, Farmers grew houses not corn.  In selling off the remnants of GemStuddedNails, I learned most families made jam, jelly, quilts.  I tried to leverage that with a major State resource (Dixie Battle Flag Slaps Rural Artists, Crafts People On Interstate 75).  I did get work starting in November.  I sold telephone and Internet services door-to-door.  As I went door-to-door, I talked with many people that had small businesses.  I gave advice when I could, and for those that bought service, I mailed them jewelry.

Often, black opal matrix earrings, necklaces, even black opal ties.  The firm I worked for must have thought I was nuts because when they found out, I began having all types of issues and my sales never took off.  The local economy, did.  By the end of December, finding people home in the afternoon was very hard.  Families were eating dinner when I knocked at 7 PM.  Jewelry sales took off at jewelry stores (my flea market sales dropped to zero) and did well at the department stores.

I lost that door-to-door job the first week in January.  At that time quite a few strangers were crediting me and suggested I try selling again. More than one offered to buy my whole collection (cotton money). My sales still flat to none existing, however, they do make fine birthday presents.  High fuel prices took wind out of this recovering economy.  It is recovering in the Valley at a good clip and I am still looking for work, ads, consulting...

Copyrighted, 2012, J John Swanko, All rights reserved. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported, It may not be published, broadcast, redistributed, rewritten, without meeting the terms and conditions. For advertising opportunities or comments PeoplePort@gmail.com