Assistance is wanted and needed to keep this bumped up toward the top of page one here. I'm sure there will be an influx of members new to the Forum due to a recent huge seed swap and so many folks sharing things so generously. Please help bump back up if you notice it slipping down much. Thanks Sue

We've rarely been "in-state" when we've purchased our homes. The homes/neighborhoods that have worked the best have been in areas where we had several trips to check things out. The one house that ended up not working well was a last minute situation and we really didn't have any time to visit the area. My suggestions for neighbors/neighborhood is visit the area - don't rely solely on the internet or your realtor. If the neighbors are out in their yard, go talk to them (I did this for our current house in Louisville - they were great and gave us a wonderful assessment of the neighborhood). Drive around the area and find the local houses of worship, groceries, Target, Costco, etc. My DH and I had so much fun driving around during our first trip to Louisville, looking at all the different neighborhoods and finding stores that when we moved in July, I already knew where most things were. If you have kids in school, do your homework on-line before narrowing down possible areas. There are a ton of web sites measuring schools' success (although I'm not a big one on just looking at test scores). For our latest move, I was checking on high schools so I looked for graduation rate, # of AP classes available, etc. States typically have an on-line education department so you can find out a lot of info from them. Another valuable tool we found was asking future colleagues for their suggestions. So we asked them about places to live, easiest way to get into work, doctors, dentists, etc.

Hi! Just wanted to let any newbies know that there is a page where you can review (and rate) exchanges with GW exchangers and members. http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/raterev

Like Rob, I tend to not be as excited about sell by dates, especially when dealing with canned goods. I know that it's not, by and large, a safety issue, it's a quality issue, with quality declining after a period of time. I know that mustard won't be dangerous if it's a month outdated and I recently opened a can of evaporated milk with a "best by" date of July, 2018, and used it in a batch of fudge. Smelled fine, tasted fine, worked fine. Fudge was promptly consumed by the grandkids, LOL. Dairy products like milk and sour cream I'm more careful with, because I don't use them quickly and so I want them to last as long as possible. Other things, like that flavored coffee creamer my Mother loves? I think it lasts nearly forever, as it's nothing but chemicals. My local stores are good about pulling old products, and when they are nearing expiration you'll find them in the "clearance" section, so you can buy them or not, your choice. That's what those labels and dates are for, so you can determine whether you wish to buy them. I certainly do not expect any large corporations to be acting with my best interests in mind, and it's not the responsibility of small local businesses either. I am a label reader, as I'm watching for gluten-containing ingredients, chemical additives, GMO products, even country of origin. The lowest price isn't always the choice I go with, although it's where I start. I do have the privilege of producing my own beef, chickens, eggs, many fruits and vegetables. I make many of my own condiments, from pickles to plum sauce. I buy organic, non-GMO wheat and grind flour, I make my own yogurt from milk sourced from a local organic dairy. Those things do take more time and effort than just picking up a container of yogurt or a loaf of Wonder bread, but it's something that matters to me. I've done it since my girls were small, when I was working full time, when I was a single mother, so it's second nature. I try to be realistic. I know the government isn't going to protect me, that big corporations are primarily worried about their financial bottom line, and that agribusiness doesn't care how much something must be sprayed or poisoned as long as they produce a profitable crop. As a result, I read the labels. Annie