Thanks to Ro-Mac: Letter to the Editor

Tallahassee Democrat
Thursday 20th, 2011
Dear Editor-

On a routine trip to Ro-Mac Lumber and Supply [map] last week, I saw a handwritten door sign: "All Sales Final: Going Out of Business." With disappointment, I shook my head. Not Ro-Mac.

Two years ago, I started Tallahassee Food Gardens with $300 and a pickup. My mission was to enable "wannabe" food gardeners, network local food and community garden activists, and, generally, support the food movement.

From the beginning, Ro-Mac was my supplier for raised-bed lumber, hardware and tools. By my third visit, they greeted me by name. Unlike the big boxes, the folks in Ro-Mac knew things. Frequently, they cut my boards to size; occasionally, they charged me. Ro-Mac was and remains a great local business that's far more than a store. It's a storehouse of great people, trade wisdom and incredible service.

Ro-Mac opened in 1946. It closes shop in March. The guys at the front desk jokingly told me, "You didn't build enough raised beds."

Ro-Mac's closing saddens me.

I propose that we, the Tallahassee community, thank and honor Ro-Mac for its 65 years of exemplary service by purchasing its shelves clean.

Nathan Ballentine
aka the Man in Overalls
Tallahassee Food Gardens
850.322.0749
maninoveralls at gmail dot com
maninoveralls.blogspot.com
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