BUY IDAHO; Good news for the little guy

In an increasingly hi-tech, global market, convenience has become the golden calf. Consumers expect year-round savings and availability, and independent businesses find themselves unable to compete with the "faster, bigger, cheaper" approach of corporate chains. One-stop shopping behemoths air commercials peppered with "hometown" images, implying that their shelves are stocked with local crops and products designed and produced around the corner. But Idaho's apples come from Washington, and the jungle of cheap plastic and textiles often grows from the soil of far-off lands like China, Taiwan and Indonesia. Sure, we have production plants and interests in these countries that provide …