The truth is I love locally made products. In a world where "big-box" stores such as Target and Wal-Mart seem, increasingly, to outnumber small family-run businesses, they give me some balance. Now more than ever, I appreciate the opportunity to buy ice cream from the woman who made it earlier that day or talk to the man who grew my vegetables.

And I take comfort in the fact that, while we must rely on the chain stores for some things, a lot of what we need is made or grown right here in Otsego and Delaware counties. Besides Italian bread, ice cream and vegetables, we’ve got beer, wine and coffee; meat, milk and cheese; berries, melons and apples; maple syrup, honey and barbecue sauce; cookies, cider and fudge.

What more could we ask for?

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The world of commerce has changed dramatically since Foti’s Oneonta Italian Bakery opened at 42 River St. in 1924. Neighborhood markets, butchers and bakers have been replaced by superstores with their own meat departments and bakeries. Global retailers — led by Wal-Mart — have become more powerful than manufacturers. More and more goods are being made in overseas factories. And in a retail world increasingly populated by dollar stores and "rock-bottom" prices, people have come to expect choices and bargains.

Foti’s Oneonta Italian Bakery is proof that a small business with a loyal following can not only survive, but thrive, in this new reality.

The three biggest grocery stores in town have helped them do it. Tomaino sells his bread at Wal-Mart, Hannaford and Price Chopper, and because the big stores draw shoppers into Oneonta, this has allowed him to efficiently reach customers in a much wider region.

"It has definitely enhanced my business," said James Tomaino, who runs the bakery (still at 42 River St.) with his father, Jim. The Tomainos bought the business from the Foti family several years ago, and they take pride in continuing the local tradition.

Besides having a quality product, the secret to success, Tomaino said, is determination, hard work and the ability to keep costs low.

"I maintain the price and the product, which is very hard to do," he said. "You just try to keep it affordable for the people — and that’s how we get such a following here."

Indeed, people often assume a locally made product will cost more than a chain brand, but that’s not the case with Foti rolls, which I recently bought for $1.69 on a day when the same size package of store-brand rolls sold for $2.49.

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Many economists, business leaders and shoppers themselves believe the new world of global retailing has improved Americans’ standard of living. With the buying power to offer a wide variety of goods at competitive prices, big chain stores are good for the economy, they say, because they help people save money that they can then spend in other areas.

But I have to wonder: If people are saving money by shopping at discount retail chains, why are credit card debts and personal bankruptcies at an all-time high?

What if the creation of new retail jobs offsets the loss of higher-paying manufacturing jobs only because stuff is so cheap now that people can earn less and still have most of the things they want?

These are complex questions, and I don’t have the answers. I do mourn the decline in family-owned businesses — but I don’t plan on boycotting all retail chains or products made overseas. Stores such as Wal-Mart and Home Depot have their place. They have created jobs for local residents, and they have given people in a large region more choices and lower prices.

I accept that the world has changed, and even consumers like me — who sometimes long for the simpler times — have to adapt.

Foti rolls make it a little bit easier.

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Lisa Miller is a freelance writer who lives in Oneonta. She can be reached at lisamiller44@hotmail.com.