I applaud the Recorder editorial on June 8 — “Ciesluk’s Market is just what South Deerfield needs.” Mr. Forcier details the leap of faith that owners Nikki Ciesluk and Dave Grover have taken investing their hearts and their savings into the creation of a high-quality grocery store for OUR town — not a generic formula from a multi-national corporation.

The store features locally and regionally produced foods from places we can visit, not the same-old factory-made preservative-laden junk food featured in cookie-cutter chain stores. I can testify that their deli sandwiches are hearty and delicious.

We are fortunate to live in a beautiful area where nature outshines concrete. We bask in the magnificence of the “great Beaver” — Mount Sugarloaf — and enjoy scenic views of the Deerfield and Connecticut rivers. Throughout the year, tourists and neighbors visit Deerfield to take in the autumn leaves, to boat or fish, and to hike the Pocumtuck Ridge and the State Reservation.

We need to recognize the economic and aesthetic — perhaps spiritual — value that these natural resources bestow. The “Family Farms” milk cooperative made clear to me that idea that we need to support open space with our purchases; to “eat the view,” as phrased by author Michael Pollan (“Omnivore’s Dilemma”). England has launched an “Eat the view: Promoting sustainable local products” similar to our own “Local Hero” campaign organized by the Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture. Many residents are part of a Community-Supported farm, and willingly pay a few cents extra for the assurance that the local food is fresh, and our open space is intact.

We will soon have a larger Cumberland Farms store at the intersection of Greenfield Road and Elm Street along with the several other “convenience” stores at the intersection of Route 116 with Routes 5 and 10. NONE of these stores EVER sell locally grown or produced wares.

The town is now faced with a possible invasion by yet another boilerplate box store. This discount chain says it plans to open 900 stores this year, remodel 1,000 locations, and relocate 100 stores. Their strategy for retail success, according to a Business Insider article online written on Feb. 24, is to pack a Walmart’s inventory into a much smaller space, and minimize labor costs. What you will find is a lot of packaging on goods that traveled halfway around the globe to fill the shelves. We already have the option to shop in several of these faceless, soulless outlets. One more eyesore is NOT what South Deerfield needs.

Laurie Boosahda

South Deerfield