Jil Hales thinks locally and acts globally when sourcing for her fabulous Sonoma County restaurant and tabletop shop.

Can a tablecloth that was hand-stitched 7,500 miles away still be considered local? It can according to Jil Hales, who follows two different approaches to the "buy local" ethos at her restaurant, Barndiva, and home-accessories store, Artists & Farmers, both in Healdsburg, California. "When it comes to getting raspberries in February, you have to ask how far they're traveling to get to your plate," Hales says. "But when you're talking about a knife or textiles, it has more to do with supporting people who are making something wonderful."

Barndiva sources its ingredients from small, sustainable Sonoma County purveyors, muddles cocktails with herbs grown on Hales's farm in Mendocino and produces its own Cabernet. The year-old Artists & Farmers carries beautiful one-of-a-kind items that help support local communities worldwide—a women's co-op in India embroiders sari table throws, and a fair-trade co-op in Burkina Faso weaves nestlike bowls out of vetiver, a kind of grass used in men's colognes. Hales is doing her part to spread the philosophy of sustainability: She plans to host workshops and "speed-dating" events to introduce local farmers to Sonoma chefs.

Artists & Farmers, 237 Center St., Healdsburg; 707-431-7404 or artistsandfarmers.com.

Barndiva, 231 Center St., Healdsburg; 707-431-0100 or barndiva.com.

Published February 2008