You can also place a slice of apple or a peeled carrot in the bag to soften it. I save my empty plastic peanut butter jars and other big jars like that. I use them to store brown sugar, powdered sugar, corn starch, and all kinds of things that come in plastic bags. Beans, rice, popcorn, dried fruit, etc. Those bags get all piled up in the cupboard, and it's a messy jumble, and if you get invaded by pantry moths, the larva eat right through those bags, into your food. I stick a piece of masking tape on the outside, and write on it with a Sharpie, so I don't mix up the powdered sugar with the cornstarch or something.
The jars are great, they keep your food fresher and safer. Sometimes I use canning jars for storage, if I'm not using them for canning.
I'm in a very small town too, I know that sometimes it's hard to get what you'd think would be a common item.
Sometimes small town feed stores and farm supply stores carry locally made molasses and other local products, peanuts, honey, etc. I can get honey and sorghum at my feed dealer's, (a small, family owned and run business) and sometimes peanuts and peanut brittle. Ask around, there may be some community resources you've overlooked. I check my local Chamber of Commerce from time to time, and get listing of local businesses. It's come in very handy. If the person that runs yours is anything like ours, (very friendly and helpful) you can stop in and chat and find out all kinds of cool stuff.