Thanks to my position as The Main Street Journal editor, my focus on the local economy movement has zoomed in on the local investment movement. The Main Street Journal, a weekly online newsletter published by local economist Michael Shuman, aims to inspire more people to shift a portion of their savings and investments from Wall Street to Main Street.
“We have published hundreds of stories and dozens of interviews capturing what is new in the local investment movement—not just in the United States but worldwide,” shared Michael. “There are dramatic developments in the types of funds being created, in the ways communities are using local investment tools, and in proposed new crowdfunding laws.”
Some of the diverse topics we’ve featured this year include pre-selling, public banking, and local milling. Read on to learn a bit more about each topic. Then, claim this offer for a free 90-day trial subscription to The Main Street Journal and join the movement.
At the start of this year, Michael Shuman interviewed Ross Chanowski, founder and CEO of NuMarket. This crowdfunding platform offers community members credits to use at participating businesses.
“I started NuMarket in 2021, mid-pandemic, to provide small businesses with a new way to access capital,” said Ross. “NuMarket is rooted in community-based funding, which means it’s open to anyone who wants to invest in their real community. Small businesses maintain control over their vision, supporters become part of the brand’s story, and communities flourish as local ventures succeed. Ultimately, our mission is to strengthen small businesses by giving them the tools to grow and thrive.”
The Sullivan Country Store recently completed a NuMarket crowdfunding campaign. Owners Megan Lafaso-Hercher and Will Hercher raised over $8K to help financially sustain their store through the winter and better position them for a future expansion. Fifty-five community members will receive 120% of their contributions back in the form of credits to make future purchases at the store.
“For many businesses looking for local capital, the fees, disclosures, and legal hassles of regulation crowdfunding are simply not worth it. But there’s another approach that tiptoes around securities laws, commonly called pre-selling,” said Michael. “NuMarket takes this simple idea and puts it on steroids. In my mind, one advantage of pre-selling is that businesses can test their customers’ willingness to support them.”
"Our NuMarket campaign provided crucial funding for our store, allowing us to make important improvements while strengthening our connection with the community,” said Megan. “Seeing our customers invest in our future and knowing they’d get more value in return created a cycle of support that helped us grow in a sustainable way. Thanks to NuMarket, we're building a better and more resilient store for everyone."
Another theme covered this year in The Main Street Journal includes public banking. The Bank of North Dakota (BND) stands as the only US public bank and a model many communities aspire to create. North Dakota’s state government owns and deposits all its funds in BND, and then BND partners with local community banks and credit unions to boost local lending. In turn, the interest earned from these loans gets reinvested in local economic development efforts.
“In 2023, the Bank of North Dakota posted profits of nearly $200 million,” said Michael. “You would think that every other city, county, and state in the United States would be working assiduously to create their own version of the Bank of North Dakota and develop this huge, new financial resource to support priorities like affordable housing, net zero energy, or more BIPOC-led businesses.”
We interviewed Walt McRee, President and Chair of the Public Banking Institute, to learn more about public banks. “BND’s capital strength and independence from Wall Street helped keep the state out of the debilitating economic problems that resulted from the financial collapse of 2008,” said Walt. “While BND does not provide many consumer-directed lending services, leaving that business to local community banks and credit unions, several public banking initiatives elsewhere do focus on the need to help under-banked citizens acquire banking relationships.”
Our third example of themes covered by The Main Street Journal is local milling.
“Milling is a tough business,” wrote Michael. “Today, three companies control 57% of wheat processing. It wasn’t always this way. Back in 1840, there were 28,000 gristmills in operation, all closely connected to their local farmers. Cheaper transportation, advanced milling technologies, and sleepy antitrust regulators resulted in the elimination of nearly all these mills.”
Luckily, groups like the Craft Millers Guild are working to reverse these trends. The guild’s members collaborate to finance, process, and market each other’s products. Together, they’re rebuilding regional grain economies.
“There’s a larger lesson here about economies of scale,” Michael added. “Local businesses can compete against corporate giants if they work together with other locals, here and abroad, and share what works. The millers’ model should be applied to every other concentrated industry, whether chicken processing, steel smelting, or auto manufacturing. Small businesses in small communities have a shot at success if they are willing to connect, share, and learn from their peers elsewhere.”
Join Michael Shuman for a free virtual event called “What’s New in the Local Investment Movement: An Annual Report” on Thursday, April 17, from 1 – 2 pm. Discover how you can be part of the movement!
RSVP Today
Let’s elevate local investment innovations during Move Your Money Month this April. Direct more of your dollars to the banks and businesses based where you live, and join a growing movement prioritizing people, planet, and profit.
When you bank locally at a community bank or credit union in our region, more of your dollars recirculate throughout our local economy -- building more local jobs and prosperity. Traditional banks, publicly traded and owned by stockholders, exist to provide a return on investment to their far-away owners. On the other hand, community banks are privately owned and not publicly traded. Credit unions are cooperatives, meaning the members own their banks. “At local banks and credit unions, loan approvals and other key decisions are made locally by people who live in the community, have face-to-face relationships with their customers, and understand local needs,” said Stacy Mitchell from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. “Because of this personal knowledge, local financial institutions are often able to approve small business and other loans that big banks would reject.”
Move your money closer to home and your heart by choosing a bank more aligned with your values. Who do you bank with now? Search for them here and find out what your bank does with your money. Discover how many dollars your bank invests in your community.
Want to Move Your Money closer to home? Find a new bank here.
In addition to moving your money to a community bank or credit union, we encourage you to invest in locally owned businesses. Why? The Monadnock Region Indie Impact Study found that businesses rooted in our region recirculate up to four times more money in our local economy compared to national chain stores. If we invested more capital in locally owned businesses, we’d see a return on investment that included more community health and wealth.
We’ll share local investing opportunities on our website throughout Move Your Money Month.
Stay Tuned
Thanks for banking, investing, and choosing locally owned and independent businesses each and every day!
This March, The Local Crowd Monadnock invites you to celebrate Choose Indie Sustainable Month.
We’re teaming up with the American Independent Business Alliance and partners throughout North America to spotlight businesses that benefit our local economy, environment, and community -- triple-bottom-line businesses such as B Corps, cooperatives, and other enterprises.
Locally owned businesses, especially ones working towards a more environmentally sustainable and socially just economy, help us keep “the green” in our communities. Independent and locally owned businesses in the Monadnock Region strengthen our local economy, culture, and overall well-being as they re-circulate more money in our community than chain stores and online giants.
We want to hear from you: How are your favorite locally owned businesses keeping the green in our community? Email us at jen@thelocalcrowd.com. We’ll also lift up inspiration beyond the Monadnock Region and identify businesses and organizations working hard to support sustainable locally owned businesses in their communities.
One example is People First Economy, based in Grand Rapids, MI. Their Good For Michigan connects and celebrates businesses statewide, highlighting their positive impacts on their employees, community, and environment. The program also offers these businesses resources to boost their sustainable and social good.
“We leverage our network of statewide and national partners to provide businesses with globally recognized benchmarking tools,” said Alice Jasper, Good For Michigan Program Director. “These tools are used by thousands of companies worldwide and have been proven to help business leaders attract talent, build customer loyalty, and increase revenue growth. Good For Michigan works to train, facilitate, support, and educate businesses in our region to build a stronger People First Economy.”
A new organization we’re keeping an eye on, Purchasing with Purpose, works to create local economies that put people and planet first. They’re building a collective of social enterprises, cooperatives, nonprofits, fair trade enterprises, green businesses, benefit corporations, local independent businesses, and all initiatives that meet their five verification standards.
“It can be difficult to buy from businesses that put people and the planet first in the U.S. because the movement has emerged bottom-up, and different terminology is used in different networks, regions, and sectors. There can also be real issues with social washing and greenwashing,” said Rebecca Dray, executive director of Purchasing with Purpose. “By working together, we are able to increase the visibility of the broader movement and open opportunities that no single network or organization could open on its own.”
We’ll also highlight the Green Business Network at Green America, the country's first and most diverse network of socially and environmentally responsible businesses. Learn more about how businesses are coming together through the Green Business Network to boost their positive social and environmental impacts at American Independent Business Alliance’s next Local Leaders Roundtable on Thursday, March 13, at 1 pm.
Learn how the Green Business Network can help businesses and organizations positively impact their bottom line, community, and the planet. This event is free and online.
Register today!
Closer to home, New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility brings together businesses in our state who strive to “do well and do good.” Members from the Monadnock Region include Badger, Electronic Imaging Materials, Filtrine Manufacturing Company, and more.
Cooperatives, companies owned by their members, follow seven guiding principles, including democratic member control and concern for the community. These businesses exist to serve their members instead of far-away stockholders.
Monadnock Food Co-op, a grocery store in downtown Keene owned by over 4,900 community members, uses a cooperative business model. Everyone can shop at Monadnock Food Co-op. However, members receive additional benefits such as quarterly discounts, patronage refunds, and vote on who serves on the board of directors.
Monadnock Food Co-op conducts an impact assessment annually, measuring its fossil fuel use, waste reduction efforts, community contributions, and more. We’ll share details from their latest assessment throughout March. Here is one update: “Recently, the store has been focusing on increasing the amount of organic waste we divert from landfills to be composted,” said sustainability coordinator Jane Clerkin. “This has led to the overflow of our compost dumpster, which is definitely better than having it go into the trash. As a solution, we have partnered with Elm City Compost to assist Casella Waste Systems in managing our organic waste.”
The Co-op’s roof hosts our region’s first locally owned community-supported solar project. The project is locally controlled, whereas most community solar projects are owned and managed by developers or utilities. The Monadnock Sustainability Hub developed the New Hampshire Community Supported Solar Guide from this project to help others replicate this project and bring more renewable energy to our region.
New in 2024, the Co-op installed two Electric Vehicle DC fast chargers and two level 2 electric vehicle chargers outside its building. Monadnock Food Co-op received a grant through the Volkswagen settlement funds to cover 80% of the project's costs. The remaining 20% was raised through The Local Crowd Monadnock and other fundraising efforts.
A certification process called B Corp helps a company “measure what matters” and better balance its purpose and profits. B Lab, the nonprofit that leads this movement, currently lists 9,328 certified businesses from 96 countries. B Corps based in our region include Badger in Gilsum and Frisky Cow Gelato in Keene.
“B Corp Certification is holistic, not exclusively focused on a single social or environmental issue,” reads B Lab’s website. “And the process to achieve and maintain certification is rigorous and requires engaging teams and departments across your company. Recertification confirms these standards continue to be met on an ongoing basis.”
Any business can fill out the B Impact Assessment online and see how they rank. For a business to become a Certified B Corp, it must earn at least 80 points in the B Impact Assessment and pay a certification fee. The certified company receives a full report with recommendations from B Lab on how to boosts its positive impacts.
Discover More
One well-known B Corp in our region, Badger in Gilsum, makes healing balms, lip balms, sunscreens, and other personal care products.
“At Badger, we’ve always held true to what we call our North Star -- our vision for a healthier world,” says our Co-CEO, Rebecca Hamilton. “In the beginning, at a time when most businesses were making decisions based on the bottom line, Badger was making decisions based on strong mission-driven principles and ethos. In our mission statement, we say that money is a fuel, not a goal—meaning that our true reason for being in business is to enact our mission-based work and help create the healthier world we imagine. This commitment to doing the right thing for people and the planet continues to shape the way Badger does business today.”
Badger has committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2030 and installed a rooftop solar array in 2020. They strive to choose ingredients from suppliers that practice regenerative agriculture. The company works hard to reduce plastic packaging, as well.
Learn More
A new B Corp in our region, Frisky Cow Gelato in Keene, makes its decadent desserts from New Hampshire milk. Owner, Linda Rubin, has committed her businesses to sourcing at least half of all its supplies and ingredients locally and donating 2% of its annual revenue to nonprofits building our local food system and boosting food security.
“Why gelato? Back in 1983, I visited Florence, Italy and fell in love with gelato! The creamy texture and rich flavors totally won me over,” shared Linda. “Ten years later, I moved to New Hampshire and started working at Stonewall Farm, a nonprofit education center and dairy farm in Keene. I spent almost nine years working at Stonewall Farm, educating people about where their food comes from and the importance of local agriculture. I dreamed about making a value-added dairy product someday.”
This February, The Local Crowd (TLC) Monadnock invites you to celebrate Black-owned businesses, Black history, and diversity. We’re teaming up with the American Independent Business Alliance and partners throughout North America to promote Choose Black-Owned Month. Together, we can build stronger local economies that are diverse, inclusive, and equitable.
Many community members want to support diversity where they live. One study found that when Black-owned businesses were identified as “Black-owned,” those businesses saw increased customer visits. We want to help make it easier for our community to Choose Black-Owned in the Monadnock Region.
According to Pew Research, just 3% of U.S. businesses were identified as Black-owned in 2020. That’s even though Black adults comprise 12.4% of the overall population. Removing this disparity leads to increased employment and economic growth.
Black-owned business owners receive less financing than other races. In 2022, the Federal Reserve reported that 35% of white business owners received all the funding they requested from a bank, compared to 16% of BIPOC (Black, indigenous, or person of color) business owners. This lack of capital holds back business revenue growth and employment.
Building a more inclusive economy leads to more community wealth for all. One report from McKinsey & Company noted that closing the wealth gap could add $2 – $3 trillion of annual growth to our national economy.
Support Black-owned businesses like New England Sweetwater Farm & Distillery in Winchester. Tell us about other Black-owned businesses you’ve discovered in our region and throughout the state. Please email us!
The more dollars we spend at Black-owned businesses in our community, the more dollars recirculate in the local economy, boosting job growth, charitable giving, and overall prosperity.
Ask your favorite locally owned businesses if they carry products made or grown by Black-owned businesses. Monadnock Food Co-op in Keene plans to call out Black-owned business products throughout the month.
On February 28, the Keene Family YMCA will join other YMCAs nationwide to promote their #WeWearBlack campaign. Staff, members, and guests are invited to wear black to symbolize hope, awareness, and togetherness.
“Our YMCA is deeply committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming community where people of all backgrounds and cultures feel valued and supported,” said Colleen Manzi, Director of Marketing at Keene Family YMCA. “Celebrating initiatives like Choose Black-Owned Month aligns with our mission to uplift diversity and build stronger, more connected communities."
The Keene Y continues this work year-round by hosting the Monadnock Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Coalition (MDEIB). MDEIB works to promote and develop our region as a welcoming and inclusive place for all — including BIPOC individuals who live, work, and visit our community. MDEIB was formed in 2021, guided by the City of Keene’s Racial Justice and Community Safety Report.
The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire will host the Elinor Williams Hooker Tea Talks both in-person in Portsmouth and virtually each Sunday in February.
View the Full Series
Thank you to our local partners, Keene Family YMCA, Monadnock Food Co-op, and The Monadnocker. And thank you!
Stay tuned for Choose Black-Owned Month updates and how we’re collectively building stronger local economies that are diverse, inclusive, and equitable.
This Valentine’s Day show your “local love” — love for your sweetie and your whole community — by purchasing gifts (or gift-making supplies) and meals (or ingredients) at locally owned businesses. Last year, Americans spent $25.8 billion on Valentine’s Day. Imagine if we shifted some of that spending to locally owned businesses!
Locally owned businesses offer us much to love. They strengthen our local economy, culture and wellbeing. Independent businesses re-circulate four times more money in our community than chain stores. Moreover, studies show that most new jobs are created by small businesses — meaning today’s local Valentines are tomorrow’s jobs.
Here are some extra special ways to show your local love this Valentine’s Day:
Instead of hibernating each winter, imagine enthusiastically leaping outdoors each day — despite the weather. That’s one of the goals of winter placemaking. Communities reimagine how they design and use their public spaces to inspire more outdoor time, support locally owned businesses, and celebrate culture throughout winter.
Think of all the public spaces where you live, work, or travel by every day — parks, streets, and other publicly owned spaces. Placemaking turns those public spaces into places that boost our health, happiness, and well-being. Using a community-based process, placemaking builds upon some of our greatest assets — places open to the public — using permanent or temporary elements such as seating, public art, gardens, and crosswalks. Now sprinkle this community-based process with blustery winds, darker days, and slicker surfaces and you have winter placemaking!
According to the 880 Cities Winter Placemaking Guide, “Winter placemaking is a means to re-envision the ways that public spaces are created and used in winter in order to foster social connection, physical activity, and the many benefits of a vibrant public realm all year round…[It’s] about giving communities the power, capacity, and resources to re-envision winter as a time of year where community connection is fostered, and age-inclusive activities are abundant.” Read the full guide.
To turn up the heat on winter placemaking, here is some inspiration from communities warming up to winter. Please read on!
Middleton, WI, asked its residents how its downtown plaza could build connections during winter and combat social isolation. The process led them to convert summer trails to winter skating tracks. They also added art installations, a fire pit, and an electric fireplace. The plaza now hosts a winter solstice celebration, including a musical crawl at neighboring downtown businesses. Learn more.
Edmonton, Alberta, piloted a warming hut project along its river valley. They designed passive solar huts to retain heat and give walkers a respite from the cold while visiting local businesses and other attractions.
There’s something very special about a whole community who embraces the unique natural winter season we all share. In Edmonton, we love being outside on bright snowy days and hearing the crunch of snow underfoot. We get excited about skating under the stars and sipping hot chocolates around an outdoor fireplace in the dark. There’s so much living to do outside–during winter. We live here on purpose and with purpose. – Winter City Edmonton
The Frostbite Festival takes place in Harrison, MI, each winter. The event transforms a frozen lake into a 9-hole golf course, using tennis balls and shallow holes in the ice. It also includes a sled-building contest, polar dip, and soup cook-off.
Grand Rapids, MI, boasts the largest winter festival in America, the World of Winter. From January to March, the city becomes a winter wonderland with light-based art installations, hands-on exhibits, and special outdoor events. Some highlights include a Disco on Ice party, a music performance using a piano crafted from ice, and a human “Hungry Hungry Hippo” Tournament. Last year’s event drew 4.8 million visitors.
Photo by Mark Rebillard
Luckily, we don’t have to travel far to see winter placemaking at work. The Keene Ice and Snow Festival in Keene turns our Main Street sidewalks into an ice sculpture gallery. Join us for the 22nd Annual Keene Ice and Snow Festival on Saturday, February 1, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year’s festival features an ice carving competition between twelve professional ice carvers from the Monadnock Region and throughout New England.
“The festival is a day of free family fun that brings local ingenuity and creative vibrancy to downtown Keene during the peak of winter,” said Mark Rebillard, Deep Roots Massage & Bodywork owner and Keene Downtown Group chair. “Each ice sculpture is set on a pedestal and illuminated from underneath to shine long into the evening. A beautiful night to walk around before dinner at your favorite downtown restaurant!”
Be amazed by roaming circus acts with Wunderle’s Big Top Adventures, warm up with cartoons at the Colonial Theater, and giddy up with horse rides from Freedom Reins Therapeutic Riding Center. Also, don’t miss the children's train ride, face painting by Emily Sodders, balloon art from Doug The Devilstick Man Entertainment, campfire s'mores with graham crackers from Jack's Crackers, sugar on snow with help from Woodard's Sugar House and other local sugarhouses, an interactive art exhibit, a "find the yeti" scavenger hunt, free hot cocoa stations at over twelve local restaurants, shops and nonprofit booths, two activity centers with games and treats at UCC Keene and the Elm City Church, and more.
Stay updated!
“When people take an active role in shaping their community, they emerge with new social connections and a stronger sense of trust—in one another, and often in their government, too,” said Leah Karlberg, Urban Planner and Designer at Happy Cities.
We hope to see more placemaking in our members’ and partners’ communities next winter and throughout 2025. (Shoot us an email if you have examples to share!) Happy New Year!
For many, the holiday season includes giving back to nonprofits, neighbors, and all the initiatives we care about. While every act of generosity counts, the generosity multiplies when we give where we live.
“Gratitude and reciprocity are the currency of a gift economy, and they have the remarkable property of multiplying with every exchange, their energy concentrating as they pass from hand to hand, a truly renewable resource,” wrote author Robin Wall Kimmerer in her most recent book The Serviceberry: An Economy of Abundance. “I accept the gift from the bush and then spread that gift with a dish of berries to my neighbor, who makes a pie to share with his friend, who feels so wealthy in food and friendship that he volunteers at the food pantry. You know how it goes. To name the world as a gift is to feel one’s membership in the web of reciprocity. It makes you happy—and it makes you accountable.”
Please join us and spread the spirit of generosity!
The Tuesday after Thanksgiving marks GivingTuesday, a global generosity movement calling for us to transform our communities and our world. On December 3, give your time, talents, voice, or financial support to others.
“GivingTuesday inspires people all around the world to embrace their power to drive progress around the causes they care about, not just on one day but throughout the year,” said Asha Curran, GivingTuesday’s CEO and co-founder. “With millions of organizations and countless givers of all kinds, GivingTuesday is creating a shared space where we can see the radical implications of a more generous world.”
Not sure how to participate? Offer an hour of your talents to a local organization or neighbor in need. Think about what you’re good at and pass on an hour of your time. Or check out more inspiration.
Stay tuned for more about GivingTuesday in the Monadnock Region at tlcmonadnock.com/givingtuesday.
Guyer & Son Roofing, a locally owned business based in Marlborough, will offer a matching grant of $5,000 for the Monadnock United Way’s GivingTuesday campaign. “Partnering with Monadnock United Way to raise funds on GivingTuesday through a donation match appeals to us because the areas we care about, shelter, food, elderly, and children, align closely with MUW’s stated mission and focus areas,” said Gil Oriol, co-owner of Guyer & Son Roofing. “We’re excited to help inspire others to donate, volunteer, and help MUW reach their fundraising goal!”
Learn more and double your impact
Beyond supporting GivingTuesday, Guyer & Son Roofing launched its Growth By Giving campaign, uniting businesses in our region to donate, volunteer, and advocate for local nonprofits. “We understand that our success is intertwined with the well-being of our community,” Gil continued. “We aim to create a positive impact by giving back and inspiring others to do the same. Our charitable efforts are a testament to our commitment to making the Monadnock Region and the surrounding areas a better place for all. By involving your business, you will be known as someone who cares about your fellow neighbor and be part of a movement. Let our Businesses be the change we wish to see in our communities.” Participating businesses include Savings Bank of Walpole, Ted’s Shoe & Sport, Monadnock Media Group, Keene Sentinel, Silver Direct, Beeze Tees, Guyer & Son Roofing, and others. Together, these businesses strive to make a lasting impact and build a stronger, more compassionate community. Companies can learn more and join the initiative for free at growthbygiving.org.
We’re so excited for Shop Indie Local Week, a celebration of locally owned businesses that includes Plaid Friday, Small Business Saturday, Artists Sunday, Cider Monday, and Giving Tuesday.
Learn more!
For the fifteenth year, independent businesses and community members in the Monadnock Region will celebrate Plaid Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. This year's event falls on Friday, November 29. Wear plaid on Friday to show your support for our local economy and commitment to buying local this holiday season.
Be sure to visit the locally owned businesses that have volunteered to serve as Plaid Friday Hubs this year. Hubs pledge to photograph you decked out in plaid and answer questions about Plaid Friday. TLC Monadnock will post all Plaid Friday photos throughout the day on our Facebook page at facebook.com/monadnocklocal.
Find a list of hubs!
While Plaid Friday overshadows Small Business Saturday in our region, we encourage everyone to celebrate this event on November 30. No matter how you get involved, every little bit makes a big difference.
Stay tuned for Small Business Saturday happenings!
December 1 is Artists Sunday, an art shopping movement of over 4,500 artists and organizations that come together to encourage consumers to shop with their favorite local artists and makers during the holiday season. Think of it as Plaid Friday, but for the arts!
Learn more about Artists Sunday!
Instead of Cyber Monday, a day when online merchants offer special deals, we invite you to Cider Monday on December 2. Stop in for free cider from participating Cider Monday businesses. Also, if you choose to shop online, choose local too!
Then, it’s Giving Tuesday on December 3.
Thank you for supporting the Shop Indie Local movement, and Happy Holidays!
As many of us share gifts and meals with friends, family, and coworkers this holiday season, we can also give a gift to our entire community. From our Thanksgiving meal to our New Year's Eve celebration, let’s Shop Indie Local and purchase more of our holiday gifts and celebration needs from our friends and neighbors—locally owned business owners.
Local, independent retail businesses help employ many more people than those on the sales floor. They’re more likely to bank with local banks and buy from other local businesses than chain stores. They’re also more likely to hire local service providers like accountants, graphic designers, and various skilled positions—jobs for aspiring entrepreneurs.
The week after Thanksgiving is a super busy one for the Shop Indie Local movement as we celebrate Plaid Friday, Small Business Saturday, Artists Sunday, Cider Monday, and Giving Tuesday. Learn more!
"At The Cheshire Horse, we participate in Plaid Friday and other Shop Indie Local events because supporting our community is at the heart of everything we do,” said Marianne Hamshaw, owner of The Cheshire Horse. “As a family-owned business, we understand the value of building strong, local relationships, and these events are a wonderful way to celebrate the small businesses that make the Monadnock Region vibrant and unique. It’s about more than just shopping—it’s about coming together to create a thriving local economy while connecting with our customers and neighbors on a more personal level."
For the fifteenth year, independent businesses and community members in the Monadnock Region will celebrate Plaid Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. This year's event falls on Friday, November 29, 2024. Wear plaid on Friday to show your support for our local economy and commitment to buying local this holiday season.
Learn More: Plaid Friday
A number of locally owned businesses will serve as Plaid Friday Hubs this year. Hubs pledge to photograph you decked out in plaid and answer questions about Plaid Friday. TLC Monadnock will post all Plaid Friday photos throughout the day on our Facebook page.
Find a Hub Near You
“Birdies is participating in Plaid Friday because it aligns with what we are all about, community!” said Beth Wood, owner of 21 Bar & Grill and Birdies in Keene. “This year especially is important because it gives us a chance to show everyone what Birdies is. We love seeing our community supporting our small business and we love to promote collaborations. This Plaid Friday we cannot wait to give deals to those dining at 21 Bar & Grill when they show us their receipt or shopping bag from another Keene local business.”
While Plaid Friday overshadows Small Business Saturday in our region, we encourage everyone to celebrate this event, too. One way to participate is to play Shop Small Bingo. No matter how you get involved, every little bit makes a big difference.
“We’re excited to be part of two great events this season!” said Deb Johnson, Owner of The She Shed in Swanzey. “On Plaid Friday, The She Shed will be a hub of fun with a decorated photo area to snap a pic in your plaid. And on Small Business Saturday, we'll have special giveaways happening throughout the day. We’re so fortunate to be part of a community that truly supports shopping local—and we can't wait to show our appreciation!”
December 1 is Artists Sunday, an art shopping movement of over 4,500 artists and organizations coming together to encourage consumers to shop with their favorite local artists and makers during the holiday season. Think of it as Plaid Friday but for the arts. Learn more!
Instead of Cyber Monday, a day when online merchants offer special deals, we invite you to Cider Monday. On December 2, stop in for free cider from participating Cider Monday businesses. Also, if you choose to shop online, choose local too! Learn more!
A global generosity movement, Giving Tuesday on December 3 encourages you to give any way you can. Organizers share, “Whether it’s making someone smile, helping a neighbor or stranger out, showing up for an issue or people we care about, or giving some of what we have to those who need our help, every act of generosity counts and everyone has something to give.” Learn more!
Together, we're generating ripple effects that create new jobs, charitable contributions, and community prosperity -- what a gift! Thank you for supporting the Shop Indie Local movement.
We invite businesses and organizations to participate in the Monadnock Region's Plaid Friday event on Friday, November 24. Celebrate in creative ways that work best for you, your staff, and neighborhood.
As a Plaid Friday Hub, your business commits to:
Here are some other ideas -- but get creative, too!
If you'd like to serve as a Plaid Friday hub this year, please contact us today.
I want to be a Plaid Friday Hub
“Art is not only about what an artist creates,” said Sarah L. Stewart, N.H. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Commissioner. “It’s also about how that art changes the lives of those who experience it.”
This October, experience local art during Choose Indie Art Month hosted by the American Independent Business Alliance. Let’s celebrate all types of Monadnock Region artists: crafters, painters, musicians, actors, writers, and others. Also, let’s boast about artists' positive impacts on you, our community, and our local economy.
Choose Indie Art/Choose Indie Markets: Seek out opportunities to purchase art and creative works from Monadnock Region artists. Here’s one option coming up soon: The fifty-first annual Cheshire Craftsmen Fair on October 5 and October 6 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Keene Recreation Center. Find unique holiday gifts, including home decor, quilted items, jewelry, soaps, woven items, pottery, fleece, felted crafts, and more. Discover more local art at shop.tlcmonadnock.com/product-category/arts and monadnockartsalive.org/dma.
“There’s perhaps nothing more personal than a gift of the arts,” said Cynthia Freese, Artists Sunday Director. “Give something special, unique, and handcrafted this holiday season and support local artists and the local economy.”
Attend an art event or tour: Here are two fantastic chances to meet local artists and see where they work. The Monadnock Art Tour and Fall Foliage Art Studio Tour. Both tours happen the weekend of October 12 – 14.
Love films? Be sure to attend the twelfth annual Monadnock International Film Festival October 4 – 6 in-person in Keene and October 8 -17 online. See the full schedule.
Take a walk around downtown Keene’s public art murals painted in 2019 by The Walldogs, a group of over 200 sign and mural artists from around the world. If you prefer a guided tour, register with the Historical Society of Cheshire County (tickets are $10 per person).
Whether film, theatre, music, or visual arts events, discover them all at discovermonadnock.com/events.
Take a class: Get your creative juices flowing by signing up for an art class or two. Check out all the offerings happening at MAXT Makerspace in Peterborough.
Jaffrey Civic Center will offer a “Paint Your First Oil Painting” series starting October 3. Learn more.
From dance classes to theatre coaching, find more educational opportunities.
Show off art: Share your creative spirit with your friends, family, and coworkers. Ask others to show you their art. Give a social media shoutout to the local artists who inspire you. Tag your posts with #chooseindieart so we can share them with others.
The arts mean business: In 2021, the art sector made up 4.3 percent of the US economy -- greater than construction, transportation, or agriculture industries -- and included 4.9 million workers. The arts also mean revenue for other local businesses, as each arts event attendee spends an additional $31.47 at neighboring stores, restaurants, and hotels.
Art boosts our well-being: A national opinion poll from the Americans for the Arts found that 69 percent of us believe the arts “lift me up beyond everyday experiences,” and 81 percent shared that the arts are a “positive experience in a troubled world.” Recognizing the healing power of art, about half of US hospitals offer arts programming.
Art brings us together: 72 percent of Americans believe “the arts unify our communities regardless of age, race, and ethnicity,” and 73 percent agree that the arts “helps me understand other cultures better.”
Art inspires creativity: A Journal of Business Research study found that displaying art in the workplace boosted employees’ creative thinking.
“The arts are the lifeblood of our communities, raising morale, creating community cohesion, and providing comfort during dark times while also delivering a huge economic footprint,” said Nolen V. Bivens, former president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “And it is more important than ever that everyone take part to recognize the creative and cultural value of the arts and humanities in our communities.”
Stay tuned for more Choose Indie Arts news, events, and inspiration
For the twelfth year, let’s shine a light on local food, farms, and our entire Monadnock Region food system during New Hampshire Eats Local Month, a month-long celebration of our state’s harvest in August.
Our food system is an intricate web of people, resources, and processes that grow and bring food from the farm to your plate. It includes the soil's fertility, the diligent labor of farm workers, the networks transporting goods, bustling markets, and beyond. Please enjoy Part One of this year’s bounty of Monadnock Region food system updates!
Local farmers need local farmland. That’s why the Monadnock Conservancy works to protect farmland on some of our region’s most beloved farms. Using a tool called a conservation easement -- a permanent agreement that prohibits development of the land but permits forestry and farming -- the Conservancy keeps these highly productive pieces of land in the hands of farmers. Many farm conservation easements provide cash to farmers to expand their business, pay down debt, or help transfer the farm to the next generation. Monadnock Conservancy recently purchased conservation easements on two local farms, Picadilly Farm in Winchester and Pete’s Stand in Walpole. For more information, please visit monadnockconservancy.org.
“Local farms provide so much to this region, and I am always pleased when we can keep farmland in the hands of farmers,” said Ryan Owens, Executive Director of The Monadnock Conservancy. “Some of the best soils in the nation are found right here in this region, along the Connecticut River.”
Jonathan Hayden and Abigail Clarke from Winter Street Farm in Claremont received a New Hampshire Conservation Districts Climate Resilience Grant to grow their community composting program.
With more farmers dealing with extreme weather events and increased pest pressures due to climate change, we must support and empower local farmers to build climate resilience. The New Hampshire Conservation Districts Climate Resilience Grant program aims to do just that. Since 2022, this program has distributed 95 grant awards totaling $714,000 to New Hampshire farms. The Climate Resilience Grant Program funded projects at fifteen farms in our region. Two examples include Boggy Meadow Farm in Walpole, which will build a Johnson-Su compost bioreactor to create a fungal-rich compost and improve on-farm soil health, and Foggy Hill Farm in Jaffrey, which will install a passive solar greenhouse to improve their farm's energy efficiency and reduce their carbon footprint. Learn more about this program at cheshireconservation.org/climate.
It's been an exciting couple of years for the Monadnock View Community Garden (MVCG) in West Keene. Fully subscribed for the second consecutive year, MVCG received funding from the Cheshire County Conservation District to construct a tool shed (with design and labor contributed by Bensonwood), install five additional water spigots, purchase an array of shared tools, season extension, water conservation, pest control and soil building materials for gardeners, and add infrastructure to our Giving Garden. These additions, along with the efforts of volunteers, allowed gardeners to increase the amount of produce donated to The Community Kitchen from approximately 450 pounds in 2022 to just over 600 pounds in 2023. "At MVCG, we like to think we're not only growing veggies but community," said volunteer garden manager Rowland Russell. "In the big picture, it's the connective tissue of community that gives our local food system its resilience."
Now, get out there and enjoy our local food and farms! Here are a few (of the many) events happening in our region in August.
Co-produced by Monadnock Food Co-op and Monadnock Farm and Community Coalition (MFCC), the Monadnock Farm Tour and After Party at Granite Roots Brewing celebrates local food and farms on Saturday, August 17, 12 p.m. – 8 p.m. From 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., enjoy farm activities such as sheepdog herding demonstrations, pudding production, free tractor and hayrides, pasture tours, and more. Tickets are $10 per car, providing access to all participating farms. Tickets can be purchased online or at each farm during tour hours. Learn more at mfcommunitycoalition.org/2024monadnockfarmtour. Attendees can continue the fun at the After Party at Granite Roots Brewing in Troy from 5 - 8 p.m. The event will feature fresh brews, food trucks, and live music, all with no entry fee. Children and leashed, friendly dogs are welcome. Enter MFCC’s raffle, offering a first prize of $500, a second prize of a quarter CSA share from Dog Dogs Farm in Fitzwilliam valued at $250, and a third prize of locally sourced products worth $125. The raffle drawing will occur at this event, and ticket holders will not need to be present to win. “David Kennard of Wellscroft Farm will show off the skills of his sheepherding Border Collies as they move the herd to his every command and will share a bit about raising sheep. Blackfire Farm is cooking up fresh vegetable pizzas and will enlighten folks on what sustainable farming is to them while on a hay wagon ride,” said Roe-Ann Tasoulas, director of MFCC. “This is a rare opportunity to experience our farmers’ day-to-day lives working a farm business. Our hope is that everyone will walk away feeling more connected with the land, the animals, and the farmers who thoughtfully care for it."
Also, on August 17, Stonewall Farm in Keene celebrates turning 30 with a Farm Fair from 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. Experience horse and farm equipment demonstrations, live music, contra dancing, games, contests, delicious food, a beer garden, and more. Tickets cost $10 per person (free admissions for kids three and under). Tickets to access the beer garden (with beer sampling) cost $40 per person. Learn more at stonewallfarm.org/events/stonewall-farm-fair.
Are you a teacher? Join the Monadnock Farm to School Network at the Cornucopia Project Educational Farm for a fun-filled day camp designed especially for you. Dive into classroom-ready activities through demonstrations, a farm tour, group activities, and games -- just like a real summer camp. This event includes a delicious lunch and a chance to win school supplies. Professional development credits are available, too. Learn more and register at eventbrite.com/e/farm-to-school-day-camp-for-teachers-tickets-945161642917. Stay tuned for Part Two of this article in August, including local food and farm updates from Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship, Community Garden Connections, and more! Also, check out our local food and farming events list at tlcmonadnock.com/NHEatLocal. Thank you to all the individuals, programs, policies, and initiatives that continue to build a more robust local and regional food system in our corner of the state and throughout New England. Together, we’re cultivating healthier citizens, communities, and economies.
The Local Crowd Monadnock - Keene, NH
