Last year, The Local Crowd (TLC) Monadnock launched our first-ever Staycation Challenge. It went so well that we’re bringing the challenge back for another year!
Summer means vacation for many of us. However, taking a vacation doesn’t have to include traveling far from home to get away. Take a Staycation and experience all the Monadnock Region has to offer. You’ll save money at the gas pumps and make new connections to nurture throughout the year. The money you spend recirculates in our local economy, building more community health and wealth.
Enter TLC Monadnock’s Staycation Challenge by pledging to spend your dollars only at locally owned businesses for one day, one week, or the entire month of July.
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Take our pre-survey now and then a post-survey coming in late July. Complete both surveys for your chance to win our Staycation package.
This year’s winner of our Staycation Package will receive a two-night stay for two at the Inn at East Hill Farm, a farm stay in Troy (includes six delicious home-cooked meals, activities, and use of their facilities); two classes at Aloha Keene, a community center for healthy living in Keene with a regular schedule of yoga and more; one $50 gift card from The Toadstool Bookshops in Keene and Peterborough; One $20 gift certificate from Catbird Flower Farm in Keene (good for their roadside flower stand from May - September); and one $125 gift certificate from Healthy Home Habitats in Keene for a one-hour landscape & garden design consultation. We’ll announce our winner in mid-August.
Why not start Staycationing now? Here are a few events in June to add to your Staycation plans.
Downtown storefronts will transform into art galleries during Keene ArtWalk on June 2 – 11. Stroll up and down Main Street to view the works of local artists. The Art is Everywhere event will happen on Saturday, June 3 from 11 am – 4 pm, as the ArtWalk expands to Railroad Square with performances and interactive art activities. Also, watch artists paint at different downtown locations from 10 am – 1 pm. Check out all the details here.
On June 3, downtown Keene also comes alive with food! The Keene Young Professional Network will host the third annual Taste of Keene Food Festival at the top of Main Street from 11:30 am – 3:30 pm. Enjoy music at Central Square (from pop covers to classic rock) and street performers hosted by The Colonial Theatre.
Purchase small bites and mocktails from twenty-three local restaurants and food producers. New vendors include Prime Roast Coffee, Jenna’s Market, and Muse Tapas Bar & Lounge. Get your food tokens today and save: tasteofkeene.com.
Don’t forget to visit the Taste of Keene’s local craft biergarten to sip on a selection of our region's best brews and spirits (21 and over). Please bring your ID. Purchase beverage tickets at the event. Stay tuned for the Taste of Keene’s full schedule.
On June 22, from 1 – 3 pm, enjoy Pollinator Palooza -- an afternoon of learning and celebration of pollinators at Ashuelot River Park in Keene. This event coincides with National Pollinator Week. Activities include a pollinator scavenger hunt, creating your own bee box, painting your own pot for a native plant, and more.
Local plant and compost vendors will sell a variety of products, with 20% of sales supporting Cheshire County Conservation District’s programs. Vendors include Fassett Farm Nursery, Thistle Dew Farm, Julie's Garden, Phylicia Roberts, Cook Hill Farm, and Echo Farm Puddings. Learn more.
Gilsum will ROCK the weekend of June 24 – 25 during the Gilsum Rock Swap & Mineral Show at the Gilsum Elementary School and Community Center. Browse tables, tables, and tables of gems, jewelry, and minerals for sale or swap. Grab a meal and pan for minerals. At 1 pm on Saturday, New Hampshire mineral expert Tom Mortimer will present. View the full schedule.
TLC Monadnock will join with the American Independent Business Alliance and partners throughout North America to celebrate LGBTQ+ owned businesses, diversity, and equity. Our regional partners include Keene Family YMCA, Keene Pride, Monadnock Food Co-op, and Prime Roast Coffee Co. Learn more. Monadnock Food Co-op will launch weekly Round It Up Donation Drives for four organizations focusing on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts this June. The Co-op's Round It Up donation program empowers us to positively impact our community by rounding up our change at the register to support local nonprofits.
June 3 – 9: American Independent Business Alliance AMIBA provides DEI resources and training for campaigns run locally by The Local Crowd Monadnock. Campaigns include Choose Black-Owned Month, Pride Month, and seven other campaigns. June 10 -16: The Daily Good The Daily Good supports food security and diversity through food pantries on local college campuses and other centers. June 17 – 23: Keene Pride Keene Pride supports a coalition of services, organizations, and businesses that embrace and serve the LGBTQ+ population. June 24 – 30: Monadnock Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Coalition The MDEIB Coalition advocates for and develop DEI initiatives in the region. We each play a critical role in creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive region. Our Co-op is proud to support these four organizations and the work they do collectively to make our community more welcoming. Stay tuned for Staycation updates. Happy local adventures!
Monadnock Food Co-op is excited to launch weekly Round It Up Donation Drives for four organizations focusing on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts this June.
The Co-op’s Round It Up donation program empowers you to positively impact your community by rounding up your change to support local nonprofits.
June 3 – 9: American Independent Business Alliance
Provides DEI resources and training for Choose Indie Local campaigns run locally by The Local Crowd Monadnock. Campaigns include Choose Black-Owned Month and eight other campaigns. The Local Crowd Monadnock’s June campaign is Pride Month.
LEARN MORE
June 10 -16: The Daily Good
Supports food security and diversity through food pantries on local college campuses and other centers.
June 17 – 23: Keene Pride
Supports a coalition of services, organizations, and businesses that embrace and serve the LGBTQ+ population.
June 24 – 30: Monadnock Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Coalition
Advocates for and develops DEI initiatives in the region.
“Each of us plays a critical role in creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive region,” said Jen Risley, Monadnock Food Co-op Community Coordinator. “Our Co-op is proud to support these four organizations and the work they do collaboratively to make our community more welcoming and strong.”
The Keene Downtown Group recently launched the Building a More Walkable Keene crowdfunding campaign through The Local Crowd (TLC) Monadnock.
Support this campaign today!
The funds raised will support bringing Jeff Speck, author and urban designer who advocates internationally for more walkable cities, to Keene on June 12, 2023. Speck has literally written the book on the subject, the 2012 classic Walkable City, the best-selling city planning title of the past decade. Speck has helped communities large and small understand how walkability supports common goals like increasing tourism, economic activity, public health, safety, and sustainability. His wealth of experience, knowledge, and vision allows him to serve as an invaluable resource to each community he works with, whether the discussion focuses on big-picture change or targeted incremental improvements. "As our city grapples with major decisions about public space and infrastructure, there could not be a better time to welcome Jeff to our community and benefit from his perspective," said Todd Horner, Vice-Chair of the Keene Bicycle and Pedestrian Pathway Advisory Committee. "We owe it to ourselves and future generations to consider all our options, including ideas that a foremost expert like Jeff can bring to the table. When making tough choices about our world-class city, we should have world-class ideas at our fingertips." Offline donations are also accepted. Checks can be made out to Keene Downtown Group, PO Box 80, Keene, NH, 03431. Please add "Jeff Speck" to the memo. This crowdfunding campaign continues through May.
“After 50 years of framing work around the automobile, retail analysts in both the private and public sectors are shifting to a new consensus: cars don’t spend money — people do.”
The quote above, taken from the report Protected Bike Lanes Mean Business, highlights a significant shift in thinking. People need access to our locally owned stores, whether getting there by foot, bicycle, wheelchair, bus, or personal vehicle. How can we balance each person’s transportation needs with municipal budgets and businesses’ bottom lines? Enter the bicycle.
There’s growing evidence that encouraging people to go by bicycle boosts the local economy. When done correctly, adding bicycle lanes and other cycling amenities can increase retail sales while decreasing parking pressures.
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“Bicycling is more than a practical, cost-effective solution to many municipal challenges,” said Bill Nesper, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists. “When local communities invest in making bicycling safer and a real transportation option for more people, the return on investment is clear for individuals and society at large — from cost-savings on public health to small businesses’ growth and more.”
While bicyclists tend to buy smaller amounts when they shop, bicyclists visit each store more often and spend more money overall compared to those who commute by automobile. Also, providing space for bicycle parking costs municipalities less than vehicle parking. A dozen bicycles can fit into one parking space designed for a vehicle.
May is National Bicycle Month, the perfect time to amplify the benefits of bicycling and take more bike rides. Whether you ride for fun, fitness, or take essential trips to work or shop, be part of the movement for safer streets, connected communities, a healthier planet, and happier people.
Mark your calendar and cycle along! National Ride A Bike Day happens May 7, Bike to Work Week will take place May 15-21, and Bike to Work Day is on Friday, May 19.
The American Independent Business Alliance and partners throughout North America will celebrate Bicycling Means Business Month in May, promoting the connections between bicycling and healthy local economies.
Schools nationwide will celebrate Bike & Roll to School Day on May 3. Over 800 schools will participate to call attention to making routes to schools safer and kids more active.
Track all your bicycling miles on Love to Ride’s website. Create your own goals and connect with other bicyclists. Register today to get started.
Let’s get rolling!
The American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA) recently changed their Shop Indie Local program to the name Choose Indie Local. While the name change seems subtle, this shift moves us closer to our vision: Community members at all levels participate as investors, creators, and Indie Local champions — inspired by independent businesses’ impact on community health and wealth.
When we Choose Indie Local, we do so much more than just shop – we bank, invest, create, and donate to boost the ripple effect of economic and community benefits we receive when we support our local economy. Together, we build strong local, equitable, and sustainable economies.
This April, celebrate Move Your Money Month with AMIBA and The Local Crowd Monadnock. What’s Move Your Money Month? It’s a time to look at where you deposit and invest your dollars and ask, can you move your money closer to home -- by banking with a community bank or credit union and investing in locally owned businesses in our region?
“Thank you, Silicon Valley Bank, for going belly up just as we at AMIBA prepared for Move Your Money Month in April,” said Michael Shuman, local economist and AMIBA board member. “Seriously, we worried that this slogan, popularized during the 2008 financial meltdown by Occupy Wall Street, might have lost its relevance. But here we are, once again, reminded that the global financial system is too complex, too opaque, and too risky. The solution—as we learned fifteen years ago—is to embrace a localized financial system that is more simple, transparent, and safe.” 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 its owners. Community banks, on the other hand, are privately owned and not publicly traded. While credit unions are cooperatives, meaning the members own it -- the people who use its services and live or work locally. “Savings Bank of Walpole is a mutual bank [a type of community bank],” shared President Mark Bodin. “Which means we are free of the short-term earnings demands of shareholders, venture capitalists, and other groups of owners. We are owned by our depositors and our community -- and our earnings stay right here with our bank and our community.”
Move Your Money closer to home and closer to your heart by choosing a bank more in line with your values. Who do you bank with now? Search for them at mightydeposits.com 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?
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.
“U.S. households and nonprofits held just over $18 trillion in banks in the form of deposits, checking accounts, savings accounts, and money market funds in 2022,” said Shuman. “But it’s nothing compared to the other securities we hold. Americans now have $71 trillion in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, pension funds, and insurance funds—nearly all of it invested in global corporations. If you and your neighbors could shift even a small amount of that capital from Wall Street to Main Street, your local economy could flourish.” Ready to learn more? Sign up for The Main Street Journal, published by Michael Shuman, highlighting local investing news and events. Also, we’ll share local investing opportunities on our website throughout Move Your Money Month.
Stay tuned!
We’ll also celebrate Earth Day in April. “Invest in Our Planet,” this year’s theme, connects perfectly with Move Your Money Month. Find ways to share your time, talents, and treasures with our planet by investing in locally owned businesses, sustainable agriculture, alternative transportation, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and equity.
Need some inspiration? Join us at Monadnock Earth Festival on Saturday, April 22 from 12 pm – 4 pm in downtown Keene. Learn about what others are doing and making to invest in our planet, enjoy performers, and participate in activities from Railroad Square Park to the Monadnock Food Co-op. Hope to see you there!
Here's a summary of our major accomplishments for last year:
TLC Monadnock can't do this work without your support, so again THANK YOU! We can't wait to see what we accomplish together in 2023.
This March, The Local Crowd Monadnock invites you to celebrate Shop 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. We’ll highlight a few triple-bottom-line companies in this article.
Plus, we’ll spotlight more throughout March, so please stay tuned!
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 6,367 certified businesses from 89 countries.
“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.
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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.
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.”
Cooperatives, companies owned by their members, also represent triple-bottom-line businesses. A cooperative exists to serve its members and follows seven guiding principles, including democratic member control and concern for community.
Monadnock Food Co-op, a grocery store in Keene owned by over 4,000 community members, uses the cooperative business model. While everyone can shop at our Co-op, members receive additional benefits such as quarterly discounts, patronage refunds, and vote on who serves on the board of directors.
Monadnock Food 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.
Other recent sustainability efforts include transitioning the Co-op’s deli, bulk, and produce departments’ grab & go containers from recyclable plastic to compostable packaging. You can compost these containers when you eat in the Co-op’s cafe. Also, the Co-op hosts an outdoor pick-up station for Elm City Compost customers to make home composting easier.
Coming in 2024, the Co-op will install 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.
The Co-op also hosts the annual Monadnock Region Earth Festival. They will fill the space from Railroad Square to the Co-op with local vendors, artists, farmers, and producers to celebrate the Earth and our community’s commitment to sustainability. Save the date for this year’s event on Saturday, April 22 from 12 pm – 4 pm.
A big thank you to this year’s local Shop Indie Sustainable partners: Food Connects, Monadnock Food Co-op, Stonewall Farm, and TLC Monadnock.
Stay tuned for Shop Indie Sustainable Month updates and how we’re collectively building stronger local economies that support community and our environment.
What’s Move Your Money Month? It’s a time to inspire you to move your money closer to home -- by banking with a community bank or credit union and investing in locally owned businesses in our region. Move Your Money Month is part of the Shop Indie Local movement, urging individuals to boost the ripple effect of economic and community benefits we receive when we spend and invest our dollars at locally owned businesses.
When you move your money to a community bank or credit union in our region, more of your dollars recirculate throughout our local economy -- building more local jobs and prosperity.
To back up a bit, what’s the difference between traditional banks, community banks, and credit unions? Traditional banks, publicly owned by stockholders, exist to provide a return on investment to its owners. Typically, these owners do not live where the bank does business. Community banks are privately owned and not publicly traded. These banks usually serve a specific geographical region. A credit union is a cooperative, meaning its members own it -- the people who use its services and live or work locally.
“The fortunes of local banks and credit unions are intimately tied to the fortunes of their local communities. The more the community prospers, the more the local bank benefits,” said Stacy Mitchell from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. “Big banks, in contrast, are not tethered to the places where they operate. Indeed, they often use a community’s deposits to make investments in other regions or on Wall Street.”
Banking with a community bank or credit union often means getting the same services at lower fees than larger banks. Yup, more value for you and your community. “Average fees at small banks and credit unions are substantially lower than at big banks,” added Stacy. “Studies show that small financial institutions also offer, on average, better interest rates on savings and better terms on credit cards and other loans.”
Move Your Money closer to home and closer to your heart by choosing a bank more in line with your values. Who do you bank with now? Search for them at mightydeposits.com and find out what your bank does with your money. Discover how many dollars your bank invests in your community.
“The primary activity of almost all small banks and credit unions is to turn deposits into loans and other productive investments,” shared Stacy. “Meanwhile, big banks devote a sizeable share of their resources to speculative trading and other Wall Street bets that may generate big profits for the bank but provide little economic or social value for the rest of us and can put the entire financial system at risk if they go bad.”
Learn more about community banking at ilsr.org/banking.
Top 5 Reasons to Choose a Community Bank or Credit Union
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 jobs and community prosperity.
“Americans now have $56 trillion in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, pension funds, and insurance funds—nearly all of it invested in global corporations,” said Michael Shuman, author and local economist. “If you and your neighbors could shift even a small amount of that capital from Wall Street to Main Street, your local economy could flourish.”
Ready to learn more? Sign up for The Main Street Journal, published by Michael Shuman, highlighting local investing news and events. Also, we’ll share local investing opportunities on our website throughout Move Your Money Month.
Need some inspiration? Join us at Monadnock Earth Festival on April 22, from 12 pm – 4 pm in downtown Keene. Learn about what others are doing and making to invest in our planet, enjoy performers, and participate in activities from Railroad Square Park to the Monadnock Food Co-op. Hope to see you there!
We're getting ready for Move Your Money: Bank Local, Invest Local Month that starts April 1.
One of our first steps: Identify banks that help us keep our money closer to home.
Our criteria:
Here's who we found (listed alphabetically):
Bank of New Hampshire (view impact data) Headquartered in: Laconia, NH Ownership: Mutual Branch in Antrim
GFA Federal Credit Union (view impact data) Headquartered in: Gardner, MA Ownership: Co-op Branches in Keene, Peterborough, Rindge
Mascoma Bank (view impact data) Headquartered in: White River Junction, VT Ownership: Mutual About: Certified B-Corp Branches in Keene, Peterborough, Rindge
Precision Federal Credit Union (view impact data) Headquartered in: Keene, NH Ownership: Co-op Member Eligibility
Savings Bank of Walpole (view impact data) Part of: NHTrust Financial Advisors Headquartered in: Walpole, NH Ownership: Mutual Branches in Keene, Walpole, Winchester
Service Credit Union (view impact data) Headquartered in: Portsmouth, NH Ownership: Co-op Branches in Keene, Hinsdale
Did we miss any community banks or credit unions? Send us an email.
This February, The Local Crowd (TLC) Monadnock invites you to celebrate Black-owned businesses, Black history, and diversity in our communities. We’re teaming up with the American Independent Business Alliance and partners throughout North America to promote our Shop Black-Owned campaign. Together, we can build stronger local economies that are diverse, inclusive, and equitable.
How can you celebrate Shop Black-Owned Month in February? Here are some ideas!
Looking for more diversity on your plate? Eat at Yahso Jamaican Grille in Keene owned by Jamaican native Gail Somers. The food is authentic, and the atmosphere makes you forget you’re living in chilly New England. Yahso means “right here” -- reflecting Gail’s commitment to making her restaurant a gathering space for community.
“We are a family at home away from home,” shared Gail. “We have made our home in New England and love it here, but we are also fortunate to have preserved some of our rich cultural roots with us in the foods we love to cook and to share and enjoy with family and friends.
How about adding more diversity to your glass? Sisters Alisa Lawrence and Nilaja Young own New England Sweetwater Farm & Distillery in Winchester with their spouses, Karl Lawrence and Kenny Young. The distillery makes vodka, gin, whiskey, rum, and a variety of creative cocktails. Many of their spirits contain locally grown ingredients, including cider apples, blueberries, and juniper berries from their own farm. Visit their inviting tasting room made from reclaimed wood and take a tour of their distillery (by appointment): newenglandsweetwater.com.
“There’s always something new to try while we guide you through the process of making each spirit and why we created it,” said Alisa. “Our spirits are cultivated from local products that spur local agriculture and sustainability.”
The more dollars spent 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 with shelf signs. Look for their signs when you shop at the Co-op throughout February.
We want to give a shout-out to one specific Black-owned business, Global Village Foods in Quechee, VT. Global Village makes delicious allergen-free samosas and African-inspired ready-to-eat dishes featuring produce from four Vermont farms. Owned by Damaris and Mel Hall, they blend their two backgrounds into one fantastic business.
“Damaris grew up in Kenya where simple, fresh ingredients and rich aromatic spices created vibrant traditional dishes for family gatherings and communal celebrations,” states Global Village Food’s website. “A world away, Mel from Memphis cherished Sunday dinners with three generations of family around a table full of bold, soulful Southern fare.”
Recently, Global Village won a grant from Vermont's Working Lands Enterprise Initiative and a New England Food Vision Prize to expand into college dining halls. Global Village will build relationships with more local farms, giving preference to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals and immigrant farmers. They’re working with the Organization for Refugee and Immigrant Success in Manchester and Concord, NH.
A new initiative hosted by the Keene YMCA, the Monadnock Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Coalition (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 formed in 2021, guided by the City of Keene’s Racial Justice and Community Safety Report. Partners include community members, businesses, organizations -- and maybe you?
“To be a welcoming community and ultimately a thriving community, we need to celebrate and embrace our diverse people and cultures,” said Dan Smith, CEO of the Keene YMCA. “At the YMCA we support Shop Black-Owned Month as one small way of doing so. We see it as part of our commitment to becoming an anti-racist multicultural organization.”
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 and the first two Sundays in March. They titled this year’s theme, Bringing It Back: Conversations We Still Need.
The first Sunday’s discussion centers around the silenced stories of our history. "Before European Contact: Changing the Ways We Present Our History” on February 5 at 2 p.m. brings together panelists to bring forward our history from Indigenous and African people’s perspectives: Anthony Bogues, Director of the Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice, Brown University; Anne Jennison, New Hampshire Commission on Native American Affairs; and Akeia de Barros Gomes, Sr. Curator of Maritime Social Histories, Mystic Seaport Museum.
A big thank you to this year’s Shop Black-Owned Month Monadnock Region partners: Keene Family YMCA, Monadnock Food Co-op, New England Sweetwater Distillery, TLC Monadnock, and Yahso Jamaican Grille.
Stay tuned for Shop Black-Owned Month updates and how we’re collectively building stronger local economies that are diverse, inclusive, and equitable.
The Local Crowd Monadnock - Mailing Address: 63 Emerald St. #114, Keene, NH 03431
