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.
Twenty years ago, locally owned businesses in Tampa, Florida, came together to celebrate the very first Independents Week. Soon after, American Independent Business Alliance helped bring Independents Week to independent business alliances throughout the United States. Now, twenty years later, American Independent Business Alliance invites communities to come together to celebrate Independents Month!
Independents Month is a time to recognize our locally owned and independent businesses and the community values they embody:
Independents Month, part of AMIBA’s Shop Indie Local Initiative, is the perfect time to shine a light on the Local Multiplier Effect and the Monadnock Indie Impact Study. Together, we’ll inspire our communities to take positive action and boost the positive ripple effects our neighborhoods, towns, and cities receive when we spend more of our dollars at locally owned, independent businesses.
Independents Month is a time to reflect on your ability to think and act independently and embrace your part in shaping the future of your community. Choose Indie Local and boost the multiplier effect in your region. Also, take time to acknowledge the independent business owners you know.
Another way to celebrate Independents Month is to take the Indie Month Staycation Challenge. Pledge to make all of your purchases at locally owned businesses for one day, one week, or the entire month. Sign on to the Indie Challenge today!
Traveling during Independents Month? Enjoy what locally owned, and independent businesses have to offer wherever you’re visiting. Ask locals where their favorites are and look for independent business alliances in the areas you’re visiting.
Carla Jimenez, co-owner of Inkwood Books and co-founder of the Tampa Independent Business Alliance, created the first Independents Week in 2001. In 2005, AMIBA began promoting the campaign nationally, providing tools to help communities organize their own Independents Week celebrations.
This July, let’s celebrate our independence and our independents together.
Celebrate Independents Month this July with The Local Crowd (TLC) Monadnock and Monadnock Food Co-op, a time to recognize the importance of all independent and locally owned businesses in our region. Let’s appreciate all the community values independent business owners embody and their spirit of entrepreneurship. We’ll also acknowledge all the ways these individuals give back to our community with their time, talents, goods, and services, making us healthier and wealthier. Thank independent business owners and their staff throughout July!
One perfect way to celebrate Independents Month is to take our Staycation Challenge. Pledge to make all your purchases at locally owned businesses -- for one day, one week, or the entire month of July.
Sign on to the Indie Month Staycation Challenge today!
“I’d like to see if I can make some changes to how we buy things as a family,” said one challenge taker, Sadie Stehlik from Marlborough. “I’ve started buying more and more online, and it seems like a good time to assess those purchasing habits and find local alternatives.”
In addition to the Indie Challenge, take a Staycation. Instead of traveling far from home to get away, vacation here 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. Keep reading for some July Staycation ideas.
Where you spend your dollars matters. Your choices create a ripple effect that starts with you and extends to our entire community and local economy. Choose an Indie Local (independent and locally owned business), and the positive ripple effect magnifies!
“I want to keep my money local and support the vibrant communities I want my children to experience far into the future,” said another challenge taker, Rachel Patterson from Nelson.
Learn More
One lucky Indie Challenge-taker will win our Independents Month Staycation Giveaway. This year’s Staycation Giveaway includes a two-night stay at the Bridges Inn Whitcomb House in Swanzey, one $250 gift card to Monadnock Food Co-op in Keene, a Badger Balm Gift Basket from Gilsum (chocked full of summer necessities), one $25 gift card from West LA Beer Company in Swanzey, and one $25 gift card from Frisky Cow Gelato in Keene.
We’ll announce the winner in early August.
See All the Details!
Last year’s Indie Challenge winner, Josephine Russell, took her staycation at the Inn at East Hill Farm in December during the Inn’s Christmas on the Farm Day. “It was a great time to go. We invited two of our children, along with their children, to join us. All three generations enjoyed the day,” said Josephine. “The rest of our staycation was quiet. We took long walks over the land and visited the animals multiple times. They have the most friendly goats.”
The Inn at East Hill Farm, at the base of Mount Monadnock in Troy, offers an authentic farm stay experience and many activities no matter the season. Learn more!
“We were served our meals family style, and we felt like a part of their family,” continued Josephine. “Everyone seemed to know our names and showed a desire to make our stay there the best possible. What a luxury to have a private suite! In the living room, our family gathered on Saturday to have private time together around the fireplace. The rest of the time, my husband, JC, and I read, journaled, and chatted in our private living room. The commute was without a long drive. But it felt as if we were far away in another world. The weekend was relaxing and fun.”
Independents Month reminds us to recognize our locally owned and independent businesses for the community values they embody and their spirit of entrepreneurship. Also, we acknowledge all the ways they give back to our community with their time, talents, goods, and services, making us healthier and wealthier. Thank an independent business owner and their staff today!
“I have seen the value and care that locally owned businesses bring to their communities,” shared Nathan B. from Harrisville. “Our local businesses support important work that needs doing and help to provide valuable services and opportunities for our young people!”
Looking for some Staycation ideas? Here are a few events in July to add to your Staycation plans.
“Since 2012, I have been honored to be your ambassador for Find Waldo Local initiatives in over 520 cities across the US,” shared Waldo, the star of the Where’s Waldo book series. “More than 575 indie bookstores have participated, and more than 14,500 local merchants have been involved.” Get ready! Waldo begins hiding in Downtown Keene from July 1 to July 31. Pick up a passport at Toadstool Bookshop in Keene and start your search at twenty-five participating stores.
Find Waldo (a six-inch version of him, that is!) at ten stores and get a coupon and a temporary tattoo. Find him at twenty stores and get entered into a raffle for Waldo books and other goodies supplied by participating stores. Save the date for a party at Toadstool Bookshop in Keene on Sunday, August 4 at 3 pm.
Learn More!
Wizarding Week returns in July. What's Wizarding Week? Locally owned businesses in Downtown Keene host the annual Wizarding Week -- bigger and better than ever! So much fun for all ages. “Where magic classes are real, menus are elaborate, and fun is never in short supply.”
Stay Tuned!
Paddle or meander with the Harris Center. Check out their events list and sign up for one (or more!) excursions this month: harriscenter.org/events. Stroll 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 for the July 1 event at 10 am with the Historical Society of Cheshire County (tickets are $10 per person): hsccnh.org/event/walldogs-mural-tour-july-2024.
Traveling during Independents Month? Enjoy what locally owned businesses have to offer wherever you are. Ask locals where their favorite independents are and look for local economy networks at amiba.net/our-network. Think independently and act locally this Independents Month and beyond. Together, we’ll boost the positive ripple effects our community receives when we spend more of our dollars at locally owned, independent businesses.
“Amid the chaos and breakdown of our time, imagining such a thing as economic system change can seem daunting, overwhelming, impossible,” said Marjorie Kelly, a distinguished senior fellow at the Democracy Collaborative. “The truth is system change is already emerging all around us. It’s beginning in our own backyards, in the form of Community Wealth Building, a form of local economic development that transforms local economies through communities having direct ownership and control of their assets.”
Community Wealth Building has gained traction over the years, especially since Marjorie Kelly published her latest book Wealth Supremacy last September. Let’s take a closer look at this approach.
Image Credit: Democracy Collaborative
“When 50 percent of the population can’t put its hands on $1,000 in an emergency, and 50 percent of the private workforce has retirement assets of zero, wealth insecurity is a severe problem in this country, and we need a way to build wealth,” said Corey Rosen, founder of the National Center for Employee Ownership. Community Wealth Building calls for a “great ownership transition” -- shifting ownership from the hands of a few to many. Who owns and controls a city or town's businesses, buildings, and other assets profoundly impacts community members’ health and wealth. So, Community Wealth Building calls for broadening ownership through diverse strategies like forming cooperatives, moving money to community banks, public banks, and credit unions, cultivating land trusts, and much more. This approach also reimagines how wealth is invested to serve community needs over building billionaires. With a shift in wealth comes a shift in power. “[While] we’ve built superhighways for speculative investments, productive local investments travel dirt paths,” said Marjorie Kelly. “We need new infrastructure to make local and impact investing easy. Much of that innovation is coming at warp speed from the impact investing world, where countless funds are springing up to invest in marginalized communities, decarbonize buildings, and advance sustainable development goals.”
Connecticut launched America’s first baby bond in 2023, depositing $3,200 in an account for each newborn enrolled in the state’s Medicaid program. Over time, each account will grow to as much as $24,000 per child. When these children reach 18, they can use this money for college, a downpayment on a home, to start a business, or to save for retirement. Baby bonds represent a long-term approach to reducing the wealth gap in future generations.
Learn more about Baby Bonds
The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute offers a compelling case in support of baby bonds, “Experts suggest that addressing equity and closing the racial wealth divide would add more than $2 trillion in GDP annually, increasing economic development and improving the health of the economy, which is an area of common ground for political parties. In general, making equitable adjustments to existing tax subsidies that disproportionately benefit the highest-income earners could generate enough savings to pay for baby bonds.”
Another example of Community Wealth Building is Evergreen Cooperatives, which blends the economic power of anchor institutions with employee ownership. Anchor institutions are large nonprofits that, once established, usually stay in one place -- think of hospitals, universities, and government entities. By connecting the goods and services offered by locally owned businesses to the needs of anchor institutions, both the individual companies and the entire local economy benefit. In 2008, The Cleveland Model in Ohio started Evergreen Cooperatives with an employee-owned green laundry service to meet the needs of local hospitals. Evergreen now includes four more cooperatives focusing on weatherization and manufacturing, plus an employee ownership investment fund. In our region, hospitals are coming together to explore Community Wealth Building through the Healthcare Anchor Network.
Learn more about Anchor Institutions
Employee ownership, another Community Wealth Building strategy mentioned above, gives workers their own shares in the company they work for. There are multiple forms of employee ownership, from employee stock ownership plans to worker cooperatives.
What is Employee Ownership?
King Arthur Baking Company in Norwich, VT, became 100% employee-owned in 2004. Owners Frank and Brinna Sands wanted to retire, but without family members to take over the business, they turned to their employees to keep the company’s mission intact. Workers earn company stock, giving them a path toward a better retirement. "These jobs are not going to be sent overseas when it's an employee-owned company," said King Arthur employee-owner Rosie Wawrzyniak. "That's why politicians, no matter what side of the aisle they're on, they always support employee-owned companies. You know, people really care about getting meat from happy cows or happy chickens; why would you not want products from happy people? Customers benefit when they're getting a better-quality product from happy people." “If you have time for just one book this summer, please read Marjorie Kelly’s Wealth Supremacy,” shared local economist Michael Shuman. “She’s an astute critic of what we are getting wrong in our economy, but she also has lots of ideas about what we can get right.” Pick up your copy today at the Toadstool Bookshops in Keene or order it online at toadbooks.com. There’s so much more to learn about Community Wealth Building.
Learn along with us!
Before we wrap up this month’s article, we wanted to announce that we’re partnering with Monadnock Food Co-op to launch our third-annual Staycation Challenge!
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.
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 at the Bridges Inn Whitcomb House, a $25 West LA Brewery gift card (both in Swanzey), a gift basket of summer necessities (sunscreens and anti-bug products) from Badger Balm in Gilsum, and more treats from locally owned businesses. We’ll announce our winner in mid-August. Happy staycationing!
The world is an increasingly interconnected place. Families are relocating, immigrants are settling in, and communities are transformed and challenged by ongoing economic trends. The Keene Multicultural Center Project will help foster more resiliency and cultivate the social spirit of the community.
Learn more!
The Keene Multicultural Center Project recently launched a crowdfunding campaign through The Local Crowd (TLC) Monadnock. The funds raised will help create a unique community gathering space where individuals from different cultures and backgrounds can make new connections, celebrate, strive, and contribute towards building a more welcoming region. "The Keene Community Cultural Center Project will bring together individuals from different cultural backgrounds with the common goal of addressing diverse needs to bring our community together," said Project Leader Gail Somers. "We hope to create a tangible physical space we can call home. Our community space will be a hub for cultivating and celebrating culture. It will provide a space to hold classes, exhibitions, performances, workshops, educational programs, a resource center, and cultural events, all of which will bring numerous opportunities for volunteerism and community connection."
Give Today!
Offline donations are also accepted through Monadnock Arts Alive, the project's fiscal sponsor. Checks can be made out to Arts Alive and mailed to Arts Alive, 15 Eagle Court, Keene, NH, 03431. Please add "Keene Multicultural Center" to the memo.
Join us for a free virtual screening of the film WORKS FOR ALL, focusing on worker-owned cooperatives, from March 29 to March 31, 2024. This event also includes a virtual film discussion with worker-owned cooperative advocates.
Free tickets
This documentary highlights the work of Co-op Cincy. Since 2011, Co-op Cincy has inspired a network of worker-owned cooperatives in Cincinnati, Ohio, to create a regional economy that works for all. This event is part of March's Choose Indie Sustainable Month, a nationwide celebration to amplify and support locally owned businesses that are B Corps, cooperatives, and other triple-bottom-line enterprises. "People may be familiar with some types of co-ops -- like Monadnock Food Co-op, a consumer-owned cooperative -- but we want to shine a light on a different type of cooperative, a worker-owned co-op," said The Local Crowd Monadnock Program Manager Jen Risley. "Discover more about worker-owned cooperatives and how this type of co-op is growing in New England (and beyond)." WORKS FOR ALL, co-directed by Mark Dworkin and Melissa Young, visits several of the diverse worker-owned cooperatives in Co-op Cincy's network, with many led by people traditionally marginalized in the U.S. economy. The film highlights Co-op Cincy's remarkable work in transforming and supporting these businesses. Particularly significant for the future is the effort to help convert existing businesses--whose owners are retiring--to cooperatives. The film also explores the influence of Spain's Mondragon Corporation, the world's most prominent worker cooperative federation, on Co-op Cincy's mission. Film and discussion tickets are free and available at worksforall.eventive.org, thanks to event co-hosts, American Independent Business Alliance and Monadnock International Film Festival, and event sponsors Littleton Food Co-op, Monadnock Food Co-op, and The Local Crowd Monadnock. The live virtual film discussion on March 29 at 7:00 p.m. includes Kristen Barker, co-director of Co-op Cincy, and Rob Brown, the director of Business Ownership Solutions at Cooperative Development Institute.
Reserve Free Film Discussion Tickets
Kristen Barker is a social entrepreneur, president, and Co-Founder of Co-op Cincy and 1worker1vote. She designs and leads participatory education events with co-op workers and helps worker-owners make their businesses more successful. Kristen also helps our design team determine the feasibility of potential co-op businesses, helps retiring business owners decide whether or not they can sell their business to their employees, and helps viable co-ops access the capital they need to leverage their ideas.
Rob Brown is a nationally recognized expert in employee ownership transitions and has assisted dozens of businesses in exploring, assessing, structuring, and executing transitions to worker-owned cooperatives. He has developed extensive education, training, coaching, and technical assistance programs for boards, management, and members of new worker-owned cooperatives. He leads local, regional, and national programs to educate and advise business owners on exit planning processes and options. Rob participates in several national networks promoting the strategy of employee ownership conversions and best practices in the field, including as a founding member of the Workers to Owners Collaborative.
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 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
Walden Mutual Bank (view B Corp data) Online Bank focused on building Local Food Systems Headquartered in: Concord, NH Ownership: Mutual Certified B Corp
Did we miss any community banks or credit unions? Send us an email.
As we wind down 2023, here’s The Local Crowd Monadnock’s top five Choose Indie Local highlights of the year -- events and promotions to inspire you to spend and invest your dollars at locally owned businesses to boost our community’s health and wealth all year long.
We loved seeing so many of you dressed in plaid the day after Thanksgiving to celebrate Plaid Friday. Heaven Hair Gallery Salon in Keene on Plaid Friday. From left to right: Victoria McIntosh, Torrie Rice, Brandon Norman, Anjalee Call, Alicia Berntsen, and Ashley Corrow.
Number one on our list, hands down, is Plaid Friday. We loved seeing so many of you dressed in plaid the day after Thanksgiving to celebrate Indie Locals (locally owned and independent businesses) and the Local Economy movement. The nation saw record sales from Thanksgiving to Cider Monday. Indie Locals in the Monadnock Region were busy, too! “[Plaid Friday] was a crazy busy but awesome day! There was excitement in the air,” shared April Reynolds of Norm’s Ski & Bike Shop. “We served free hot cocoa, mulled cider, and Benjee's Cookies. Everyone loved the cookies! We had a great day -- and our customers were amazing!”
Twenty-nine locally owned businesses served as Plaid Friday Hubs this year in Harrisville, Jaffrey, Keene, Peterborough, Spofford, Swanzey, Walpole, and Westmoreland. View this year’s Plaid Friday Hub photos on our Facebook page.
July’s Independents Month is second on our list. It’s a time to recognize all types of independent businesses and celebrate their spirit of entrepreneurship, individuality, uniqueness, and character. For the second year, we invited our community to take the Indie Challenge and pledge to buy only from locally owned businesses for a day, week, or more. Over 240 of you have taken the challenge so far! Our 2023 challenge-taker winner won a staycation to the Inn at East Hill Farm, plus other treats from Monadnock Region independents. Stay tuned for our next Indie Challenge in 2024. “This was a practice in being present for sure,” said Indie Challenger Barbara Davis of Alstead. “I would have to remind myself each time I needed to purchase something. I put a sticker on my car dash to remind myself.”
We highlight Move Your Money Month each April. This campaign urges you to support community banks and credit unions and move more of your money from Wall Street to Main Street. This is number three on our list! However, this is number one on my personal list since I was hired in July to become editor of The Main Street Journal, a hub for local investing published by economist and author Michael Shuman. Now I get to promote the Move Your Money message every week! “After investing in Wall Street for thirty-four years, I am really enjoying the idea of supporting my local community and small businesses,” shared Ivy Hess, a subscriber of The Main Street Journal. “I have made seven investments in 2023 and am looking to do more. The Main Street Journal makes it easy to keep up with what is out there.”
Fourth on our list are two Choose Indie Local campaigns celebrating diversity: Shop Black-Owned Month in February and Choose Indie Pride in June. Both campaigns work to make our spending and investing more inclusive and uplift what makes our community welcoming and unique. The Keene Family YMCA partnered with us during this year’s Shop Black-Owned Month. “We already know that shopping local has tangible benefits and helps to build a strong local economy,” the Keene Family YMCA’s website states. “By shopping Black-owned, you are voting with your dollar. You are voting for equity.”
Last but certainly not least is GivingTuesday, a global generosity movement. 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.”
“This was, by far, our most successful GivingTuesday event in our history,” said Sarah Harpster, Executive Director of The Community Kitchen in Keene. “And it’s really helping set us up for entering the new year strong.”
Your support for the Choose Indie Local movement this year sets us all up for a strong 2024. Thank you, and Happy New Year, everyone!
In New Hampshire, we pride ourselves on our independent thinking, ingenuity, and self-reliance — qualities reflected in our entrepreneurial spirit. According to the Small Business Administration’s 2023 Small Business Profile, our state is home to 136,506 small businesses, comprising 98.9 percent of all New Hampshire businesses.
Our small businesses also provide the bulk of jobs across the state, employing 49.2 percent of all New Hampshire private-sector workers. Thank you for all you do, small business owners!
You play an essential role in supporting entrepreneurial success, whether you’re a small business owner, staff member, investor, or shopper. As many of us look to share gifts and meals with friends, family, and coworkers, we can also give a gift to our small business community. When making holiday purchases, Shop Indie Local and spend more of your budget at locally owned and independent businesses.
Purchasing gifts, meal ingredients, and gift-making supplies from locally owned and independent businesses impacts a community’s job growth, charitable giving, and land use patterns. “Say you spend money at a local shoe store,” explains local economist and author Michael Shuman. “Its employees then go to the supermarket, which might buy from a local farmer. The more times and the faster a dollar passes between hands without leakage, the more income, wealth, and jobs in a community.” Monadnock Region independent retailers sure do pass those dollars! They recirculate, on average, $62 of every $100 spent at their businesses back into our local economy. National chain stores return $14 of every $100 spent, while Amazon returns nearly zero.
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.
Local nonprofit organizations depend on contributions from local businesses. This support extends to civic institutions like schools, churches, and fraternal leagues that aid economic prosperity, community cohesion, and trust.
The rise of online shopping, undercutting Main Street retailers, also changes land use patterns. Amazon doesn’t place its warehouses downtown but in remote industrial parks. As demand for Main Street storefronts declines, so will local governments’ tax revenue base. You don’t have to swear off shopping with online giants or chain stores altogether. However, we encourage you to look for ways to shift even one or two purchases to independent, community-based businesses this season. Need some inspiration? Check out our online marketplace called The Local Crowd Mercantile at shop.tlcmonadnock.com. Discover gift ideas from 200 Monadnock Region businesses. Thanks to Monadnock Food Co-op and Saving Bank of Walpole for allowing us to offer our online marketplace at no cost to participating businesses this year.
Shop Indie Local Online
Also, consider the many makers, artists, and manufacturers who produce their products in New Hampshire. The Monadnock Region includes many small businesses represented in the Monadnock Arts Alive’s Creative Community database.
Also, don’t miss events like the Holiday Fair at Granite Mill in Harrisville on December 2 & 3, Holiday Shopping Night at the American House Keene Senior Living Community on December 4, Artisan Market at 17 ROX in Keene on December 9, and Last Minute Larry Holiday Arts Market on December 10 at Brewbakers Café. Discover more events at discovermonadnock.com. So, give yourself — and your community — a gift this year by shifting more of your spending to our local merchants, service providers, artisans, and other locally owned and independent businesses. Happy Holidays!
The Local Crowd Monadnock Member Marketplace connects locally owned businesses with other locally owned businesses -- and businesses with community members like you. Marketplace members can showcase their best products and services to reach more local customers like you!
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