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.
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!
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 $23.9 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 well-being. Independent businesses re-circulate more money in our community than chain stores. Moreover, studies show that small businesses create most new jobs, meaning today’s local Valentines are tomorrow’s jobs.
Last year’s National Retail Federation survey found that 53 percent of Americans planned to celebrate with candy, greeting cards, and flowers.
Small businesses made it to the top five Valentine’s shopping destinations in National Retail Federation’s survey. The local love spirit is growing! So, continue to show lots of local love this Valentine’s Day. That love will circle back to you, your loved ones, and — best of all — your entire community.
If you plan to shop for Valentine’s gifts online, please check if your favorite locally owned shop has an online store. Or browse our online collection of Valentine’s Day items from independent businesses at TLC Monadnock Mercantile.
Here are some extra special ways to show your local love this Valentine’s Day: Purchase chocolates from Ava Marie Handmade Chocolates in Peterborough, Life is Sweet Candy Shop in Keene, Ye Goodie Shoppe in Keene, and L.A. Burdick Chocolates in Walpole. Have you seen Burdick’s seasonal Chocolate Rabbits to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit? Adorable and available to ship now through January 27. Give a gift that keeps giving, select a weekly Flower CSA Share from Vera Flora Farm in Gilsum, Ripple Cut Flower Farm in Peterborough, or Catbird Flower Farm in Keene. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, meaning your purchase of a share now helps these farmers invest in the future growing season with confidence -- knowing that their bounty will go to a good home. Send a greeting card from Tree-Free Greetings. They make their cards out of sustainable materials such as kenaf, hemp, wheat straw, and sugarcane waste -- right at their solar-powered facility here in Keene. Tree-Free donates 25% of their revenue (not just their profits) to nonprofits through their Cards for a Cause program. Pick up a card online or at Monadnock Food Co-op in Keene. On February 10, join the Monadnock Food Co-op in Keene for their Local Love Sample Night from 4-6 p.m. Enjoy free samples of local and regional goodies perfect for a Valentine’s Day gift or to complement a Valentine’s Day meal.
Check out other local Valentine's events in 2023:
Looking for another way to show the local love and support local economies everywhere? Support our Shop Indie Local crowdfunding campaign on The Local Crowd Monadnock and fuel our year-round movement to grow more local, equitable, and inclusive economies.
With your help, we’ll strengthen campaigns like Plaid Friday and Eat Local Month in your community and throughout North America. Plus, we’ll add new efforts like Move Your Money and Shop Black-Owned Month.
Give Today
Offline donations are also accepted. Checks should be made out to AMIBA with “Shop Indie Local” in the memo and mailed to AMIBA, 524 Boston Post Road, Wayland, MA, 01778. Thank you for fueling the Shop Indie Local Movement!
Whether a pop-up shop, pop-up event, or pop-up planning process – the Pop-Up Economy means that whatever pops up is temporary. This short-term status makes pop-ups less risky than setting up something permanent and typically requires less investment of time and money. It allows entrepreneurs to test a new product or business idea and see how the community responds.
Check out these upcoming pop-up events here in the Monadnock Region.
Northeast Wine Company will offer Vintage: A Pop-Up Wine Experience on January 5 and February 2 from 2 – 7 p.m. at Brewtopia on Washington Street in Keene. Taste, learn about, and purchase hard-to-find wines at retail cost.
“The American Northeast is currently experiencing a renaissance of wine production, making high-quality and unique wines in every state,” said Sarah Trubnick, owner of Northeast Wine Company. “Northeast Wine Company is dedicated to showcasing sustainably and responsibly produced wines from small wineries throughout these emerging regions. We strive to make these wines available in restaurants and wine shops across New Hampshire and increase public awareness of the Northeast’s unique terroir.”
This event is free, but participants must be 21+ years old. Please register in advance. Learn more about Northeast Wine Company.
Save the date for this pop-up! The Monadnocker is thrilled to announce their Local Community Pop-Up on May 20 at His & Hers Farm in Alstead.
“Think fresh air, flowers, and sunshine! The farm’s vintage, lovingly restored barn will feature talented makers from the area with handcrafted goods, foodie flavors, and sweet surprises. Wander His & Hers Farm with its slopes, pergolas, terrace, and garden scapes, all thoughtfully created by kind and generous husband and wife owners, Dean & Wendy,” shared Caroline Tremblay from The Monadnocker. “Together, we’re planning an event filled with lives tunes, games on the grass, and crafting activities for all! If you heard the buzz about our Greenhouse Pop-Up in 2022, you know this is not a day you want to miss.”
TheMonadnocker.com is a digital, local magazine designed to spark, delight in, and celebrate the local experiences that make Southern New Hampshire so extraordinary.
Here are two pop-up examples beyond our region to inspire the growth of our Pop-Up Economy: Holiday Pop-Up Shops in Oklahoma City and Replay Lincoln Park in Chicago.
Each December since 2012, an empty corner in Oklahoma City has transformed into an outdoor shopping destination called The Holiday Pop-Up Shops. This pop-up generated over $650,000 in sales for participating shops last year and raised significant funds for its organizer, the Independent Shopkeepers Association.
Imagine cozy igloo dome tents chocked full of unique products from locally owned businesses, a Christmas tree at the center of this festive scene (much like the one on Keene’s Central Square), plus other decorations and temporary structures to host shopkeepers and attract and delight residents and visitors alike. “The Holiday Pop-Ups aren't just about supporting local shops; they're also about connecting our community through placemaking,” shared the Independent Shopkeepers Association. “We encourage customers to find new shops during the Pop-Ups and support those shops at their brick-and-mortar locations the rest of the year.” New this year, The Holiday Pop-Up Shops offered a limited number of Top Shopper Happy Hour preview passes, giving true fans access to three preview shopping nights before the shops opened to the public. Happy Hour shoppers also received special goodies from partners and sponsors. Discover more!
A vintage arcade bar in Chicago called Replay Lincoln Park offers unique experiences by launching pop-up themes. Currently, the arcade bar hosts A Very Harry Christmas Pop-Up, transforming the bar into a Harry Potter-themed winter experience with special cocktails, magical photo opportunities, and fun events throughout the month. Past pop-up themes included The Office, Shrek's Swamp, Moe's Tavern, and many more.
“These pop-up shops are a celebration of pop culture and complement our core mission, said Mark Kwia, the manager at Replay. “We’re a vintage arcade bar that celebrates an easier, more youthful time. Never grow up; it’s a trap!”
Have ideas to make our community pop with the Pop-Up Economy? Share your vision with us at jen@thelocalcrowd.com.
You love the idea of buying local, but the next thing you know … click, you bought that gift online from a business based far from our community. It’s so easy! And your one purchase won’t really make a difference… or will it? Shopping online impacts job growth, taxes, and land use patterns in our community. Why? One reason is the Local Multiplier. The Local Multiplier occurs when you spend your dollars at a locally owned and independent business instead of a chain store or online giant. Spend your dollars at independent business and your dollars recirculate through our local economy four times more than if you spent that money at a chain store or online giant. As your dollars move through our community, the money generates more local wealth, charitable contributions, and jobs.
While the image above reflects national data, Monadnock Region independent retailers return, 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 close to zero.
We can thank the actions of independent business owners for the Local Multiplier since they spend more of their revenue locally than chain stores and online giants. “Say you spend money at a local pharmacy,” 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.”
To get more specific about jobs, one study found that independent retailers employ 57 people for every $10 million in sales, while Amazon employs only 14 people per $10 million in revenue. In 2021, Amazon sales in New Hampshire displaced 8,199 retail jobs, while Amazon employed just 1,000 workers in our state. These statistics come from a Civic Economics study called “Unfulfilled.” The report found that Amazon’s sales displaced 1,014,163 retail jobs and 621.8 million square feet of commercial space nationally in 2021. In some communities, the cost to taxpayers is even higher when economic developers offer tax rebates and subsidies to attract Amazon to base some of its operations in their region. As of November 17, Amazon and its subsidiaries received over $5.1 billion in public subsidies. Learn more at goodjobsfirst.org/amazon-tracker.
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. Civic Economics concluded that as demand for Main Street storefronts declines, so will local governments’ tax revenue base. “Amazon provides a valuable convenience, one that tens of millions of households (ours included) are willing to pay $99 a year to maximize,” said Matt Cunningham from Civic Economics. “We do not believe, though, that Americans yet comprehend the nature of the tradeoffs to come. They may be asked to accept an increase of hundreds of dollars in annual household tax burden to pick up the slack from the stores they visit less often. They may be required to fund redevelopment efforts around struggling commercial districts and failed shopping centers, or to live with the boarded up storefronts.” "This unprecedented study makes abundantly clear the deleterious effects on the American economy resulting from Amazon's strategy of retail dominance," said Oren Teicher, CEO of the American Booksellers Association. "It's our hope that the facts included in this report will help policymakers and the public better understand the need for more diversity in the marketplace and recognize the potential long‐term costs of the loss of healthy local economies." Do you just love the ease of shopping online? You can still shop online and shop at locally owned businesses. Check out our online marketplace called The Local Crowd Mercantile. 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. Remember, every purchase -- and click -- counts. Please Shop Indie Local this holiday season: Gift Local and Give More!
For the tenth year, let’s shine a light on local food, farms, and our Monadnock Region food system during New Hampshire Eats Local Month, a month-long celebration of our state’s harvest in August.
Our food system includes all the pieces needed to bring local food from the farm to our plates: the soil, farm workers, transportation networks, markets, and more -- everything needed to grow, harvest, and distribute these goods to us. These pieces come together to form our local food system. Please dig in and enjoy part one of this year’s bounty of updates!
Marty Castriotta of Village Roots Permaculture in Alstead recently launched a crowdfunding campaign to help him write a book called Emerging Patterns of Resilience. The book will explore some of the best examples of permaculture design in the Northeast, including farms and backyard gardens. Permaculture uses ecological principles -- inspiration from nature -- to design and regenerate healthy, productive landscapes and communities. Marty aims to inspire the next generation, the climate generation, to co-create a future of abundance.
Support Village Roots Today!
Exciting news for local food producers in our region! Monadnock Food Co-op purchased a food production facility on the other side of their parking lot. Ten years ago, the building housed a shared-use space called Neighbor Made to support local producers.
While Neighbor Made closed, a plant-based meal producer, MamaSezz, currently utilizes the space. MamaSezz plans to outgrow the space within the next three years.
What’s next for the space? The Co-op hopes to establish a place that supports its own growth while providing production space for local food producers. Have ideas or questions? Please contact General Manager Michael Faber at gm@monadnockfood.coop.
This August, round up your purchases at Monadnock Food Co-op and donate your change to Food Connects, a food hub based in Brattleboro, VT. Food Connects proudly serves New England farmers and food producers and recognizes that local shopping strengthens our local economy.
In 2021, Food Connects broke all previous records and returned over $1,240,000 in sales to its farmers and food producers, demonstrating its commitment to New England food systems. New Hampshire food producers generated about 38% of these sales. Food Connects also joined the New Hampshire Food Hub Network, made up of six food hubs working collaboratively to strengthen our state’s local food economy.
“We’re thrilled to formally partner with the NH Food Hub Network to strengthen our hub’s connection to others across the state,” said Alex McCullough, Food Hub Co-Director, “Regional partnerships like this provide Food Connects with the ability to connect New Hampshire producers to new markets to the west and south.”
Cornucopia Project works to plant the seeds for a lifetime of healthy eating. This year’s fresh new offering includes a traveling hydroponic tower for growing food in our region’s schools, libraries, and institutions. They piloted the hydroponic tower in an eighth-grade science classroom and it quickly engaged the students. Students helped establish the “baby” plants grown on Cornucopia Project’s educational farm in Peterborough and learned how to keep the plants nourished throughout the spring. Lettuce, spinach, pea, tomato, sage, basil, and Swiss chard (a favorite!) provided snacks every week, along with water chemistry and biology lessons. “We are seeing the impact of firsthand experience on our participants’ learning, joy, curiosity, and engagement with the local food system,” shared Jess Gerrior, Cornucopia Project Program Specialist. “We celebrate our local farmers, restaurants, gardeners, seed savers, and others who are making those lifelong connections.”
One thing for sure, food can only be grown locally if there is local land on which to grow it. That’s why the Monadnock Conservancy is working to protect some of the most beloved farms in our region. Using a tool called a conservation easement – a permanent agreement that prohibits development but permits forestry and farming – the Conservancy ensures local farms stay farms in perpetuity while remaining more affordable for future farmers. What’s more, when established, many farm conservation easements provide cash to farmers to expand their business, pay down debt, or plan to transfer the farm to the next generation. This summer, the Conservancy partnered with Kroka Expeditions to protect 15.5 acres of farmland in Alstead, where the wilderness school grows much of the food consumed by their students and livestock. The soil on the property is considered “prime” by the US Department of Agriculture, meaning it is among the country’s most fertile and productive farmland. Monadnock Conservancy will work this summer to conserve seven acres of prime land owned and farmed by Pete’s Stand, a third generation farmstand, along the Connecticut River in Walpole. Looking ahead, Picadilly Farm in Winchester will conserve the last 25 unprotected acres of their 71-acre property, a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm that feeds 1,000 households in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts. “We are honored to partner with local farmers to ensure that their land remains available to farm forever and that their businesses thrive,” said Monadnock Conservancy Executive Director Ryan Owens. “The Monadnock Region’s farms are the cornerstones of our communities.”
Now, get out there and enjoy our farms! Attend the fourth annual Monadnock Farm Tour on Saturday, August 20, from 12 – 5 pm. Twelve vibrant Monadnock farms will open their barns, fields, hen houses, kitchens, and a pudding plant. The event highlights the impact farms have on our local economy, their role in preserving open space, and how they contribute to our quality of life. The tour costs $10 per car or $5 per person. This Monadnock Farm Tour is produced by the Monadnock Farm & Community Coalition and Monadnock Food Co-op.
Discover more!
Stay tuned for part two of this article in August, including local food and farm updates from Cheshire County Conservation District, The Community Kitchen’s Mobile Food Pantry, and more! 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.
We’re wrapping up NH Eats Local Month -- a month-long celebration of local food, farmers, producers, and our local food system. A strong local food system keeps communities vibrant, economies growing, and landscapes healthy. When you eat local food, the benefits ripple out through our community, helping small businesses thrive. Here’s part two of our article highlighting updates in our local food system.
The Local Crowd Monadnock and The Local Crowd Upper Valley launched a crowdfunding campaign to support Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire and Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont Farm Share Programs. These two programs support organic farmers while making high-quality local food more accessible to community members in need. Funds raised from this crowdfunding campaign will allow more children, families, seniors, and other low-income individuals to receive a season’s worth of farm-fresh, organic produce at a reduced cost. Learn more and support this campaign today.
Support This Campaign
The Monadnock Food Co-op conducted its inaugural Producer Survey this year in partnership with the Cheshire Country Conservation District. The survey collected baseline data from 110 locally owned businesses growing or making products in our region.
These businesses’ most significant challenges include hiring labor, generating a profit, and developing marketing options. In terms of opportunities, survey respondents shared that they’d like to see local food system builders support Eat Local/Shop Local education, boost grant programs, and invest in labor resources. Learn more about the survey at monadnockfood.coop/vendors.
In 2022, Cheshire Country Conservation District partnered with the Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship and National Center for Appropriate Technology to host a free business planning course for local food producers. Participating farmers learned how to enhance the competitiveness of their business, created a business plan, and received a $2,000 stipend. Stay tuned for another course this fall at cheshireconservation.org/businessplanning.
The Community Kitchen hosted its first Monadnock Mobile Food Pantry pop-up event at the Senior Living Center in Winchester this summer. In addition to pantry staples, the pantry offered locally grown produce from Picadilly Farm in Winchester. Southwestern Community Services provided information about food and heating assistance, and the Monadnock Humane Society offered pet food and information on animal care. Help bring more local food to the Mobile Food Pantry by contributing to the Monadnock Farm and Community Coalition Locals’ Local Fund at bit.ly/localsfund. This fund will support local farmers who sell fresh, local food at a negotiated price to the mobile pantry. Interested in future mobile pop-up events or volunteering? Please call Kate at 603-352-3200.
Monadnock Farm and Community Coalition will launch a new marketing campaign to help you more easily identify products made or grown in the Monadnock Region. The “Monadnock Grown” designation will inspire us to choose local and boost our local economy by purchasing Monadnock made and grown products at grocery outlets and farm stands. Stay tuned at mfcommunitycoalition.org.
Some thirty gardeners are growing produce on more than sixty plots at Monadnock View Community Garden (MVCG) in West Keene this season. MVCG also includes a pollinator garden and a communal raspberry patch. Subsidized plots are available for community members who may need assistance, courtesy of Antioch University’s Community Garden Connections. Gardeners donated seedlings and purchased plants to six dedicated 'Giving Garden' plots to grow vegetables for The Community Kitchen and Hundred Nights Shelter. Volunteer garden angels share in the watering, weeding, and harvesting. "Impacts from food insecurity, supply chain issues, and climate change mean providing healthy local food to those who need it is more important than ever," shared Rowland Russell, who co-coordinates the Giving Garden with Toni Spring-Baker. If you are interested in securing a plot at the garden next year, contact Kristy Morrison with the City of Keene at kmorrison@ci.keene.nh.us. Contact Rowland to learn more about becoming a garden angel at rrussell@antioch.edu. Thank you to all the individuals, programs, policies, and initiatives that continue to build more robust local and regional food systems in our corner of the state and throughout New England. Together, we’re cultivating healthier citizens, communities, and economies.
Keene Mayor George Hansel proclaimed July as Independents Month at the July 7, 2022, City Council Meeting. "Keene's local independent businesses help preserve the uniqueness of the community and give us a sense of place," said Mayor Hansel. "As we celebrate Independents Month 2022, we acknowledge that the ability to choose the direction of Keene lies within each of us."
Independents Month, led locally by The Local Crowd Monadnock and nationally by American Independent Business Alliance, is a time to recognize locally owned businesses and how they make their community healthier and wealthier.
Learn More
This July, celebrate Independents Month with The Local Crowd (TLC) Monadnock. Independents Month is a time to think and act locally to shape our region’s future. One perfect way to celebrate is to take our Indie Challenge. Pledge to make all your purchases at locally owned businesses -- for one day, one week, or the entire month. You choose!
Sign on to the Indie Challenge today!
“I want to help create a robust local economy,” said Indie Challenge-taker Laura Carbonneau from Food Connects. “Business owners can't do it on their own -- they need community buy-in and investment!”
Here’s an extra incentive to take the Indie Challenge: One lucky participant will win our Independents Month Staycation Giveaway. Our Staycation Giveaway includes a two-night Stay at the Inn at Valley Farms in Walpole, a gift card to The Hungry Diner in Walpole, a gift certificate to the Farm Store at Walpole Valley Farms in Walpole, a gift certificate for two 5 x 7 photo prints from Peterborough Camera, Copies & More in Peterborough, two tubes of sunscreen from Badger in Gilsum, one yoga class from Aloha Keene, and two keychains from GeoGraphic Gems. WOW! Now, that’s some staycation inspiration.
Also, all Indie Challenge participants can enter to win the Upper Valley of NH/VT Staycation Giveaway. We’ll announce the winners in early August.
See all the details here
“I believe in buying local -- I did even before it was so popular!” shared Indie Challenge participant Sue Ells from Monadnock Food Co-op. “And I need a staycation!”
Independents Month is an ideal time to recognize our locally owned and independent businesses for the community values they embody and their spirit of entrepreneurship. Also, how 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 love having local businesses nearby because it’s convenient. I can see what I’m buying and how the businesses contribute to our economic community,” said Paula F. of Stoddard. “And I can get the advice and guidance needed for my purchases. We all win!”
How do locally owned businesses keep us healthier and wealthier? It’s thanks to the local multiplier effect. When you spend your dollars at independent businesses, those businesses also spend more of their dollars locally, creating a ripple effect in our community that boosts job growth, charitable giving, and overall prosperity. The Monadnock Indie Impact Study found that our region’s local retailers return 62.4% of their revenue to our local economy, while chain stores return just 13.6%.
Learn more
“Our community is the foundation for everything that is good in our world,” shared Michelle D. of Spofford.
Traveling during Independents Week? Enjoy what locally owned businesses have to offer wherever you are. Ask locals where their favorite independents are and look for networks at amiba.net/our-network.
Summer means vacation for many of us. However, taking a vacation doesn’t have to include traveling far to get away. Take a staycation this year! Stay close to home and experience all the Monadnock Region has to offer. You’ll save money at the gas pumps. Plus, any money you do spend will recirculate in our local economy, building more community health and wealth.
Here are just a few events to add to your staycation plans this June. Also, keep reading to the end of this article to find out how to enter our Staycation Giveaway!
Gilsum will ROCK the weekend of June 25 – 26 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 p.m. on Saturday, Paul Brandes, the “Indiana Jones of Geology,” will share a history of mining starting 60,000 years ago.
View the full schedule
Finally, check out our Independents Month Staycation Promotion coming this summer. Enter our giveaway by signing on to our Indie Month Challenge.
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.
The winner of our Staycation Package will receive a two-Night Stay at the Inn at Valley Farms in Walpole, a gift card to The Hungry Diner in Walpole, a gift certificate to the Farm Store at Walpole Valley Farms in Walpole, a gift certificate for two 5 x 7 photo prints from Peterborough Camera, Copies & More in Peterborough, two tubes of sunscreen from Badger in Gilsum, one yoga class from Aloha Keene, and two keychains from GeoGraphic Gems. Best of all, you can enter to win an Upper Valley of NH/VT staycation package, too. We’ll announce winners in early August.
Take the Indie Challenge!
We hope summer means staycation for you this year. Happy local travels!
PAST EVENTS
Also on June 4, downtown Keene comes alive with food, too! The Keene Young Professionals Network will host the second annual Taste of Keene Food Festival at the top of Main Street from 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Central Square, the upper section of Main Street, and part of Roxbury Street will be closed to traffic, allowing for a fantastic pedestrian-only event.
Enjoy small bites from twenty-five local restaurants and food producers. Purchase your food tokens today and save. Watch cooking demos from local and regional chefs throughout the day.
As an added treat, The Colonial Theatre will host two live performances during the festival, the Real McCoy Show International Stunt Comedy in a Hard Hat.
Brent McCoy is the Real McCoy. “His acclaimed show features breathtaking stunts, natural charisma, and a lightning-fast wit. It’s a rocking circus and comedy experience, appropriate for all ages. This ain’t no imitation… it’s the Real McCoy,” shared The Colonial Theatre. “The show features audience participation, original comedy, diabolo, juggling (fire is optional), breakdancing, and his signature finale, ‘a boy on a board on a ball on a bench.’ Brent will meet members of the audience in The Colonial tent between performances. And it's customary to tip street performers!”
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. Beverage tokens available for sale at the event. Enjoy live music while you sip from three bands: The Evocatives, Modern Fools, and Mojohand.
BUT THAT'S NOT ALL! This just in from KeeneYPN: We're looking for ten brave souls who are looking to terrify their taste buds in a scorching hot wing eating contest at the Taste of Keene Food Festival. Contestants will be expected to eat four rounds of increasingly hot chicken wings, with short breaks between each round to let the heat...well...burn. If more than one person survives the wings, we will offer a devilish dessert as a tie-breaker. The winner will be the last one sweati--uh, standing. Each contestant will get a limited edition Taste of Keene Hot Wing t-shirt, flame sweatband, pint of Frisky Cow Gelato and pint of milk. The top three winners receive grand prizes. Please note that contestants will be required to sign a waiver prior to participating.
Enter by purchasing your ticket here ($30 entry fee). The The Few, the Brave, the SPICY!! contest will run from 3:30 to about 4:15.
Downtown storefronts will transform into art galleries during Keene ArtWalk on June 3 – 12. Stroll up and down Main Street to view the works of over sixty New Hampshire artists.
Learn More: Keene ArtWalk
On Saturday, June 4, the ArtWalk expands to Railroad Square with a day of performances and demonstrations, including ballroom dance, glass blowing, and more.
For a more nature-based staycation plan, join Monadnock Conservancy for a 20-mile mountain bike tour in Fitzwilliam on Saturday, June 18, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Learn about plans to improve this section of the Cheshire Rail Trail, plus efforts to protect the Chamberlain Conservation Area and Sip Pond. Registration is required.
The Local Crowd Monadnock - Keene, NH
