The New Green Economy

Local businesses are easy to overlook given the onslaught of corporate advertising that pollutes our daily lives. For years we have seen companies like Wal-Mart enter small towns and devastate the competition and I don't have to tell you how Apple has revolutionized the cell phone industry. Don’t get me wrong, I love the fact that I’m able to go to the mall and pick up a Chipotle burrito or maybe change my mind and head across the street to add some queso at Qdoba (because we all know the only difference between the two is the queso). However, it took me a recent trip to the local Farmer’s Market to remind myself how important the small business owner is to not just Boulder, Colorado, but cities and towns across the nation.

In the past 13 years, I had never once attended the Farmer’s Market, so I assume there are some of you out there still debating to make an appearance. I’m here to tell you that it’s time to take a break from the Whole Foods salad. Grab some food at your local Farmer’s Market like I did. Walking around, I couldn’t help but notice the families and their children working hard to earn a living. Even the little boy giving me home brewed lemonade got my attention. This was their life. Every trip I take to publicly traded companies was money out of their pocket, and one step closer to the demise of the local business. There is no chance I’ll let that happen. That lemonade was good!

The Farmer’s Market is not just a place to eat. It’s a place of social value and social networks. A tightly knit local community is the key to success for a local business. Within minutes of arriving at the Famer’s Market, I recognized at least five people, two of which were working booths. This is what a community should be; local events for the local people. Dozens of tents, people talking, people laughing, the Farmer’s Market proved to be a very successful event. By the time I left, I realized the true value of Farmer's markets and how perfectly they embody the essence of the local business.

It’s hard to believe it’s been 55 days now since the Deepwater Horizon platform exploded and crude oil began spewing forth in staggering amounts into the Gulf of Mexico.  While it was originally estimated that some 5,000 barrels were polluting Louisiana coastal waters on a daily basis, experts now believe that number may be upwards of up to 40,000 barrels or 1.7 million gallons on a daily basis.