Mark Maynard | buy local

Author Amy Cortese on the burgeoning “locavesting” movement, and how we can harness it in Michigan

By Mark | October 25, 2012

Next Tuesday, October 30, Think Local First will be bringing author Amy Cortese to Ann Arbor to discuss her book Locavesting: The Revolution in Local Investing and How to Profit From It. Following is my interview with Amy, who, in addition to being a published author, has written for the likes of the New York [...]

Posted in Ann Arbor, Economics, entrepreneurism, Local Business, Locally Owned Business, Retail, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Also tagged Accelerating Community Capital, American Sustainable Business Council, Amy Cortese, Arbor Brewing Company, blood funnel, blue sky laws, butchershop, CDFI, Chamber of Commerce, Clare, community development loan funds, Cops & Doughnuts, crowdfunding, CSA, Dante Hesse, economic development, interviews, investing, Jobs Act, Judy Wicks, Jumpstart Our Business Startups, Kickstarter, LION, lobbying, local investing, Local Investing Opportunities Network, Localist, locavesting, Locavesting: The Revolution in Local Investing and How to Profit From It, Main Street vs. Wall Street, Matt Greff, Milk Thistle Farm, move your money to a credit union, Obama, Occupy Wall Street, Port Townsend, Port Townsend LION, private placement, public offering, Rene Greff, SEC, Securities and Exchange Commission, single-payer system, Slow Money, Small Business Administration, Stacy Mitchell, subsidies, tax loopholes, tax reform, The Big Box Swindle, The Brinery, Think Local First, unaccredited investors, Woody Tasch, Zingerman's | 7 Comments

BALLE founder Judy Wicks on the origins of Urban Outfitters, the birth of the Localist movement, and the necessity of local ownership

By Mark | June 23, 2012

Recently, while in Grand Rapids, I had the occasion to meet Judy Wicks, the founder of the White Dog Cafe in Philadelphia, and the woman who, ten years ago, brought the Business Alliance for Living Local Economies (BALLE) into being. Since the meeting, we’ve been chatting by way of email… Here’s the interview. MARK: Having [...]

Posted in Economics, Local Business, Locally Owned Business, Sustainability | Also tagged 1983, American Sustainable Business Council, Amy Goodman, ASBC, BALLE, Ben and Jerry's, Ben Cohen, Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, Chelsea Green, Chiapas, corporations, corporatocracy, democracy, Eskimo, factory farming, Fair Food, fair trade, fast food, Free People’s Store, George McGovern, Going Local, Good Morning Beautiful Business, Guy Bazzanni, Helen Caldicott, Honest Tea, human scale, Jim Hightower, Jim Slama, Joel Soloman, Judy Wicks, Lester Brown, local economy, local food, local food production, Localist, Michael Shuman, national chains, Odawalla Juice, ownership, Philadelphia, re-localization, Richard Hayne, sense of place, single-payer system, social change, Social Venture Network, socially responsible business, Starbucks, Stoneyfield Farms, Ted Rouse, The Body Shop, Tom’s of Maine, universal health care, Urban Outfitters, White Dog Cafe, Wicky Wacky Woods, Zapatistas | 10 Comments

Zingerman’s co-founder Paul Saginaw on the importance of robust local business ecosystems, the upcoming BALLE conference in Grand Rapids, and the meaning of “real prosperity”

By Mark | April 22, 2012

For the first time ever, the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) will be holding its national, annual conference for independently owned, socially responsible businesses, here, in Michigan. The meeting, which is being called Real Prosperity Starts Here, is scheduled to take place in Grand Rapids this May, and, as of right now, I’m [...]

Posted in Corporate Crime, Detroit, Economics, entrepreneurism, Environment, Food, Ideas, Local Business, Locally Owned Business, Michigan, Sustainability, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Also tagged American Expres, Appalachian Harvest Network, BALLE, Burlington, Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, Community Food Enterprise, cool local initiatives, crowdfunding, farming, food hubs, Grand Rapids, healthy food access, Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Intervale Food Hub, Kellogg Foundation, local, local economy, Local First, Localist, localwashing, Michael Shuman, national chains, Paul Saginaw, prosperity, re-localization, Rodger Bowser, Rust Belt, Shift Your Shopping, Stacy Mitchell, tobacco, Vermont, Wal-Mart, Wallace Center at Winrock International, Water Street, Zingerman's, Zingerman's Community of Businesses | 17 Comments

An interview with The Wurst Bar’s Jesse Kranyak

By Mark | January 29, 2012

A few days ago, I posted something here about Ypsi’s newest, gourmet sausage-filled watering hole, The Wurst Bar. As I said at the time, I really liked the place, and, since my visit, I’ve been exchanging emails with the owner, Jesse Kranyak. What follows is our exchange. I hope you enjoy it. MARK: Assuming you’re [...]

Posted in entrepreneurism, Food, Local Business, Locally Owned Business, Ypsilanti | Also tagged AJ Bombers, alligator, blood sausage, bratwurst, brioche, Cafe Felix, cod, crawdad, Cross Street, Dan Klenotic, Eastern Michigan University, Father's Office, fish sauce, foodie, fried green tomato, Frog Holler, hamburgers, Jeff Sanchez, Jesse Kranyak, Jim Seba, Kelly's Island, Kelly's Island House, kimchi, Lake Erie, local economy, local food, local food production, local produce, Marines, meat, Mexican Coke, Mike Babcock, Millers, miso, mouthfeel, munster, Peace Corps, pimento cheese, placenta, placenta sausage, rabbit, rattlesnake chorizo, Redwood, restaurants, reuben, sauerkraut, sausage, snap, tamari, The Southerner, Theo's, Umami Burger, Wurst Bar, Ypsi immigration interview, Ypsilanti bars | 53 Comments

Portland, Maine study shows dramatic impact of buying local

By Mark | December 28, 2011

I haven’t taken the time to look into the methodology of the study in any great detail, but, according to our friends at BALLE, the folks at the Maine Center for Economic Policy have completed a study showing that dollars spent at locally-owned businesses yield almost twice as much in the way of local economic [...]

Posted in Economics, Local Business, Locally Owned Business, Uncategorized | Also tagged American Express, BALLE, big box retail, Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, Buy Indie in Ypsi, Dollar Tree, economic development, Garrett Martin, local economy, Maine, Maine Center for Economic Policy, MECEP, national chains, PIBCA, Portland, Portland Independent Business & Community Alliance, Shop Ypsi for the Holidays, Small Business Saturday | 10 Comments

Tag Archives: buy local

Author Amy Cortese on the burgeoning “locavesting” movement, and how we can harness it in Michigan

Zingerman’s co-founder Paul Saginaw on the importance of robust local business ecosystems, the upcoming BALLE conference in Grand Rapids, and the meaning of “real prosperity”

An interview with The Wurst Bar’s Jesse Kranyak

Portland, Maine study shows dramatic impact of buying local

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