Washington County Weekend Post

GMTODAY.COM SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2021 • WASHINGTON COUNTY POST • 3A WEST BEND MAXWELL STREET DAYS Join us for 2 days of shopping, deals, food and fun! Thursday, August 5 Music on Maxwell Street Shopping, deals, food, vendor fair and live music 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. in Downtown West Bend! Wednesday, August 4 Traditional Maxwell Street Day Shop for great deals at participating stores and restaurants throughout West Bend! Residents of a given town or city are often encouraged to support local businesses by looking to these firms to fill their needs. Small businesses are not just integral parts of communities, employing millions across the country, they also are operations that fund the very commu- nities they service. Efforts to promote shop- ping local appear to be working. According to the Commonwealth Financial Group, over the last several years there has been a shift in consumer purchasing behavior marked by a pref- erence among consumers to support locally owned shops and stores over big-box retailers and even online shopping. The following are some key reasons why shopping locally not only benefits small business owners, but also the communities they call home and the cus- tomers they serve. • More money stays in the community: According to the American Indepen- dent Business Alliance, for every $100 spent at a local business, $68 remains in the community. Conversely, only 43 percent of every $100 spent at a chain retailer stays in the community. • Job creation: The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies says local businesses create the major- ity of economic growth. They employ millions of Americans by creating roughly two-thirds of pri- vate sector jobs. Local busi- ness owners also tend to hire people who represent the demographics of the communities where the business is located, which may include historically underserved populations. • Diversity of prod- ucts: Local stores tend to diversify their products and services to meet the needs of the local communities, whereas chain stores often stock their shelves based on national demands. • Personalized service: A small business owner may be more inclined to go to great lengths to make customers happy because the long-term success of the business depends on cus- tomers becoming repeat customers. • Personal connection: Knowing the people behind a business facilitates a con- nection not easily achieved with other companies. Cus- tomers may celebrate when a favorite business succeeds and look to spread the word about that business because they feel like they played a positive role in its success. Shopping locally has gained momentum and is fueled by the many advan- tages to supporting local businesses. The various advantages to shopping locally Thriving communities tend to share certain char- acteristics. Communities that are inclusive and encourage participation by all residents tend to thrive, as do those where there are opportunities to grow, both professionally and personal- ly. Safety is another com- mon component of thriving communities. When resi- dents feel safe in their com- munities, they can feel free to pursue their goals, creat- ing the sense that possibili- ties are endless. According to the Pan Pacific Safe Communities Network, a membership- based, non-government organization that promotes safety in an effort to prevent injuries and violence, safety benefits communities in myriad ways. The PPSCN notes that safe communities see a reduction in the num- bers and costs of injuries and violence and a promo- tion of community-wide health and safety, all the while instilling a sense of community pride. Communities tend to be at their safest when all members pitch in to do their part. The following are some simple ways individu- als can help make their communities safer. • Make an effort to know your neighbors. According to SafeHome.org, an online resource that aims to assist consumers as they search for sensible security solutions for their homes, knowing one's neighbors is a great way to recognize when suspicious persons are in the area. This can serve as a safety net against burglaries and kid- nappings. • Install exterior light- ing around your home and make sure street lamps are promptly fixed. Exterior lighting on the porch and around the perimeter of your home can make for an effective deter- rent to intruders. Burglars look from dark spaces, so they're more likely to avoid well-lit properties than those under the cloak of darkness. Urge community leaders and companies, such as politicians and local energy providers, to promptly replace street lamp bulbs when they burn out. Street lamps make com- munities safer for children and pedestrians and can serve as deterrents to crimi- nals just like lights around individual properties. • Reinvigorate neglect- ed areas. Abandoned parks and run-down public gath- ering spaces present an image of a community that does not care about itself. That can make communi- ties seem like easy targets for criminals. Community members can join together via social media groups or more traditional grassroots efforts like door-to-door campaigning to collectively reinvigorate neglected areas within their commu- nities. Organize park clean- ups that culminate with a community barbecue, which can serve to clean up spaces and bring communi- ty members together. • Spread the word. Individuals are essential to building safe communities, but that responsibility is community-wide. Spread the word of your efforts via social media, township meetings, community schools, and churches. Your actions may just inspire oth- ers to follow suit. Building safe communi- ties requires collective efforts on the part of all res- idents, who can then reap the many rewards of living somewhere safe. Simple ways individuals can help make their communities safer Few things are more sat- isfying than biting into a fresh tomato right from the garden or seasoning a meal with herbs picked from a windowsill greenhouse. Restaurants recognize the value of such experiences, and more and more are rely- ing on locally sourced prod- ucts in their kitchens. The farm-to-table move- ment is not new, but it has gained momentum as con- sumers become increasing- ly enamored with the flavor and environmental impact of locally sourced foods. The National Restaurant Association found that farm-to-table food was one of its top 10 trends for 2015. Furthermore, the group says that one in five con- sumers are willing to pay more for local food, and 41 percent admit that locally sourced ingredients influ- ence their decisions when choosing where to dine. Newcomers to the farm- to-table dining experience may not understand all the fuss surrounding this popu- lar trend. The following are some of the key benefits of farm-to-table. • Peak freshness and ripeness: Local produce ripens on the plant and can be harvested at the last pos- sible minute before it turns up on a plate. This helps ensure that it contains the highest amount of nutri- ents and flavor, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Food that has to travel fur- ther is often picked well before it is ready, ripening on the way to stores or other vendors. • Accessibility to sea- sonal choices: Farm-to- table eating provides a wide variety of in-season foods. This can translate into tasti- er foods because they are grown and harvested dur- ing their optimal growing season. • Learn about the com- munity: A person might live in an area and never know that a local vineyard is in the vicinity or that a producer of straight-from- the-hive honey is nearby. Exploring farm-to-table resources can open people's eyes to local businesses doing great work in and around their communities. Farm-to-table is a popu- lar movement that people are embracing for various reasons. The benefits of farm-to-table

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