LIFT Startups

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entrepreneurs

BizOnDeck Case Study: Blushing Bluebird Essentials and #wearcloth

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Entrepreneurship is often born of a desire to fix something that’s broken. That’s the story behind Blushing Bluebird Essentials (aka Bluebird Pads), which soft-launched in November 2016 and went on to win the PitchFest2 grand prize in September 2017.

Blushing Bluebird Essentials produces organic cloth feminine pads and accessories. It is a family enterprise led by Danielle Farrant. The team includes husband Bern, her parents Leah and David Hope, sister Amie Webster, and Amie’s husband Jeff. Products can be purchased locally at Edible Island, Kradles Baby Boutique or online at www.bluebirdpads.com.

LIFT: What inspired this new product?

Danielle (DF): Allergies. Realizing that there are toxic materials in industrially-produced feminine products. Most women don’t know about healthier alternatives. We saw an opportunity.

LIFT: What was your “ask” at your BizOnDeck workshop?

DF: I had three asks. One, how can we successfully productize our business while maintaining our core values? Two, what are some ways we can help overcome the stigma associated with the use of cloth products? Three, We have received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback on our business – how do we turn positive talk into sales?

LIFT: What were the three biggest takeaways from your BizOnDeck?

DF: One, “locally handmade” can mean made in BC, wherever it is most efficient to do so. Two, the face of the business/personal connection is what will grow the business at this stage. Three, have fun with the advertising, whenever possible!

LIFT: How useful has Slack (an online team platform for LIFT members) been to keep the “growth” discussion going?

DF: Probably the most important use of Slack for us has been the channel created by Julian Rendell of Make it Zone exclusively for discussion about textile manufacturing. This has been very helpful. Brooke at Wags Doggy Bags and Julian – and others I hadn’t even thought of as resources for our business! – have been very helpful.

LIFT: Has putting your business “on deck” helped grow your business?

DF: Yes! Thanks to the BizOnDeck and the connections we made there, we were featured in a local magazine. We were also invited to pitch – and win! – at PitchFest2.

I would encourage anyone with a new business idea to pitch at a BizOnDeck. But I would also encourage them to prepare. You’ve got a room full of entrepreneurs who want to help you grow your business. Don’t waste their time. When you prepare your pitch you add value and takeaways for everyone involved. It’s a super experience!

 

Last word

DF: Exposure and regional connections are exactly what any business needs – LIFT provides these. We’re looking forward to pitching at a BizOnDeck in Nanaimo in 2018!

HPM
I did a short interview with Danielle several weeks after winning PitchFest2. We did this very short FB live teaser to let people know what we’re doing.

https://www.facebook.com/hanspetermeyer.ca/videos/10155589673914220/

 

FMI about LIFT & BizOnDeck

LIFT helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and non-profits grow their businesses. To put your business or project “on deck” in the Comox Valley or Nanaimo please fill the blanks here. Or call HPM at 250-792-1408.

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BizOnDeck entrepreneur case study: Lil Worker Safety Gear and #vizyourkids

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LIFT’s BizOnDeck workshops enable entrepreneurs to help each other to grow new businesses, test new business ideas, and launch new products and services. In 2018 we’re expanding to include a Nanaimo BizOnDeck series.

One of the most exciting stories we’ve had the pleasure to be part of is that of Lil Worker Safety Gear.

Introduction: James Flawith, founder, Lil Worker Safety Gear

Recognized as one of Vancouver Island’s “Top 40 Under 40,” James Flawith owns and operates Precision Tree Services. He is married and has three young children. Already a very busy guy, James launched Lil Worker Safety Gear because he saw a need to bring the same safety standards to our families that we bring to our work crews.  

LIFT: What product or service do you sell?

JF: Real safety gear for kids

LIFT: Where can readers buy your products and/or services?

JF: Online at lilworkersafety.ca and at locally at ONO Work and Safety, and soon at the Lil Worker Safety Gear Store at Woodgrove Centre (Nanaimo) and at Midland Tools, Pilon Tool Rentals, Planet Kids, and at White’s of Lindsay in Ontario.

LIFT: When was your BizOnDeck and what was your “ask?”

JF: January 2016. I asked about where did people see these products being used, what age demographic should we be targeting, and about sale strategies: retail vs wholesale, online/small outlet(s), box store(s). I also asked about “exclusivity.”

LIFT: Has putting your business “on deck” helped grow your business?

JF: The support and help I received by putting my business “on deck” was an important step. It inspired me to push forward.

I also gained experience pitching. In fact, my [winning] PitchFest pitch was just a boiled down version of the “On Deck” pitch, and those pitches are very similar to the one I made to the Dragons.

LIFT: What are you working on now?

JF: Aside from the full-time work of running Precision Tree Services I’m establishing more retail partnerships for Lil Worker Safety Gear. I’m constantly working to improve digital marketing. I have plans to set up a test kiosk slated for the last week of October in the Woodgrove Centre. I’m also actively exploring more opportunities to sell in person at events.

LIFT: How can LIFT help?

JF: Can you stop time so I can work more?

James and the Dragons

James went from pitching at a BizOnDeck and winning at PitchFest 2016, to pitching to CBC’s Dragons’ Den. That episode of Dragons’ Den aired at 8pm on October 12, 2017. LIFT organized a community viewing for that evening at The Creator Space where we cheered for James and Tweeted our support for Lil Worker Safety Gear and the #vizyourkids message to the world.

Did James win with the Dragons? Watch the video.

Follow the Lil Worker Safety Gear journey online via the #vizyourkids tag. 

Last word

JF: It all started with the “On Deck” experience I had with LIFT!

 

FMI about LIFT & BizOnDeck

LIFT helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and NGOs grow their businesses. To put your business or project “on deck” in the Comox Valley or Nanaimo please fill the blanks here. Or call HPM at 250-792-1408.

Bluebird Pads wins big at PitchFest2!

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photo © Amy Criss for LIFT

40 entrepreneurs packed The Prime Chophouse September 28. The sold-out crowd was there as part of the second annual PitchFest and #WeAreYQQ Party, hosted by LIFT Comox Valley.

Keynote Luke Aulin, CEO of Vancouver’s RTown online social media marketing business, talked about the importance of pitching. Aulin then joined on the judges’ panel, with Mina Haghighi of Futurpreneur, a youth-focused entrepreneur development program, and the owner Canada’s top Hyundai dealership in 2016, Sue Finneron.

PitchFest2 was sponsored by Duncan & Company CPAs and Pacific Coastal Airlines. Generous prizes were supplied by Douglas Magazine, 98.9 The GOAT, TRIO Magazine, and the LIFT organization. It’s the culmination of a year’s worth of businesses pitching at LIFT’s twice-monthly BizOnDeck workshops. LIFT’s Hans Peter Meyer calls these entrepreneurs the “new face of business in the region, the talent that’s changing everything.”

LIFT’s Hans Peter Meyer congratulates the entrepreneurs who pitched at PitchFest2: (front, left to right) Jordan Savard, Matthias Hansen, Denise Ropp, Pieter Vorster, Julian Rendell, (back, l-r) Andrea Postal, Jabin Postal, Danielle Farrant,
photo © Paul M Hansen

Seven entrepreneurs, pitching

Kicking things off was Pieter Vorster, setting a high bar with an enthusiastic description of the online magazine and community calendar at TideChange.ca. Jabin Postal had mouths watering as he garnered support for his already successful BBQ YouTube channel. Danielle Farrant wowed with her tight and cheeky pitch for Bluebird Pads: organic, locally-produced menstrual pads. Julian Rendell impressed with his description of Make it Zone as education and training for the workforce of 2020 and beyond. The growing health sector importance of cannabis and related services by Grow Wise Health was Denise Ropp‘s pitch. Jordan Savard and Matthias Hansen, winners of the Teen Entrepreneur Club “Tycoon Challenge” in June, reprised with an even tighter pitch for their Age-Sex-Location fashion line. Andrea Postal made a powerful pitch for doula services and In Bloom Births.

And the winners are…

The ASL team of Savard and Hansen, and Andra Postal’s In Bloom Births shared second place media advertising prizes. The grand prize, a $3600 package by LIFT that includes branding and photography by McKinnon Photography, digital marketing support by Mastermynde Strategy, PR services by 50th Parallel PR, print services by Sure Copy Courtenay, and content marketing by LIFT, went to Danielle Farrant and Bluebird Pads.

“I’m excited to be working with Danielle and Bluebird Pads,” says Karen McKinnon. “They’re the kind of positive, earth-friendly business that I think is representative of the values of our community here in the Comox Valley.”

As with all of LIFT’s five annual special events, PitchFest2 featured a #WeAreYQQ Party. The focus is on fun – and social media games with over $4000 in prizes, contributed by LIFT member businesses. One of these is The Waverley Hotel, a LIFT Community Partner.

“These kinds of events are an important part of building an entrepreneur culture in our community,” says Don McClellan, owner of The Waverley Hotel. “We need to encourage young entrepreneurs. The Waverley is proud to be part of a welcoming culture, through what we do as a venue for entertainment, and our support of LIFT and its activities.”

For more information about upcoming LIFT events, including the region’s annual Festive Cheer “entrepreneur holiday party” and fundraiser on November 24, see the online listings at LIFTevents.ca

Ready to make shift happen for your business or organization?

Join the LIFT community of entrepreneurs, and grow with over $4000 in membership benefits and perks, plus discounts with digital partners like RTOWN, Spring Activator, OfficeHours, Rebel, and more.

Or contact LIFT CEO and Founder, Hans Peter Meyer (aka HPM), at:

[picatic-sell-tickets event=130350 title=yes description=yes theme_options=ptw-light][/picatic-sell-tickets]

Launching our 14-day free trial LIFT VIP membership

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Congratulations to Olivia of Lavish Engagements, Mary of Mary’s, and Atlas Café! Three of the businesses that were winners in our April #LIFTVIP promotion. In May, your #LIFTVIP shared selfie could win you and a LIFT VIP friend each gift cards to The Waverley Hotel. But this post isn’t about our current promotion. It’s about why I want entrepreneurs to try our new 14-day free trial LIFT VIP membership.
It’s a treat to create contests and give away prizes. But promoting and growing local businesses is only part of what we do with LIFT. I started this project in 2015, as The #WeAreYQQ Project. My intention, to inspire a grassroots movement of entrepreneurs in my community because I saw a need. Bear with me while I tell some of that story.

The 3-Rs and how they’re not the solution

I grew up in Black Creek, just north of Courtenay in the Comox Valley. That was almost 58 years ago. Like many Vancouver Island communities, ours was a logging and fishing-based economy. Things changed dramatically in the 1980s. Local governments scrambled to respond. But really, what can government do? (More on that later.)

I’ve watched as we’ve poured millions of taxpayer dollars into supporting the development of what I call a “3-Rs economy” of retirement, retail, and recreation services. All good stuff. But somehow missing the point of what my community is really about: talented people, passionate about this place.
And how are our 3-Rs doing, a generation after the decline of fishing and forestry as sources of jobs and wealth? Two years ago we lost 200 young families. To me that means the 3-Rs are failing to provide the incomes and opportunities we once enjoyed with our resource sector economy. 

I’m betting that talent, however, is the solution

I’ve been doing community economic development work on Vancouver Island off and on since 1994. During that time I’ve both ignored the problem, and complained about how our tax dollars are being spent. In late 2014, frustrated at what I saw as a failure of imagination in local agencies and government, I decided to stop complaining. I was going to do something about this economic problem.
That “something” was, and is, to focus on talent as the solution. I’d bring speakers in who inspired me. I’d invite entrepreneurs and creatives to come together to grow businesses and jobs. To celebrate the local talents that I think will grow our “next economy.”

Just getting started!

I’ve made it my job to generate visibility for the businesses I work with, the businesses that have become charter members of LIFT. I call them LIFT VIPs. They’re special, because in a region that is very lifestyle focused and old-school (even sleepy) when it comes to business, they’re growth oriented. Open to new ideas. Open to help each other make economic shift happen. One of my first initiatives was to launch the #WeAreYQQ tag as a “talent brand” for our region, for anyone to use. Ever since launching the #WeAreYQQ my focus has been on getting more attention for local business – locally, regionally, and beyond. It’s starting to pay off. 
Smart and talented people make LIFT shift happen. The list is long. We’ve now got over 100 entrepreneurs involved, mostly from the Comox Valley, but some from Campbell River. This Spring we’ve come up with a few new ideas. These will fuel changes. They will accelerate the marketing momentum we’ve generated – and help LIFT VIPs grow their businesses. We’re also going to be streamlining and restructuring our membership model. That means more great benefits for LIFT VIPs.  

This month: Free trial memberships

I want Comox Valley, Campbell River, and Qualicum businesses to benefit from what we’re doing. I’m focused on this region because I think we have a lot in common, including rapidly aging population, a need to attract and retain young families, and – paradoxically – a growing “talent” population. Entrepreneurs and creatives who aren’t afraid to do business in a new way.
I also want to touch every one of these young (and some, not so young) talents. I want them to try what we have to offer, and see if it helps them grow their businesses. To that end, I’m inviting any business in the region to enjoy a free 14-day trial LIFT membership. If you like the idea of being part of a dynamic, growth-oriented entrepreneur network, contact us via this form – or better yet, give me a call at 250-792-1408 and let’s make that shift happen for you today!

Grow your businesses. And vote

Back to my comment earlier, about what can we expect from government. Government is not entrepreneurial. But it can do things to help startups start and grow. Help small businesses become medium-sized businesses. Keep the big businesses from monopolising the marketplace. As entrepreneurs, perhaps the biggest thing government can do for us is support grassroots initiatives and experiments. As entrepreneurs, the best thing we can do for our governments is vote. I’m writing this on the eve of a provincial election. I urge every entrepreneur to get out and vote.
I won’t tell you how you should vote, or how I’m going to vote. But I will tell you that I think we need to see voting and the exercise of our democratic powers as one of the things we do to ensure the success of our businesses. Just like inventory or taxes. Not necessarily very exciting. But necessary.
Finally, LIFT is an experiment. A unique experiment in grassroots business and community economic development. I’m doing this because I believe talent in business, the arts, non-profits, and more are the solution to economic challenges in my community. The 100+ LIFT VIPs are doing this for a number of reasons, most of which are about growing their businesses and growing a supportive entrepreneur community. We’re making shift happen.
If you’ve got ideas about how we can make LIFT even better, better, please be in touch. If you’d like to become part of the LIFT VIP community, check out our events. If you’re ready to come on board as a LIFT VIP, please use this contact form – or call me at 250-792-1408. Let’s make this shift happen – now!
hpm
Hans Peter Meyer, Founder & CEO, LIFT.GROUP @LIFTstartups on Twitter and Instagram
ps. Coming up soon to LIFT your biz…

#LIFTVIPs shared selfies: win with Atlas Café, The Waverley Hotel, and Gladstone Brewing!

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We love our LIFT Community Partners – and we love the support they give us as we promote entrepreneurs on Vancouver Island. We also love the LIFT VIPs who are the heart of our entrepreneur community. So this month we’re hosting a “shared selfie” contest that’ll win someone – and the LIFT VIP they choose – each a $25 gift card at Atlas Café (April), The Waverley Hotel (May), and Gladstone Brewing (June).

How to win

  1. Find a LIFT VIP (there are almost 100 of them today, with more coming on board every week – maybe you this week? Call meat 250-792-1408. It’s time to grow your business – and be featured in someone’s shared selfie!)
  2. Post a shared selfie with them to Twitter, Instagram, and/or Facebook.
  3. Be sure to include a note about this particular LIFT VIP, as well as the #LIFTVIP#WeAreYQQ tags
  4. That’s it! You and your LIFT VIP could each win a $25 gift card to Atlas Café, The Waverley Hotel, or Gladstone Brewing. Yum!

We’ll be announcing the April winner in early May.

Today’s list of LIFT VIPs

As of April 15, 2017 the current list of list LIFT VIPs (if you’d like your name on this list we can make that shift happen right now via email or telephone me at 250-792-1408):

Solution Sponsors:
Adil Amlani, Leif Jason, Sue Finneron, Lee-Ann Dixon-Phillips, Jabin Postal, Chrissie Bowker, Nazaneen Dizai
Community Partners:
Daniel Sharratt, Sandra Viney, Don McClellan, Ron Pogue, Karen Milstein McKinnon, Paul Hansen, Bob Wells, Danny Zanbilowicz, Leanne Zdebiak-Eni, and Shane Philip
Champions and Ambassadors:
Carmen & Glen Wakeling, Kayla McDonald, Joyce Francis McMenamon, John Bonner, Curtis Scoville, Max Oudendag, Pieter Vorster, Rahel Mashruky, Mary Veronneau, Chelan Schwindt, Arrow Gonsalves, Amie Webster & Jeff Webster, Sarah Pocock-Hill, Sara Baxandall, Sarah Day, Staysea May & Megan Griffiths, Jen Burt, Amy Englemark, Shelley LaPerriere, Dustin Whiteside, Kevin Wilson, Jani Martinius, Luciano Rollin, Amy Criss, Vivian Vaillant, Brooke Ferguson, Jace Pierson, Dyan Spink, James Flawith, David Frisch, Wendy Nixon Stothert, Tracy Freeman, Cleo Tetrault, Monica J Parkin, Julian Rendell, Allyson Hamilton, Shane Philip, Heather Mackenzie, Kory Wagstaff , Wendy Johnstone , Maureen Olsen , Taryn Goodwin, Steve Morgan, Ewa Nowicka, Ali Roddam , Sonya Marie Jenssen, Ivan Loubier, Rob Kelly, Maggie Mah, Debbie Lynn Bowman, Gaynor Bereza, David Stapley, Carl Sidl, Nancy Farey, Mary Crowley , Aly Bird , Step Carruthers & Robin Kay, Chantal Stefan, Janice Bailey, Jodi Einarson, Nick Ward, Danielle Farrant , Denise Ropp, Greg Chadwick, Re Bastien, Vanessa Raven-Vipond, Marty Douglas, Shelley Nickerson, Megan Penny, Annie L Danko.

hpm
Please call me at 250-792-1408
Want to chat in person? Please set a time/date via my online calendar

CVFM: Growing farmers – and the local economy – for 25 years

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LIFT (as hanspetermeyer.com) sponsored social media marketing at the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market from 2012-2016. Why? Because I’d been writing about food since 2004. Writing about the Farmers’ Market was a “feel good” thing to do. I thought that writing about farmers would me more interesting and wholesome than writing about restaurants.
I did a lot of farmers’ profiles. (You can watch them here.) And, over those 40+ interviews it sank in: the Market isn’t just about local and fresh and “local food” cool. The Market is about the economy.
I’d interviewed Vickey Brown, CVFM Executive Director, a number of times over the years. We’d had a great time, helping tell the story about farms and food in the Comox Valley. But I recently interviewed about something different: the bigger picture. I asked her about the role of the Market in the local economy, a role that many of us take for granted or don’t understand.
INTERVIEW (April 2, 2017)
HPM: You’ve described the Market to me as a “business incubator.” What does the Market do that helps grow food businesses?
Vickey Brown (VB): We were started in 1992 by farmers, for farmers, so this is our 25th anniversary year of doing what I call “growing farmers,” and helping farmers sell their food. Even with our processors and concessions, are required to use locally grown ingredients as much as possible.
At the most basic level, the Market recruits customers with our marketing. We provide farmers with an opportunity to introduce products, test flavours, and hear directly from customers. We also provide a number of opportunities for farmers to meet a variety of customers, in a variety of locations. For example, during the peak season, we have three weekly Markets: Wednesday in downtown Courtenay, Saturday at the Exhibition Grounds, and Sunday in Cumberland.
The Market also connects farmers with organisations like the North Vancouver Island Chefs’ Association, local restaurants, Lush Valley, to name a few.
At another level, the Market provides an educational service. People need to know who our producers are, and why they do what they do. And, importantly, we’re here to educate people about the realities of local food economics. It’s difficult to make a living farming. The Market plays a role telling the story about the value of local food, beyond simple price.
Most farmers work in isolation, not only from customers, but from each other. So l, the Market is also a place where farmers learn from and support each other. It gives them a place to talk about farm and business issues, like how they’re doing irrigation, pest control, etc. It’s a learning place.
HPM: How many businesses are currently active in the market?
VB: Just under a 100. Vendors come and go, but that’s number’s been fairly steady since I started working here in 2010. Of course, the number of vendors actually at the Market changes with the season. We have a maximum of between 70-75 during peak season.
HPM: What are some examples of businesses that have “graduated” from the market?
VB: Some of the more visible success of the Market-as-incubator are Tannadice Farm, DKT Ranch, Tree Island Yogurt, Green Acres Pies – to name a few. Others, like Prontissima Pasta, Natural Pastures, Healing Bliss, and Big D’s Honey have grown into storefronts, but are still active at the Market. Recently local wineries and distillers have added to what the Market offers. Wayward Distillation House won the People’s Choice for their vodka at BC Distilled in 2016, but they’re still at every Saturday Market. Stone’s Throw Winery, 40 Knots Winery, Hornby Island Estate Winery, and Blue Moon Winery are other high profile businesses that are active at the Market even as they grow their own storefront businesses.
HPM: What are some of the biggest obstacles to growth for local food businesses, and how does the Market help address these?
VB: The biggest obstacle is early stage revenue. Like many startups, farmers struggle to generate enough cash flow to keep going. So food producers are juggling multiple jobs to get their business growing. For example, Cottage Farm was at the Market for several years before they were able to give up their “day jobs.” It’s a bit of a catch-22: you’re not putting enough time into the farm to grow it, but you need the other job to to invest in the farm. We’ve created the New Farmer Bursary to help with some of this early stage difficulty. But we could do much more.
Weather is a factor that we have no control over. But we can play a role in telling the story. For example, the reason your local food sometimes costs more is because the weather has been hard on farmers. A long, cold winter this year has meant that many early season crops weren’t ready for sale, and that the spring season will be later. That puts a squeeze on cash flow. A couple of years ago we had a long, dry summer. That reduced yields, and has even had an impact on livestock and meat in years following. We’re used to the industrial food model, where we, as consumers are somewhat insulated from the real world of what farmers deal with. That’s not the case with the Market. Because farmers sell direct to customers, we get both the freshest and tastiest produce, and the real cost of that produce.
Another issue facing our local food producers is capital investment, whether it’s production space or cold-storage and distribution. Some farmers’ markets are creating production and testing spaces. These could also include co-operative cold storage and distribution. All of this could spin-off of an enhanced farmers’ market function.
HPM: What’s stopping the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market from addressing these issues?
VB: We don’t have the capacity. There is a significant need for infrastructure in our local food economy, and we don’t have the money or the staff to do what we could be doing. Even though we were voted Best Large Market in BC in 2015, we know we could do more.
HPM: How is the Market currently funded?
VB: The majority of funding to run the Market comes from the farmers, from vendors’ table fees and member fees. Local government contributes close to 4% of our current operating budget, and we pay local government about 10% of that budget in venue rental costs. Occasionally we are eligible for grants for special projects, like promotion and advertising. We also are seeking sponsorship support.
HPM: What are the priorities if there were better funding?
VB: We would definitely like to do more for our vendors. Priorities would include office space accessible to the public and vendors, more staff support for education and promotion for farmers and local food. We also see a great need for more direct supports for farmers. For example, the New Farmer Bursaries are helping people get started, but we could also help farmers replace weather damaged greenhouses, help them set up irrigation. I’d really like to see us expand the nutrition coupon program to go year-round, not just summer-only. We’d also love to do workshops for our vendors, to help them grow their business.
HPM: How can we – the public, other businesses – support the Market?
VB: Sponsorships are a big help. A sponsorship from Hinterland Studio is helping with the Cumberland market. Jace Pierson has helped with New Farmer Bursary. Courtenay KIA is providing a tow-vehicle for our Market stage and gear. We’re also looking for sponsorship of our music program, for a kids’ area, and for specific markets – eg downtown, Winter, Cumberland – and for special events at the market, like Farmer Appreciation Week, and our Food Fests. That kind of thing.
HPM: Have you considered a non-vendor Market membership as a way for the public to support the work you’re doing?
VB: We are looking at a “Friends of the Market” type program. We’re hoping to have this in place in 2017. We’re also working on a “donate” button for the website, for people who want to help in that way. And, we always welcome cash or cheque donations at the Market table.
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At LIFT we’ve recently created a Young Entrepreneur Fund that will enable food entrepreneurs – in local food, business, the arts, and more – to participate in business development workshops. We’re also re-engaging as social media sponsors to help tell the story of the Comox Valley’s food entrepreneurs at the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market. Watch for profiles on our social media channels on the blog, on our Facebook page notes, Instagram, and Twitter.
hpm for LIFT
@hanspetermeyer on Twitter & Instagram
liftcomoxvalley.ca: Growing the economy, one entrepreneur at a time.
ps. Our local economic development body is doing some good work to promote our local food sector. Hat’s off to them. That’s a very good way to spend the almost $1M they get from local taxpayers. I just wish that the CVFM would get some help doing its work at the grassroots. That’s why I support individual giving and business sponsorships. That’s why LIFT is doing what it can to support the Market. Without you and me making sure that good food is grown locally, it won’t happen.