Today's Angel Capital Summit will end with a town hall meeting entitled, Disrupting the Recession: Colorado's entrepreneurial response to the financial crisis, election, energy and sustainability. (read more) It's just $25 to attend the town hall meeting, and the panelists look interesting. Topics of discussion will include:

We got a nifty email from Boulder Weekly (an independent newspaper) today with the following message:

"By pledging to spend $100 of your shopping dollars at locally owned stores, you will have a potential 21 million dollar impact on our community, an estimated $3.1 million dollars more than if it was spent at a non-local big box retailer. You can help the local economy this holiday season. Make the pledge!"

They're giving away $1,000 in gift certificates from independent locally owned merchants and restaurants to one lucky pledge-maker. Email "I pledge" to pledge@boulderweekly.com by December 3. Winner is announced December 4.

The Denver Office of Economic Development is hosting a free event on Thursday, December 4th to present financing options available to businesses and real estate developers. Although some financial institutions are lending less freely, local businesses do have options.

Read more about the event, and be sure to pre-register by contacting Artamis Byars at 720-913-1660. We'll be there taking notes and will blog about it here for our members who are unable to attend.

Please mark your calendars now for our Buy Local Week Celebration, taking place Monday December 1 at the Appaloosa Grill. (more details about the event) This event will be an opportunity to learn more about how local businesses build a stronger local economy, as well as to connect with local business owners. Our special guest is Mayor John Hickenlooper, entrepreneur and ardent supporter of our local businesses. He'll also be speaking about what local businesses mean for our community now.

The word is spreading about Buy Local Week. Check out this Your Hub article about Buy Local Week published today. It features MHBA member Talulah Jones and stresses the importance of directing our dollars to locally owned companies this holiday season.

In this video, Michael H. Shuman, attorney, economist, and author of several books, discusses the economic and community benefit from local businesses.

The New York Times recently published an open letter written by Michael Pollen to the new President-Elect. He's the author of The Omnivore's Delimna and In Defense of Food, and the letter is a great introduction to and summary of the need for a new food system in America. Pollen makes a great case for our need for a different food system - citing its impact on our health, environment and national security. The most compelling part for me is how this can impact our economy - creating millions of new jobs that directly contribute to the health and well being of all of us.

Please enjoy the article, and share with others.

After almost two years of campaigns, election day is upon us. I personally have been very excited about the level of participation in the American political process for this Presidential election.

That being said, we have a few tips for our local (and small) businesses for tomorrow's election day:

The Eastside Cannery Project is moving right along! Volunteers are slated to glean from Grant Family Farm's fields tomorrow, November 1st. Canning will begin on Monday, and Kate's Restaurant on 35th is graciously providing her kitchen for canning. The veggies from Grant Farms will include beets, broccoli and squash!

It's no surprise to me to see this diagram of the organic food brands that are now owned by major food companies like Kraft, Heinz and Cargill. It is, however, disappointing.



Want to find local food producers that are still locally owned and operated? Take a look at these resources: