Have you seen shopLOCUS.com yet? It's time to give it a whirl! LOCUS offers an e-commerce platform to find and support local, independent businesses. Your Local First team is a big fan and we hope you enjoy learning more about the people and the vision behind this awesome platform. Check out our Q&A with LOCUS owners Jill DeJonge and Eric Haslinger: 

Independents Week is back! Celebrate our local, independent businesses with Local First the week of June 28th to July 4th.  

Thank you for joining Local First for the second of four Rebuilding our Local Economy webinar events! Each quarter, the Local First team brings new resources and technical support to you by tapping the expertise of our membership community.

Thank you for joining Local First for the first of four Rebuilding our Local Economy webinar events! Each quarter, the Local First team will bring new resources and technical support to you by tapping the expertise of our membership community.

Coffee Hour is back in partnership with Bloom Credit Union!

Whew, we're so glad to have 2020 in our rearview! But if we learned anything from last year, it's the value of community and our need to connect. While Local First could not hold our in-person events (like bringing hundreds of people together to sample bites from dozens of local food businesses, enjoying live music and beautiful art, and networking together at a local business), we were and are able to keep our members connected and the conversation flowing. 

With court rulings impacting safety protocols for small businesses and changing reports on how Michigan businesses are expected to operate, it's fair to say, 2020 has been a year full of change and confusion.

Here is what we know for sure: starting November 18th, Michigan will Pause to Save Lives. 

Photos sponsored by Corriveau Photography

Our Grand Rapids area feature is Martha’s Vineyard and its child companies. This unique collection of businesses takes up a block in the Heritage Hill neighborhood and is a healthy mix of made-in-Michigan products, house-made edibles, and goods from around the world.
Second generation leader, Ilana Chamelly, sat down with Local First to share their story.

Fall and winter are busy times for all of us. Between year-end bookkeeping, social (distance) engagements, busy storefront hours, and personal holiday shopping, it's no wonder these months fly by. And this year is no exception - plus we have the added stress of rapidly changing safety precautions. It's enough to overwhelm anyone. But it doesn't have to be when we take advantage of our community resources! 

The Local First team has been dreaming and scheming of the day we could build a more robust and modern localfirst.com to champion our local business members across West Michigan. After lots of hard work and feedback, it’s finally here!

Food naturally brings people together. Whether it’s making a meal, supporting a farmer, sharing a recipe, or celebrating a special occasion: food is communal. This is what we celebrate at our Fork Fest events. These events showcase West Michigan's agricultural abundance and focus on the relationships that drive our local food systems.