Small, slow and local

Welcome to Anytown, USA. There are good reasons why many communities have fallen for the lure of attracting national chains, but the long term reality is a bit darker then the immediate boost in jobs and tax revenue.

As I drove recently through 200 miles of small towns around central Arkansas, I could not help noticing the blandness of commercial streets with the constant looping back of the same national brands for grocery, restaurants, clothes, hardware and more. That I did not see one roadside vegetable farm or farm stand during that trip, added to the crudeness of the landscape and the realization of the weakness of our local economies.

Local businesses exist at various levels of engagement with the local economy. Here they are, from worst to best: the corporate-owned big box outlet; the locally-owned franchised outlet which abides by corporate formulas; the locally-owned individual store with corporate product sourcing; and, finally, that gem of a business, the locally-owned business with local product sourcing.

The buck stops where?

This roughly graded scale is an indicator of how many dollars stay with us to sustain our community and fund our services: from less than 50 cents for each dollar spent at a chain outlet, to a near-full dollar when you shop at a Farmers' Market.

This simple buying criterion, of course, needs balancing against other factors such as product availability, price and convenience. You cannot buy gas that is locally produced, and you cannot find all you need for your home at once by going to a family-owned store. But there are instances when we have a clear choice and we can make a difference.

Leading the way

Eureka Springs is well positioned to show our region the way to a strong local economy using home-grown resources. Our B&Bs are naturals at being unique and family-owned, we have many restaurants which have been nurtured by individual chefs and owners, and of course our artist community has infused our town with beauty and character which is a big part of its tourist appeal.

Our part, as town folks, is to support this rich network of independently owned and managed businesses with our consumer dollars. At Planet Home, our volunteer-run eco-group, "Buying Locally," is a big deal. It is one of four directions we placed at the center of our educational mission. The other three are "Drive Smart," "Live Green" and "Build Green."

Tour the best

For the second year, we invite you to go on a special ride through town to the businesses we feel best represent our local economy. Meet with us at the Harts Family Center parking lot on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 10 a.m., and be ready to rock and roll for a few hours through the best spots we have selected for you to visit. We will travel by trolley. This will be fun and there will be big discounts available that day for shoppers. For details, call Marty Falkenstien at (870) 423-7016.