Resources

Several links:

As the world gets bigger, we must buy local – and scale local | Jonas Singer TEDxMidAtlantic

https://youtu.be/k3lkZMj0xig Jonas Singer argues that spending our dollars locally is the way to create more a equitable and healthy distribution of wealth in our communities. But we need to make local scale so it can compete with the massive corporations that control most industries. This is the vision of Union Kitchen, Singer’s effort to build a food system that benefits the local community.

Jonas Singer is a native of Chevy Chase, MD who is committed to advancing culture and economic opportunities throughout the Washington, D.C. region. As a Founder of Union Kitchen, Jonas works to build a food system that is profitable, just, and sustainable. Since Jonas and co-founder Cullen Gilchrist launched Union Kitchen in 2012, the business has worked with more than 150+ businesses.

Why Big Box Retailers Cost Communities More

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/ryan-spong/big-box-retailers-communities_b_10213098.html

What were once staples of daily living in our communities — butchers, bakers, fishmongers, and greengrocers — are now seen as inefficient when large chain grocery stores deliver all-in-one convenience. But “fast and convenient” has weakened our communities. As the African proverb says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Big food corporations want to grow fast so they go alone. But for our local communities to go far, we must go together. And homegrown businesses are a critical link for a strong, vibrant, healthy community; nowhere is this more prevalent than our local food economy. The scale of efficiencies in the modern food economy are driven by lean manufacturing practices, low-cost packaging, targeted marketing, and supply chain management to the big boxes that sell it. By shopping at Big Box chains, we try to figuratively stretch our dollars further but end up literally stretching ourselves (obesity) and our communities (food deserts) to unhealthy breaking points.

These stretched dollars actually leave our local communities destined for a public company balance sheet. Conversely, a dollar spent at a local business circulates 2.5 times within the community in the form of profits, jobs, and charities.

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VIDEOS and PRESENTATIONS

FarmWorks YouTube – FarmWorks Clients discuss their businesses and FarmWorks

Salmon Arm BC June 2015 Linda Best and also Keeping it Rural Conference

FarmWorks September 2015

FOOD FARM FISH FINANCE

New Farmers Initiative – Character Capital

Linda Best and Michael Shuman – Pollinating Food Enterprises

Local Prosperity Conference, Annapolis Royal, 2015 Watch for Local Prosperity 2016

Banking Community Assets: A New Model of Community-Based Economic Development Greg MacLeod and Chris Ling Published August 31, 2009

Local Food – A Rural Opportunity

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MEDIA

MARK DeWOLF: Nova Scotia’s FarmWorks is in the business of supporting local

FarmWorks CEDIF: An Economic Overview Assessment

FarmWorks: Investing in Local CEDIF Benefits all Nova Scotians

http://humblebee-farm.blogspot.ca/2016/01/investing-in-nova-scotia.html

Other Resources

What do you need? Email lbest@ns.sympatico.ca and we will attempt to find answers.

What resources do you have to share? Links? Information? Land to sell? Land to rent? Equipment? Email lbest@ns.sympatico.ca

Promoting FarmWorks

Why Invest in FarmWorks?

Other Promotion

Select Nova Scotia

Governance

http://www.dvc.edu/studentservices/student-life/pdfs/Roberts-rules-SDSU.pdf

The Plunkett Foundation

Simply Governance

Financing (other than FarmWorks)

Futurpreneur

CBDC NS

Atlantic Canadian Opportunities Agency

Nova Scotia Farm Loan Board

Farm Credit Canada

Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)

AgriInnovation Program – If your business is agricultural, you can apply for an R&D grant or a loan to get your new agricultural product or technology ready for the market.

AgriInvest – If you are an agricultural producer, you could get a matching contribution if you put aside savings.

AgriMarketing Program – Do you have an agricultural business? You could get money to advertise and market your agricultural products and adapt appropriate assurance systems.

Atlantic Innovation Fund – APPLIES ONLY TO: NEW BRUNSWICK, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR, NOVA SCOTIA, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND – If your business is in the Atlantic provinces, you could get funding to develop new technology.

Canada Business July 2015