Regional economies produce and distribute the basic needs of our communities, building local self-reliance in food, fiber, energy and building materials. By reducing the need to import goods from outside corporations, we can prevent capital from leaving our region and build community wealth and resilience.

The climate crisis brings urgency to building self-reliant regional economies.  Local production decreases dependency on global supply chains easily disrupted by increasingly chaotic weather, social upheaval, and global pandemics, while reducing the carbons of long distant shipping.  Local production of basic needs prepares our communities and future generations to withstand climate change. The resilience of local economies may well determine the survival of tomorrow’s children.