VITAL COMMUNITIES
Membership
Tangible benefits of membership include:
- Our Welcome Kit, with posters, stickers, and more!
- Regular news and event updates
- FREE listings in our online member directory — a fun, frequented source for locally owned and independent businesses, artists, nonprofits, and farms
- Opportunity to profile your business or organization’s commitment to community and environment
- Member decals, to identify your business as locally owned
- Use of the Local First Alliance name, logo, and messaging in your business or organization marketing
- Collective marketing opportunities with television, radio, print, and online outreach for Alliance membership
- Free or reduced price admission to networking and educational events
Plus, new member benefits and opportunities are added every day! What’s your idea for a better community? We’d love to hear. Contact us today to discuss ideas for new resources or services to make it easier to think local first.
Membership Criteria
For businesses, are you…?
- Interested in and able to buy materials, products and services from other locally owned businesses in the area or broader region?
- Privately held (not publicly traded)?
- Registered in the state of New Hampshire or Vermont, with no corporate or national headquarters outside of the respective state?
- Able to make independent decisions regarding name and appearance, as well as all business purchasing, supply, and distribution practices?
- At least 50% of ownership lives within Local First Alliance’s 69-town service area?
For nonprofit organizations, are you…?
- Interested in and able to buy materials, products and services from other locally owned businesses in the area or broader region?
- Incorporated or fiscally sponsored in the state of New Hampshire or Vermont?
- Leadership (advisory body, board, staff) has autonomous authority over all operational decisions?
- At least 50% of leadership (advisory body, board, staff) lives within Local First Alliance’s 69-town service area?
Local First Alliance Members
Local First Alliance Lunch & Learn Series
Local First Alliance Member Professional Development & Networking Opportunity
Lunch & Learn Series -
Bring or buy a lunch and learn from [...]
Member Spotlight – Jake’s Market & Deli and Jake’s Coffee Company
Member Spotlight- Jake's Market & Deli and Jake's Coffee Company
As you travel around the Upper Valley it is likely that you have filled your b [...]
Welcome Fall with Local First Members
It's autumn in the Upper Valley once again, and Local First Alliance members King Arthur Flour and the Co-op Food Stores make it easy to welcome the [...]
Heat Local First: Lyme Green Heat
When Lyme native Morton Bailey started his business, Lyme Green Heat—a new member of Local First Alliance this year—he was just a guy in a truck [...]
Great Eastern Radio’s Community Cares Project
Local First Alliance member Great Eastern Radio, based in West Lebanon, owns 16 stations spanning Central Vermont, New Hampshire’s Lakes Region, and [...]
Inspiring Positive Community: Village Green Publishing
Guest post by Jen MacMillen, Publisher
The main question we must continue to ask ourselves is, “Why are we here doing what we do?”
When we b [...]
King Arthur Flour Gives Back With Third Annual Bakers’ Harvest Festival
Local First Alliance not only loves to promote shopping locally, but we jump at the chance to showcase members who give back to the community. When yo [...]
Give Back By Dining Out & Save The Date For A Wine Tasting
What’s the best part of Local First Alliance? Our members, of course!
We are constantly promoting our members because they are continually giving [...]
Mud Season in New England
There are two things New Englanders can count on - mud season and taxes. The bright side of mud season is that it means we've made it through yet anot [...]
Update Your Branding, Style and Technology
Now that we're through the holidays, it's time to turn to local service providers to help us fulfill some of those holiday resolutions. Maybe your pla [...]
Our program is underwritten by these community partners
Vital Communities Program News
Plug-In to Electric Vehicles at the Upper Valley Electric Vehicle Expo
Plug-In to Electric Vehicles at the Upper Valley Electric Vehicle Expo Vital Communities, Upper Valley Sierra Club, and volunteers from several Upper Valley energy committees are joining forces to host the Upper Valley Electric Vehicle Expo on Saturday, September 9, from 12 to ...more
Plug-In to Electric Vehicles at the Upper Valley Electric Vehicle Expo
Vital Communities, Upper Valley Sierra Club, and volunteers from several Upper Valley energy committees are joining forces to host the Upper Valley Electric Vehicle Expo on Saturday, September 9, from 12 to 4 p.m. (rain or shine) at the Dothan Brook School in White ...more
30 Local Leaders Graduate from Leadership Upper Valley
Vital Communities celebrated its Leadership Upper Valley Class of 2017 on June 14, in a commencement ceremony at Harpoon Brewery. Thirty of the region’s emerging local leaders graduated from the 10-month professional and personal development ...more
Watershed Quest Challenge & Quest Writing Workshop
Sign up now for our FREE Quest Writing Workshop—you'll get the tools you need to write your own Valley Quest for our 2017 Watershed Quest Challenge! With August just around the corner, we are halfway through Valley ...more
Quest of the Month: Lake Morey
Last week, I brought my partner along to do the Lake Morey Quest in Fairlee, Vermont! It was a beautiful July evening, and after some food we headed to the Samuel Morey Elementary School to ...more
Volunteer Spotlight: Linda Kahl and Lois Frazer
Valley Quest is often thought of as a family-oriented program. With educational treasure hunts of varying length, difficulty, and physical intensity, the program offers Quests that engage every interest and age group. For some, Questing is ...more
Power of Produce (POP) Clubs for Kids
Get the details on the free, fun, fresh activities for kids at markets and farm stands this summer. Click here for more ...more
Ticks and Questing-Be Prepared!
With the warmth and the beginning of Quest season this past month, I’ve dealt will my fair share of ticks. Questing can be fickle. Many of the Valley Quests are along trails, or lead through ...more
Modern Grange Farmer Partnership
For several years now a consistent topic of conversation among our regions farmers and other food system partcipants is the need for and feasibility of a food hub-type thing in the Upper Valley. The desired ...more
The Hop and Vital Communities Celebrate Rural Traditions
The Hop and Vital Communities Celebrate Rural Traditions Doggie Hamlet, Thursday, June 29, 4:30 & 7 pm, Dartmouth Green, FREE See the world premiere of a groundbreaking work celebrating rural traditions! This wordless spectacle weaves together dance, theater and sheep ...more
Closing Remarks for Heroes & Leaders from Markell Ripps
Thank you all for joining us to celebrate the young leaders who are being honored tonight, and thank you to Vital Communities for recognizing their important contributions to our community. It is so important to ...more
Bike to Work Day at Dartmouth College
Bethany and I arrived bright and early at the Hop at Dartmouth College Friday, May 19, to greet employees and students who arrived that morning on two wheels instead of four. The cyclists were met with ...more
Meet the 2017 Heroes & Leaders Honorees
Merritt Patridge Merritt Patridge joined the Tuck School of Business in 2015, where she serves as Executive Director of the Center for Business, Government & Society. Prior to Tuck, Merritt worked at The Dartmouth Center ...more
Dirty Hands, Clean Bikes
I had a lot of fun teaching a Basic Bike Maintenance workshop at the Upper Valley Haven on April 29, ably assisted by Lisa from the Haven! A dozen community members and Haven staff gathered for hands-on instruction ...more
Farm to School Forum: King Arthur Flour Bake for Good Kids Program
Join Upper Valley Farm to School Network as we learn how to make the dough! King Arthur Flour Bake for Good Kids Program Kids LEARN to make bread from scratch. Math + science + reading + baking ...more
Spring Into Bike Riding Season...
...with practical skills training to get you riding more! What is Everyday Bicycling? It’s using your bike for those everyday trips that we all make -- grocery shopping, getting to work, or even picking up the kids ...more
Solar Expo in Lebanon 4/1
Solar Installers Expo Hosted by the Plainfield, Cornish, Lebanon, and Enfield Energy Committees Saturday, April 1 at 2 pm Kilton Library at 80 Main Street in West Lebanon (Contact mary.n.boyle@gmail.com for more information and to RSVP) Act now before Net Metering Tariffs change (and PV Solar ...more
Why Weatherize?
Many thanks to our friends at CATV and Emily Gardner for helping our Hartford Weatherize volunteer team film this hilarious video explaining why YOU should participate in Weatherize Upper Valley. Since Weatherize Upper Valley kicked off ...more