Upcoming Events

February 16th – “Even Thursdays” or Coffee with Think Local First

Think Local First is inviting the community to participate at the Even Thursdays coffee hour. It is an opportunity to meet our executive director, Ingrid Ault. She will be available each Thursday that falls on an even day every month. Stop by Zingerman’s Next Door from 7 am to 9 am and say hello, introduce yourself, ask questions, become a member, or share an idea. We would like to learn more about the members of Think Local First and hope this will be a casual opportunity to meet and greet existing, new and potential members and friends.

Look for Ingrid on the first floor of Zingerman’s Next Door at 418 Detroit St. in Ann Arbor (near E. Kingsley St). We look forward to meeting you soon!

Upcoming meetings days are February 16th and March 8th. Stop by to say hello soon!

Thursday February 9, 2012 ~ 5:30 to 7:30 PM

Amish Tables is hosting our next event that discusses the new Ann Arbor PACE program. This program allows qualifying property owners to borrow money for energy efficiency projects ranging from $10,000 to $350,000 and then pay back the loans through special assessments added onto their tax bills for up to 10 years.

If you would like to learn more, then you'll want to stop by from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at Amish Tables (located at 4844 Jackson Road in Suite 200) on Thursday February 9th. You'll learn about energy efficiency upgrades and how they affect your home and pocketbook. Doug Selby of Meadowlark Builders will begin the presentation at 6 pm. with PACE Program Manager Wendy Barrott following up with details about participation. Wendy will also discuss the launch of their new program A2 Energy.

You won't want to miss this! This event is FREE for members, and $10 (payable at the door) by cash or check for others. We hope to see you soon! Pre-registration is requested at this link.

Saturday February 11, 2011 ~ 8 PM

"Music to cure what ails you"—Michigan Times. We are the sponsor for this show at The Ark.

From their start at an open mike at The Ark in the summer of 1974, Mustard's Retreat is an award-winning duo consisting of David Tamulevich and Michael Hough has become a perennial favorite, not only here in southeastern Michigan but all over the folk singer-songwriter circuit. Their songwriting and recordings have received consistently high praise, and their live performances even more so. Tickets are $15 and available at this link.

Wednesday March 21, 2012 ~ 5:30 to 7:30 PM

pot and box & METAL are co-hosting an opportunity to meet Lucy Ann Lance and Dean Erskine of The Lucy Ann Lance Business Insider Show. Have you been thinking about taking advantage of the free opportunity for members to join TLF on their show? Perhaps you've been a little nervous? Maybe having the chance to meet Lucy Ann and Dean would be just the push for you to decide to do this!

If so, then this is the event for you! This is your opportunity to meet the staff of The Lucy Ann Lance Business Insider Show and hear more about how they can help promote you!

Stop by pot and box & METAL (220 Felch, Ann Arbor) on Wednesday March 21st between 5:30 and 7:30 pm to food, beverages, and fun! As usual, we are asking you to pre-register here.

Friday March 23, 2012 ~ 8 PM

We are the sponsor of The Ragbirds at The Ark on Friday March 23rd. They have been described as positive, richly rhythmic, globally oriented sounds. Led by dynamic, energetic front woman and multi-instrumentalist Erin Zindle, The Ragbirds utilize an arsenal of instruments from around the world. The Ragbirds are a fusion of folk, rock, and pop hooks over danceable world rhythms, stirred with a Celtic fiddler's bow. Tickets may be purchased at the door of through this link for $20.

Saturday April 14, 2012   ~ 7:30 PM

We are the sponsor of Mr. B's Piano Celebration ~ Mr. B has established himself as a force to be reckoned with. He is an electrifying performer and creative individualist who puts it all on the line with every show, using his knowledge of seven decades of boogie to good advantage. This hard working pianist has been playing his infectious brand of blues and boogie for audiences coast to coast, but calls Ann Arbor home. Tickets may be purchased at the door of through this link for $25.

May 15 – 18th, 2012 – 10th Annual BALLE Conference

REAL PROSPERITY STARTS HERE~ Whatever you had planned, cancel it, because the old economy is crumbling around you and we have solutions you can’t afford to miss. Save the date for the most innovative and inspiring business event of the year: The 2012 BALLE Business Conference, proud to be held in Grand Rapids, Michigan, named “America’s Greenest City” by Fast Company magazine.

As home to nationally acclaimed BALLE network, Local First West Michigan, Grand Rapids has proven that even the forces of recession and industrial decline are no match for the economic power of a thriving community of innovative locally owned businesses. Grand Rapids has put apathy, malaise and economic decline on the ropes, and you don’t want to miss the final round. Join more than 700 of the world’s most innovative community leaders, entrepreneurs, independent business owners, policymakers, economic development professionals, funders and investors for our 10 year anniversary in Grand Rapids, MI. Come for the cutting-edge solutions, stay for the party.

For more information, click on this link.

Previous Events

Thursday, January 19, 2012 ~ 8 PM

We have a team formed for the the A2Ethics.org 2012 Big Ethical Question SLAM 2 competition! Our team, All Ethics Are Local will be competing on Thursday, January 19, 2012 at Conor O'Neill's (318 S. Main Street in Ann Arbor) beginning at 8 pm. our supporters and spectators are most welcome, if only to stop by and see what an ethics sound-off and show-off is about. for more information about the challenge or to register your own team, click on this link.

We hope to see many of you at the event to cheer on the All Ethics Are Local team! We are competing for a $600 first place cash prize AND the philosopher's hat for the
year, to prominently display to our membership!

Friday January 6, 2012 ~ 8 PM

We are the sponsor for this show at The Ark. Black Jake & the Carnies set fierce murder ballads, dark warnings, and a certain tough rust-belt revivalism to the beat of an old-time string band. This octet offers a unique blend of Americana, bluegrass, and punk. Tickets are $15 and available at this link.

Friday December 16, 2011 ~ 5 PM to 10 PM

"Salon ... in process" presents "Local Arts Supporting the Local Economy", a fundraiser for Think Local First. Your suggested donation of $10 will help us produce our 2012 Resource Guide that we provide free to the community. Please come for art, music, food and fun!

This will be at the new Studio/Residence of Paul M Hickman + Marcy Felice. Come and check out the new digs and see where it is headed. They have big plans to take this vintage 1950's passive solar home to "Net Zero".

WHAT YOU'LL SEE:

• Nancy Bulkley ~ Functional + Sculptural Ceramics
• Helen Gotlib ~ Figurative Drawings + Paintings + Print Making
• Dylan Strzynski ~ Mixed Media "Additive/Subtractive Landscapes"
• Zeke Mallory ~ Posters + Prints + Flyers - "A Private Collection" - Original Designs & Hand Pulled Screen Prints from Ann Arbor Folk Festival, Mr. Flood's Party & Frog Island Festival
• Paul M. Hickman ~ Hand-Rendered Furniture Drawings - "A Retrospective" + New Monochromatic Photographs
• Urban Ashes ~ Picture Frames

WHAT YOU'LL HEAR:

• Chris Bathgate ~ A Michigan Singer/Songwriter

"A skilled purveyor of lovely gloom ... If Bathgate has mastered one thing in his young and enormously promising career, it's the art of distilling alienation into bruised-sounding beauty." ~ Stephen Thompson, NPR

WHO IS PROVIDING TASTES & DRINKS:

Zingerman's, By The Pound, Morgan & York, Ann Arbor Brewing Company, Silvio's and eat!

Please let us know you are coming at this link. We want to be sure to have enough food and drink!

Saturday December 10, 2011 ~ 8 PM

Think Local First is sponsoring this show at The Ark: The Ragbirds present Ebird and Friends. A holiday show from Ragbirds’ frontwoman Erin Zindle (“Ebird”) showcasing  contemporary songwriters & groups. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at this link.

Friday December 2nd through Saturday the 10th, 2011

Buy Local Week begins December 2nd! Look for our Occupy Washtenaw County posters and other marketing materials reminding folks to think local during the holiday shopping season.

For the first time, Think Local First, Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE – our parent organization), the Institute for Local Self Reliance, the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA) and other partners have joined forces to promote the new campaign “Shift Your Shopping.”

Using the tagline “Choose Local and Independent this Holiday Season,” the coalition has created a range of graphics and ideas under the Shift Your Shopping name.

We all will promote this collaborative effort to drive more traffic to independent businesses, even while we expand our organizations’ own branded campaign, Buy Local Week. Stay tuned for details about how we will be marketing this during the holiday season.

Remember that every dollar that is spent in our local economy recirculates 2.5 times creating economic wealth right here. You do have the power to affect how your community looks by the choices that you make with your dollars!

Saturday November 26, 2011 ~ 8 PM

We are the sponsor for the Mr. B show at The Ark! Mr. B makes you give thanks for blues and boogie piano! Each year he stops in at The Ark for a Thanksgiving weekend concert, and it always brings something new from this local treasure. Mr. B brings in musicians from around southeast Michigan and beyond for a boogie and jazz blowout to kick off the holiday season with a big dose of boogie woogie joy. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at this link.

Tuesday November 15, 2011 ~ 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Our annual meeting on Tuesday November 15th is the launch of Buy Local Week. This year we will have three guest speakers focusing on what is happening at the national level in the local movement and marketing your business and what is happening at BALLE. No matter what you do, you will find this useful! Paul Sagniaw, co-owner of Zingerman’s and a BALLE board member will inspire us with an update of what is happening in the local movement right here in Michigan. Plus, The Whole Brain Group will share how social marketing can help your business. Finally, we will have re:group discuss how to brand your business identity. There will plenty of time for questions, so be sure to put this on your calendar.

The meeting will be held at Zingerman’s Events on Fourth in the former location of Eve at 415 N. Fourth Ave. in Kerrytown Ann Arbor. Our doors open at 6 p.m. with the program beginning at 6:30 p.m. Stop by for a plethora of food and beverages from Think Local First members. The evening is free for members and $10 (payable by cash or check) at the door for non-members. Please pre-register here so that we may prepare appropriately at this link.

Friday November 4, 2011 ~ 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Come join us at Abracadabra Jewelry/Gem Gallery for some pre-holiday cheer! Owners Katherine and Steven Lesse invite you to stop in on Friday November 4th to enjoy locally sourced food and beverages provided by Think Local First members.

Stop by between 6 and 9 p.m. to share in this joint TLF member appreciation and Abracadabra customer appreciation party.

As always, please let us know that you are coming. We want to be sure to have enough for everyone. Here is the link to sign up! This event is free for everyone, but only if you let us know you are coming! Abracadabra is located at 205 E. Liberty (across from the federal building) in Ann Arbor. We hope to see you there!

Friday, October 7, 2011 ~ 8 PM

Think Local First is proud to be a sponsor of this showcase of young local talent! Join us in the Commons at the University of Michigan Museum of Art and hear the music being written and performed by songwriters at UM, EMU and WCC.  This is another great program offer by The Ark that we are thrilled to be a part of. And best of all, it’s free to attend and you may just hear the next big thing!

Thursday September 22, 2011 – 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM

Come join us at Heavenly Metal for an open house! Celebrate the beginning of fall with other members and enjoy the early evening in this quirky and charming shop on E. Ann St. in Kerrytown Ann Arbor.

We’ll be serving finger foods from Teahaus and tapping some delicious beer from Arbor Brewing Company. This event is free for Think Local First members and $10 for others. Please help us plan accordingly and preregister using this link.

We are looking forward to seeing you soon!

Saturday September 10, 2011 – 6 PM

It’s that time of the year again! We’ll be at the 4th annual Homegrown Festival held at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market. The HomeGrown Festival celebrates local food and community and seeks to focus broad mainstream attention on the community-wide benefits (and pleasure!) of eating from our own foodshed. This year’s Festival offers:

 

• Delicious, creative food: sourced from Michigan farms, made by some of our area’s best local chefs
• Music from: great local bands
• Local Libations from: fine Michigan beer and wine producers
• Project Grow: heirloom tomato tasting
• Chef demos: turning the season’s best produce into delicious meals
• Kids’ activities: learn about bees, pressing cider, planting vegetables

Stop by between 6 and 11 PM to participate. For further information, click this link.

Friday September 2, 2011 – 8 PM

We are sponsoring a pair of Michigan bands that make music rooted in the distant past, yet are totally innovative. The Red Sea Pedestrians are a musical melting pot, bringing together six distinctive multi-instrumentalists and singer-songwriters to investigate klezmer music and a host of other styles. Turning half-forgotten musical styles into something absolutely modern, gripping, and often hypnotic, Orpheum Bell has created something new and different in Michigan music—and American music. For tickets, click this link. You can see this show for only $15!

Sunday August 7, 2011 – 8 PM

We are the sponsors for Jan Krist & Jim Bizer who are playing at The Ark.

A longtime Detroit-area songwriter who has garnered lots of national attention, Jan Krist has been a four-time Detroit Music Award winner and a finalist at the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas. Entertainment Weekly praised the “breathtaking leaps” of Jan’s voice and opined that she “makes soul-searching more enjoyable than it has any right to be.” If you’ve never heard Jan Krist, check her out—her songwriting voice is serious, completely Midwestern, and unafraid of depth.

Sharing tonight’s bill is Michigan songwriter Jim Bizer, who sings about faith, rivers, insanity and a few things you’ve probably never heard before in a song–like a romance that got started with a man falling off of a 30-story building. A member of the Yellow Room Gang and a three-time finalist in the New Folk Songwriting Competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival, Jim won the grand prize in the Great American Song Contest for his September 11 reflection, “We Are All Connected.”

For tickets, click this link. You can see this show for only $15!

Monday July 18, 2011 ~ 5 to 9 PM

Stop by our table and pick up a FREE backpack or bumper sticker!  While you visit, tell us why supporting local independently owned businesses are important to you. In turn, we’ll give you one of the above after 6 PM (we have about 100 backpacks and about 150 pins and bumper stickers). Consider it our thanks for supporting local!

There will be food, beverages and all kinds of other things to do while you are here. We hope to see you at the Townie Street Party! We’ll be looking for you.

Friday July 15, 2011 ~ 8 PM

Ten times a year Think Local First sponsors artists at The Ark. This month we are proudly hosting Chris Bathgate and Abigail Stauffer on Friday July 15th at 8 PM.

They are contemporary songwriters from the local area and are billed as two of southeast Michigan’s rising songwriters. Click this link to learn more about Chris Bathgate. And click this link to learn about Abigail Stauffer.

Tickets are still available for $15, click on this link to buy yours now! Wednesday July 6, 2011 ~ 5:30 to 7:30 PM

Burnt Toast Inn recently remodeled their kitchen and would like to show it off. Come to this networking event to experience this lovely whole house rental with a beautiful garden. Sandhill Crane Vineyards will be serving wine, Unitity Living Vibration will have their Kombutcha Tea, and Mindo Chocolate Makers will be sampling chocolate.

This event is free for members, their employees, and $10 for others. Pre-registration is required. Please click on this link to let us know you are coming.

Sunday June 19, 2011 ~ 5:30 to 9:30 PM

Our 4th Annual Member & Supporter Appreciation Party at the Ann Arbor Summer Festival. Come enjoy desserts, seated massage and a cash bar while listening to local music. Bring your family, friends and anyone who might like to learn more about Think Local First to this free event for all.

Here is what is happening during this event:

Deep Fried Pickle Project ~ 5 PM ~ This family friendly band has brought their inventive, hilarious songs in the styles of bluegrass, honky tonk, folk, rockabilly and blues all over the country.

Drivin’ Sideways ~ 8 PM ~ This band plays “real country music” and a mixture of classic country, blues, rock covers and original material.

Movie ~ Despicable Me ~ 10 PM

Plus all kinds of activities including extreme face painting by Body Masterpiece (call 994-5999 X. 202 beginning June 1st to reserve your spot, they fill up fast), activites and attractions at the KidZone, a portable climbing wall and Tai Chi and Chi Kung classes, plus more! See this link to see the complete line up!

If you would like to come, please pre-register using this link. We want to know who is planning to stop by. We don’t want to run out of cupcakes!  Saturday June 11, 2011 ~ 8 PM

We are sponsoring The RFD Boys show at The Ark on Saturday June 11th. They have been delighting southeastern Michigan audiences since 1969 with their fabulous musicianship and sly, exquisitely timed between-song humor. If you’re new to the area and even if you aren’t, come and check ‘em out–you’ll find a real slice of musical Ann Arbor, and probably make some new friends! Click this link for more information.

Friday June 10, 2011 ~ 6 to 9 PM

Think Local First will be at the 11th annual Mayor’s Green Fair from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Look for our table and stop by to hear what is new and pick up some Think Local First swag! We’ll be among other businesses and organizations that focus and practice sustainable business practices. Come ride a multiple person bike, participate in activities, and learn what the green movement is all about. It promises to be a fun evening for kids of all ages!

Thursday May 26, 2011 ~ 5:30 to 7:30 PM

Vintage Financial Services hosted this networking event on the eighth floor of the 101 N. Main St. building in downtown Ann Arbor.  Folks enjoyed a beer from Arbor Brewing Company and small bites from Melange on their  terraces overlooking Main St. This event was free for members, their employees, and $10 for others. Pre-registration is always requested so we’ll know how to prepare. Please look for current events to see how you can learn more! Sunday March 27, 2011 – Community Partner with The Ann Arbor Film Festival

Think Local First is the community partner for the film Foreign Parts. This film is a remarkable documentary about Willets Point, a neighborhood in Queens, NY; where scrappers survive in an automobile wasteland facing the shadows of a new Mets stadium. Filled with scrap yards and auto salvage shops, lacking sidewalks or sewage lines, the area seems ripe for urban development.

This program took place Sunday, March 27 @ 3pm at the Michigan Theater. Please utilize this code AAFF49TLF when buying online tickets to get $4 off the advance ticket price ($9 standard)! March 15th, 2011 – 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

This event SOLD OUT! Think Local First hosted a networking event on Tuesday March 15th at Seva Restaurant. Attendees participated in a wine tasting of Michigan made wines provided by Sandhill Crane Vineyards along with a wonderful spread of delicious appetizers. If you missed it or it you’d like to see if we captured you on film, check out our facebook page by clicking on this link.

February 24th, 2011 Our Executive Director Ingrid Ault was the guest speaker at the Concentrate monthly speaker series. She spoke at Conor O’neill’s discussing what is happening in the local movement on Thursday February 24th from 5 to 7 PM..

She reported on the local results for the national survey our members recently participated in as well as “local washing”. (What is that anyway?)

For more details on the Washtenaw County results from the nationwide survey, click here. Or to see the presentation she gave click on this link. December 3rd to December 11th, 2010

Buy Local Week is right around the corner! Look for our stickers and posters in member windows and don’t forget to support them during the holiday season. While you are visiting, look for our new 2011 Resouce Guide. Pick up a copy and use it when making your purchasing decisions! Thanks for supporting Think Local First members!

November 15th, 6 to 8 PM – Our Annual Meeting Save the date! Our annual meeting is scheduled for Monday November 15th from 6 to 8 pm. We will be holding it at the amazing Vitosha Guest Haus Inn (1917 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor) with a special guest speaker that is fully engaged in the local movement. Last year we heard what was happening on the national level from Paul Saginaw, a board member of our parent organization BALLE. This year we have the director of Local First, Grand Rapids, Elissa Hillary coming to share what they have been up to. Besides becoming a hub network for BALLE, they have several successful programs that she will share with the group. They are an example of a BALLE member that has made major progress in moving forward with the local message. You won’t want to miss hearing what they have done that sets them apart from the rest!

This event is free for members and member employees. For all others, the cost is $10 at the door and will include appetizers, desserts and beverages. (Please bring cash or a check with you to the event.) If you plan to attend, click this link to register. October 1st to the 31st – The 3rd Annual Ann Arbor Treasure Hunt

The Ann Arbor Treasure Hunt is preparing to hoist its sails for a 3rd year in a row. They’re getting ready to set sail on another fun adventure through the rolling seas of Ann Arbor! This is an invitation for your business to join The Hunt, and be a part of this growing annual event.

This month long event will be held in Ann Arbor from October 1st to the 31st. This is your opportunity to invite participants to explore your business looking for a clue that must be solved prior to setting sail to their next destination. It is a great way to introduce yourself to various participants who may not know what you offer.

To learn more, click on this link that will take you to all of the details!

Wednesday September 22nd, 2010-  Community Partner with Stonyfield Sustainability Film Series

Food Gatherers, the Peoples Food Co-op and the Ann Arbor Film Festival are teaming up with organic yogurt maker, Stonyfield to present a film series in August and September focusing on sustainability. The Stonyfield Sustainability Film Series will be shown each Wednesday evening at the Michigan Theater. The cost is $6 for each film.

Think Local First is the community partner for the final film, INGREDIENTS that focuses on the farmers and chefs who are creating a sustainable food system. Their work has resulted in great tasting food and an explosion of awareness about the benefits of eating local.

This film will be showing on Wednesday September 22nd at 7 pm. Guest speakers include Jeff McCabe of Friday Mornings at SELMA and Molly Notariani of the Ann Arbor Farmers Market. All proceeds will benefit Food Gatherers.

To learn more about this series, see these links: the Michigan Theater, the Ann Arbor Film Festival, and the Stonyfield website. Saturday, September 11, 2010, 6:00-11:00pm

3rd ANNUAL HOMEGROWN FESTIVAL Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market, 315 Detroit St., Ann Arbor, MI

The 3rd Annual Homegrown Festival was an undeniable success! We visited with more people than we could count sharing the local message. Fairgoers were treated to locally produced food and beverages while listening to local music. What a treat for all! We can’t wait for next years gathering! Thanks to the steering committee for putting on such a fabulous event!

Photos can be found on our facebook page. Click here!

Thursday September 9th, 2010 – Network with Think Local First Members!

Think Local First launched our new evening networking sessions at Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti on Thursday September 9th. We hosted a networking event that included a tour of the brewery. We plan to offer more opportunities like this in the future. Stay tuned for our next event!

For those that are on facebook, we posted photos of the event there. Click this link to see who was there! July 19th, 2010 – TLF will be at the Townie Street Party!

Stop by our table and pick up a FREE T-shirt or bumper sticker!  While you visit, tell us why supporting local independently owned businesses are important to you. In turn, we’ll give you one of the above (we gave 130 T-shirts away and about 300 pins and bumper stickers). Consider it our thanks for supporting local!

There will be food, beverages and all kinds of other things to do while you are here. We hope to see you at the Townie Street Party! We’ll be looking for you.

July 1st, 2010 – Ann Arbor Summer Festival Party

The date for our annual Ann Arbor Summer Festival Party was July 1st from 6 to 9 p.m. This event was open to members and supporters of Think Local First. It was attended by over 150 people who enjoyed live music, dessets and a cash bar. Here was the line up for the evening:

Gemini played at 6:30 PM. Madcat, Kane & Maxwell Street took the stage at 8 PM. And the evening finished with the classic movie Plan 9 From Outer Space at 10 PM. We will also had chair massage sponsored by RelaxStation and face painting by Gretchen’s House. We had fun stuff for all ages! Thanks to those that stopped by to say hello and support Think Local First of Washtenaw County. For more information about the Ann Arbor Summer Festival click here.

Special thanks to the following for sponsoring our party! Without them this wouldn’t have happened. Ann Arbor State Bank Complete Chiropractic Gretchen’s House Kleinschmidt Insurance Urban Ashes June 11, 2010 – Ann Arbor Mayor’s Green Fair

Think Local First will be at the 10th annual Mayor’s Green Fair from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Look for our table and stop by to hear what is new and pick up some Think Local First swag! We’ll be among other businesses and organizations that focus and practice sustainable business practices. Come ride a multiple person bike, participate in activities, and learn what the green movement is all about. It promises to be a fun evening for kids of all ages!

Monday November 23, 2009 – Annual Meeting at Big George’s

Think Local First is hosting its annual meeting on Monday November 23, 2009 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Big George’s. They have a beautiful functional kitchen area that we will be using.

Our guest speaker is Paul Saginaw, co-founder of the Zingerman’s Community of Businesses. He was recently appointed to the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies board, our parent organization. He will give us an update as to what they have planned for the next year. Many Think Local First members do not realize that we are part of a larger movement. BALLE currently has 64 networks in the U.S. and Canada all working to promote sustainable local economies. This is your opportunity to hear what is happening on the national level.

We will be serving a light meal of finger type foods. Plus our guest chef Natalie Marble from Ann Arbor Cooks! will be preparing something delicious on site. (She hasn’t told us what yet, but our mouths are already watering!) So, come hungry and ready to learn and meet folks! We will be satiating all appetites at our annual meeting!

Tuesday June 16th, 2009 7 PM to 10 PM

Our second annual member and supporter appreciation party was Tuesday June 16th from 7 PM to 10 PM at the Ann Arbor Summer Festival. It was a relaxing evening that included chair massage and a plethora of delicious desserts. And all for free!

This was a party for kids of all ages! Stucchi’s provided ice cream for the young and young at heart. Other treats where provided by Great Harvest, Teahaus and a host of home bakers from Complete Chiropractic. Plus live music was provided by Black Jake and the Carnies and Joe Serrapere and the Willie Dunns. The evening finished with the film The Forbidden Kingdom which began at dusk. There was something for everyone!

If you didn’t make it this year, watch for next year. It was an event not to be missed! Thursday March 26th, 2009 6 PM to 7:30 PM

Why bank local? How do you get a loan? Can you detect fraud? What’s changed lately? All of these questions and more will be answered at the local banking seminar! United Bank and Trust and Think Local First are teaming together to provide members and interested folks with information that will assist you in making business and personal banking decisions from an informed perspective.

Come learn:

*  The true community impact of local banking, *  How to protect your business from fraud and counterfeit items, *  What bankers look for when assessing loan applications, *  Other banking related questions you may have, answered by a myriad of experienced folks.

Join Think Local First and United Bank & Trust for an evening of information and finger food at the UBAT Zeeb Road (355 South Zeeb Rd. - 1/2 mile south of Jackson Road on the left side) location on Thursday March 26th from 6 PM to 7:30 PM.

Mark your calendar to share in an exciting opportunity to learn how the banking industry has changed over the past year and more! This event was chock full of information that we are considering scheduling another in the fall. Stay tuned for future opportunities to learn about local banking!

Special thanks to Zingerman’s Roadhouse for providing the delicious finger food for our event! Wednesday January 28, 2009 7:15 PM

A great big thank you to all who came and supported Think Local First at the Michigan Theater showing of Asparagus! Stalking the American Life.

We were thrilled to see over 140 local food fans in attendance. Director Kirsten Kelly was honored that so many came to see her film and hear of the plight that her home town endured after U.S. policy changed to provide subsidies for Peruvian farmers to grow asparagus instead of cocoa. She remarked that it was one of the most enthusiastic audiences she had ever seen at a screening.

For those that missed it, here is the link to learn more. Copies of the DVD are available now and a portion of the proceeds goes directly to Osceola County, her community in peril. Wednesday November 5, 2009 – Annual Meeting

At the Think Local First annual meeting two exciting things happened! First, Judy Wicks, a leader in the local living economy movement discussed what a local living economy is. She stressed it is about maximizing relationships, not maximizing profits. About a living return, not the highest return. Sharing, not hoarding. Being more, not having more.

Though Wicks is from Philadelphia – her 25-year-old White Dog Cafe is how she walks the talk in Philly – the evening’s event was all about how communities can foster and sustain themselves at the local level, regardless of where “local” is on the map.

The other exciting event occurred when the Think Local First board presented founder and outgoing executive director, Lisa Dugdale with an award honoring her hard work and dedication. Without her tireless work and hundreds of volunteer hours we would not be where we are now. Think Local First is grateful and thanked her for her dedication to the movement!

The Ann Arbor Chronicle covered the evening. Here is a link to their write-up.

Tuesday Sept 16, 2008 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm.

Great Harvest Bread Co. hosted a gathering where members had an opportunity to meet fellow Think Local First members and munch on delicious baked goods including sandwiches, tea cakes, and other delectables.

We unveiled our Buy Local Week program and discussed how we could link our on-line newsletters together to increase holiday sales. Keep your eye open to see what we have in store for Buy Local Week scheduled for November 15th through November 22nd.

Any member who was unable to attend the event but would like to learn more, should contact Ingrid at (734) 730-6905 or Ingrid@thinklocalfirst.net. We have many projects in store for that week including the delivery of our new 2009 directory!

Finally, a very big thank you to Dan and Janene Centurione for hosting the evening!

 

June 28th 6pm to 10 pm, Ann Arbor Summer Festival – Ingalls Mall on UM campus

Our meet & greet the new Executive Director was on Saturday June 28, 2008 at the Ann Arbor Summer Festival. Members came to say hello and enjoy an evening of free entertainment. They were treated to an assortment of goodies from our desert table and music by FUBAR and Lady Sunshine and the X Band.

However, the real treat was an outdoor performance by The Dream Machine from the United Kingdom. Aerialists called the Conedancers flew and tumbled around the edge of an inflated 26-foot giant cone. It was an outdoor spectacular enjoyed by thousands!

The evening was enjoyed by kids of all ages! We hope to host another exciting event such as this one next year. Thanks to everyone who came down to support us! April 2nd 5:30-7pm, Motawi Tileworks – 170 Enterprise Drive (A2, 48103) Arrive at 5:30pm to have a chance to make a tile, and then at 6pm we’ll hear from Nawal Motawi. She will be talking about how Motawi Tileworks applies current management ideas and innovations such as Lean Manufacturing, on-line tools, and The World Café to strengthen the company. She will reveal her favorite sources for new ideas and inspiration, and then we’ll have a Q&A and sharing of ideas from other business attendees. This event is free and everyone is invited. Call Lisa @ 730-6905 with any questions about the event. National Events

May 15 – 18th, 2012 – 10th Annual BALLE Conference

 

REAL PROSPERITY STARTS HERE~ Whatever you had planned, cancel it, because the old economy is crumbling around you and we have solutions you can’t afford to miss. Save the date for the most innovative and inspiring business event of the year: The 2012 BALLE Business Conference, proud to be held in Grand Rapids, Michigan, named “America’s Greenest City” by Fast Company magazine. As home to nationally acclaimed BALLE network, Local First West Michigan, Grand Rapids has proven that even the forces of recession and industrial decline are no match for the economic power of a thriving community of innovative locally owned businesses. Grand Rapids has put apathy, malaise and economic decline on the ropes, and you don’t want to miss the final round. Join more than 700 of the world’s most innovative community leaders, entrepreneurs, independent business owners, policymakers, economic development professionals, funders and investors for our 10 year anniversary in Grand Rapids, MI. Come for the cutting-edge solutions, stay for the party.

 

For more information, click on this link.

June 14 -17, 2011 – 9th Annual BALLE Conference

Think Local First is one of 80 BALLE networks in the US and Canada that are creating local living economies in their hometowns and cities by connecting the dots between independent retail, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, green building, local manufacturing, and community capital.

This years BALLE conference is being held in Bellingham, Washington. The New Economy is being shaped at the grassroots level. Connect, share and learn from 700 pioneering business owners and investors, elected officials, philanthropists, economic development professionals and BALLE network leaders as we spotlight the most innovative and entrepreneurial approaches to growing healthy, resilient local economies.

To find out more, click on this link. BALLE members have been on the forefront of the local movement and this conference promises to be another great opportunity to learn more about what is happening nationally and regionally.