Seacoast Local is devoted to educating the Seacoast about the community benefits of directing more of our money locally, in order to increase our region's economic, community and environmental strength. Our role is to be the forum where locally owned, independent businesses come together to lead this transformation, within their own business and in partnership with our community.

Our Vision & Strategy

We envision a region renowned for the wealth of its local, living economy, in which businesses built on sustainable practices are prospering and shaping a vibrant, healthy community for all.

This vision requires a long-term investment, and its success depends on local residents' ability to take control of as many aspects of our daily lives as possible. Each time we do, we achieve a stronger, more sustainable outcome.

This is best accomplished over the long term by a relentless commitment to redirecting money to local uses—locally owned and independent businesses, local food, local energy, local investment, and more.

The benefits are not only enormous, but they are largely egalitarian. Through our strategy of education, connections and market development, we work to see that every community member, each voter, is given the information and opportunity they need to participate.  

We lead this work through the following types of activities:

Education in our community about the economic, social and environmental benefits of building a local, living economy and providing tools for people to “lead from where you’re at.”

Connections linking local businesses to one another and facilitating communication and collaboration between them.

Market development that establishes a community preference for building local, living economies and opens opportunities for sustainable economy businesses.

Our meetings, programs and events, campaigns and partnerships provide opportunities for people to learn, connect, share ideas and take action. In this way, we engage local citizens, governments, business, educators and nonprofits in our mission. Seacoast Local is committed to working with all interested parties to make our vision a reality.

Our Programs

We've selected four program areas to focus our energy and begin making an impact: local business, local food, local capital and local policies. Throughout 2012, we will focus on deepening these programs as the foundation of a local, living economy for our community.

As we achieve success, we will expand into other targeted focus areas. We do this work with the help of our members, our neighbors, our public officials. We encourage you to get engaged in these programs—for business members to become community leaders, and community members to invest in our future.

Think Local, Buy Local, Be Local: Our Think Local First program increases awareness about the personal, community and economic benefits of choosing local, independently owned businesses FIRST. Campaigns and events include Independence Week, 10% Shift and Shift Your Shopping, Plaid Friday, Making the Connection speaker series, (H)EAT, business education workshops and more.

ReRootEd: Increasing the role local, independent businesses play in building and supporting a sustainable local food system on the Seacoast. Our projects include the Local Food Network, Fishtival and more.

Community Capital: Reinvesting local wealth through deposits and investments that support of our local, living economy. Programs include Bank Local and investor-business networking.

Local Economy Communities: We work with residents and public officials to establish a community preference for sustainable and equitable public policies, and to promote local purchasing, to make efforts to move the funds of the city to local banks, to increase local procurement, and to work with the school department to increase the percentage of local food in the schools.

We’re exploring... This is where we are heading, with your support. Please contact us if you are interested in participating in developing these areas or have questions.

Sustainable Business Development: Building the number and prosperity of local businesses that creatively address environmental and societal challenges.

Local Energy & Smart Growth: Helping Seacoast communities develop stronger, healthier economies based on local self-reliance in energy, with an emphasis on low-carbon and renewable energy resources and infrastructure, including the development of healthy, durable, efficient, and environmentally responsible building, transportation and regional planning.

Local Arts & Culture: Increasing the capacity of local music, art, theater, history and other cultural resources to add color and meaning to our lives.

Our Values

We are guided in our work by passion and joy, ethical action, transparent decisions, consistent communication, visionary leadership, respectful relationships, preference for action, powerful partnerships, and a commitment to continuous learning.

Our Community

Seacoast Local began in 2006 as a grassroots initiative led by a broad base of locally owned, independent businesses and individuals. The organization now has 200+ members, including local area businesses, non-profits and residents.

We work on the Seacoast of New Hampshire and southern Maine, including the towns of: Barrington, Dover, Durham, Eliot, Exeter, Greenland, Hampton, Hampton Falls, Kensington, Kittery, Lee, Madbury, North Hampton, New Castle, Newfields, Newmarket, Portsmouth, Rochester, Rollinsford, Rye, Somersworth, South Berwick, South Hampton, Seabrook, Stratham and York.

A key focus of the organization is bringing a diversity of collaborators to the table. We build working relationships with municipalities, grassroots and government leaders. We also collaborate with existing organizations and community leaders who work to foster long-term sustainable food, energy, business, cultural and transportation practices to enhance the quality of life for all who live on the Seacoast for generations to come.

We have increased our expertise, resources and best practices by being a member of Business Alliance for Local, Living Economies (BALLE) since 2006, and by co-founding New England Local Business Forum (a regional network of local-first organizations) in2008. We are also strong collaborators with American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA) and Institute for Local Self-Reliance(ILSR). This like-minded movement represents more than 140 business networks and nearly 40,000 businesses around the country.

We're More Together! BALLE Executive Director Michelle Long lays out the vision in her keynote presentation at the 2011 BALLE Conference.

Our Board, Staff and You

Our board of directors is responsible for leading our existing and emerging projects. In addition, they help steer the organization philosophically as we grow and move forward. They are always seeking volunteers help out with various tasks and serve on committees. As Seacoast Local is committed to building a board of directors that both represents local business owners, residents, educators, and non-profit leaders and that reflects the income, gender and race demographics of our community, we'll need a lot more of your participation as we continue to engage our community in building strong local economies.

Our Staff

Dave Boynton grew up on a farm in Northern New Hampshire in an entrepreneurial family. He'sowned a small business and run others, including an outdoor education center. In the past two years, he's transitioned his focus with an MBA in Sustainability from Antioch New England, working in the local food movement and learning about the local policy world. Dave knows that we can make a significant impact with our choices surrounding money, the environment, and our communities, and is excited to be here helping to move this work forward.
 

Our Board

Local First movements and Independent Bookstores go together like peanut butter and more peanut butter. Tom Holbrook started RiverRun bookstore 7 years ago with the tag line: "Locally Owned, Locally Operated, Locally Involved." A desire to preserve the culture, environment, and unique character of the Seacoast led him to co-found Seacoast Local.

Denise Mallett and her husband, Evan, own and operate Black Trumpet, a bistro and wine bar in downtown Portsmouth. They are committed to working with nearby growers, farmers and fisheries to bring local, sustainable and delicious dishes to their guests. Through her work with Seacoast Local, Denise hopes to help bring local and healthy food to all Seacoast residents, but especially to our schools and children.

Karen Marzloff has been writing for local media for 15 years, and seven years ago helped bring a new independent media voice to the Seacoast with The Wire, a news and culture weekly in Portsmouth, N.H. The Wire documents its community, but it also creates its own arts and culture initiatives, such as the RPM Challenge and the ArtSpace concert series. As co-founder of Seacoast Local, she brings a deep understanding of the link between local media, local business and local people.

                                     Rian Bedard is the owner of EcoMovement, a local company dedicated to zero waste. EcoMovement works with more than 70 business, residents, and schools to implement programs that educate and put into action the reality of less waste. By diverting organic waste from the landfill, they are also creating an end product that is vital part of sustainable agriculture on the seacoast. Rian hopes with his experience, to educate the community and help pull all of Seacoast's amazing resources together to build a more local living economy.

• by phone: 603-766-1775
• mail: Seacoast Local, PO Box 1459, Portsmouth, NH 03802

Contact our friends:

Seacoast Local is an affiliate of Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, a 501c3 organization working to catalyze, strengthen, and connect local business networks like ours.

We also participate in the New England Local Business Forum, coordinating efforts with other local business alliances around New England.