Be Local Northern Colorado shuts office, contemplates future

A local not-for-profit organization, Be Local Northern Colorado, will close its office and operate as an all volunteer-run organization starting April 1. Be Local’s upcoming activities, including a Winter Market at Fort Collins Opera Galleria on April 6 and a Local U workshop scheduled for April 11, will be held as scheduled.

The Be Local Loyalty and Gift Card will continue to be honored at local businesses and supported by the BLNC Board and volunteer network.

Despite the vibrant, social media-based contribution the five year old organization has made to the health of the community through a network of small farmers, independently owned businesses and social sustainability-minded “loco-vores”, the board of directors is citing revenue problems as the reason for ending this chapter in the annals of Be Local Northern Colorado.

A new and re-vitalized organization to champion local food and economic self-sufficiency may be in the cards. An all-volunteer work force, including board members and former staff, intends to examine what the future could hold for Be Local Northern Colorado. Several projects, such as an innovative Loyalty Gift Card that can be purchased for use with 29 local merchants, and an exciting project to site new community gardens at schools, will be supported in the interim.

Supporters recognize that BLNC has played a catalyzing role to connect local consumers with their merchants, craftspeople, and food growers. Nearly 4,000 BLNC “followers” on e-mail, Twitte, and Facebook have demonstrated that the desire for robust local commerce, sustainability, and social well-being has become engrained in the lives of many people in the Northern Colorado region.

To stay connected with loyal supporters, the blnc.org website will stay “live” and open for visitors to provide feedback on how to create a new custodial model for Be Local Northern Colorado. For more information, please contact Susie Gordon at 970-219-4793.