The concept of a store specializing in olive oils, high end vinegars and out-of the-ordinary spices is just right for downtown Culpeper, a district that has earned a reputation among epicures. Fine dining and quality provisions from merchants and a popular farmers’ market has made Davis Street a destination. However, that reputation alone may not … More Downtown Culpeper offers speciality store the right location

Those who follow the VMS blog are well aware of the benefits of sustaining local investment by urging consumers to eat local foods and to shop in local stores. Amy Cortese insists that this same approach is applicable to portfolio investments. Her most recent publication, Locavesting: the Revolution in Local Investing and How to Profit … More Locavesting: “Investing in Main Street instead of Wall Street”

In a time of tight public budgets and program cuts, the most important task a publicly-funded program can do is show results.  Bring people downtown, attract private investment, increase sales and fill vacancies; i.e. increase the tax base.  These are the hard, quantifiable outcomes that a Main Street program should be working toward and that … More Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance named “Best Use of Taxpayer Money”

Throughout Southwest Virginia, many small-scale farmers grow products to be sold at a farmer’s market or to local restaurants. Meanwhile, several universities in the area, such as Virginia Tech, try to use local produce in their food programs whenever possible. The local farmers are unable to supply universities with enough produce to serve 30,000-40,000 meals … More Sustainable Farming in Floyd County