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La Plata Impact Fund driven by local businesses

When local business owner Jonny Radding approached Local First Foundation about launching the La Plata Impact Fund, he had just finished reading the book “Let My People Go Surfing,” written ...

Parking a top concern as public comments on designs for Main Avenue

Study to examine space supply citywide

It’s time to move your money

When most of us think about living the “local first” way, we envision shopping at one of our favorite local retailers, visiting the farmers market for fresh produce from a nearby farm or cho...

A healthy, wealthy and wise community

In the La Plata County Community Needs Assessment report focused on access to health care (completed in June 2019), 85% of respondents were dissatisfied to extremely dissatisfied with health...

Minicozzi returning to Durango

These days, many of us are thinking about the uncertainty of the future – I know I am. The past two years have put the reality of uncertainty on display in a way that can’t be ignored. We ar...

Small business soul revival and the new movement of moving

In 2003, I made my first trip to Durango with then boyfriend and now husband, Bobby. He had been coming to Durango since 1993 and couldn’t wait to show me this rugged mountainous beauty and ...

The case for unified, mindful development

At Local First, our mission to create an economy that values people, the planet and prosperity for everyone extends beyond our work with the local, independent business community. While pres...

A year in review

As December nears its end, we are grateful for the blankets of snow covering the mountains as we take in the stillness before the new year. While we cannot begin to understand the true impac...

Shop Local for the Holidays

It’s that time of year again; inboxes piling up with discount codes, promotional flyers on our doorsteps, commercials highlighting the latest gadgets we never thought we’d need (and maybe st...

The ‘Be Local Coupon Book’ is back

It’s that time of year again – leaves are changing, pumpkins are on display and the newest “Be Local Coupon Book” is about to hit the shelves of local, independent businesses in La Plata Cou...

Thrive! Living Wage Coalition announces new home at the Local First

After a brief hiatus because of pandemic complications, La Plata County’s Thrive! Living Wage Coalition is ready to be reintroduced to the community. Now a proud program of Local First, the ...

Private and public ownership

The sales of a handful of prominent private and publicly-owned properties in Durango have been hot topics of discussion within our community over the past few months. From city-owned proper...