I am so excited to be right here, right now, doing what I’m doing with Natural Awakenings magazine in the city of Detroit and throughout Wayne County and beyond. It’s an incredible time in our local history; our future is wide open to changes and amazing new possibilities for all of us, but especially for entrepreneurs.

 I am delighted to work with entrepreneurs in so many different fields and from such varied backgrounds. Some have created a business using money from an automotive buyout; others are juggling day jobs, while on the side, they build the business of their dreams until it’s lucrative enough to let the day job go. Many individuals started small ventures to help make ends meet but then grew weary of looking for employment and decided to turn those side gigs into their own source of work. These resilient, resourceful individuals are busy creating our new local economy, and I am so proud to be a part of this movement.

Many signs indicate that things are moving along on the larger economic scale, but for the average individual in this area, grand change might be difficult to see. However, we can each notice the small choices that we make every day. For example, our opportunities to vote with our dollars: in the most basic of economic concepts, retailers will respond to this voting system by discontinuing items and services that don’t sell and restocking those that do. As consumers, spending our dollars on what we support and value gives us the power and responsibility to influence change both locally and globally.

This issue features the topic, Local Foods Grow on Menus, as part of the article, Urban Gardening Takes Root. A recent trend among restaurants is hyper-local food growth, where the restaurant grows some of their own ingredients, such as herbs and leafy greens. The restaurant may also source produce from local farmers. This is a perfect example of mutual benefit between the company and the consumer. The restaurant is cutting costs by growing their own food, local farmers are getting a boost in business from the restaurant, and the customer is now eating fresher, sustainably grown food that has not traveled miles to reach the table.

Our national elections may be long over, but very important local voting continues every day. The products and services we support will remain in business. Natural Awakenings magazine helps many local companies connect with potential customers and provides information to help readers make better choices for our health and the environment. Together, we move forward through these tough economic times, creating new opportunities in a healthful, mindful manner. I am confident that one day soon we will look back proudly on these times as we witness the success of our joint efforts. In the words of German theologian and philosopher Meister Eckhart, “And suddenly you know: It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.”