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- Thanksgiving Edition —
🧡 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Thanksgiving week is here, and with it comes the whirlwind of cooking, hosting, cleaning, and trying to explain to relatives why the dog is wearing a sweater. Your dogs do wear sweaters, yes? Before all that hits, I want to slow down and shine a spotlight on something truly special:
The small businesses and nonprofits that make the Farmington Valley feel like home.
This week isn’t just about turkey.
It’s about community.
It’s about supporting the makers, dreamers, shopkeepers, bakers, craftsmen, nonprofits, and neighbors who fuel this valley with heart.
Shopping local is a simple act that echoes loudly through our towns. When you pick up a loaf of bread or cookies baked right here… or a handmade gift crafted by a neighbor… or a coffee from a familiar face… it creates a ripple of connection and kindness.
So this Thanksgiving, let’s fill our tables and our hearts by keeping our dollars and our gratitude right here at home. In the Valley and surrounding towns
Let’s dive in.
— TFV
Table of Contents
🛍️ WHY SHOPPING LOCAL MATTERS (Especially This Week)
When you shop at a local business, three things happen:
1. Your money stays in the Valley.
Every purchase at a small business pumps life into the community—funds schools, boosts services, drives growth, and keeps our towns vibrant.
2. You help your neighbors thrive.
Behind every coffee shop, gallery, bakery, boutique, maker studio, and farm stand is a real person working long hours because they believe in what they do.
3. You preserve the charm that makes the Valley… the Valley.
Small businesses are the heartbeat of our character. They’re the reason our towns feel warm, familiar, and uniquely special. And let’s have a moment of real talk right now, we love seeing these small locally owned businesses open, a dream in the making, a new life path created. Then sometimes, times passes, and we don’t stop in as often, we go to the big box stores because it’s “easier”… Let’s all try to pull it back home, to the souls and hearts that are following their dreams. Let’s get back to these small gems and support them.
This week, every purchase hits a little deeper. Every hope held onto.
And every business owner feels it.
💵 Why Paying With Cash Matters More Than You Think
If you’ve ever stood at the counter of your favorite Valley bakery, gift shop, or coffee spot and heard the little receipt printer whir, you’ve probably never thought about what happens behind the scenes after you swipe your card.
But here’s the secret most small business owners won’t tell you, because they’re too kind to say it out loud:
Every card swipe costs them money.
Every cash purchase helps them survive.
Let’s break it down.
Big payment processors charge small businesses anywhere from 2% to 4% every time you use a credit or debit card.
That means:
On a $20 candle → $0.80 might disappear
On a $50 holiday gift → $2 could vanish
On a $100 local art print → $4 is gone
Those little losses add up.
Especially during November and December, the months where many small businesses make nearly half of their annual income.
And here’s the hard truth:
Small businesses don’t have the margins that big-box stores do.
They feel every fee. They feel every charge.
Why Cash Is a Gift to Local Businesses
When you pay with cash, three amazing things happen:
1. They keep 100% of the sale.
No fees. No percentages. No losses.
Just clean support for someone who works incredibly hard for their craft.
2. It boosts their ability to survive slow months.
Winter hits hard for many Valley shops.
Every dollar kept is a breath of stability.
3. It’s a quiet act of kindness.
Maybe the business doesn’t know your name.
Maybe they never say it out loud.
But trust me, they notice.
Cash Helps the Valley Stay… the Valley
This isn’t about rejecting technology.
It’s about remembering that we’re part of a community, not just consumers.
Every time you hand over a $10 bill instead of a card, you send a message:
“Your work matters. Your business matters. Your presence here matters.”
You help keep:
Independent bakeries alive
Artists creating
Small shops on Main Streets thriving
Local jobs stable
Our towns vibrant and unique
These places don’t exist without us.
And a simple choice, when you’re able to do it, cash instead of card, helps keep them here.
A Simple Challenge This Week
When you head out for your holiday shopping:
Grab $40 or $60 in cash.
Use it intentionally at local spots.
Feel good knowing you just helped someone’s dream stay afloat.
The impact is bigger than you think.
And the gratitude?
Even bigger.
🎁 THE VALLEY’S SMALL BUSINESS GIFT GUIDE
Here’s your curated list of locally loved, locally made, locally owned gems for holiday shopping, hostess gifts, and “treat yourself because you survived Thanksgiving” moments.
Artisan Goods & Home Décor
Handmade candles
Local pottery
Hand-stitched hats, scarves, knitted items
Connecticut-made woodcrafts
Holiday Baked Treats & Hostess Gifts
Sourdough mini loaves
Local honey & maple syrup
Small-batch jams
Hand-decorated cookies
Locally roasted coffee beans
Art, Prints & Creative Gifts
Original artwork from Valley artists
Holiday cards & prints
Watercolors, photography, and hand-drawn illustrations
Farmington Valley–themed merch & wearables
Kids & Family Items
Books from local authors
Handmade toys
Art kits, puzzles, and craft activities
We know there are so many incredible shops out there, and in the coming newsletters, we will be highlighting some of them one by one. This time though, it’s about you. Going and supporting your favorites. Supporting the ones you know, and discovering new hidden gems.
So let’s skip the chaos and stroll somewhere peaceful instead.
A tucked-away boutique with curated treasures like those you may find tucked away in Simsbury Town Shops.
A pottery shop with handmade mugs that feel like hugs like those you may find at Canton Clay Works
The small bookstore with the creaky floors and perfect holiday reads, like Riverbend Book Store in WeHa
The floral / garden shop with wreaths that smell like freshly cut pine such as Riverside Nursery in Collinsville.
The bakery that sells out by noon because the treats are that good, think Kenmont Bread and Blooms, on Gildersleeve in Canton
THIS WEEK’S REACH OUT
What is one small local business or nonprofit that made your life better this year? Send us your thoughts and maybe they will show up in the net Edition of the Valley Newsletter!
🙏 A THANKSGIVING CLOSING NOTE
As you gather this week, around tables big or small, loud or quiet, I hope you feel the warmth of knowing you belong to a community that cares.
A community that shows up.
A community that supports each other.
A community grounded in kindness.
Let’s carry that forward… not just on Thanksgiving… but every day.
Happy Thanksgiving, Farmington Valley.
See you out there supporting local. 🧡
One Last Note:
Please remember that for some, maybe even you, the holidays are a season of joy. A time filled with lights, laughter, traditions, and maybe even treats you only allow yourself this time of year, as well as gatherings that remind us how good it feels to be part of something.
But for others, and again, maybe even you, the holidays can… READ MORE…
If you’ve been searching for something that keeps you motivated, centered, and connected each week… you’ll want to read Uplifting — a newsletter crafted to strengthen your mindset and brighten your life.
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Warm regards,
The Farmington Valley Team