One of the questions we're most frequently asked is why the firefly is located in Effingham.  The answer is multi-faceted, and it may surprise most of our readers. Effingham offered us a variety of opportunities: to bring sustainable and organic foods to diners; to practice and market a lifestyle that we deeply believe in; and to own a small business that would support other small businesses and ultimately, contribute to the economic growth of an area dear to Kristie's heart. 

Coming from the world of big business and finance, the ability to contribute to economic growth was as important to Kristie as Niall's commitment to creating a dining experience.  What we didn't realize was that by doing this, we were at the forefront of the locavore movement. Every time you dine at the firefly you're contributing to the growth of small businesses, many of them within 100-miles.  From Nuxoll's to Schottman's, Paw-Paw Farms to Zimmerman's, from Cecil's Window Washing to linen service to Alwerdt's Gardens and Lyon's Fisheries, our business supports their business.  And it all comes from you. 

Last Saturday was the first Small Business Saturday, a national campaign to encourage shoppers to support small businesses.   It's a movement to reinvest our money close to home, in the businesses that are "the heartbeat of our communities and local economies," according to the movement's Facebook page. 

In the same vein, our friends over at Agracel sent us information on the 3/50 Project, an idea posted on a blog that has blossomed into a full-blown, locavore movement.  It's a simple idea...spending $50 a month at three local businesses could be enough to preserve and restore local economies.

3 - What three independently owned businesses would you miss if they disappeared? Stop in. Say hello. Pick up something that brings a smile. Your purchases are what keep those businesses around.

50 - If half the employed population spent $50 each month in locally owned businesses, it would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue. Imagine the positive impact if ¾ of the employed population did that.

68 - For every $100 spent in locally owned independent stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures.  If you spend that in a national chain, only $43 stays local. Spend it online and nothing comes home.

1 - The number of people it takes to start the trend - you!