If one Idahoan does the math... Dale Peterson, the executive director of Buy Idaho Inc. figures that if every state resident spent $100 a year locally, another $150 million would stay in the state and recirculate through the Idaho economy. The sales tax on those purchases would pump $9 million into the local economy, he figures. The Idaho Statesman urges readers to consider spending $10 a week of that $100 on the local farmers market. "It's a tangible goal," the newspaper concluded in a recent opinion piece.
"It does more good than you'd imagine. You're helping to ensure local farmers have a vibrant local market. This saves farmers the cost of shipping to out-of-state markets, keeps more locally grown food on local shelves, and ultimately keeps food prices stable. It can even encourage a second wave of local products -- since manufacturers are more likely to build capital-intensive processing plants near thriving farm country."
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