Celebrating Local Economies!
A Conversation with Celerah Hewes-Rutledge from Delicious NM on BALLE

The Agriculture Collaborative (AC) this month spoke to Celerah Hewes-Rutledge from DNM about BALLE, an organization that works to identify and connect pioneering leaders, spread solutions, and attract investment toward local economies. The lessons are relevant to entrepreneurs across the region, especially our local food and ag entrepreneurs.  

AC:  We heard that you recently returned from the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) conference. What are some of the key take-away messages?

CHR:  My main take-away was a clear picture of how connected all of the parts of the local economy really are. Local food, entrepreneurship, opportunity, public policy, tourism, energy are all part of a thriving local economy. Because this year’s conference was in Phoenix, I came away inspired by the support system a state like Arizona has for their local businesses. There is no reason we cannot have a more cohesive local business voice in New Mexico as well. 

I also returned with a real interest in exploring the opportunity to have more collaborative discussions about how businesses can work together, and how non-profit and economic development need to have more cross-industry communication. A truly successful local economy includes many pieces; fitting them all together is the challenge.  

Finally, showcasing our diverse local offerings helps New Mexico stand out and will continue to knit the community together. If we can take on the challenge of how to steer visitors (and locals) to local establishments we make our diverse local offerings part of the collective reason our state is so unique.

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