One thing that the newspapers published by Montgomery News and Ambler Gazette's Editor, Carrie Compton's story assignments have taught me is that buying our newspapers from local businesses is one of the most beneficial ways to stabilize our economy.

One of my first multimedia stories was about the Wissahickon Growing Greener Group. Founded by Erin Crump, the Group aims to educate local residents on how we can be more beneficial to our environment, such as disposing of batteries properly and eating hormone-free and pesticide-free foods from local farms instead of supermarkets.

It was Erin who turned me on to staying away from big grocery stores. She pointed me to Maple Acre Farm in Plymouth Meeting. Maple Acre is a farm which I have driven past virtually my entire life without thinking to stop and buy food.

I was reading the Economist this afternoon when I saw an interesting article about buying local. Maybe this story wasn't about buying food or caring for the environment; however, I think it is a good example for people who see the world in terms of the dollar.

The story was about two local book stores who were about to be put out of business if the city of Austin, as planned, extended a $2 million dollar incentive to a developer who wanted to put a brand new Borders book store in town. The new Borders would end up being built right across the street from one of the local book stores. Big trouble, right? Wrong.

The local stores had a consultant study the benefits of the local businesses compared to the corporate store and they found out that out of every $100 spent at the local stores, $45 went back into the local economy through staff wages and money spent on supplies at other local merchants. At Borders, only $13 went back into the local economy.

The rules are the same in Montgomery County. When we buy from local businesses, those businesses buy supplies and products from other businesses in the local economy. So keep this in mind when you light the grill this weekend. Are those vegetables helping your community or are the profits going cross-country?