SFR has traditionally published our locavore’s guide to Santa Fe at this time of year. But the more we delved into local food over the years—and the systems that underpin a vibrant “food shed”––the more we began to view locavorism as an integral aspect of the local economy’s larger landscape.

Therefore, this year, we present Worth: The Locals’ Guide to the Santa Feconomy.

We tackle a broad swath of the issues and ideas that make a big difference in Santa Fe’s local businesses’ bottom lines. The lingering recession has given many Americans a sense of powerlessness in the face of international finance and confusing federal policy, which seems to favor big banks and billionaires over the working- and middle-class folks who have always been the backbone of the country’s wealth and prosperity.

But a look at what’s happening on the ground in Santa Fe, from the ongoing legislative push for a state development bank to the nascent implementation of an integrated distribution system for local food, reminds us that having a stake in the local economy makes a bigger difference in our quality of life than fretting about the whims of Washington and beyond. Claiming a stake isn’t just about buying local or even selling local—it’s about finding the connections and the courage to realize our entrepreneurial dreams, paying attention to interesting ideas emanating from other communities and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of our economy.

We also include some fun features, such as a guide to profiting from (legal, medical) pot, a primer for goods you might not suspect are available locally and a chart tabulating the best ways to get stuff for free. Santa Fe’s small and local businesses aren’t the only beneficiaries of a strong economy—it’s our community-mindedness, our innovation and our bootstrap resolve to succeed that have defined the character of our city for 400 years. What’s that “worth” to you, Santa Fe?

A Question of Quality
The calculus of happiness remains elusive, no matter how you crunch the numbers

Can State-Owned Development Banks Save America?
How About New Mexico?

Selling Local
There's a flipside to buying local, and it ain't always easy

Open Source Economics
We can keep taking what we're given, or we can reinvent value

Get Start-Uppity
Are you an entrepreneur or a wantrepreneur?

Buy Local: No Ifs, Ands, or Uncovered Butts
Five things you didn't know you could buy locally

So You Want to Be a (Legal) Drug Dealer?
Here's how to navigate the system