It is important for residents of both the Township of Scugog and the Township of Uxbridge to support local and small businesses even though most areas are entering phase 2 of the Covid-19 pandemic. Supporting local and small businesses is a good way to promote the pandemic slogan “We are all in this together!” in a tangible way. To show support for these businesses, you can go the extra mile and spread the word about them to members of your family or neighbours, and this will help their financial bottom line. For example, strawberries grown on a farm or a garden taste better than strawberries from the grocery store. If you buy a case of locally grown strawberries, and you enjoy them more than store bought strawberries, you could tell other people about the difference, encouraging them to but direct. In terms of supporting farmers and buying their crops, people living in Scugog and Uxbridge are fortunate, because many residents have a farmer’s market close by, and farmers need to make a profit as well. . One local farm, selling strawberries and other fruit and vegetables, is Willowtree Farm in Utica. It is a popular option for a lot of people living in Port Perry and the surrounding areas. The farmers’ market, held at the lakefront in Port Perry, reopened on July 4th. It is open every Saturday from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. Impact on the environment is also reduced when people buy locally, like in small towns for example. Due to the fact farmers’ markets are closer to populated areas, where their produce is sold, less carbon emissions are produced from shorter transport routes. Sometimes you do get farmers’ markets in more populated areas, like Toronto for example, because people from the city do not always have the option to buy fresh produce grown locally. Many people also come up from the city to smaller towns to buy local food, which is not a bad thing in and of itself. A lot of the local and small businesses being supported appreciate as much business as they can get. If more people within the community show support for local businesses, such as farmer’s markets, these businesses may grow in popularity and gain more customers. This can be beneficial for the businesses themselves and for the community as a whole. If a business notices an increase in customers and sales, this may open up new local jobs for people currently looking for work.