What if you could change the world through pancakes? You know, stimulate economic vitality while nourishing your mind and body with the wholesome goodness of food grown and processed by farmers and businesses in our community. Do you think it is possible? On May 5, the initial Buy Local First Breakfast will give you the freshest foods of the Willamette Valley at the Odd Fellows Hall, 223 S.W. Second St.

When you choose to eat food that is locally grown, you are eating food that is as fresh as it can get. The time from food to fork can compromise flavor and nutritional value. When food travels thousands of miles to find your mouth, you are the only one missing out.

When you choose to support a local business, you are prioritizing the strength, the beauty and the quality of your community with each and every dollar you spend. According to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and Friends of Midcoast Maine, “for every $100 spent at a locally owned business, $45 stays in the local economy, creating jobs and expanding the city’s tax base. For every $100 spent at a national chain or franchise store, only $14 remains in the community.”

This is more than three times more local economic impact. Why is that? Well, local businesses are more likely to use local goods and services for advertising, for accounting, and the list goes on. When we keep our money here, we increase our community’s self-reliance, we increase jobs and we have a beautiful town to take a walk in.

Imagine fresh hot pancakes straight off the griddle, mottled with blueberries and strawberries grown and packaged by Stahlbush Island Farms in Corvallis. Imagine ordering sides of Surata tofu made in Eugene, scrambled with roasted red peppers from Gathering Together Farm of Philomath as well as other edibles grown by our favorite family farms. You know, the farms we drive by when we are heading to the coast for a family vacation or the more familiar farms nestled on the urban edge that we bike by daily when we are dropping our kids off at school. What about blueberry coffeecake, Grizzlies granola (Eugene) and Lochmead milk (Junction City)? They’ll be there, too.

Now picture this food fiesta being prepared and served by independent business owners and volunteers from your community, surrounded by tables piled high with information highlighting local organizations and businesses. Between bites of Oregon’s finest flapjacks, talk to your favorite local entrepreneur. Network with community members who are actively organizing to increase consumer awareness on the importance of buying local first.

These businesses are just a handful of the hundreds that preserve the unique vitality of our local and independent landscape. Show your dedication to keeping Corvallis your one-of-a-kind home and support this effort. You won’t be sorry! After the breakfast, stroll down to the Farmers’ Market with some new friends and see community prosperity in action.

The Buy Local First Breakfast is a joint effort of the Corvallis Independent Business Alliance and the First Alternative Co-op. The breakfasts cost $5 for adults, $3 for kids 12 and under, and will be held the first Saturday of the next three months, May 5, June 2 and July 7, from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.

Participating local businesses will have fliers in their windows advertising the breakfast and will be offering $2 discount coupons for the breakfast. All profits from the breakfast will be used to purchase more delicious local foods for the next Buy Local First Breakfast.