Supporting Small & Local Businesses: The Lifeline of Lee County
We take pride in the area where we live, work, learn, and play. Fort Myers and all of Lee County is OUR community, and as such, we want to make sure it’s supported for years and years to come.
When most think of sustainability, they think of the environment. However, did you know that our local economy also plays a significant role? The relationship between our economy and sustainability is codependent – one impacts the other in many ways.
Here at EnSite, we are huge advocates of buying local and supporting our local businesses. Local Southwest Florida businesses are what drive our community. From the events they sponsor to the time they dedicate, local businesses are what bring our community together and make it a better place. That being said, it’s important we support them.
Buying Local in Southwest Florida
We are lucky to live where we do. Our area provides great opportunities to buy from local businesses all year long. From the “mom and pop” shops in Downtown Fort Myers to the local farmers markets just to name a few, there are plenty of places to buy local and support our community.
Here in Downtown Fort Myers (not far from us!), local farmers join together for the Fort Myers Farmers Market. Taking place under the Caloosahatchee Bridge in the River District, the Fort Myers Farmers Market offers local items such as produce, seafood, honey, flowers, and more. This event takes place year-round on Thursdays from 7am – 1pm. In addition to the Fort Myers Farmers Market, there is a handful of others in Lee County worth checking out:
- Coconut Point (Estero): Thursdays from 10am – 2pm, offering fruits, vegetables, baked goods, and more.
- Lakes Park (Fort Myers): Fridays from 9am – 1pm, offering locally grown fruits/vegetables, honey, flowers, cheese, soaps, pasta, etc.
- Alliance for the Arts (Fort Myers): Saturdays from 9am – 1pm, offering organic vegetables, fresh fish, natural salsas, and more.
- Bonita Springs: Saturdays from 7am – 12pm, offering flowers, folk arts, collectibles, local artists, crafts, and more.
- Cape Coral: Saturdays 8am – 1 pm (October – May), offering fresh fruits, gulf seafood, baked goods, and more.
- Pine Island Tropical Fruit Market: Saturdays from 8am – 1pm (October – May), offering tropical fruit plants, organic vegetables, and greens.
- Sanibel Island: Sundays from 8am – 1pm, offering more than 30 vendors with local fruits/vegetables, flowers, plants, seafood and more.
Support Southwest Florida business and shop local when you can – it’s the little things like this that can make a HUGE difference in the long run!
