For Immediate Release
Nov. 1, 2011

Contact:

Kirsten Gerbatsch, Farm to School FoodCorps Member
Michigan Land Use Institute
Phone: 551-427-8630
Email: Kirsten.gerbatsch@foodcorps.org

Daniel Marbury, Farm to School FoodCorps Member
Phone: 231-941-6584 ext. 30 • Cell: 770-653-3805
Email: daniel.marbury@foodcorps.org • Web site: www.mlui.org

Suttons Bay — Suttons Bay High School will host a Farm to School Fall Food Festival on Tuesday, November 8, from 5 to 7 p.m.

The evening will be a festive occasion offering sweet cider, music, and produce to purchase. Purchases will benefit the Farm to Community “Gratitude for Food” Fundraiser.

The Food Festival is free and open to the community with a suggested $5 donation at the door. The event seeks to raise awareness, funds, and support for school garden programs, local and fresh foods in the school cafeterias, and the Northwest Michigan farming economy.

Sweet apple cider will be poured by our very own Suttons Bay Tandem Ciders, while food historian Susan Odom of the historical Hillside Homestead will present a cooking demonstration of traditional meals circa 1910. Farmers Jim Bardenhagen of Bardenhagen Farms will sell his Honeycrisp apples and Jess Piskor of Bare Knuckle Farm will have winter squash and potatoes for sale as part of the “Gratitude for Food Fundraiser.” There will be plenty of foods to taste and which will be prepared by local restaurants and businesses, such as Trattoria Stella, Rolling Farms Café, and Stone House Bread. Students with cooking and baking experience from the SEEDS after school programs, Deep Roots Farm Club and Good Grubs Cooking Club will also share samples of tasty desserts they’ve made from scratch. In addition to the food and festivities, representatives from Michigan State University Extension, the Michigan Land Use Institute, SEEDS, and FoodCorps will share details of their contributions to current Farm to School programs in Suttons Bay, Leelanau County, and Northwest Michigan.

These activities are part of a broader celebration of the National Farm to School Lunch program. Last year, the United States House of Representatives declared October National Farm to School Month, recognizing the strong role Farm to School plays in promoting good health and strong economies. Farm to School is broadly defined as any program that connects schools (K-12) and local farms with the objectives of serving healthy meals in school cafeterias, improving student nutrition, providing agriculture, health and nutrition education opportunities, and supporting local and regional farmers.

The Farm to School Fall Food Festival is the perfect gathering to support our local agriculture. So, come on over to Suttons Bay High School to meet and talk with farmers, chefs, and students and learn about how we can work together to strengthen the local farming economy, connect schools to fresh, quality food, and empower youth through agriculture, nutrition, and food education. 

About the Institute
The Michigan Land Use Institute is an independent, nonprofit research, educational, and service organization founded in 1995. More than 3,000 households, businesses, and organizations have joined the Institute in support of its mission to establish an approach to economic development that strengthens communities, enhances opportunity, and protects Michigan's unmatched natural resources.