Food & Farming
Late last month, students at Platte River Elementary harvested their first produce from their new school hoop house for a quick science lesson and delicious treat....
With the flick of a switch, we heard the steady whir of an electric motor and a whoosh of water circulating through three large hydroponic “grow systems.” These were the sounds of life: A winter indoor school garden. By noon on Tuesday, November 27th, Jill Hibbard’s 2nd grade and Rhonda Busch’s 3rd grade classes at Interlochen Elementary School transplanted and seeded a variety of herbs, leafy greens, lettuce, and peas in their very own library window hydro-farm....
How often do typical elementary students get to eat lunch with the farmer who grew their school meal? Last month, every student at Suttons Bay Elementary had the opportunity to meet Jim Bardenhagen, who grows apples and squash on his farm in Leelanau County....
Have you heard of acanthosis nigricans? I hadn’t — not until I served on the planning committee for a recent event that Munson Medical Center and PriorityHealth sponsored to raise awareness about the significant impacts of obesity on our community, our economy, our schools and our health....
MLUI is happy to introduce new Senior Policy Specialist Bill Palladino, but for many of you, he needs no introduction. Bill has been working with us for years, as a volunteer, a board member and consultant. Now we’re thrilled to have him on staff, working with the Taste the Local Difference program and other efforts to support the local economy....
The USDA awarded the Michigan Land Use Institute a two-year, $100,000 grant for expanded education efforts and to help local growers scale-up their operations and infrastructure to make it easier for them to meet school needs. The project, “Scaling Up: Healthy Kids & Thriving Farms,” expands on MLUI’s existing efforts to promote local food in school cafeterias....
MLUI's intrepid FoodCorps Service Members Daniel and Kirsten document a busy October celebrating National Farm To School Month at six schools across the region, with classroom, lunchroom, and garden activities....
The third annual PigstockTC raised $2,625 for the new 10 Cents a Meal for School Kids & Farms program that will provide schools with extra funds to purchase locally grown fruits and vegetables....
The Michigan Land Use Institute’s Get Farming! program is planning several Business of Farming workshops for both aspiring and experienced farmers....
Pigstock TC is back for its second year, and we wanted to make sure everyone know about the incredible opportunity to dine on some delicious local food while contributing to MLUI's "10 Cents a Meal" initiative....
Would you chip in $1 if it meant 10 schoolchildren could eat locally grown fruits and vegetables at lunch on Monday? How about $10 for 100 kids? That’s about four classes full of children, bursting with energy and ready to learn new things. You can do just that by contributing to a new campaign that starts this fall for a program that could be in place by spring: 10 Cents a Meal for School Kids & Farms....
Schools throughout northwest Lower Michigan are cooking up locally grown food for lunch this October and celebrating the second annual National Farm to School Month. ...
The good news for food lovers in northwest Lower Michigan is that the bustling Traverse City farmers market has extended its two-day a week market season for four more weeks. And it’s also four more weeks before Congress gets back to work after the elections—and when House members ought to buck up and work to pass a Farm Bill that they let expire Sept 30. ...
Check out the great things that have been happening through FoodCorps Northwest Michigan, a project of the Michigan Land Use Institute, in our new segment: FoodCorps Diaries. National Farm To School Month is almost here. Daniel and Kirsten look back at last year’s celebration as they gear up for another busy month....
House leaders are preparing to go home Friday without bringing up for a vote a Farm Bill that passed with bipartisan support in its own House Agriculture Committee. Waiting until next year is unacceptable....
The school year is about to start. And after the Republican and Democratic conventions, Congress will be back in session. Many are hoping Congress will resume debating the new Farm Bill, including provisions that could mean more fresh, local food for students in schools....
A year ago, Kathie Maldonado couldn’t imagine eating food like this. Now, thanks to a new nonprofit program, Kathie can double her Bridge Card money up to $20 each shopping trip if she uses it to purchase groceries at participating farmers markets. That means $40 each visit for healthy food instead of just $20. ...
MLUI honored the people who help carry out its important mission at its annual Milliken Reception. ...
Traverse Gourmet, a new northwest Lower Michigan food website, is donating 1 percent of its sales to MLUI....
The U.S. Senate passed a historic Farm Bill Thursday, paving the way for an important fight in the House to preserve measures for conservation, local food economies, and healthy food for families and school children....
