NW Michigan Food and Farming Network Report to the Community 2015 Report to the Community | Page 44

Food and Farming network

Farming Programs at NCMC
Workshops offer
hands-on instruction

From 2012
to 2014,
nearly 2,000
people
attended
the college
food and
farm
programs.
(Photo:
Helen
Leithauser)

By Helen Leithauser
North Central Michigan College
Corporate & Community Education
North Central Michigan College
is located in farm country and its
agricultural programs demonstrate
how much educators and farmers
can accomplish working side-byside. From beekeeping to wine-making, the college supports many farm
businesses.
In 2009, the college offered
its first grape growing and winemaking workshops. People from
Mancelona to the U.P. came to learn
about growing and fermenting coldhardy grapes. Next, they wanted to
learn about wine chemistry, testing,
careers, and more.
That first group of students
formed the Straits Area Grape
Growers Association, and the workshops expanded into a two-year academic Viticulture & Enology program. In 2009, there was only one
winery in our five-county region.
By 2014, our region supported 13
wineries and over 80 grape growers.

Today, the college
has the first
research vineyard
on a community
college campus.

Today, the college has the first
research vineyard on a community college campus. In 2012, the
college introduced a series on local
food and farming events with free
movies, discussions, and later workshops. The first discussion group
grew into the Local Food Alliance
which now meets monthly at the
college to plan activities and guide
college food-farming programs.
North Central offers about 40
workshops each year with practical hands-on instruction in topics
requested by farmers: food preservation and safety; seed-saving; beekeeping; hops; herbs; fungi; organic
certification; sustainable agriculture;
marketing; specialty products;
government regulations; recordkeeping; funding; permaculture; and
so much more. At the heart of it all
is helping farmers succeed.
In addition to workshops, the
college hosts conferences, films, and
book discussion groups to educate a
wider audience on the health, envi39

ronmental, and economic benefits of
local farm products.
From 2012-2014, nearly 2,000
people attended the college food
and farm programs. The results
are more start-up farm businesses;
growers using new techniques and
products to increase profitability;
stronger community partnerships;
and the growth of organizations like
the Local Food Alliance and Straits
Area Grape Growers Association. In
2015, North Central will launch a
two-year Environmental Sustainability Program to incorporate instruction on local food and farming.
The college, with help from many
partners, is growing its agricultural
programs to sustain our farmers and
community well into the future.
Like the seed that starts as a tiny
dot, the program ideas have grown,
with lots of care from our farmers
and friends, into something that
feeds us all. We’re pretty sure we’ve
got a perennial.
www.ncmich.edu