NW Michigan Food and Farming Network Report to the Community 2015 Report to the Community

Northern Michigan’s Wine Industry (Don Coe, Black Star Farms) ......................................................................30 Liquor and Spirits Industry in Northwest Michigan (Don Coe, Black Star Farms)...............................................31 The Small Business Development Centers and Agribusiness (Annie Olds, SBDC)...............................................32 Networks Northwest Offering a Menu of Support Services (Susan Cocciarelli, Networks Northwest)....................33 Farm to Freezer: One Year later (Mark Coe, Farm To Freezer)..............................................................................34 Local Grain Production (William Koucky, Grand Traverse Culinary Oils and Flours)............................................35 Grow Benzie Incubator Kitchen (Joshua Stoltz, Grow Benzie).............................................................................36 Canola Fields Thrive in Northern Michigan (Tricia Phelps, MLUI).....................................................................37 ISLAND’s Programs Designed to Create the Communities We Crave (Amanda Kik, ISLAND).........................38 Farming Programs at North Central Michigan College (Helen Leithauser, NCMC).............................................39 TBAISD Partners to Help Healthy Kids Learn More (Cathy Meyer, TBAISD)....................................................40 GreenStone Helps Young, Beginning, Small Farmers (Ben Mahlich, GreenStone Farm Credit Services).................41 FarmRaiser Helps Schools Go Further with Fundraisers (Christina Carson, FarmRaiser).....................................42 OBJECTIVE # 4 100% of northwest Michigan residents will have access to an ample, high-quality, healthy, and culturally diverse diet, 20% of which comes from the region Project FRESH Provides Access to Local Fruits, Veggies (Rachelle Stapleton, Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department)......................................................................................................................................44 Grow Benzie Farmers Market & Outreach (Joshua Stoltz, Grow Benzie)..............................................................45 Food Access On the Rise (Nick Viox, Traverse City Downtown Development Authority)........................................46 Benzie Sunrise Rotary Club’s Food Security Study in the GT Area (Kris Thomas, Benzie Sunrise Rotary Club).....47 Serving Families, Farmers, and Local Economies (Diane Conners, MLUI)..........................................................48 Food, Farms & Health (Diane Conners, MLUI)..................................................................................................49 Food Systems & Culinary Arts Education (Sarna Salzman, SEEDS)...................................................................50 Non-GMO Project and Northwest Michigan (Bill Palladino, MLUI).................................................................51 Good Food for All (Tom Emling, MSU North Community Partners)....................................................................52 Food Rescue Serves Families in Need (Brandon Seng, Goodwill Industries)..........................................................53 OBJECTIVE #5 Northwest Michigan’s farmland and associated water and energy resources will be available and affordable in order to build and maintain a long-term, sustainable business environment for diverse local agriculture and food production Collaborative Research on Farmer Access to Affordable Land (Zane Schwaiger, Leelanau Conservancy)...............55 Food & Farm System Assessment (Sharron May, Lakes To Land Regional Initiative)............................................56 MAEAP: A Sign of Integrity (Jessica Rasch & Laura Spencer, Lakes to Land Regional Initiative & Grand Traverse Conservation District).............................................................................................................57 FarmAbility Program Supports Farmers and Preserves Farmland (Zane Schwaiger, Leelanau Conservancy)...........58 Farmland Protection: It Works! (Brian Bourdages, Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy) ...........................59 Closing Words............................................................................................................................... 60 Partners......................................................................................................................................... 61 Supporters and Contributors......................................................................................................... 62

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