New businesses are working to meet the growing demand from buyers for locally grown food, and more food service directors are flexing their buying power and insisting that distributors figure out how to offer the option to buy local.
Articles by Diane Conners
Ag Forum: Farmers are paying attention to schools
Never before has there been so much interest among schools in buying local farm foods. And these efforts, according to polls, are supported by parents who want schools to take care of their kids by serving them healthy food. Farms can play a big role in helping them do just that.
Ag Forum: 10 Cents a Meal program could expand
Farmers in our region’s fields and orchards this summer are growing a variety of fruits and vegetables destined for the plates of children in seven school districts participating in the “10 Cents a Meal for School Kids & Farms” pilot project.
Ag Forum: What difference can a dime make?
When it comes to school lunches, a dime can can mean the difference between canned peaches or fresh, juicy ones for students. And because of a pilot project in our region called 10 Cents a Meal for School Kids & Farms, it also means sales for local farms and related businesses like food processors or distributors.
School Garden Workshop in Northern Michigan
Janis Groomes, food service director at Northport Public Schools, knows the power of school gardens to get kids interested in eating fruits and vegetables, even ones that are unusual.
Ag Forum: Local food movement gathering momentum
At the recent 2014 Michigan Good Food Summit, I was one of 425 people who heard story after story about how the movement to support local food and agriculture is growing across the state.