Manna Food Project (Manna) held its sixth regional Crock-Pot cooking class at the Moms & Tots Center in Ellsworth on Thursday, Dec. 14. Twenty-five food pantry clients living in the area learned about planning healthy meals, the importance of eating more fresh vegetables, and supporting local growers.
The Local Food Alliance (LFA) of Northern Michigan, which works to enhance the culture of local food and farming in the Northern Farms Foodshed, will hold its next local food potluck on Wednesday, Dec. 13, from 6-8 p.m., at the Boyne District Library in Boyne City.
Elementary School, K-6, and preschool students at East Jordan Public Schools are eating more local farm-fresh fruits and vegetables thanks to “Try Days” which the Charlevoix County school is holding early each month. In order to connect nutrition with classroom learning, students also watch a series of videos featuring one-minute health tips, and vote whether they “tried it”, “liked it” or “loved it”.
Thanks to a seed grant from the Michigan Local Food Council Network, the Petoskey-based Local Food Alliance of Northern Michigan will hold its fifth annual “Around the Table” conference on Wednesday, Nov. 8, from 4-8 p.m. with the theme of “Healthy Food for All.” The Food Alliance also plans to hire a part-time coordinator and facilitator to direct and expand its presence within the “Northern Farms Foodshed”.
Farm to school champion and celebrity chef Alice Waters visited Boyne Falls Public School in Charlevoix County on Friday, Sept. 22, to witness firsthand how food service director and chef Nathan Bates is using locally-sourced produce in the cafeteria and how Boyne Falls is promoting local food in the curriculum.
This is Pellston Public Schools’ first year as a FoodCorps service site. New food service director Sherry Sedore, staff and students will benefit from the presence of this AmeriCorps program dedicated to “creating a future in which every school is a healthy school, and every child is well-nourished and ready to learn.”