Earlier this month I had the opportunity to travel to the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE) 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. FNCE is the largest conference for registered dietitians and nutrition professionals and brings together thousands of food...
Groundwork’s Xavier Verna shares thoughts for National Hispanic Heritage Month
As part of our ongoing series of articles commemorating equity holidays and month-long celebrations, we are today commemorating the close of National Hispanic Heritage Month by sharing thoughts from Xavier Verna, Groundwork’s Major Gifts Officer. As told to Jeff...
Supreme Court’s decision puts America’s health and safety at risk
This op-ed first published in Planet Detroit. Above photo by Thomas Park. My toddler daughter wakes up every morning, and we eat breakfast together. She munches oats, and we listen to music. During the day, I work and she plays—hopping in sprinklers, playing with her...
Young people can be a force in deciding election outcome in Michigan
This op-ed first published in the Traverse City Record-Eagle.By Nicholas JansenRural Clean Energy Organizer This election year, no matter where they fall on the political spectrum, young people in Michigan have a real opportunity to decide our future. Historically,...
Celebrating 10 years of Farms, Food & Health Programs
Photo above: by Gareth Hubbard Asparagus brought me to Northern Michigan eight years ago, and the promise of using local food to improve public health and personal wellness continues to hold me here. In 2008, I was living in Pittsburgh, and my then boyfriend invited...
Resilient Relationships, Resilient Supply
This article is the first in a three-part series in which we explore the work being done to expand local food economies along Michigan's west coast. The program is one of just a handful of similar USDA pilot programs in the entire nation, and they are...