A Building Healthy Communities grant has helped the Friendship Centers of Emmet County implement a thriving Farm to Senior project which strives to bring delicious, nutritional and environmentally friendly food to more people around the county.


A Building Healthy Communities grant has helped the Friendship Centers of Emmet County implement a thriving Farm to Senior project which strives to bring delicious, nutritional and environmentally friendly food to more people around the county.
Doctors typically learn little about nutrition, much less cooking, in medical school. But combining those topics with medicine is a trend that’s garnering headlines for Harvard Medical School with a conference it holds in California wine country; and Tulane University in food-rich New Orleans. Now, a local food version of this idea is launching in Traverse City, starting with a Culinary Medicine conference in September that will be a pilot for future programs. The theme: Think Like a Chef, Cook Like a Dietitian, Eat Like a Local Farmer.
Leelanau Christian Neighbors provides food for children living below the federal poverty line to take home with them over the weekend, a critical time when they might not get all the nutrition they need. The Lake Leelanau-based nonprofit received a Building Healthy Communities grant to build two dozen raised beds to grow produce for those it serves.
The Groundwork Center in early April hired Jennifer Schaap to join the Traverse City-based nonprofit’s food and farming program team. Schaap, a longtime Petoskey resident, brings a wealth of experience, relationships, and knowledge about the regional food system.
With support from Groundwork, the Northwest Michigan Food and Farming Network began in 2016 awarding mini-grants -small amounts of seed money for innovative, collaborative projects to enhance our local food system.
The innovative pop-up tent maker TentCraft is a leader in attracting knowledge-based talent to Traverse City. The company has also created dozens of manufacturing jobs, has an “infants in the workplace” program, and recently launched a CSA-based employee wellness plan.