The historic solar eclipse felt particularly special to us here at Groundwork, as we’ve been working hard in 2017 to celebrate the sun-as a source of income, jobs and community resilience. We have a golden opportunity to harvest millions of dollars in sunlight when it hits rooftops, parking lots, brownfields and vacant land.
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.
With the June 30 release of an “Alternatives Analysis” commissioned by the State of Michigan, momentum is growing to decommission the Line 5 oil pipelines under the Straits of Mackinac. The conclusions of this analysis, and its popular and political impact in the weeks ahead, represent another crucial step in the march to shut down this catastophe-waiting-to-happen in the heart of the Great Lakes.
Environmental Law & Policy Center and Groundwork urge pushback against Trump administration’s war on the Great Lakes and effort to de-fund Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
Three fellows recently joined the Groundwork team for a nearly three-month period. Food Equity fellow Sarah Perez-Sanz is working with Food & Farming Director Meghan McDermott on food equity and access; Farms, Food and Health fellow Katie Wheeler is working with Senior Policy Specialist Diane Conners on Community-Supported-Agriculture (CSA) wellness programs, and Clean Energy fellow Abby Hackman is supporting Clean Energy Policy specialist Dan Worth.