Something beautiful, powerful, and profound in local food has happened in northwest Lower Michigan during the past two decades. Shared Abundance is a tribute to that progress and also helps readers see that similar things can happen anywhere in America—most importantly,
in their own hometowns.

Part gorgeous, story-filled coffee-table book and part local food economy strategy manual, Shared Abundance brings 192 pages of insight, instruction, tips, and urgency to making local food economies a foundation of our
national food culture.

An important book for anyone wanting to bring the benefits of a
local food economy to their world.

Order your copy online today!

For wholesale orders, contact Jeff Smith, Communications Director, at jeff.smith@groundworkcenter.org.

(Please know that all orders are shipped via standard U.S. mail and that after December 17 we cannot guarantee delivery by Christmas.)
Or find in these retail stores: Fustinis (Traverse City and Petoskey), Brilliant Books (Traverse City), Horizon Books (Traverse City), McLean & Eakin (Petoskey), Oryana (two Traverse City locations), Roast & Toast (Petoskey), Coveyou Scenic Farms (Walloon Lake), 9 Bean Rows (Suttons Bay), Bay Books (Suttons Bay), Leelanau Books (Leland), Cedar North (Cedar), Cottage Book Shop (Glen Arbor), Farm Club (Traverse City), Lakeview Hill Farm & Market (Traverse City).

What people are saying ...

"A masterful and visually stunning manifesto on the importance of locally grown food, Shared Abundance is a playbook for healthy community sustainability and empowerment everywhere."

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, pediatrician who exposed the Flint water crisis, author of What the Eyes Don’t See

“This might just be the place that will invent the future for a healthy, resilient community."

Dr. David Eisenberg, Director, Culinary Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Medicine

“Wonderfully inspirational. The future of food is in the hands of farmers like these. Agro-biodiversity and local foods, respectful relationships between relatives, whether two-leggeds, four-leggeds, or rooted, is how we will restore a balance and our well-being.

Winona LaDuke, author and activist for Indigenous rights, climate, and water

“A resource that celebrates important accomplishments and provides a playbook that helps each of us move this movement forward.”

Oran Hesterman, author of Fair Food and founder of Fair Food Network

"The compelling stories in this gorgeous and smart volume will make you hungry for justice, hungry for a sustainable future--and hungry for dinner!”

Bill McKibben, climate and local food advocate, and author of The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon

“How are we going to have beautiful, fresh produce if we don’t have local farmers? I don’t know how you can eat well without them.”

Laura McCain, chef and nutritionist

 

In 2002, Groundwork produced an innovative report titled "The New Entrepreneurial Agriculture," which mapped out a fresh vision for an agricultural economy in Michigan. The report helped set us and a multitude of regional partners on a mission here in the northwest Lower Peninsula that gave rise to what is today one of America’s most respected local food economies. Leveraging the milestone moment of a 20-year anniversary, we decided to produce a book, Shared Abundance, that shares the experiences, essential partnerships, key strategic decisions, and lessons learned, with the purpose of inspiring and propelling local food economies throughout Michigan and the nation.

Shared Abundance is a celebration of the region's innovative local food legacy, the remarkable partners who have been essential to this journey, and the many environmental, economic, and nutritional outcomes that have accrued. But most important, throughout 192 pages, the book will serve as a local food economy road map for people wanting to launch a local food movement in their home region or take a nascent movement, or even a burgeoning movement, further.

Shared Abundance, Lessons in building community around locally grown food
Written by Diane Conners, Groundwork Senior Policy Specialist
Photographed by Beth Price

Order your copy today!

VIDEO SERIES

THE Shared Abundance Project

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Resources

Harvest of the Month Resource Packet

Harvest of the month interactive PDF