June 10, 2020

Dining Out? Here’s What to Know

Traditionally, Memorial Day weekend in Northern Michigan would have been the beginning of the Summer tourist season. But this year, it marked the beginning of a step towards…

May 29, 2020

Staying True in Tumultuous Times

The past few months have brought a lot of change and disruption for Michigan’s local food businesses. Vicki Zilke, of Zilke Farm Kitchen and Zilke Vegetable Farm, views…

May 28, 2020

Local Food Communities are going Virtual

For me, spring is often the time spent finalizing the plans for the summer ahead. In the Upper Peninsula, it means the weather is finally suitable for traveling…

May 21, 2020

Making Valuable Connections 

Imagine for a moment, a fresh Taste the Local Difference Local Food Coordinator, newly tasked with making new connections in their region to locally grown and produced foods.…

April 27, 2020

Small Boats are Easier to Turn than Cruise Ships

Every morning I wince at the new headlines: “Smithfield shutting U.S. pork plant indefinitely, warns of meat shortages during pandemic;” “Dumped Milk, Smashed Eggs, Plowed Vegetables: Food Waste…

April 24, 2020

A Letter to Farmers: Adapting in the time of COVID-19

This is an edited version of a piece created by Kristen Muehlhauser, a farmer and registered nurse in Washtenaw County. Learn more about Kristen, her farm, and her…

April 15, 2020

Supporting Local in the time of CoVID-19

During times of uncertainty, I find peace and comfort in drilling down to what I can control and do in my personal life. As someone privileged to currently…

April 15, 2020

Farming in the Age of Coronavirus

As a farmer, I’m always trying to plan for the unexpected. A late spring hail shreds the leafy greens, a rainy market day puts us behind our sales…

March 13, 2020

A Local Foodie’s Guide to COVID-19

Have you washed your hands lately? If not, take a moment to do so. If yes, do it again. The news is inundated with information about the global…