Summit will offer resources and strategies for those in rural food systems of NE Michigan
The Northeast Michigan (NEMI) Healthy Food Project will be hosting the first annual NEMI Regional Food Summit on Sept. 18, 2024, at The Collective – by Tawas Wellness Center in East Tawas.
Led by John Fisk and Kristine Ranger, food systems consultants of the Michigan Health Improvement Alliance, this free one-day event will be a highly participatory gathering designed to build understanding of the regional food system, make regional linkages and foster collaboration in northeast Michigan.
“This summit is a place for food, health and farm organizations and community leaders to come together and foster a vibrant and healthy food and farming system,” says Fisk, founder and president of Bluestem Food Systems Consulting and co-director of the NEMI Healthy Food Project.
The NEMI Healthy Food Project advocates for rural economic development through increased production and consumption of locally grown food, economic viability of farms, removing barriers to food access through innovative solutions, and identification and action on policy issues that lead to a more regenerative and equitable food system in northeast Michigan.
Speakers at the summit will be addressing a range of issues, including:
- Sourcing local food for schools, senior centers and food banks
- Resources for small and mid-size farms supplying local markets
- Food and health strategies for nutrition access
- Financial and technical assistance resources for organizations and businesses
“This will be the first gathering of its kind in NEMI so we’re excited to bring people together from across the 11-county region to focus on regional food and farming systems and connect them to resources,” states Ranger, founder of Knowledge Navigators and co-director of the NEMI Healthy Food Project. “Since we’re very rural, and farms and businesses are generally small, NEMI has unique needs and opportunities that can be best addressed by connecting leaders from all sectors and facilitating conversations.”
The summit is aimed at those interested in the intersection of food and health, farming for local markets, food security, nutrition, economic and business development, and community development.
MSU Extension District 4 in coordination with the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems are facilitating the event with media support coming from Taste the Local Difference.
NEMI Regional Food Summit
Date: Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Time: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Location: The Collective – by Tawas Wellness Center, 821 Newman St., East Tawas, MI 48730
Cost: Free with lunch provided
To register for this event, click here.
For questions or more information, you can email the NEMI Healthy Food Project at [email protected].