Wrap Up and Celebration: Peer to Peer with a Farmer - Emerging Farmer Learning Series
April 15, 2026 12:00PM - 1:30PM
Featured Speaker: Alex Ball, Owner & Farm Manager, Old City Acres
Hosts:
- Jazmin Bolan-Williamson, Farm and Food Business Coordinator, Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems
- Erin Elly, Technical Assistance Manager, Michigan Good Food Fund
- Shakir Bralock, Director, Michigan Good Good Fund
To provide support for Michigan farmers and food business owners, Michigan’s Emerging Farmers and the Michigan Good Food Fund are partnering to host a free webinar series focused on key business topics. This farmer training series will cover a range of subjects, including value-chain coordination, customer insights, preparing for financing, and more.
These virtual sessions will be held on Wednesdays from 12-1:30pm, March 4-April 15, 2026. During each 90-minute session, experienced subject matter experts will lead a presentation before transitioning to breakout rooms among participants. These sessions will be hosted live for interactive discussions, as well as recorded and shared for later viewing.
Meet this Week's Speaker
Alexander Ball is the owner/manager of Old City Acres. He started the business in 2013 with the simple goal of growing high quality fruits & veggies for those in his local community. Although his life revolves around food, in his free time he enjoys movies, hiking, and spending time with friends.
Old City Acres was started in a backyard with a shovel and the sole purpose of increasing access to fresh local foods for folks in SE Michigan, and over the last decade has evolved into a year round multi-farm local food delivery business. By combining online ordering, convenient pickup locations, and year round ecological farming methods, OCA has built a community-centric flexible CSA model that continues to drive yearly growth through shared mutual investment and collaborative partnerships. A dream of strengthening the local food economy and increasing fresh food access has driven our team over the last 10 years as it continues to feed the communities of Ypsilanti, Belleville, Romulus, and Ann Arbor Year Round.
About Michigan Good Food Fund
Michigan Good Food Fund invests in food and farm entrepreneurs across the state, offering flexible financing and tailored business assistance to grow a more resilient, inclusive local food system. We meet entrepreneurs where they are, connect them with what they need, and build long-term relationships that help their businesses thrive. As we work toward a more resilient, inclusive food industry, we focus on entrepreneurs whose access to power and capital has been historically limited because of their race, ethnicity, and/or gender. Our efforts are guided by the shared vision of our Stakeholder Board, a diverse group of entrepreneurs, farmers, funders, and policymakers with deep roots in Michigan. Learn more at https://migoodfoodfund.org/
About Michigan’s Emerging Farmers
Our statewide program aims to create pathways to growth and economic opportunity for all of Michigan’s agricultural producers, including small- to mid-sized farmers. This project is funded by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, in a cooperative agreement with members of the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems, Michigan State University Extension, and Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS).
This work is supported by the American Rescue Plan Technical Assistance Initiative program, project award no. 2023-70417-39233, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.
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