Center for Regional Food Systems

• Blueberries Tour 2014: A Cultivate Michigan Video

  Published on December 10, 2015
  In this Cultivate Michigan tour Barbara Norman’s Farm and True Blue Farms Processing Plant describe how their farms operate with a special kind of local connection that Cultivate Michigan strives to make more common.

• Characterizing Rural NE Michigan Food Retail: Opportunities to Improve Healthy Food Access Webinar

  Published on November 24, 2015
  This webinar provides an overview of the Characterizing Food Retail in Rural Northeast Michigan: Opportunities for Healthy Food Webinar.

• National Food Hub Survey 2015 Results Webinar

  Published on November 19, 2015
  This webinar is an overview of the results from the 2015 National Food Hub Survey, one of the most comprehensive longitudinal data sets on food hub operations to date.

• An Annotated Bibliography of Farm to Institution Research in Michigan

  Published on November 18, 2015
  Farm to Institution work in Michigan centers on efforts to increase the amount of local foods purchased and used in food service programs at schools, early childhood programs, hospitals, colleges, and other institutions.

• Michigan Local Food Council Network Meeting Summary - October 8, 2015

  Published on November 11, 2015
  This brief report summarizes the presentations and discussions at the October 8, 2015, Michigan Local Food Council Network meeting, held in Detroit.

• Muskegon Food Hub Operation Feasibility Study Webinar

  Published on November 10, 2015
  This webinar provides an overview of the Muskegon Food Hub Operation Feasibility Study process and findings.

• Characterizing Food Retail in Rural NE Michigan: Opportunities to Improve Healthy Food Access

  Published on November 10, 2015
  This research report inventories and characterizes the types of food retail establishments in northeast (lower) Michigan and suggests strategies to improve healthy food access in underserved areas of the region.

• A Replicable Model for Valuing Local Food Systems

  Published on November 1, 2015
  Authors were able to estimate the current economic contribution of Michigan's local food system and explore the chain of transactions giving rise to consumption of locally sourced goods from producer to processor to consumption.

• Uganda: from the Garden to the School

  Published on October 28, 2015
  Bigodi Secondary School and the Bigodi community in Western Uganda has found a sustainable way to work together to form a community-based food system, incorporating agricultural education as well.

• Small-Scale Urban Food Trade in Lilongwe

  Published on October 27, 2015
  In this video, researchers follow legume trader, Ruth Ndingo, as they explore the traditional food provisioning and exchange environment in Lilongwe, Malawi.

• Michigan Local Food Council Network Webinar Summary - August 2015

  Published on September 28, 2015
  The Michigan Local Food Council Network held a webinar on public policy advocacy on August 6, 2015.

• The Role of Values in Food Hub Sourcing and Distributing Practices

  Published on September 24, 2015
  There has been rapid growth of interest in planning and operationalizing food hub enterprises across the country. Some of these entities aim to increase food access for underserved consumers.

• You Can't Rush The Process: Collective Impact Models of Food Systems Change

  Published on September 21, 2015
  This report highlights a range of state and multi-state food system initiatives across the country and explores six cross-cutting themes. Key strategies, indicators and lessons learned are shared for each initiative.

• Race, Ethnicity, and the Promise of "Good Food" for Michigan: A three-voice commentary

  Published on August 11, 2015
  This commentary calls out the need for new tools and resources for local food students, researchers, educators, and advocates to better understand the role structural racism plays in the U.S. food system.

• Michigan Farm to Institution Network and Cultivate Michigan Info Sheet

  Published on July 28, 2015
  This two-pager provides an overview of the work of the Michigan Farm to Institution Network.

• Michigan Meat Processing Infographic Report

  Published on July 14, 2015
  This infographic report is a visual guide to findings from the 2014 Michigan Meat Processing Capacity Survey.

• Michigan Local Food Council Network Meeting Summary - May 27, 2015

  Published on July 10, 2015
  This brief report summarizes the presentations and discussions at the inaugural Michigan Local Food Council Network meeting, held in Lansing on May 27, 2015.

• Small Farmers Can Make Food Safety Work: The Group GAP Pilot Project in Michigan's Upper Peninsula

  Published on July 10, 2015
  This case study provides an overview of the processes, challenges, benefits, and lessons learned from the Group Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) pilot project in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

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  Farm to Early Childhood Programs: A Step-By-Step Guide

  Published on June 12, 2015
  This Farm to Early Childhood Program guide provides tools and resources to help early childhood program providers of all types and sizes purchase and use local foods in their meals and snacks.

• Shared Measurement Formative Research Executive Summary

  Published on May 26, 2015
  This report highlights results from interviews and surveys of stakeholders working on goals of the Charter. Results show a need for training and interest in collecting data on food access, economic impacts and institutional procurement.