Food and gardens provide local healthy choices

Learn about fresh food resources at this free Calhoun County community event.

The Food & Gardens: Healthy Local Choices event will be held on Saturday March 31 from 9:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at the Burnham Brook Community Center in Battle Creek, Mich. The event is being hosted by Michigan State University Extension and several community organizations in Calhoun County. At this free event, attendees can visit with farmers who grow or supply locally grown foods. Representatives from community gardens will be present for those wanting to get involved in growing produce for themselves or neighborhoods. Booths with information on preserving and canning produce, farmers’ markets and community supported agriculture will also be available.

Educational presentations will be given on the following topics: Senior Project FRESH, Choose My Plate – Balanced Diet Choices, Locally Grown – Locally Known, Successful Seed Selection & Starting Seedlings, Community Food Assessment, Growing Healthy Food & Families and Too Many Tomatoes? Donate Your Extra Produce.

Good Food Battle Creek, a community coalition that has a shared vision that all residents have access to and are knowledgeable about affordable, fresh and nutritious food, and healthy lifestyles will share information on a recent community assessment that has been conducted by the C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems at Michigan State University. This assessment will be used to guide the Good Food Battle Creek coalition in developing an action plan to address food access issues. There are many areas not only in the Battle Creek community but throughout the country where residents do not have access to fresh and healthy foods especially produce. Developing local strategies to address these food deserts will increase healthy foods in underserved areas. Participants can learn how they can become involved in this work.

The Food & Gardens: Healthy Local Choices event is offered free of charge at the Burnham Brook Community Center, 200 W. Michigan Ave., Battle Creek, Mich. For more information contact Rita Klavinski at klavinsk@anr.msu.edu or 269-781-0784.

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