WUP Meet and Greet For Local Farms and Food Buyers

Thursday May 14, 5:30-7pm CDT
Windsor Center
612 W Adams St, Iron River, MI 49935

If you are a local farmer or a food buyer for an institution or retail establishment, you are invited to attend the Western UP Farmer/Buyer Meet and Greet. This is a unique opportunity to network, make plans to partner, discuss challenges, and lay the groundwork for getting more local food into schools, restaurants, hospitals, universities, and businesses. The demand for using local food is strong but requires a relationship between farmers and buyers. This is a great chance to start that process.

Everyone who plans to attend is encouraged to bring business cards to ensure successful networking and foster opportunities for follow-up. Farmers are encouraged to bring a product and price list and buyers should come prepared to discuss the details of desired products (crop quality, quantity, packaging, availability, etc.)

The session will also include a presentation on using the UP Food Exchange’s Online Marketplace, a website that facilitates the sale of local food. This site streamlines the ordering process and acts as a one-stop shop for selling and buying local food.

This event is sponsored by The Bearded Apple Cooperative, the Western UP Health Department, and the UP Food Exchange. Light refreshments will be provided. To learn more, contact Glen Waarvik at glen@thebeardedapple.com or visit www.upfoodexchange.com.

Programs

educational events and opportunities

Western UP Farm to School Conference

Tuesday May 19, 10am-2pm EDT
Wintergreen Foods (former Candlelight Restaurant)
18334 Highway M-38 east of Ontonagon, Michigan

If you are involved with food service at a school in the Western UP, you are invited to attend a 4-hour training about how to incorporate healthy, locally-produced foods into your school food programs. In this training, school administrators, food service managers and local farmers will:

Discuss how to establish a farm-to-school program and serve fresh local food
Hear from speakers from MSU-Extension, Marquette Food Co-op, and local schools
Meet your neighbors – food producers and school cafeteria staff. A light lunch will be served – soup, salad, bread – hosted by Wintergreen Farm/Foods.

Admission is $5 at the door. Reserve your spot by May 12 by registering via email to Ray Sharp at rsharp@wuphd.org, with “Farm to School” in the subject line, and your name, number attending and school or farm name in the message.

Wild-Foraged Mushroom Harvesting Certification Program

Saturday, May 2, 9am–5pm
Marquette Food Co-op
502 W. Washington Street
Marquette, MI 49855

Working closely with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), a curriculum to train and certify foragers who commercially harvest and sell wild mushrooms in Michigan has been developed by Midwest American Mycology Information (MAMI), the Institute for Sustainable Living, Art & Natural Design (ISLAND), and the Michigan Farmers Market Association (MIFMA). The program is designed to bring mushroom sellers in line with the regulations, but is also available for anyone who may be responsible for the purchase of mushrooms to be consumed by the general public or sold at retail.

Cost for the training, which includes lunch, is $175 per person for those who wish to be certified. Farmers, farmers market managers, chefs, restaurant owners, purchasing agents for grocers, and others who may have interest in attending a workshop but not necessarily in obtaining certification, may attend for the reduced rate of $85. Registration is available online at www.midwestmycology.org. Registration closes at midnight on the Sunday April 26.

Sprout Lab Two-Day Ideation Boot Camp

April 30 & May 1, 8am-5pm each day
Bay College, Escanaba

Sprout Lab offers entrepreneurship workshops for startups in small towns and rural locations, specializing in very early phase education--at the ideation stage--helping innovators launch effectively and successfully.This two-day Ideation Boot Camp helps innovators explore the commercial potential of an agricultural, natural resource, renewable energy, or tourism-related idea. Taught by Dr. Jim Baker of Michigan Technological University and Dr. Tim Syfert, of the Richard M. and Helen DeVos Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Grand Valley State University.

For more information, please visit http://www.sproutlab.org/.

News

announcements and dates to remember

From the UPFE Posting Boards

Farm for sale
To the friends and shareholders of Hidden Acres Farm
While we have enjoyed providing you with the highest quality fresh milk and free range meat these past years, the time has come for our family to move on in a different direction. However we don't want to see this valuable asset to the local community ended! If you know of someone who may be interested in the opportunity to take over the reins of a farm business with an established customer base, a profitable income, excellent potential for growth and the animals and equipment needed included, please contact us! This is a rare opportunity to make small family farming a profitable venture for you!
We are currently looking for new owners to take on both the milk farming and the meat farming. If you're interested in either or both please contact us.
If we are unable to find someone to take over the farm we will have family milk cows available for sale as well as younger animals for beef or future milk cows.
We also still have some beef available that we would like to sell. It was butchered by an FDA certified butcher and is being sold by the pound not by the half or whole cow.

Hidden Acres Farm
hidacresfarm@gmail.com

Free Ag Mediation Services Available

Farmers need equipment, seed, storage and other supplies to run their farms. Lenders and creditors extend the funds. All stand to gain. But when performance on either side wavers, farmers and creditors can become adversaries instead of problem solvers.

Fortunately they can mediate -- and at no cost -- through a program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They can sit down with a neutral facilitator to find a solution that works for all involved. It can save time and money and help them keep their business relationship intact.

For further information, contact the Michigan Agricultural Mediation Program at 616-774-0121 or visit http://www.agmediation.org.

Central Food Hub Upcoming Meetings

UPFE Policy Commitee Meeting

(First Tuesday of every month)

Tuesday May 5, 9am at the Marquette Food Co-op

CUP Farm to School Committee Meeting

TBD
Contact Sarah Monte for March meeting time at smonte@marquettefood.coop

Contact Natasha Lantz at nlantz@marquettefood.coop or 906-225-0671 x 711 for more information about CUP food hub committees.

Western Food Hub Upcoming Meetings

WUP Food Hub Steering Committee

Tuesday April 28, 6pm at the Health Department in Hancock, 540 Depot Street, behind McGanns Hardware in the blue building. Contact Ray Sharp at (906) 482-7382, Ext. 163 for more information.

Eastern Food Hub Upcoming Meetings

EUP Food Hub Steering Committee

(Third Wednesday of the month)
May 20, 9-10:30AM CLM Conservation District Office

Please contact Michelle Walk at walkmich@msue.edu or 906-635-6368 if you would like to become involved in this committee.

EUP Healthy Food Access Commitee

(First Thursday of the month)
May 7, 10:45AM-noon Sault Tribe Health Center Auditorium

Please contact Heather Hemming at hhemming@saulttribe.net if you are interested in being involved with this committee.

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