Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP)
Deadline: October 31, 2021
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) executive director for Alger, Marquette, Delta, and Schoolcraft counties is looking for producers interested in the USDA organic certification cost share program. Fact sheet or for more information contact Teddy Jaquette at Teddy.jaquette@usda.gov.
On-Farm Food Safety Webinar: Michigan Farm to Institution Network Meeting
Food safety is often seen as a roadblock for successful farmer and institution relationships. Farmers who are new to the institutional market may not have the specific food safety verifications that a specific institutional buyer requires. From the buyer perspective, getting familiar with the many different food safety certification programs used by farms can open purchasing relationships. This webinar recording can help farmers, institutional food service staff, and other supply chain partners find common ground around food safety to grow farm to institution programs. View the webinar here.
Technical Support Available for Your Wash Pack Project This Fall
Check out these six Twilight Highlight Workshops below!
A team of specialists from SCRUB (Sanitizing and Cleaning Resources for your Business) is available to help you overcome a post-harvest bottleneck, or improve your wash/pack! The team is offering a series of "Twilight Highlight Workshops” to help farmers as they plan and implement projects to address one of six specific wash/pack topics listed below. Space is limited to 15 farms for each topic.
SCRUB Twilight Highlight Workshop Schedule
All virtual workshops are held live on Wednesday evenings, 6:00pm – 8:30pm, and will also be edited and posted for future viewing.
September 1 – Bin Blitz
September 8 – Low Cost and High Value
September 15 – Wash/Pack Floors
September 22 – Wash Water Management
September 29 – Tools for Employee Management and Empowerment
October 6 – Bubblers/Aerators for Greens Washing
To indicate your interest in participating, please complete this short form! Click here for more information.
Fall is a great time for a FREE On-Farm Readiness Review!
Many growers of fresh produce want to know how ready they are with regards to being FSMA Produce Safety Rule compliant. In an effort to get people ready for a full implementation of FSMA, MSU Extension and the Michigan On-Farm Produce Safety Team are providing FREE On-Farm Readiness Reviews to Michigan Produce Growers. Register for your FREE OFRR here. Read more about OFRR's here.
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You are invited to participate in the 2021 Michigan Apple Crunch!
Deadline: Thursday, October 14, 2021 or anytime in October!
What is the Crunch? Celebrate National Farm to School Month by collectively purchasing and crunching into locally and regionally grown apples in the month of October.
Who: K-12 schools, early care and education sites, hospitals, colleges and universities, farms, state and local agencies, non-profit organizations, local businesses, groups, and even households can register to Crunch this year! Anyone who wants to show support for local farmers and school food can join!
Why: To help get more kids excited about delicious and healthy local food!
How: You can check out this simple list of some places across the Upper Peninsula to source local and Michigan grown apples - including orchards, grocery stores and the U.P. Food Exchange Online Marketplace. The sourcing list is also attached.
Register: Register your crunch to make it official. Help the Great Lakes Crunch get to a Million crunches!
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Special Webinar: 10 Cents a Meal Program Impacts: September 30, 2021
10:00-11:30 a.m | Zoom Webinar
Michigan’s 10 Cents a Meal program has grown from a regional pilot to a statewide program with five million dollars in state funding. Throughout those years of growth, 10 Cents has supported the purchase of millions of dollars of fruits, vegetables, and legumes from Michigan farmers and food vendors that were served to Michigan schoolchildren. This session will take a deeper dive into impacts of the first three years of the pilot program (2016-2017 through 2018-2019). They will also discuss how all this information can be used to build sustainable and successful farm to school programs in your districts and regions. This online session will be beneficial to any previous, current, and future 10 Cents participants and anyone who supports these programs. Registration is required to participate in this free virtual meeting. Register here.
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Michigan Good Food Charter Gathering: October 13-15, 2021
Join us as we wrap up the Michigan Good Food Charter update process and plan for the future of Good Food in Michigan! This interactive agenda will bring together food systems advocates and practitioners to:
- Preview and gather feedback on components of the updated Michigan Good Food Charter, including ideas for action and draft frameworks for collaboration at a statewide level.
- Network and connect with others
- Plan for next steps toward Michigan's good food future
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2021 Women, Food, and Agriculture Network Conference: November 3-6
Registration is open for the 2021 virtual Women, Food and Agriculture Network conference. Registration is $40 members/$50 non-members. Scholarships are available. This year's theme is "Landscapes of Resilience: Embracing the Power of Community" featuring keynote by Karen Washington. Register for the conference here.
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Center for Regional Food Systems: Seeking Local Food Council Fellow
Application Deadline: October 11, 2021
The Michigan State University (MSU) Center for Regional Food Systems (CRFS) within the Department of Community Sustainability is seeking a full-time, fixed-term Local Food Council Fellow. This position is classified as a Specialist – Outreach. The Outreach Specialist will support outreach, training and technical assistance, and relationship-building in local food council and food policy projects of CRFS. This person will assist in coordinating and executing activities of the Michigan Local Food Council Network (MLFCN), a network of 25+ Michigan councils that build their individual and collective capacities to work on food and food policy issues, operate effectively, and engage their communities, through peer-to-peer learning. Find the full position description on our website and on the MSU Careers Portal (posting #731024).
Institute of Agricultural Technologies Program Coordinator - Bay College
Application Deadline: July 23, 2023
IAT Programs Coordinator – This position will be responsible for the overall coordination and management of the IAT and other feeder programs located at Bay College. Visit the Institute of Agricultural Technology at www.iat.msu.edu for program information. The position provides leadership for the IAT programs located at Bay Community College. The current program offering is Agricultural Operations. Responsibilities include:(1) counseling and advising students; (2) student recruitment, and internship placement and monitoring; (3) teaching courses in career development, leadership, communications, internship and other courses in the candidates area of expertise and/or as needed by the program; (4) fostering a working relationship with the agricultural industry, high school counselors and teachers, and diverse communities in the service district of Bay Community College; (5) evaluation of the programs and curriculum; (6) working closely with appropriate Departments for program delivery and development, and (7) assisting the with the exploration and development of new off-campus programs in partnership with Bay Community College. To find out more information and to apply, click here.
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USDA Grant Opportunities
Other Grant Opportunities
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*NEW LISTING* WANTED: Gitche Gumee Ciderworks in Hancock, MI will begin buying apples on October 1st at $.20 per pound, or in exchange for a portion of the fresh pressed cider if pickers would like to be involved in the work of pressing. Accepting apples of all sorts so long as they are clean with unbroken skin and have never been sprayed or treated with pesticides. Contact Chris at mckim.chris@gmail.com to arrange a time to come to the cidery to weigh.
WANTED: Farm plow for tractor and looking for someone to custom combine 50 acres barley in 2022, Iron River area. Call Dale Carlson (815) 260-2930.
FOR SALE: Simmental Bulls, mature and young, registered and non-registered. Call Duane Kolpack (906) 362-6862.
FOR SALE: 2nd and 3rd crop alfalfa, small square bales. Marenger Potato Farm, Flat Rock. (906) 384-6587.
FOR SALE: Registered Dexter cattle, all ages and models. Call Tolfree Farms (906) 884-2351 or email countryj@jamadots.com.
FOR SALE: Hay, large square bales 3x3x7.75 Timothy grass, 4,000 to sell. Former dairy farm doing all big square bales hay. Call Dave Bell in the EUP 906-440-6455 or email Bellsdairy@yahoo.com. Also a realtor in the UP so contact me for real estate here, Dave@smith-company.com.
Beautiful property in the Upper Michigan, 130 acres In Perkins for sale or pasture for rent for livestock for the 2021 season. Beautiful river running through it. Great for hunting, building or developing, or simple grazing livestock. Land is divided into 9 paddocks with high tensile electric fence and 5 stock watering ponds. Call (906) 359-4825.
FARM FOR SALE: Upper Peninsula Farm with over 1,100 acres, water access, maple syrup production, and much more! Contact Henry DeGroot (906) 238-4251, hjdegroot@alphacomm.net. Upper Peninsula Farm For Sale | Wells Township | Shady Lane Farms (wixsite.com).
FOR SALE: John Deere B. Clean, less than 50 hrs on rebuild. Allis-Chalmers C. New paint, runs good. Hay Hauler. Hauls up to 10—4x6 round bales, use spear on back, don’t have to unhook. Call Terry (906)644-2777.
FOR SALE: International 5000, Self-propelled 14 foot windrower cab-hydro-diesel, has detachable hay conditioner. Stored inside, field ready. $5000 (906) 988-2397.
FOR SALE:
52’elevator Kewanen PTO drag line NH 56 Rake
Gehl Round Baler 4x4
3 pt wheel rake 16’ wide
3 hay wagons with racks All used last year
(906) 988-2397
FOR SALE: Simm Angus Bulls-Genomic Tested, Balanced EPD’s, Great Disposition, born Fall of 2020. (906)281-0808 or (815)614-0163.
Have something to list? Email your listing to ehopp@marquettefood.coop and Eli will add it to the next edition!
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Farm Business Incubator program marks 5th year
By Katie Segula
CHATHAM — Nestled on the top of a lush rolling field in Chatham are rustic white structures surrounded by trees at the Michigan State University Upper Peninsula Research and Extension Center campus, where farmers and staff marked on Wednesday morning the fifth year of the Farm Business Incubator program. The program is a key way to continue passing on agricultural knowledge, organizers said. Click here to read the full article.
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From left, Traunik Farms owner Mike Osier and MSU North Farm coordinator Sarah Goodman stand between a large barn holding farm equipment and the office building. In the background are acres of land for grazing cattle. (Journal photo by Katie Segula)
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In Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Finding the Farm-to-Table Experience of a Lifetime
By Ashlea Halpern
Good food—and company—are equal draws at chef Iliana Regan’s latest venture, Milkweed Inn. Click here for full article.
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Chef Iliana Regan prepares a meal in a Dutch oven. Kendra Stanley-Mills
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On Farm Fun in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula: Slagle’s Family Farm
By: Alex Palzewicz
Slagle’s Family Farm, a staple of the Central Upper Peninsula Farming Community, is dedicating themselves to providing good food to their region. Owners Jennifer and Jason Slagle moved to their property in 2001 and began growing a wide variety of crops along with raising pigs and sheep. They officially started farming in 2009 and their children, Cody, Justin and Lauren, were all involved in all the daily chores for the crops and animals, but they’ve slowly been making their way into the workforce. After traveling to Marquette, Escanaba and Iron Mountain to participate in multiple farmers markets for several years, the Slagles made the decision to bring the customers to the farm! Click here to read the full article.
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20 Michigan Agriculture Facts You Might Not Have Known
Did you know Michigan farmers produce 300 different types of food and agricultural products? Michigan is also home to many national brands that you know, love, and trust. Check out this list which highlights some of Michigan's lesser known areas of agriculture. Full list here!
18 Best Michigan Apple Orchards & Cider Mills to Visit This Fall
If you’re craving the flavors of fall this year, check out some of the best Michigan apple orchards and cider mills in Michigan with family activities. You might not be surprised to learn that, with so many apple orchards in Michigan, the state is a major contributor to the apple market. In fact, Michigan apple farmers produced about 10% of the nation’s apples in 2018. There are numerous Michigan cider mill locations too. Click here for the full article.
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More to read...
Check out the U.P. Food Exchange's website here.
Check out the UPFE Online Marketplace for institutional purchasers here.
Check out Michigan's Conservation Districts website here.
Check out the Western U.P. Food System Council's website here.
Check out the Michigan's On-Farm Produce Safety website here.
Check out the Taste the Local Difference newsletter here.
Check out the MSU UP Research & Extension Center monthly newsletter here.
Check out Marquette Food Co-op's newsletter here.
Regional Email Listserv for Western UP Growers and Food Provisioners
This is a peer-to-peer listserv open to posts about to all things about growing and sharing food in our region. More information about it can be found here.
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