ISHPEMING, Mich. (WZMQ) – State Representative Jen Hill and Tim Boring, Director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, toured Partridge Creek Farm this afternoon in Ishpeming. The purpose of the visit was to get a better understanding of local food systems and how to provide the freshest produce via Michigan’s Farm to Family Program. Farm to Family uses community supported agriculture like Partridge Creek Farm to ensure that fresh, healthy, locally grown produce is available to Michigan families at an affordable price. Director Boring says his state wide tour of community supported farms will shed light on some of the challenges faced by small local farms.
“We know that there’s processing, and distribution challenges of getting food into communities in meaningful ways. So we’re excited to go across the state, talk to communities, talk to producers, about what some of these limitations are, so that we’re getting healthier food on the plates of families across the state,” said Boring.
Boring went on to explain how important community farming is as an economic engine, as well as the foundation of a healthy diet.
“We’re excited to be able to learn a little bit more about how we’re helping facilities like this meet capital constraints, expand processing, expand distribution, just expand a lot of the bottlenecks they have to growth,” said Boring.
Representative Hill, who is a champion of community farming, believes quality food is not only vital to the health of a community, but a unifying force that benefits all.
“Here at the site of the old hospital is now becoming a thriving food hub, where it’s a place where you can pick up vegetables in a community supported agriculture, which is buying directly from the farmer. So we’re bringing everybody together around food,” said Hill
for more information on the Farm to Family Program and what local farms are participating, please visit https://michiganfitness.org/food/michigan-farm-to-family-csa-diectory
