Resources

Food & Farming Resources

Acme Township PDR Program
A program for preserving agricultural land. It allows Acme Township to purchase the development rights to working farmland and place it under perpetual conservation easement.
 

Census of Agriculture
Conducted every five years, the census covers land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures . It accounts for all U.S. farms and ranches and the people that run them.
 

Food Innovation Districts: An Economic Gardening Tool
Information, tools, and step-by-step worksheets for local governments, community organizations, and others working to develop food innovation districts, or business clusters of food-oriented businesses, services, and community activities.
 

Grand Traverse Regional Foodshed Alliance
A nonprofit operating the Grand Traverse Food Innovation Hub which provides basic infrastructure and support to growing food businesses. The Alliance brings together stakeholders from the entire food system network such as growers, processors, preparers, packagers, distributors, servers, retailers, and environmental organizations
 

Grand Traverse Regional Market Feasibility Report
A feasibility study for the creating a “food hub” at the Grand Traverse Commons in Traverse City, Michigan.
 

GTRLC Farmability Program
A voluntary program that provides temporary protection of farmland while benefiting farm families economically and offering services to support the future of their farm operations. Funding for the program comes from the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy.
 

Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP)
MAEAP is a voluntary program that helps farmers adopt cost-effective practices that reduce erosion and runoff into ponds, streams, and rivers. This, in turn, helps farmers comply with state and federal laws.
 

Michigan Agricultural Tourism Local Zoning Guidebook & Model Ordinance
A discussion of why agricultural tourism businesses are important to the communities in which they are located, and what can be done to make an environment in which they can thrive.  

Michigan Farm Succession Guide
A report documenting the responses from a survey of farm producers nearing retirement; and a summary of the findings.
 

Michigan Farm to School
A program focused around offering more local foods in schools cafeterias. Farm to School encompasses other related initiatives such as school garden programs, farmer visits to school classrooms, and school field trips to nearby farms.
 

Michigan State University Extension 
Present all across the state, MSU Extension provides educational services, tools, and expertise to help individuals, communities, and businesses find success in the workplace, at home, and in the community.
 

Nonprofit Needs Assessment for Northwest Michigan
A needs assessment was developed in 2013-2014 to identify challenges for nonprofit organizations in the ten-county Northwest Michigan region, relative to resources, capacity, leadership, revenue, and other issues. The report identifies potential opportunities for addressing challenges experienced by the region's nonprofits in order to better adapt to changing trends and complex communitiy issues.  
 

Northwest Michigan Farm and Food 20/20 Fund
Offers farm businesses a continuum of financing tools and products offered by regional lenders through a one-stop application process. Financing options and resource support are tailored to the business stage and scale.
 

Northwest Michigan Works!
Dedicated to helping employers and career seekers in Northwest Michigan by offering a variety of no-cost services in our 5 centers, located in Petoskey, Traverse City, Cadillac, Kalkaska and Manistee, Michigan. Work-based learning scholarships, Just-in-Time training, and On-the-Job training programs are available for eligible job seekers.
 

Peninsula Township PDR Program  
A program for protecting farmland from development on the Old Mission Peninsula. Tax millages were approved by the Township to generate the funds needed to buy development rights from farm families at the development value of their land. The program protects Peninsula Township's main economy and its prized aesthetic qualities.
 

Taste the Local Difference
A regional program that connects consumers with local food, farms, restaurants, and businesses. Maps and guides make it easier to make the local connections.