(via Mark Bittman’s weekly New York Times food roundup.)

When Rob Sirrine, chairman of the Northwest Michigan Food & Farming Network, clicked on his favorite slide during his presentation to the third annual Farm Routes to Prosperity Summit, the audience responded with an appreciative “oooh!”

More than 100 people were there on Feb. 4, gathered in Traverse City to chart and plan for making more progress in the eat-local, buy-local food movement that is slowly but surely changing northwestern Lower Michigan’s farm and food economy.

The region is home to a unique, Lake Michigan-powered microclimate that supports a beautiful landscape of fruit orchards; tourism-related farm stands, wineries and breweries; and nearby fields of vegetables, livestock, and small dairies. Members of the Food & Farming Network—a diverse group of farm, nonprofit, health, community garden, land preservation, business, school, and economic development professionals—want to not just preserve it, but grow it.

Why did Dr. Sirrine’s slide show take their breath away? Because one of this MSU Extension educator’s slides showed a map with just one dot on it, marking the location of Central Grade School in the Traverse City Area Public Schools District. In 2004, that school launched the region’s first “farm to school” program, serving fresh, locally grown produce from area farmers in school lunches.

Read the rest of Diane’s report on the Michigan Land Use Institute’s site.

Last month our Brooklyn hub, St. Johns Bread and Life, provided locally sourced ingredients for holiday meals for 2000 families in Bed-Stuy, proving that local can be both accessible and affordable – even in December.

Chris Bedford tells the story of another institution serving local food throughout the year.  The Mendel Center at Lake Michigan College worked with Lee LaVanway to purchase and preserve local produce to serve during the winter months.  The chefs are happy, the guests are happy – and the college actually saved money, while keeping dollars in the Benton Harbor community.  Yes We Can!

Tony Butler, Bread and Life’s executive director, talks about the Local Orbit partnership: “You don’t create community around problems,” said Mr. Butler, who hopes that clients on food stamps will eventually be able to shop from Local Orbit farmers at St. John’s. “You create community around shared projects.”

John Glebocki, Tony Butler and New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn

The new way of connecting farmers with communities is gaining a lot of attention. Last week, fifth-generation farmer John Glebocki joined New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Tony Butler to discuss food distribution issues in the region. John knows a thing or two about fresh produce with 70 acres of fertile land in the black dirt region of Orange County, NY. His Goshen farm supplies the same high quality vegetables to Goldman Sachs, white table cloth restaurants and food pantries across New York.Since October he has been offering his produce for sale to residents of the Bed-Stuy community.

This month Glebocki’s vegetables — known for exceptional flavor — became part of a great holiday meal – sourced entirely through Local Orbit and enjoyed by 2,000 Bed-Stuy families, including a humanly raised turkey, a half pound of organic fresh cranberries and a vegetable bag that includes three carrots, four potatoes, one butternut squash and two to three onions.

Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser call it “the most important food safety legislation in a generation.”  Just Means has a summary of the amendment.  And Senator Tester’s floor speech makes a simple, compelling case for the benefits of buying food direct from farmers in your community.

I just ran across this lovely animation promoting the Eat Well Guide’s, Cultivating the Web.  Since its 2008 publication, digital tools have been central to the growth of the good food movement, conveying the stories and building online networks that support offline relationships and transactions.

And generating an increasingly broad-based awareness of the value and impact of local, sustainable food on nutrition, on the quality of our eating experiences and on the economic development of communities.

Thanks to our Brooklyn partner, St John’s Bread and Life, for sharing.

St. John’s Bread and Life, Brooklyn’s largest emergency food service provider, revolutionizes the way those in need “shop” for food, by creating a Digital Choice Food Pantry that guests access using an electronic card and point system. Designed to offer the dignity of choice, something overlooked at most food pantries, guests use touch-screen technology to fill their basket, using more points for non-healthy food than for healthy items, to encourage nutritious selections. Bread and Life’s use of computer terminals is at the forefront of providing dignified options for the poor and recently took the model one step further by allowing users to key in special health needs, (diabetes, hypertension, obesity, or HIV) that restricts certain choices and presents food that adheres to their diets.

This commitment to improve overall client health by presenting the best food choices based on nutritious needs is a trail blazing idea that even high-end restaurants have yet to tap. All this in addition to providing over 1300 daily hot meals and services, impacts over 25,000 guests annually.

If you’re in New York, check out their upcoming benefit Rush Hour for Hunger

Wednesday, May 19th  5 — 8:00 PM
Metrazur Restaurant
Grand Central Terminal
New York City
(cocktails, snacks and a silent auction)

Or better, How can we create conditions that enable every community to feed itself?

Dan Barber shares the story of Veta La Palma,  a 27,000 acre fish farm in Spain that has “completely reversed the ecological destruction” created by a large cattle farming operation that preceded it.  It’s an amazing story about repairing environmental damage while building a profitable business that produces great tasting fish.

And, Barber posits, “it’s a recipe for the future of good food.”  Watch. Renew your flagging optimism.

via Cherry Capital Foods