To the Journal editor:

In (the) Upper Peninsula, we have a proud legacy of agriculture carried on by farmers across our region. Sadly, access to this fresh, nutritious Michigan-grown food remains out of reach for many of our own residents.

The Chippewa-Luce-Mackinac Community Action Agency is proud of our work expanding access to local food for people across the eastern Upper Peninsula and empowering communities through programs for older adults, Head Start services for children and providing weatherization to families to help lower utility bills.

That’s why the CLMCAA team is now honored to be among the first grant recipients of the new Good Food for Michigan Project. The goal of this initiative is to strengthen supply chain linkages and build new market opportunities through connecting Michigan farmers with schools, hospitals, and other institutions, which feed thousands of Michiganders every day.

This partnership will help CLMCAA increase our capacity to buy and serve more Michigan-grown food in the senior meals we prepare and serve to our community in the eastern Upper Peninsula at meal sites, through meals-on-wheels and for carry out. Last year, we served more than 165,000 meals to seniors.

Due to our geographic location and the distance food has to travel to arrive at our senior nutrition sites, CLMCAA often receives deliveries intended for our meal programs only to find the products have expired or are very close to expiring. Older Michiganders across the region now will be better served because of the resources and support that come with our partnership with the Good Food for Michigan Project.

In partnership with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Center for Good Food Purchasing and the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems, the Good Food for Michigan Project is helping us identify and connect with local farmers and food partners to source more Michigan-grown food so CLMCAA can bring more fresh food to older adults in our community.

The Good Food for Michigan Project is especially important to the economy in the Upper Peninsula and northern Michigan, which has a robust agriculture sector. Through the partnerships created by this initiative, farmers will be able to count on more stable and reliable markets, providing relief from the burden of an uncertain economy and allowing them to plan for growth and success producing healthy food for our community.

This partnership will allow other organizations, businesses and institutions in northern Michigan and across the Upper Peninsula to discover new ways to connect with local food sources. Through the Good Food for Michigan Project, we can work together to improve the health of our population while bolstering our region’s economy.

We look forward to using the resources and support provided by Good Food for Michigan to serve seniors fresh, nutritious locally grown food, while also uplifting our farmers and our local economy.