ISHPEMING, Michigan (WLUC) – Residents of Uttar Pradesh expressed concern Wednesday about the region’s unique agricultural challenges.
Members of the Ishpeming community visited Partridge Creek Farm to pick up fresh vegetables from the farm, while representatives from the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD) learned about the unique challenges rural communities like Ishpeming face in providing food.
“We’re going through a really difficult time with supply chains. Members of our community are having a lot of trouble with access to food,” said Sarah Johnson, executive director of Partridge Creek Farm. “Food insecurity is a really big problem and it affects us in all areas, especially health.”
$3 million of Governor Whitmer’s $82.5 billion fiscal year 2025 budget will be invested in MDARD’s new Farm to Family program. MDARD Director Tim Boring says Farm to Family aims to put more local food on the plates of Michigan families by reducing barriers to access.
“We have to address the challenges of distribution,” Boring said. “We have to deal with the logistics and ask ourselves how we get locally produced food to restaurants, schools and grocery stores.”
MDARD is learning how to better meet the needs of communities across the state.
“It’s really important for us to get out there and talk to locals and our partners in the legislature,” Boring added, “to better understand firsthand what some of these challenges are and to make sure those aspects are addressed in the programs we develop in the department.”
Johnson says Partridge Creek Farm is filling a need in Ishpeming by providing fresh, local, nutritious food, and the farm hopes to inspire its neighbors who are facing similar challenges.
“We want to help other communities like Marquette, Gwinn and KI Sawyer replicate what we do here in their own communities,” Johnson added.
Boring said MDARD wants to increase processing and distribution in rural areas to support economic development while keeping food costs under control.
All rights reserved.
