News of Double Up Food Bucks

Posters and flyers that explain Double Up Food Bucks for SNAP families are available to pick up for distribution at the offices of the Michigan Land Use Institute, 148 E. Front Street, Traverse City.
 
Double Up Food Bucks, a project of the Fair Food Network, provides families receiving food assistance benefits with the means to purchase more fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers' markets.

Fair Food Network is a national nonprofit that works at the intersection of food systems, sustainability and social equity to guarantee access to healthy, fresh and sustainably grown food, especially in underserved communities.
 
Taste the Local Difference, a project of the Michigan Land Use Institute, builds new markets for northwest Lower Michigan’s farmers, connecting them to shoppers, grocers, restaurants, other food businesses, schools, civic institutions, health programs, and anti-poverty initiatives. The Taste the Local Difference Web site also has printable pdf’s of simple, seasonal recipes, a database of many other recipes, and tips on how to eat in season.
 
Outside In - Investigating Community Resilience
Diane Conners rejoins "Outside In" for further updates on the local food movement in NW Michigan. She is joined by her colleague from the Michigan Land Use Institute, Janice Benson. Both work in leadership positions developing our local food economy and each talks about new programs being launched this spring season -- Double Up Food Bucks and the Spend Ten Campaign.
 
Manistee Community Kitchen offers award-winning cooking and nutrition classes called Cooking Matters, which helps low-income families learn how to eat better for less.

MSU Extension and its local county offices have many resources for healthy eating and food preservation.
 
Health Departments in Benzie, Leelanau, and Grand Traverse Counties connect families on the Women Infant and Children (WIC) program to healthy local food and nutrition resources, including simple & seasonal recipes and the Taste the Local Difference guide.

Child Care Connections is working to link day care providers and the families they serve to healthy, locally grown food.

Great Start in the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce promotes healthy eating and local food opportunities to its own broad network of groups working to provide young children with… a great start.

Head Start in the Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency, the Leelanau Children’s Center, and the Benodjenh Center of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians are all early childhood centers that promote healthy eating, local food, and garden activities for their young families.

Northern Michigan Diabetes Initiative offers healthy food education kits for families, including local food resources.

Institute for Sustainable Living, Art, & Natural Design (ISLAND) has lots of home food production workshops.
 
Fresh Food Partnership purchases food from northwest Lower Michigan farmers to stock area food pantries and community meals programs.

Food Rescue of Northwest Michigan accepts local fresh food donations to stock area food pantries.

The Poverty Reduction Initiative is a broad network of organizations working to alleviate poverty in the Grand Traverse region.
 
Northwest Food Coalition members work to meet the hunger needs of people in a six-county area while continuing to address the greater issues of poverty.