Food Systems Economic Partnership

It seems that everyone is interested in locally grown, organic food these days. With rising fuel costs driving high prices at the supermarket and news reports alleging that pesticides lead to all sorts of health issues, it's no wonder that the "average joe" is turning to the farmer's market. Okay, that's great for health, economics, the environment and even food enjoyment (have you ever sampled a fresh, ripe, picked-yesterday Michigan tomato and a picked green, ripened-on-the-truck, grown-far-away tomato back-to-back? There's no comparison in flavor), but does everyone know that? Doesn't everyone deserve access to great local food and shouldn't the people who grow it profit from it?

Washtenaw County is part of the "Food Systems Economic Partnership" (also known as FSEP), and, in their words, "FSEP exists to catalyze change in the food system of Southeastern Michigan. We provide research, education and outreach with urban and rural partnerships, resulting in agricultural development opportunities, sustainable communities, and healthy local economies." They recently held a conference including such sessions as "Creating New Markets Within the local Supply Chain," "Michigan's Growing Wine Industry" and "Basics of Farmland Preservation." Residents of Southeast Michigan are starting to see the effects of this initiative in their everyday lives, and, with the program continuing, it can only get better.