U.P. Food Exchange stops in Marquette

The Upper Peninsula Food Exchange continues its sweep across the region, with a stop in Marquette Wednesday.

The Exchange is a partnership between the Marquette Food Co–op, Michigan State University Extension, and the Western U.P. Health Department.

The goal is to provide resources for farmers, citizens, institutions, and anyone else interested in finding information about local food.

“This event is for anyone who eats, and so, that really means anyone,” Marquette Food Co–op Community Liaison Natasha Lantz said. “But here today, we have representatives from the legislature, we have farmers, we have consumers.  We also have economic developers. We have city officials. Really, it runs the gamut.”

“I’m talking with farmers all the time who are saying, ‘You know, I’m kind of tired of raising food and putting it on a truck and having it go away, and I never know who’s eating the food.’ And I talk to consumers who say, ‘I’m actually kind of interested in knowing a farmer. I want a place that I can visit, I want to know the farm has sustainable practices,'” President of the Crossroads Resource Center in Minneapolis Ken Meter said.  “There’s a real kind of hunger we have to connect around food.”

“Local food is only going to gain in popularity as we move along,” Lantz said, “and it really is something that everyone can participate in, and that’s what makes it so exciting.”

The event was the second of three U.P. Food Summits for the week.  Houghton hosted one for the Western U.P. on Tuesday.  The U.P. Food Exchange will be in Sault Ste. Marie Thursday.