ISHPEMING — A number of western Marquette County organizations received an always welcome boost Thursday.

The Western Marquette County Health Foundation awarded grants of varying amounts to five groups with a health focus.

One organization, in its infant stages, is the Partridge Creek Farm, which will be an incubator farm in downtown Ishpeming. It received $10,000.

“We’ve raised about $6,000 as well from the general public of Ishpeming, the local population, and we’re starting a farm this year,” said Dan Perkins, Chairman of the Board for the Partridge Creek Farm. “A community farm for community outreach and distribution of food locally. We plan to grow this farm into quite a big organization for the community.”

“We have received just a ton of quality applications and really strong programs that are anything from the farm, incubator project, a brand new project that they want to take over and start up, all the way to some organizations that have been around in the community for a while but want to implement new programs,” said Kori Tossava, Treasurer for the WMCHF.

The other organizations, which include the YMCA of Marquette County and Great Lakes Recovery Centers, received grants ranging from $1,000 to almost $3,500.

Dispersing grants like these into the community has wide–reaching positive benefits.

“We plan on changing the world with this farm,” Perkins said. “We plan on getting kids involved with citizen work, and better health, and feeling part of their community and breaking the cycle of poverty. We feel like we can do this with this farm. I’ve seen it in other communities.”

Great Lakes Recovery Centers received $3,450 to expand programming for youth and adolescents.

Alzheimer’s Association of Michigan received $3,000 to develop monthly support groups and community outreach educational programs.

YMCA of Marquette County received $2,750 to expand its Enhance Fitness program into western Marquette County.

NICE Community Schools received $1,000 to yield higher amounts of organically grown produce from its hoop houses.

The WMCHF first distributed grants last July, but moving forward it will disperse funding every April and October.