Bill Palladino, CEO of Taste the Local Difference, declares that eating, and choosing the food we eat, are sacred acts. Palladino gave the keynote address at the 2017 Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference. He touched on biology, intimacy and sacredness.
Everything we do revolves around food, yet it’s not so easy to define. Go ahead, give it a shot. Now take that definition and ask yourself: Do soft-drinks qualify? How about alcoholic beverages, or bottled water, or fast-food or a protein bar with mysterious ingredients that look a lot like that pharmaceutical ad? This is our challenge as we try to measure our work in the food system, and it’s just the beginning.
If you’re anything like I used to be, your eyes roll every time you hear of yet another “best of” accolade for the Grand Traverse region. I’ve long been a bit cynical about community self-aggrandizement. But last week, while taking a trip to the East Coast with my wife and kid, my cranky world-view received a great big blow. So now I must say, “Mea culpa, Traverse City!”
We’re a big, proud, two-handed state. For an entire century we’ve been known for greatness, and the one proud thing to rule them all is the great American automobile. It started here, innovated here, and is still struggling to reemerge here. Just like our local food economy.
MLUI is happy to introduce new Senior Policy Specialist Bill Palladino, but for many of you, he needs no introduction. Bill has been working with us for years, as a volunteer, a board member and consultant. Now we’re thrilled to have him on staff, working with the Taste the Local Difference program and other efforts to support the local economy.