To most people, “going solar” looks daunting. That’s because, unless you’re an expert, it is. And that’s why today-Earth Day 2016, exactly 21 years after Groundwork was founded as the Michigan Land Use Institute-we are launching Groundwork Shines to help homeowners choose a right-sized, quality solar system for their house; get it expertly installed at a fair price; start protecting the air, water, and climate; and see modest but steady returns from their smart investments.
The Northwest Michigan Food and Farming Network (FFN) has a brand new logo and five gorgeous new fact sheets highlighting progress in building northwest Michigan’s agricultural future.
In Emmet County, a baker has found a nearby farmer to grow bread-quality wheat. Schools are serving more locally grown food. The Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District is supporting teachers in farm-to-school and school-garden curriculum so that students learn reading, math and science while learning to love eating healthy food. These were just a few of the stories shared recently at the seventh annual Northwest Michigan Food & Farming Network Summit.
In the Grand Traverse region, our long-distance commutes are having a big impact on our health. In fact, most Grand Traverse area workers spend about 46 minutes a day sitting alone in their cars traveling to and from work.
Local Motion, a new northwest Michigan program for improving transportation choices in the Grand Traverse region, is rolling out a series of fact sheets to outline our current transportation habits. This first sheet reveals the current reality: Most commuters in the Grand Traverse area drive very long distances to get to work.
I’m excited because I am a big fan of the Grand Vision and believe that a healthy region, like a healthy business, needs a game plan for what it wants to be.