Good Food Kalamazoo!!!!

On June 7, almost 50 professionals, activists, and advocates for good local food in Southwest Michigan gathered at KVCC's Anna Whitten Hall for the awkwardly-named but very exciting "Good Food Kalamazoo Re-Kickoff Meeting".  Here are the meeting overview slides.

We started with a brief overview of the Michigan Good Food Charter, as a guide for our work.

Then, we heard a presentation from economist Ken Meter: Finding Food in Southwest Michigan. Meter's analysis of economic, health, and environmental data gave us a clear picture of how our local food system is doing, and where we need to work for growth and change. Read Ken Meter's Finding Food in Southwest Michigan study to learn more!

Megan Phillips Goldenberg and Vicki Zilke of New Growth Associates shared the results of a supply-and-demand analysis that will help to guide the development of KVCC's Food Innovation Center Food Hub.

Then, the meeting attendees worked together to create a conceptual map of our food system. This is a visual representation of how Kalamazoo's businesses and organizations work together, and what services might be missing. Check it out:

(Translations of the organization abbreviations coming soon...)

The next Good Food Kalamazoo meeting will be on September 27 at 2:30pm, location TBD in downtown Kalamazoo! Mark your calendars and plan to join us!