The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is dividing more than $1.8 million between 26 Michigan agriculture producers in its Underserved, Value Added and Regional Food System Grants program.
“We're a farm that's growing year-round in Michigan, which is not very common, but we've been able to use our indoor space with minimal heating or no heating to grow things like salad, greens, herbs, kale and chard to provide people fresh food all year round.”
Heather Anderson and her husband Chad own Green Wagon Farms in Ada.
They’re receiving $100,000 to build three movable hoop houses for more growing space, a project which will generate two full-time jobs.
“We are hoping that will allow us to keep on a couple of our seasonal help, and I think this will allow us to keep people longer through the season, which is what we're hoping for all the time with everybody we hire. But it's a pretty seasonal work so we're working hard to expand the year-round side of things.”
Other grant recipients are Lakeshore Food Club in Hart to increase local food distribution to schools and food assistance programs in Mason, Lake and Oceana counties, and Plainsong Farm and Ministry in Rockford which will use the grant for infrastructure investments to extend the farm’s growing season and increase access to healthy food and education for underserved families.
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