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Select Michigan Events:
Who's Celebrating?

We can't wait to find out about all of the great things that communities are doing around the state to celebrate local food, but the main attractions this year include several farmers markets in Lansing and Detroit.

All farmers with Michigan-grown products are invited to take part in one or all of the events, with priority going to speciality crop producers and MIFFS and MIFMA members. Read more...

If you're hosting an event, let us know! Contact us with details about your celebration, and we'll add them to this page and other media!

2008 Select Michigan Day Events:

Main events so far include:

• Thursday, July 24, 2008:“Buy Local Day” Farmers Market, State Capitol lawn, Lansing
  • Check out the flyer!
• Friday, August 22, 2008:“Select Michigan Marketplace”, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit
• Thursday, September 18, 2008: “Select Michigan Day” Farmers Market, State Capitol lawn, Lansing
  • Check out the flyer!

Other events include:

• MIFFS 10th Anniversary Benefit Reception, Thursday, Sept 18, 2008, Lansing: Michigan Food & Farming Systems - MIFFS is hosting its 10th Anniversary Benefit Reception at the Michigan Historical Museum from 6 to 9 p.m. featuring local foods, wines, beer and music. Read more... or get your ticket online!
• Lansing Area Localvores Challenge Week 2008 : Sept 13-21, 2008 - Lansing Area Localvores is hosting their Eat local Challenge Week. Learn more at http://lansingarealocalvores.org and sign up to challenge yourself to eat local for a week! Start with the Kickoff Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, September 13th, 8:00am - 11:00am, Gone Wired Café, 2021 East Michigan Ave
• Eat Local, Kalamazoo! Sept 4-30, 2008 - Eat Local, Kalamazoo!, sponsored by Fair Food Matters, is hosting a whole month of Eat Local activities, from educational sessions to eat local challenges to community and urban garden tours. Learn more at www.fairfoodmatters.org/localfoodweek.html.
• Southwest Michigan Harvest Festival, Sept 21, 2008 - The festival, which runs from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and is hosted by Tillers International in Scotts, MI, is a local food celebration featuring speakers Will Allen of Growing Power and Donna McClurkan of Locavore Nation. Learn more at www.fairfoodmatters.org/harvestfest.
• Canton Township Select Michigan Market, Sept 18, 2008 - This special market features all Michigan-grown produce and Michigan-made crafts and runs from 11am-3pm, located in the Willow Creek Shopping Complex on Ford Rd. For more information cantonfarmersmarket@canton-mi.org
• Tour de Fresh Garden and Sustainable Food System Tour, Sept 16, 2008 - This Growing Hope tour in Ypsilanti will explore community & school gardens, urban micro-farms, local groceries, co-ops, and farmers markets which are creating opportunities for food production & healthy food access, all while supporting local economies. Visit www.growinghope.net for more information.

2007 Select Michigan Day Events:

Events included:

• July 12, 2007: "Buy Local Day” at the Capitol featured a farmers’ market on the Capitol lawn with more than 25 Michigan farmers selling their products from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Read more...
• August 22 – September 3, 2007: The Michigan State Fair Blue Ribbon Farmers’ Market in Detroit featured all Michigan-grown foods and products from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. daily.
• August 22, 2007: The Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit will also have a farmers’ market from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. featuring local food and jazz music.
• September 13, 2007: the third annual “Buy Fresh, Buy Local – Select Michigan Day” celebrated with another farmers’ market on the Capitol lawn from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nearly 50 farmers and vendors from all over the state sold Michigan-grown and processed products. Read more...
• The Week of September 10 , 2007 has been declared “Select Michigan Week”

Other communities celebrating "Select Michigan Day or Week" and local food included:

• Local First hosted the Eat Local Challenge from Sept 7-21 with events throughout West Michigan.
  • San Chez Bistro (Grand Rapids, MI) Eat Local Challenge Kick-off and "how-to" party on Sept 7
  • Grand River Grocery and the Thornapple Daily Grill (Ada, MI) "Bounty of Michigan" seasonal feast on Sept 20.
  • Grand River Grocery’s annual “LIVE! and Local” celebration of Michigan products on Sept 21.
• Lansing Area Localvores hosted the Localvore Challenge, where many took the pledge to eat only locally grown foods for a week, a day or a meal from Sept 8-15.
• Old Town in Lansing, which celebrated buying local on Sept 13 and all week long. Read more... or view the Flyer
• GreenTree Cooperative Grocery of Mt. Pleasant, which celebrated its "Buy Fresh, Buy Local – Select Michigan" Street Festival for the second year on Sept 19. Read more...
• Sweetwater Local Foods Market in Montague held the "100 Mile Local Diet Challenge" Sept 8-15.
• Muskegon Rotary Club, celebrated its 2007 Grape Escape with local farmers and products on Sept 20. Read more...
• Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park held a special Heirloom Tomato Tasting and Cooking demo on Sept 1 & 2.
• 2007 Southwest Michigan Harvest Fest celebrated eating local on Sept 23, at Tillers International in Scotts.

If you or your community is planned or celebrated an event, let us know! Contact Emily (Buckham) Beutel, MIFFS Communications Specialist, at buckhame@msu.edu with your special event!