Good Food Projects

Exciting new Good Food projects!

City Commission approves Urban Agriculture Project partners for first round of funding
– April 29, 2026

Parks and Recreation
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids City Commission approved the first awards for its new Urban Agriculture Project, giving $150,000 total to Access of West Michigan and Jade Rabbit to expand community-based agriculture in city parks.
Access of West Michigan ($67,000): Will develop raised garden beds, an herb garden, orchard, and native plant garden at Joe Taylor Park, along with education on gardening and healthy food.
Jade Rabbit ($83,000): Will upgrade and expand agriculture efforts at Garfield Park and Martin Luther King Park, including infrastructure, education, and food distribution.
The program, led by the City’s Parks and Recreation Department, focuses on improving food access, environmental sustainability, and neighborhood connection, with another round of funding expected this fall.
Read more here

“We’re thrilled to have Access of West Michigan and Jade Rabbit as our first partners in this new project,” parks superintendent Joe Sulak said in a statement. “The Urban Agriculture Project provides a unique way for neighbors to use City park land for agriculture with groups that have strong, community-focused ideas to improve food access and more.” 

by: A.J. Evans

Posted: Apr 29, 2026 / 11:59 AM EDT

Updated: Apr 29, 2026 / 03:39 PM EDT

Multi-Year Anti-Racism Grant with Good Food Partners

  • Funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation
  • This project aims to revolutionize our collective food-related efforts, moving beyond traditional approaches to addressing systemic issues and inequities in the food system through a powerful anti-racism and anti-oppression framework.

Monthly Professional Development

  • Monthly workshops will be conducted every month to serve as a space for our cohort to cultivate innovative ways to dismantle systemic barriers within their spheres

Influx of Funding to BIPOC Growers

  • Partners will receive substantial funding in order to procure goods from BIPOC vendors/producers to sell at their Fresh Food Markets.
  • This investment in our local food economy not only supports local BIPOC vendors/producers, but advances the efforts of creating access to healthy, local, and culturally appropriate foods to all community members.

Multi-Year Anti-Racism Grant with Good Food Partners

  • Collaborative project with New City Neighbors and Plainsong Farm funded by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund
  • Focused on improving access to fresh local produce in rural areas of Kent County
  • This project is expanding upon work that has been happening with Access and New City in Grand Rapids proper since 2020
  • Working with Jade Rabbit Consulting to align our work in the food sphere and do strategic planning together
There are 1,010 total farms in Kent County. This number has declined by 13% since 2012 and 58.3% since 1964.*

*Information from the Kent County Food Policy Council’s Food System Assessment, 2023