Tag: goodfood

Exploring Healthy Food Work

When it comes to putting our definition of Healthy Food into practice, there is an important thing to keep in mind: while there are some general characteristics that are common to foods we call “healthy” (such as nutrient-rich and low in added fats, sugars, or salts), everyone is going to have a different approach to what food is healthy for them. If you recall, the definition of Healthy Food in the Michigan Good Food Charter is food that, “provides nourishment and enables people to thrive.” In order to thrive, we not only need access to fresh, whole, nutritious foods, but […]

Affordable Farm Market Highlight: The Green Apple

Over the last six months we have been highlighting an affordable farm market that is a part of the HAELFS Collaborative. HAELFS stands for Health, Access, and Equity in our Local Food System. The Collaborative is finishing its third year and includes five pantry resource centers. Since the collaborative has begun, each partner site has opened an affordable food market in their community. Each market creates access for everyone in their community to acquire nutritious food at a low cost. Produce available is sourced from local small farms, stimulating the local economy. Together, we are working to create a culture […]

When Crisis Mode Becomes the Norm: Interrupting a System of Emergency with a System of Justice

West Michigan is known for its deeply rooted and abundant philanthropy. In the food access sector we have hundreds of non-profits, churches, and agencies working to address hunger and food insecurity via an emergency charity food system that is now over four decades old.   As the global pandemic hit our local community, food access organizations that existed before COVID-19, and those that started due to COVID-19, have worked to respond to the lack of access to food heightened by the virus and its economic impacts. There are many community members struggling as a result of this current crisis, but disparities related to issues such as income, housing, and food existed long […]

Affordable Farm Market Highlight: North Kent Connect

For the next five months we will be highlighting an affordable farm market that is a part of the HAELFS Collaborative. HAELFS stands for Health, Access, and Equity in our Local Food System. The Collaborative is in its third year and includes five pantry resource centers. Since the collaborative has begun, each partner site has opened an affordable food market in their community. Each market creates access for everyone in their community to acquire nutritious food at a low cost. Produce available is sourced from local small farms, stimulating the local economy. Together, we are working to create a culture […]

Books our Good Food Team are Talking About

We wanted to share a few resources our Good Food team have read, and are talking about in our community! The two books below are some of our Good Food System Initiatives go-to resources when talking about how we can move forward from a charity mindset, transforming how we think about food pantries in our community.  The Stop: How the Fight for Good Food Transformed a Community and Inspired a Movement by Nick Saul and Andrea Curtis. If you know our Good Food Team, you know they love the work of the Community Food Centres Canada. This books shares their […]

Creating a Culture of Healthy & Equity

This article is an excerpt from our June 2019 Monthly Newsletter “By the end of year three year, we will have purchased all of our food from Michigan farms,” shared a member of the HAELFS Collaborative at a recent planning session. HAELFS stands for Health, Access, and Equity in our Local Food System, and is the name of the collaborative project that Access’ Good Food System team heads up along five affordable food market sites.  The HAELFS collaborative has finished it’s second year, and last week spent time planning and dreaming for year three. Since the collaborative has begun, each partner site […]

Making a difference on a Sunday afternoon stroll

Former executive director of Access of West Michigan celebrates the 40th Annual Hunger Walk by noting how change can happen in the context of a community. Marsha DeHollander is looking forward to joining with her community and being a part of Access 40th Annual Hunger Walk, for the 33rd time. But the Hunger Walk is just one of the many ways Grand Rapids native DeHollander has been involved in promoting a thriving food system. In fact, she was on staff at Access for 25 years. Prior, she helped start the food pantry at her church, Olivet Reformed Church in Grand […]

Feedback concert rocks out against poverty

The 23rd Annual Feedback Concert was a great success in raising a record $3,792 to cultivate equitable solutions to poverty. What do rock’n’roll and food security have to do with each other? On Sunday, April 9, they came together in an entertaining way. On a beautiful Sunday evening, Local Spins hosted the Feedback benefit concert supporting Access of West Michigan at Founders Brewing Co. in Grand Rapids. The event featured great music from local bands of The Legal Immigrants, Conrad Shock and The Noise and The Honeytones. The 23rd annual concert also drew in a $5 donation upon entry to […]

More than taste: the definition of “Good Food”

What makes food “good”? It may be taste. If you have a sweet tooth, maybe you’d consider a decadent layered chocolate cake with fluffy whipped frosting “good”. Or for the savory side, a bowl of soup that has a harmony of seasonings and flavors singing out. That sounds good. Or based on presentation. They say we eat with our eyes, so the appearance of a plate could mean everything. Freshness is also key–does it look like it just came from the garden or was it forgotten on a counter at the back of the kitchen somewhere. At Access of West […]