Emmet County certainly has a long and proud history of farming. The farmland that runs through much of the county is stunning, historic—and largely family-owned. Almost all of Emmet’s farms—87 percent of them, in fact—are owned by individuals or families.
But do the young people who live in Emmet get this? More importantly, do they appreciate it?
I’m happy to tell you that one of the county’s most prominent farms, Pond Hill Farm, is offering educational tours of their operation for the county’s kids—and for their parents, too.
The well-known farm, located five miles north of downtown Harbor Springs on M-119, calls its new non-profit program Farming for Our Future. Its tours of the farm’s operation will put Emmet County children and families way more in touch with farming.
“We often hear the term ‘think local,’” said Toril Fisher, executive director of the organization. “We would like to adopt the term ‘Just Think.’ Think about what is in your food. Think about where your food comes from. Think about the impact of your choices and purchases. Think about the future of your children’s food sources.”
Currently, Pond Hill is offering five three-day farm “camps” for kids age 6 to 12—on July 22 and 29 and August 5, 12, and 17. There’s more information on their Web site.
Farming for Our Future will also soon begin teaching local schools about waste-free programs that utilize recycling and composting. Other offerings include the design and maintenance of school gardens and professional development for teachers.
“We are hopeful to start programs at the farm as early as September 2008,” Ms. Fisher said.
The Michigan Land Use Institute strongly supports local farming. Our hugely successful Taste the Local Difference program, for example, publishes a local farm food guide that lists nearly 250 farms, dozens or retailers and restaurants, and farmers markets in northwest Lower Michigan that feature locally grown products. The Institute also operates Get Farming!, a service that connects new and existing farmers for farmland opportunities, business resources, and more.
We wish Farming for Our Future the best of success: If you would like more information on how to support it, contact Ms. Fisher at 231-526-2400.