FFM

Welcome to Fair Food Matters website! Read below for current news and follow the links for more information about our organization and wonderful programs!

________________________________

Spring brings the Growing Matters Garden Program's Sponsor-A-Gardener Campaign

At last, its really spring! The warmth and the rain have encouraged an explosion of new growth and green. We at the Growing Matters Garden Program are very excited to get started with the upcoming growing season. You can help make our season a success by participating in our annual Sponsor-A-Gardener Campaign. Your support helps us to continue to provide quality garden-based educational programs for local youth in our community. We appreciate any contribution that you might be able to make - financial, material, or volunteer time - no matter how small (or big!) Please download our sponsorship letter today!

Fair Food Matters Partnering to Bring Food Stamp Recipients Access to Farmer's Market

Starting May 3rd families that use EBT/Food Stamps can come to the great people working at the People's Food Co-op market booth to have money debited from their EBT card and receive an equal value in tokens. The customers can then use the tokens as currency to buy products from participating farmers at the market. Farmers will then be able to exchange the tokens they have accumulated from sales for the appropriate cash value. We want to give a special Thank You to the Peoples Food Co-op for their willingness to take on the management of this great program and to the Kalamazoo Rotary Club for providing funds to make this vision become a reality.

Information, support, and connection!

Eating local in Southwest Michigan just got a little bit easier. With the help of the internet and a lot of passion, residents of SW Michigan and Northern Indiana can easily support each other in the quest to eat more locally grown and produced food. You will find more information and support than you can imagine. If you are a grower, consumer, restraunteur, retailer or anyone else interested in the local food movement join Eat Local SW Mich today.

________________________________

About Fair Food Matters
Tax-deductible Donations

ABOUT FAIR FOOD MATTERS

It was with an awareness that the people of our community deserved more information with which to make better choices about how we feed ourselves that Fair Food Matters was founded in 2001.

Download a PDF version of our brochure!

Download a PDF version of our 2006 Annual Report!

OUR MISSION: To build, educate, support and empower our community around local food.

OUR VISION: We envision thriving local communities worldwide growing and distributing safe, nutritious, locally produced foods that foster healthy communities, environments, and economies.

OUR BOARD: If you have any interest in joining a working board, interested in promoting healthful and just eating opportunities in our community, please contact us!

The following people have a blast volunteering to bring Fair Food Matters' programs to the community:

OUR VOLUNTEERS: The following people currently build community around food and food systems by helping out in various ways with Fair Food Matters projects: Donna McClurkan, Arlene Brislen, Rosie Florian, Seema Jolly, Chris Moore, Bradley Post, Kara Purcell, Kylie Schultz, Scott Stevens, and many gardener-helpers. If you'd like to see your name on this list, please contact Scott Weber.

Tax-Deductible Giving to Fair Food Matters

The majority of our funding comes from concerned individuals and institutions who want to see the health and vitality of Kalamazoo and Southwest Michigan improve. If you are interested in helping Fair Food Matters, please mail your fully tax-deductible donation to: Fair Food Matters, 323 N. Burdick Street, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 49007. A receipt will be sent to you. If you have any questions about donating or any other issues related to Fair Food Matters, please contact Scott Weber or call 269.492.1270.

Our Projects and Partnerships

Eat Local, Kalamazoo!--September 23-29, events in celebration and exploration of local foods. Learn more....

Growing Matters Garden--An urban educational youth development gardening project. Learn more....

Future Chefs--A summer program for teens to learn to cook from scratch. Learn more....

Community Kitchen--Soon to be a place for individuals and organizations to process food for resale or public consumption. Learn more....

Farms-to-K College--A student group at Kalamazoo College interested in helping to bring more local food into their cafeteria. Learn more....

Southwest Michigan Community Harvest Fest--A celebration of local food, local farming, and sustainable living. Learn more....

Kalamazoo Area Food Systems Inventory--An assessment of the food system. Learn more....