farming

Food prices are kicking a lot of people right where it hurts…the wallet. Supply issues during the pandemic and inflation are sending prices soaring. As a result, more people are beginning, or returning to, home gardens. Stacy Mates is seed company manager for the Green Things Farm Collective in Ann Arbor. She shares her expertise in a conversation with WEMU's David Fair.

The agricultural industry is a tough business under the best of circumstances. Add in systemic barriers to get underway, and it adds up to a lack of diversity in small, family farming. Kathy Sample is co-owner of Argus Farm Stop and is committed to increasing opportunity for minorities interested in agriculture. Because of her work in that realm, she has been named the United Way of Washtenaw County’s 2023 Power of the Purse Woman of the Year. Learn more in Sample's 'Washtenaw United' conversation with WEMU’s David Fair.

There are some who describe Ypsilanti Township as a "food desert", where access to healthy and affordable food is difficult to those without transportation. But businesses and government officials are working to address the lack of food access in Ypsilanti Township. In today's edition of "On The Ground Ypsi," WEMU's Cathy Shafran talks with Concentrate Media Reporter Rylee Barnsdale about her site's reporting on efforts to bring fresh food opportunities closer to the community, along with one of the community members working to make this possible, 2Marines co-founder Josh McAllister.

Did you know there are less than two dozen Black farmers in Washtenaw County? It is another example of inequity, often caused by lack of access. The Legacy Land Conservancy is working to increase access and address issues of agricultural equity, while continuing its work to increase land preservation throughout the region. Conservancy development associate, Krista Jacob, joined WEMU's David Fair to fill in the details.

You may know Dawn Farm as a recovery center in Ann Arbor, but the property has much more going on. The Dawn Farm Cooperative is a group of individuals farming more than 60 acres of land and using the guiding principles of permaculture as its foundation. It is about agricultural integrity and regenerative sustainability. Jesse Tack is one of the founders, and he joined WEMU's David Fair to share more details on the program and where it's headed.

There's a new 47th State house seat in Lansing that is a mix of urban and rural areas that stretch from Ann Arbor to Jackson County. WEMU's Cathy Shafran looks at contested races on both sides of the political aisle.

Straddling Washtenaw and Jackson Counties, the Waterloo Farm and the Dewey School Museum is a cultural heritage site that has preserved the way of life for pioneer farmers of Michigan, including their family life and their children’s schooling. Join Deb Polich on this edition of "creative:impact" to meet Ralph Schumacher, who has deep connections to the site and learn what you can discover from years gone past.

Soaring fuel and fertilizer prices, the impacts of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and climate-related issues are making farming a greater challenge. There are more than 1,000 farms in Washtenaw County and, for many, the future is uncertain. WEMU's David Fair discussed agricultural challenges and solutions with MSU assistant professor and extension economist Mathew Gammans.

For many, Monarch butterflies symbolize some of nature's beauty. Yet, you may have noticed fewer of them around in recent years. Erin Zylstra is a…

WEMU's Lisa Barry and On the Ground Ypsi project manager Sarah Rigg talk with Keesa Johnson from the Washtenaw County Black Farmers Fund about efforts to…