Escanaba City Council Meeting (August 6th, 2026): Cultural Funding, Fire Protection, Veterans, Parks and Property

The regeneration and development of Escanaba and Delta County continues. The City of Escanaba and other organizations are doing a lot to improve the community, bring in investment, and create opportunities for local residents. It’s encouraging to see people working together to make the area better.

For investors, there are several things worth watching. There is a strong cultural component to the community, with events, organizations, and activities that make Escanaba an attractive place to live, visit, and invest. If you’re thinking about moving here or investing here, there is a lot going on. A small town feel, lots of outdoors, events and a sense of community.

We also take our firefighters seriously. In rural and smaller communities, fire departments are incredibly important, and they often have to work together and coordinate across departments. There have been investments in a couple of new and upgraded fire equipment and trucks in the area. Budgets can be tight so any help goes a long way. There are also opportunities for individuals and businesses to support local fire departments through donations (Tax free too! If you want to donate to a fire department just outside the city that supports other fire departments in the area let me know with a message to the right. If you want to donate to the City of Escanaba Fire Department then contact the city.).

Veterans are another important part of the community. We have a high concentration of veterans, a veterans museum that attracts visitors, and numerous veterans organizations. Escanaba is a patriotic community, and supporting veterans is deeply embedded in the culture.

There are also investments in parks and recreation, road improvements, and other community infrastructure. These may seem like small projects individually, but collectively they contribute to quality of life and make a community more attractive to residents, businesses, and investors.

Another important issue is property blight. Escanaba doesn't appear to have the level of blight found in some larger cities, but when properties become severely neglected, communities need mechanisms to address them. If someone owns a vacant or dilapidated property and simply lets it deteriorate, that affects more than just the property owner. It affects the entire neighborhood and can prevent someone else from purchasing the property, fixing it up, opening a business, or putting it back into productive use.

That’s why reasonable property-maintenance policies matter. Fines and enforcement can provide incentives for owners to either maintain their properties, sell them, or return them to productive use. The goal isn't simply to punish property owners; it’s to make sure that one neglected property doesn't become a drag on the entire community.

There is also opioid settlement funding available for community programs, which is another opportunity for local organizations to invest in solutions.

And, of course, there are labor negotiations and other routine government activities taking place, as there are in virtually every community.

So, keep watching. Escanaba and Delta County are continuing to evolve, and there are a lot of moving pieces. For anyone interested in the community as a resident, business owner, or investor, it’s worth paying attention to how these investments and initiatives unfold.

*I should probably start including Gladstone's on the blog as well because they are a vital part of our lives and economy. A smaller boutique community across the bay. Yes you can sail or boat between them.

Any corrections let me know....

Escanaba City Council Meeting Summary — August 6, 2026

The meeting was relatively routine, with the council approving several funding, infrastructure, parks, and legal matters.

• Community and cultural funding: The council approved annual funding agreements with the Delta County Historical Society and the William Bonifas Fine Arts Center.
• Fire protection: Council approved Resolution 26-11 authorizing a USDA Community Facilities grant application for the purchase of a firetruck.
• Veterans memorial: A donated bronze Veterans Memorial statue, valued at $61,500, was accepted for placement near the existing memorial in Ludington Park.
• Parks and recreation: The city approved $22,362 for resurfacing the new tennis, pickleball, and basketball courts at Royce Park and $19,500 for approximately 434 feet of fencing around the courts.
• Road improvements: The council approved $24,200 to repave 26th Avenue South between 22nd and 23rd Streets, a section described as being in poor condition after repeated patching.
• Property blight: The city authorized its attorney to pursue a circuit-court action concerning a severely neglected property at 520 South 12th Street. The property had accumulated garbage and overgrown vegetation despite fines, notices, and donated dumpsters.
• City manager: The personnel committee reported a tentative agreement with a candidate for city manager, pending completion of physical examinations and evaluations.
• Opioid funding: The Delta County Opioid Task Force announced $100,000 in available grant funds, with organizations able to apply for up to $30,000. At the time of the meeting, it had received no applications.
• Labor negotiations: Council entered closed session regarding collective bargaining and subsequently approved the public works collective bargaining agreement.
• Litigation: Council also held a closed session regarding attorney strategy in the pending Connor Sodman v. City of Escanaba case and subsequently voted to accept the advice of counsel. 

April 6th, 2026 City Council Meeting

City of Escanaba City Council Meeting Agenda & Proceedings

Summary of Key Actions and Agenda Items

• City Manager Selection Process: After initially offering the City Manager position to Brian Chapman and approving his employment agreement, Mr. Chapman withdrew his candidacy. Consequently, the City Council voted to negotiate a contract with candidate Danielle Tiedeman, assigned Council Member Flath to the negotiating committee, and directed that Walsh Services be excluded from future contract negotiations.

• Community Partnerships & Funding Agreements: The Council considered annual funding agreements for the 2026–2027 fiscal year with local cultural organizations, including $\$2,000$ for the Delta County Historical Society to support the Escanaba Lighthouse Museum and displays, and $\$5,000$ for the William Bonifas Fine Arts Center.

• Grant Applications & Infrastructure Funding: Resolutions were presented to seek external funding, including Resolution 26-09 requesting $\$72,997.74$ from the State Disaster Contingency Fund for severe blizzard response costs from March 2026, and Resolution 26-11 authorizing a USDA Community Facilities Grant application to procure a new 100-foot aerial platform ladder truck.

• Public Works Infrastructure & Facility Upgrades: Public Works items included accepting a donated $\$61,500$ Veterans Memorial bronze statue for Ludington Park, hiring Sealer King for $\$22,362$ to resurface courts at Royce Park, hiring Marquette Fence for $\$19,500$ for court fencing, and hiring Payne & Dolan for $\$24,200$ to pave 26th Avenue South.

• Legal Affairs & Property Code Enforcement: The Council scheduled closed sessions for collective bargaining negotiations and pending litigation (Connor Soderman v. City of Escanaba and Cole Tianen), while also seeking authorization for legal action to abate property maintenance code violations at 520 S. 12th Street.

Escanaba City Council. (2026, August 6). City Council meeting agenda and official proceedings of July 13, July 16, and July 23, 2026. City of Escanaba, Michigan. https://www.escanaba.org/media/30686

Delta County Board of Commissioners Meeting 8/4/2026-Ecological Environment, My Fresh Fish, and Data Centers

The county meeting was actually quite interesting. A lot of the discussion centered around recreation and the outdoors—parks, park maintenance, the My Fresh Fish event, Sea Grant programs, and fisheries education.

(Illustrative Only)

Highlighting the 
of protecting, 
enhancing, and benefiting
from natural resources. 
Nature and
humankind are 
part of the same. 
We are nature and
not removed from it.
If it gets sick,
you get sick. 

Delta County Offers
a new way to live
with nature. 

It’s important to put all of that into perspective. While many communities are dealing with pollution and ecological challenges, Escanaba is still surrounded by a remarkably rich natural environment (We must also protect and enhance it and tourism can help in that.). We have the water, woods, trails, and outdoor recreation that people increasingly want to experience. Tourism is growing because people want to get out of the cities and enjoy places like this for a while.

At the same time, Escanaba has a downtown that is being revitalized, drawing interest and could be well suited for startups, entrepreneurs, and small businesses. We have a high quality of life and several anchor industries that help support the local economy and keep industry moving.

The opportunity is to connect all of these assets. Why not use our natural resources responsibly to attract visitors, generate new revenue, support local businesses, and protect the environment at the same time?

A lot of communities simply don't have what we have here. They don't have easy access to the water, miles of woods and trails, or the outdoor recreational opportunities that can make a community attractive to both residents and visitors. We do—and that makes a significant difference in our potential.

So, if you're an investor looking at the community, stay involved. There will be opportunities downtown, and there are young entrepreneurs who could benefit from angel investment and other forms of capital. We can also look at attracting businesses that complement what we already have.

And that's the key: don't just drop a business into the community and hope it works. Look at the infrastructure, the workforce, the existing businesses, and how different industries can support one another.

That's called clustering—and it's one of the ways we can build an economy where the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.

1. Budget Public Hearing (2026–2027)

Parks & Recreation:

• A couple of people raised concerns about the proposed “no maintenance” budget, warning that parks could deteriorate as they did in 2008–2010.
• They questioned where maintenance funding would come from and noted that the parks fund has about $300,000.
• Commissioner Jensen clarified that “no maintenance” means no new maintenance position. Existing county maintenance staff would handle the parks.

County Clerk Staffing:

• County Clerk requested funding for an additional deputy clerk.
• She said background checks have increased 600% and now generate about $100,000 in annual revenue, creating a heavy workload for current staff.
• Commissioners asked for a formal job description and agreed to review it before finalizing the budget.

2. Board Actions

• Headley Rollback: The board unanimously decided not to put the rollback proposal on the November ballot because the budget is currently balanced and more time is needed to find long-term solutions.
• Approved the July 7 and July 21, 2026 meeting minutes.
• Added a Planning Commission appointment to the agenda.
• Filed reports from several statutory committees.

3. Public Comments & Committee Reports

Data Centers and Growth:

• One gentleman criticized local moratoriums on data centers and solar projects, saying they could limit economic growth and competitiveness.

Administrator’s Update:

• OB Fuller Park: Foresters reviewed storm damage. Parks & Recreation will meet August 25 to discuss repairs and insurance.
• Airport: Apron repairs are on schedule with little impact on flights.
• Community Events: The “My Fresh Fish” fish fry served more than 400 people.
• State Budget: Updates included revenue sharing, housing grants, and child care programs.

IT Committee:

• Clarified that previous references to “data centers” concerned only the county’s internal server room.
• The county is developing online applications for committee appointments and moving its BS&A software to the cloud.

MSU Extension:

• Paul Putnham and staff discussed Sea Grant programs, fisheries education, and other community outreach efforts. Sea Grant Program

Practicing the Butterfly Stroke-Maybe Helping a Team

 For those of us who like the water, swimming is one of those activities where you can always find something to improve. I can do most of the strokes pretty well. I’m a good swimmer, I’m a fill in lifeguard, and I swim in the ocean, the lake, and the pool. I also lap swim and dive.

(Illustrative Only)

Ok that is too high and wasted
energy but you
get the point. 

Recently, someone mentioned that they needed a little help with a swim team. I said, “Yeah, I can do ALMOST all the strokes.” Even the butterfly. Now, I can do the butterfly, but I wouldn’t exactly call myself Michael Phelps.

So, I figured I’d better brush up on it before somebody actually asks me to show someone this stroke. I want to spend the next month or so really working on my technique and getting the stroke down correctly. I can do it now, but sometimes it feels like I’m plowing my way through the water. And while you’re naturally going to move some water with the butterfly, there’s definitely a more or less efficient ways to do it.

That’s one of the things I really like about swimming. It’s a great workout without putting a lot of stress on your joints. You can build your cardiovascular fitness, develop good muscle tone, and work pretty much your entire body without beating yourself up.

I don’t sprint from one end of the pool to the other every time—I’m not trying to set a world record here—but I do keep a pretty brisk pace. My goal is to get to about 45 seconds for 50 yards consistently and keep it up. The pool is 25 yards, so that’s one length down and one length back.

The more you practice, the more efficient you become. You start using less energy, your technique improves, and you can maintain a faster pace without feeling like you’re fighting the water.

So my goal is to get down around 45 seconds, or at least consistently under 50 seconds, and maintain that pace for about 10 minutes. That should be a pretty good workout. Of course I might swim longer and I usually swim about 30 minutes but that faster segment of time is what I'm conditioning for.

I’m always learning, too. I’m a certified yoga instructor and a licensed fitness instructor, so I’m pretty interested in fitness, exercise, nutrition, and figuring out what activities work best for different people.

So if you want a little help with your fitness, figuring out what kind of activities might work for you, or even just getting some general ideas about exercise and nutrition, send me a message or shoot me an email. muradabel@gmail.com

And, of course, here’s the butterfly stroke. I was looking at this earlier, and apparently the water and I still have a little negotiating to do.

While I doubt I will be showing them all of the techniques I'm pretty sure I would help with the drills, time, etc. We will wait to see. Just helping out. 

Nepotism in Organizations and Society Leads to Lower Employee Trust, Lower Organizational Performance and a Toxic Workplace Culture

 Let’s talk about nepotism: putting your friends in positions, placing people from the same political party into jobs, or hiring people who may not be qualified simply because you believe they’ll do what you want them to do. You can find any example you think fits here and many people who have experience have seen this happen from time to time. 

This can occur in any organization, government, or group of people.

The best organizations are built around people who are capable of doing their jobs at the highest level of competence and integrity. They’ve earned their positions, they’re willing to serve, and they understand the mission of the organization. But the minute you start putting people into positions primarily because they benefit you (or group), rather than because they’re the best people for the job, it begins to have a warping effect.

It affects the workplace. It affects organizational performance. And eventually, it affects the employees themselves.

You can produce study after study showing the consequences, but that may not matter much when the people making the decisions are viewing the world and their responsibilities to others from a particular vantage point. That’s why checks and balances matter. Hiring committees, human resources, transparent selection processes, and objective qualifications can help prevent one person from simply surrounding themselves with people who are loyal to them.

The risks to the organization, fulfillment of mission, and stakeholders is apparent and well known. 

Think about it from an investor’s perspective. If the people running an organization are primarily taking care of themselves, they’re no longer fully focused on the mission. That sends a message to employees: your performance isn’t necessarily about advancing the organization or serving its mission. It’s about pleasing the insiders.

I saw an example of this a long time ago. There was a boss who clearly should never have been in the position they held. They weren’t qualified, but they knew how to say the right things and get themselves into the position. Then they changed. Once there, they were highly manipulative. They put friends into positions, took credit for other people’s work, and tried to remove anyone who disagreed with them.

They weren’t looking for organizational performance. They were looking for loyalty.

Eventually, the complaints became so numerous that the organization had no choice but to act. There were lawsuits and formal complaints, and ultimately that person was removed. But the damage had already been done. Exceptional people left the organization. Morale suffered. And a lot of problems developed simply because there weren’t enough checks and balances to challenge that person’s behavior. If they did their job the first time that person would not have been hired. 

The people who disagreed with them were simply pushed out. And it worked for a long time—until it became a legal problem.

But when you’re dealing with government or large organizations, it shouldn’t have to get to the legal stage. The question shouldn’t be, “Can we get away with this?” The question should be, “Who is best positioned to serve the organization, the public, stakeholders and its mission?”

And the people involved in making those decisions shouldn’t simply fall in line because someone wants a particular person appointed, hired, or promoted. Their stated and official responsibilities are much more than this. They should ask questions. They should challenge assumptions. They should make sure the person is actually the most qualified.

It doesn’t matter what the organization is, what position is being filled, what political party someone belongs to, who their friends are, or what their background is. If you build an organization around the best and brightest—and people know they can advance because of their effort, competence, and integrity—you develop human capital. People engage because they believe in the mission and the other people in the organization. 

People have an incentive to perform. They have an incentive to learn. They have an incentive to contribute. And they know that their future isn’t dependent on knowing the right person.

You can look at the research yourself and draw your own conclusions. Apparently, science isn’t always the only consideration when these decisions are made. There are plenty of other factors—personal relationships, loyalty, self-interest, and sometimes just plain politics.

Science is useful. It helps us make better decisions. But every situation is unique, and judgment still matters.

The problem is when someone’s “best judgment” consistently means taking care of oneself.

At that point, it isn’t just a bad hiring decision. It becomes a detriment to everyone else in the organization.

And that’s something worth thinking about. But alas it still happens in organizations and eventually the natural systems catch up. That is why you need leaders in positions that are capable of functioning within that position in both skill and moral concious. Duty is a sacred trust (Keep that trust word in mind because it does impact human capital and performance in the long run.)

The Relationship Between Nepotism and Employee Performance

• The study concludes that nepotism has a negative relationship with employee performance; employees who perceive favoritism tend to report lower motivation, commitment, and performance.
• Nepotism reduces perceptions of organizational justice, particularly when promotions, rewards, and hiring decisions appear to be based on family or personal relationships rather than merit.
• The study identifies lower job satisfaction, reduced organizational commitment, distrust, jealousy, and increased turnover as important consequences associated with nepotistic practices.
• A quantitative study cited in the review found that the relationship between perceived favoritism and employee performance was negative and significant; organizational justice, trust, and organizational support helped explain or mitigate this relationship.
• The authors recommend transparent hiring, objective competency criteria, merit-based promotions and rewards, independent HR practices, and leadership training to reduce nepotism and improve employee performance.

Şeker, C., & Karadayı, D. (2024). The relationship between nepotism and employee performance. New Era International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Researches, 9(26), 107–113. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14552806

The Impact of Nepotism and Corruption on the Economy

• 80% of respondents said nepotism negatively affects the economy, while only 10% viewed it positively and 10% were neutral.
• 90% believed nepotism contributes to the employment of unqualified or unprofessional individuals.
• 80% said nepotism influences the hiring or promotion of relatives in important sectors, while 60% said employment is difficult without outside or political support.
• 90% viewed corruption as a threat to democratic institutions, and 100% said corruption inhibits or undermines economic development.
• 80% believed corruption contributes to the loss of domestic and foreign investors and increases economic uncertainty; 100% said corruption and nepotism negatively affect justice institutions.

Gjinovci, A. (2016). The impact of nepotism and corruption on the economy and HR. Economic and Environmental Studies, 16(3), 421–434. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360889979_THE_IMPACT_OF_NEPOTISM_AND_CORRUPTION_IN_THE_ECONOMY

US Global Science, Technology and Innovation 2026-Broad Based Builds Innovative Societies

Innovation is the name of the game. Innovation and manufacturing are a powerful combination when it comes to growing and developing an economy. Innovation and ability quickly bring new ideas to the market, produce them in the US, will have an impact on long term health. 

Innovation comes from human capital—the ability to create new ideas, solve problems, and look at things differently. Major technological advances, from the printing press to AI, have repeatedly increased our capacity to produce and create. What we do with that increased capacity is up to us.

We need to foster innovation broadly by giving people opportunities, reducing barriers such as discrimination, and making sure more people can participate in the economy—and share in its rewards.

America is moving along, but long-term success requires broad-based innovation. That means creating an environment where people can start businesses, develop ideas, take risks, and be rewarded for their contributions.

After all, many great companies started in garages and basements before becoming major industries. We need more people doing that—starting things, building things, and creating the next generation of industries. Keep plugging away; innovation is how we keep moving forward.

Translation to Impact: U.S. and Global Science, Technology, and Innovation Output

• Science, technology, and innovation generate economic value by translating research and knowledge into new products, services, technologies, companies, productivity gains, and trade.
• The economic benefits of research can take years to materialize. One estimate cited by the report suggests that each $1 of R&D investment can generate approximately $5–$10 in economy-wide benefits, often with a 3–6 year delay.
• Technology-intensive industries are becoming increasingly important to global economic competitiveness. In 2024, knowledge- and technology-intensive (KTI) industries generated $11.7 trillion in global value added, with the United States accounting for $3.3 trillion, or 28% of the global total.
• The United States maintains important advantages in high-impact innovation. U.S. patents were more likely than Chinese and EU-27 patents to rank among the world's top 1% most highly cited patents across several critical technologies, including AI, quantum information science, and biotechnology.
• China has become a major competitor, particularly in technology-intensive manufacturing and patents. China led the world in KTI manufacturing value added in 2024, while the United States remained particularly strong in aerospace, medical instruments, pharmaceuticals, and other high-value industries.

National Science Board. (2026). Translation to impact: U.S. and global science, technology, and innovation output. National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20262

National Debt Adds $21K per Household in Last Year to Reach $39.83 Trillion (A Conversation on Spending and Opportunities)

Shocker! Breaking news! Stop the presses! The national debt is high again.

(The following is meant to be a little wry to sort of see if that can get the point across on the importance of working together.)

We just reached $39.83 trillion. And, just to add a little excitement to everyone’s other financial problems, we added about $8,420 per person this year. That works out to roughly $21,361 per household.

Just this year.

(Illustrative Only)
Also meant to be
a little wry. 😐

Sam shows him
his decades
of calloused hands and says.
"If you put your book 
smarks together and come up 
with a good idea, and
use skilled labor
to create those new things,
you might be able to claw
your way out of debt
 and discover
new opportunities on 
your journey." 

He thinks for a moment,

"The way our grand pappy's
and maammy's did it
just before we took
their farms squashed
their businesses to make
some rich, and
short changed their
downtowns. Brains
and Brawns can 
be a good team again.

We just need some smart 
young talent to engage in
the effort"

(in theory. or maybe not? 🤷)

But don’t worry! No need to panic. We’re on the path. Apparently, we’ve been on the path for quite a while. We just haven’t changed direction very much. And, honestly, we’re not entirely sure where the path is going.

So maybe it’s time to go back to some basic principles of financial management.

We need everybody on the same team—not the partisan team, but the “let’s actually solve the problem” team. We need people sitting down together and coming up with solutions instead of spending all their energy explaining why the other side is the problem.

Because there are ways to address this.

We can create greater efficiency and effectiveness in our institutions. We can reduce unnecessary costs while increasing opportunity and wealth creation. We can improve the systems that businesses and people depend on.

And no, I don’t think we can simply tax or tariff our way out of this. We can’t finance our way out of it either by piling more debt on top of the old debt and giving it a different name. Younger debt, older debt—it’s still debt.

Eventually, the fundamentals matter.

You have to make more than you spend. If you consistently spend more than you make, eventually the bill comes due. And in our case, we’re not only dealing with this year’s bill; we’re also carrying decades of bills that nobody really wanted to deal with.

So, yes, we have a problem.

But we also have opportunities.

We can strengthen small businesses. We can attract new investment. We can make better use of our infrastructure and integrate it more effectively with the businesses and communities that depend on it (Infrastructure Synergy). We can make smarter, longer-term decisions about where we invest our resources.

Most importantly, we need to become better at making decisions.

Right now, we spend an awful lot of time fighting, bashing each other, and proving that our side is right. Meanwhile, the debt meter keeps running.

Maybe we should try something radical: solve the problem.

Not Republican solutions. Not Democratic solutions.

Solutions that actually work.

Because $39.83 trillion is a pretty big number. And unfortunately, it doesn't appear to care which political party gets credit—or blame—for it.

Anyway, read it yourself. The numbers are worth paying attention to.

U.S. National Debt Reaches $39.83 Trillion

• The U.S. national debt reached $39.83 trillion on August 7, 2026, an increase of $2.88 trillion from one year earlier and $11.40 trillion from five years earlier.
• Over the past year, the debt increased by an average of $7.91 billion per day, or approximately $91,549 per second.
• The additional debt over the past year represents about $8,420 per person and $21,361 per household; total debt equals approximately $116,480 per person and $295,494 per household.
• If the recent pace of debt growth continues, the national debt is projected to reach $40 trillion around August 31, 2026—less than a month away.
• Rising interest costs are becoming an increasing concern. The average interest rate on marketable debt reached 3.443%, while net interest is projected to consume nearly 15% of federal outlays by FY2028.

Joint Economic Committee. (2026, August 7). National debt reaches $39.83 trillion, increased $2.88 trillion year over year increasing at an average rate of $91,549 per second. U.S. Congress. https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/republicans/newsroom?ID=67C58929-D721-46E8-AB99-FC03177B09FC

 

The Health and Economic Benefits of Producing and Selling Local Food-Supply Chain Resilience

Local food is vital, and it’s becoming increasingly important. The challenge is finding good statistics on just how much of our food supply actually comes from local sources. I looked around, and while I wasn’t going to spend 40 hours digging through every possible report—because eventually you have to come up for air—I did want to get a general idea. The data suggests that only around 3% of U.S. agricultural sales come through local food markets. That number is both interesting and a little concerning.

(Illustrative Only)

Joe's horse
is good on gas,
only needs to go 5 miles to
be in the country, 
and many times he
sells much of his stuff
on the way. 
....and he built
his house.
Yep in the plan. 

COVID-19 gave us a real-world reminder of how vulnerable distribution systems can become. When people started worrying about grocery shortages and supply chain disruptions, it highlighted the importance of having multiple sources of food. A healthy balance—just throwing out a number—might be something like 50% of food coming from local and regional sources and 50% coming through larger national distribution channels. That type of diversity could make our food system more resilient if a disease outbreak, transportation problem, or other disruption affected one part of the country.

Local food also matters because it keeps money circulating in rural communities. We have many rural areas with unused farmland and declining populations, yet we have not always created the policies needed to help smaller producers compete. A small farmer trying to compete with massive agricultural operations faces a difficult challenge. Local stores can help bridge that gap. Here in Escanaba, businesses like Elmer’s, Escanaba Farmer's Market, Gladstones Farmer's Market and other retailers that bring local products onto their shelves are helping build that connection between producers and consumers.

There is also a health component. Food that is grown locally often travels a shorter distance, which can mean fresher products and better nutritional value. Large-scale food production and processing can sometimes reduce nutrients through harvesting practices, storage, and processing methods. When you know where your food comes from—and you know someone down the road grew it—it changes your relationship with what you eat. Compare that with grabbing a bag of chips from the shelf; convenient, yes, but probably not something anyone would put on a nutrition poster.

Over the past few years, I’ve been trying to eat healthier because I understand the importance of reducing unnecessary additives and improving overall nutrition. With my fitness trainer and yoga instructor certifications, I’ve become more interested in how food connects to health. If anyone wants some virtual fitness help, send me a message and we can set something up. muradabel@gmail.com

Supporting local food systems is about more than vegetables at a farmers market. It’s about creating opportunities that bring younger generations back to agriculture, strengthen rural economies, and improve food security.

I’ve been experimenting with this idea myself. As I get closer to retirement, I’ve considered buying a small piece of land—maybe a couple of acres, maybe 10 or 20 depending on what makes sense (and my tiny budget)—and growing some of my own food. Right now, I’m testing things out with potatoes, onions, and carrots. One thing I’ve learned: when you grow organically, you don’t always get those massive yields you see from industrial farming. My potatoes aren’t winning any county fair competitions for size yet! But the tradeoff is that you’re working with the soil naturally and producing something you know exactly where it came from.

For a small local operation, you don’t need to compete with massive farms producing thousands of acres. You can focus on quality, community, and healthier food. It’s an experiment for now, and it may or may not become a future project, but it’s interesting to think about how small-scale agriculture could play a bigger role in strengthening our communities.

You may find the following two studies of interest. The last one is from 2017.

Health Benefits of Eating Locally

• Eating locally often means purchasing food produced within approximately 100–250 miles, supporting local farmers while strengthening regional food systems and rural economies.
• Fresh local produce is typically harvested closer to the time of sale, allowing fruits and vegetables to ripen naturally and retain more nutrients, flavor, and quality.
• Shorter supply chains reduce food handling and transportation, which may decrease the risk of contamination and lessen the need for preservatives and extensive packaging.
• Buying locally encourages healthier eating by increasing access to fresh, minimally processed foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber while reducing reliance on highly processed foods.
• Supporting local food systems also promotes community engagement through farmers markets, community-supported agriculture (CSA), and home gardening, while contributing to environmental sustainability and local economic development.

McCurdy, M. (2022, May 17). Health benefits of eating locally. University of New Hampshire Extension. https://extension.unh.edu/blog/2022/05/health-benefits-eating-locally

Local Food Sales Continue to Grow Through a Variety of Marketing Channels

• Local food sales represent a small but growing segment of the U.S. agricultural system. Sales of local edible farm products increased from $8.7 billion in 2015 to $11.8 billion in 2017, representing about 3% of total U.S. agricultural sales.
• Local food producers use multiple marketing channels, including farmers markets, farm stands, restaurants, grocery stores, schools, hospitals, wholesalers, and regional distributors.
• In 2015, the largest share of local food sales came through intermediate markets and institutions (39%), followed by direct-to-consumer sales (34%) and retail channels (27%).
• Growth in local food markets has increasingly shifted beyond farmers markets toward restaurants, grocery stores, institutions, and other intermediated channels that allow producers to reach larger customer bases.
• Local food systems contribute to rural economic development by providing income opportunities for farmers, supporting beginning and small-scale producers, and strengthening connections between producers and consumers.

Martinez, S. (2021, October 4). Local food sales continue to grow through a variety of marketing channels. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2021/october/local-food-sales-continue-to-grow-through-a-variety-of-marketing-channels