Economic Development

Coverage of projects, big and small, and the people who create them, which promote the economic health of a community, including manufacturing, retail, office, and hospitality developments.

A farm stand at Butzel Family Recreation Center in Detroit, sponsored by Henry Ford Health, Come Play Detroit, and Eastern Market.

Henry Ford Health SNAP-Ed collaborations creating healthy change

From creating free farm stands in Detroit to promoting healthier drinking water in the Jackson area, the Henry Ford Health initiative Generation with Promise is supporting healthier families and communities across Michigan.

Latest in Economic Development
Kalamazoo’s Milwood Neighborhood has a new leader and a new name

The lead organization for Milwood residents has been renamed after operating for more than 28 years as the Milwood Neighborhood Watch. The organization is being re-branded as the Milwood Neighborhood Association to send a message that it is more than a neighborhood watch.

Battle Creek architect makes a name for himself in historic preservation work

Randy Case will soon receive the American Institute of Architects Michigan 2022 Gold Medal, the highest honor that can be bestowed on an architect in the State of Michigan.

A father selects fresh-picked radishes at a local farm stand.
Creating sustainable, local food systems through food policy councils

This article is the second in a two-part series about food policy councils and how SNAP-Ed can help to inform that work. 

Families enjoying fresh fruits and vegetables at a local farm stand.
The intersection of communities, educators, and food policy councils for just, healthy food systems

A food policy council can influence, improve, or remove barriers in the food system that cause disparities, inequities, poor nutrition, or economic hardships. 

New contest for small and emerging Michigan snack makers offers $50K in cash prizes and more

“The growth of new small craft and niche snack food companies in Michigan is exciting,” says Duncan Smith, President and COO of All Star Services, Inc. “All Star Services is a growing small business and we want to help bring more focus to the growing segment of snack food companies in Michigan.”

Jake Williams, Gleaners Community Food Bank nutrition education manager, and Bridget Brown, director for Gleaners' Food Secure Livingston program, at Shared Harvest Pantry in Howell.
SNAP-Ed inspires healthy eating in Southeast Michigan food pantries

Gleaners Community Food Bank is working to bolster nutrition security by actively sourcing a variety of fruits and vegetables for food pantries, and by providing nutrition education information for pantry guests. 

Over $10 million in rent and utility assistance goes to 4 percent of Calhoun County since March 2021

Calhoun County residents who need assistance with paying their rent or utilities are being encouraged to apply before a portal established for emergency rental and utility assistance closes in May.

Like others in Battle Creek, drop-in center’s consumers have mixed reactions to COVID vaccinations

At the daytime drop-in facility serving Calhoun County’s chronically homeless, those who visit the SHARE Center do not have to show proof of vaccination to receive services, but they do go through a temperature check upon entering the building and wear a mask when they’re inside.  

Devita Davison, executive director of FoodLab Detroit.
Michiganders take action against food apartheid

The term "food apartheid" has increasingly supplanted "food desert" as a way to describe the conditions affecting urban and rural communities that lack access to healthy foods.

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