South Haven wants to reclaim agricultural roots, sustainably

South Haven wants to show a little respect for its farmers and encourage them to use sustainable practices. To that end, businesses, interested organizations and farmers will come together for the forum "Grow Local, Market Local, Eat Local."

The forum, facilitated by Scott Wall, president of New Age/Landmark, Inc., will be at 6 p.m. March 31 at Lake Michigan College on the South Haven Campus.

The forum has been put together by Lake Michigan College, the City of South Haven Charter Township, the South Haven Area Chamber of Commerce and New Age/Landmark Inc., which does on-site analytical testing where needed, including clean up projects, EPA Superfund sites and Department of Defense sites. It also is branching out into testing of agricultural applications including testing  soil, compost and manure, fertilizer and lime, plant tissue and water.

The forum will explore how the agricultural economy can be bolstered at a local level to benefit growers, distributors, consumers, producers and the community at large and how the area can reclaim its agricultural legacy as it nurtures the efforts of the local agricultural industry.

Participants are those interested in creating a local distribution system, and primarily in  cultivating a revitalized and sustainable local economy.

"We have the power to reclaim the agricultural diversity we once had,"  says Tracey Davis, Vice-President of New Age/Landmark, Inc.

The forum will serve as the foundation to the development of a cooperative project based on that vision.

For more details, contact the South Haven Area Chamber of Commerce at 269-637-5171 or by email

Writer: Kathy Jennings
Source: Rachel Vochaska, South Haven Chamber of Commerce