Tag Archives: farming

Ypsi Immigration Interview: Bird

By Mark | December 16, 2012

A few weeks ago, I posted an exit interview with Chris Legz Pierce, who, like many others before him, decided to pull up stakes and head west, to the promised land of Portland, Oregon. Well, as luck would have it, the universe intervened, and gave us someone in return. Following is my interview with a [...]

Posted in Michigan, Special Projects, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Also tagged animals, Arlo, ashrams, Bird, birds, childcare, Chris Legz Pierce, Clementine, comunes, Costa Rica, Death, Eastern Michigan University, EMU, evil trees, Farm Sanctuary, Heiwa House, Juna, Portland, vegetarian, welcome wagon, Ypsi immigration interview | 6 Comments

Zingerman’s co-founder Paul Saginaw on the importance of robust local business ecosystems, the upcoming BALLE conference in Grand Rapids, and the meaning of “real prosperity”

By Mark | April 22, 2012

For the first time ever, the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) will be holding its national, annual conference for independently owned, socially responsible businesses, here, in Michigan. The meeting, which is being called Real Prosperity Starts Here, is scheduled to take place in Grand Rapids this May, and, as of right now, I’m [...]

Posted in Corporate Crime, Detroit, Economics, entrepreneurism, Environment, Food, Ideas, Local Business, Locally Owned Business, Michigan, Sustainability, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Also tagged American Expres, Appalachian Harvest Network, BALLE, Burlington, Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, buy local, Community Food Enterprise, cool local initiatives, crowdfunding, food hubs, Grand Rapids, healthy food access, Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Intervale Food Hub, Kellogg Foundation, local, local economy, Local First, Localist, localwashing, Michael Shuman, national chains, Paul Saginaw, prosperity, re-localization, Rodger Bowser, Rust Belt, Shift Your Shopping, Stacy Mitchell, tobacco, Vermont, Wal-Mart, Wallace Center at Winrock International, Water Street, Zingerman's, Zingerman's Community of Businesses | 17 Comments

Introducing Stewart Beal ‘s newest venture… CityFARM

By Mark | February 25, 2012

I’ve been puzzling over an email that I received from local real estate developer Stewart Beal a few days ago, announcing a new “business concept” of his, called CITYfarm. “CityFARM,” said Beal in his letter, “is a company with a social mission (kind of like a hybrid of a for profit company and a not [...]

Posted in Agriculture, entrepreneurism, Food, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Also tagged Adams Street, Adams Street Farm, Amanda Edmonds, CityFARM, farm jobs, Food Gatherers, food security, GMO, Growing Hope, heirloom seeds, Kickstarter, Lauren Maloney, local non-profits, new models for non-profits, non-profits, organic farming, pesticide, Stewart Beal, urban farming | 89 Comments

Detroit 2011 Maker Faire

By Mark | July 31, 2011

I spent a good part of the day today stumbling around in the heat at the Detroit Maker Faire. Among other things, I did the following… I got to see an incredibly cool demonstration of a turn-of-the-century steam-powered threshing machine put on by the employees of Greenfield Village. I visited the HackPittsburgh yurt, and, while [...]

Posted in Art and Culture, Detroit, entrepreneurism, Other, Uncategorized | Also tagged Amelia marks, Backyard Brains, brain activity, chaff, Cheez Whiz, cockroaches, Electrophysiology, Greenfield Village, high altitude balloons, invention, Maker Faire, neurons, Professor Frink, Ruth Marks, Science, SpikerBox, the brain, The Simpsons, thrashing, wheat | 10 Comments

Washtenaw Community College to bring local farmers and chefs together to explore opportunities for collaboration

By Mark | January 3, 2011

I know very little about it outside of what’s in the email that I just received, but this sounds like such an interesting event, with so much potential, I felt compelled to pass it along. On Tuesday, February 22, Washtenaw Community College will be hosting an event intended to bring together local farmers and restauranteurs [...]