Each year, stakeholders in Washtenaw County area food systems convene at the HomeGrown Local Food Summit. Farmers, businesses, non-profits, policy makers, chefs, and people interested in learning about sustainable local food systems attend the event. The day-long summit features speakers, ‘break out’ sessions and workshops, and locally sourced lunches and snacks. 

The 3rd annual HomeGrown Local Food Summit will convene next Tuesday, March 1st, from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Morris J. Lawrence Building at Washtenaw Community College. Registration (required) is still open, so there is still have time to sign up over the weekend. 

Morning presentations by Crossroads Resource Center researcher Ken Meter, President of Detroit’s Eastern Market Dan Carmody, and representatives from HomeGrown will focus on local food as an economic driver. In the afternoon, attendees can choose between over a dozen different ‘break out’ sessions with a diverse array of area food experts. Tours of the Farm at St. Joe’s Hospital and Harvest Kitchen are another options in the afternoon. There will also be plenty of time to network and share ideas with others. An informal after party will be held at the Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti.

The first ever “Michigan Good Food Film Festival” will be held the night before the HomeGrown Local Food Summit, on February 28, from 6:15 p.m. - 9 p.m. at the Morris J. Lawrence Building at Washtenaw Community College. The "Viewer's Choice" will be screened at the summit.

Jennifer Eberbach is a professional journalist and writer. Find contact information on her website www.jenthewriter.info.

Each year, e.Republic’s Center for Digital Government and Digital Communities Program honors “Top U.S. Digital Cities,” which “successfully incorporate information technology into operations to better serve constituents and businesses,” according to the award's website. For the third year in a row, Ann Arbor, MI ranked in the top ten. Ann Arbor took sixth place amongst 13 cities with a population between 75,000 and 124,000 people that made the 2010 top ten list (there were a few ties this year). Ann Arbor tied with West Palm Beach, FL.

annarbor.com recently reported; “The City of Ann Arbor was recognized for several online initiatives,” which set the city apart. Some of the ways the local government is using the internet to serve constituents are listed in the article; “1) Launching an open data catalog; 2) Introducing online payment for water bills, which also allows residents to forgo paper bills by delivering electronic statements; 3) Using social networking, including Facebook, Twitter, Animoto and Foursquare; 4) Adding eTRAKiT, an online permitting and development records systems that includes planning and development information, inspection results, the ability to look up permits online and check registration with the city or schedule inspections,” according to the annarbor.com report.

Although municipal budgets are tight across the board, 2010’s recipients “continue to demonstrate the transformative power of information technology,” by budgeting in information technology, according to Director Todd Sander. “Economic conditions are bringing about a fundamental rethinking of local government structures and support strategies. It is clear from the results [of the "Digital Cities Survey"] that digital technology is a critical factor in helping organizations not only maintain, but actually improve service delivery when faced with fewer employees and smaller budgets.” 

Read more of Sander’s thoughts about this year’s award recipients on the "Top U.S. Digital Cities" website or in an article released by Government Technology, an e-Republic publication.

Jennifer Eberbach is a professional journalist and writer. Find contact information on her website www.jenthewriter.info.

450 high school students will roll up their sleeves for a morning of community service work at ten parks in Ann Arbor, next Wednesday, October 6th. The entire student body of Community High School will visit parks around town to help pull up invasive plants and maintain park trails. The service day is a great example of community-based education that teaches kids about their local environment and encourages environmental stewardship. The Center for 21st Century Communities (21c3) champions education and green initiatives (two of 21c3’s “eight assets”), and Community High’s project covers both of these “assets” in one fell swoop.

This is also a great example of what can be accomplished when students and educators collaborate with the city and the greater community. Natural Area Preservation, a division of Ann Arbor's Department of Parks and Recreation is collaborating with Community High to facilitate the day of environmental stewardship.

The idea originally came from Community High’s forum council - the school’s equivalent to student council, according to math teacher Marci Tuzinsky, who is helping to coordinate the project. Last Spring, half of the student body visited local parks to pull up invasive garlic mustard plants, while the other half did outdoor community service projects at elementary schools. This Fall, some students will pull invasive species and others will help maintain trails and lay down wood chips.

Jennifer Eberbach is a professional journalist and writer. Find contact information on her website www.jenthewriter.info.

Community High School in Ann Arbor.

Good food brings people into downtown Ann Arbor year-round. But this week is an especially good time to make your way downtown for Ann Arbor Restaurant Week, which runs until this Friday, June 25th. Your taste buds can enjoy special Restaurant Week meals cooked up by 33 local establishments for fixed prices - $12 for lunch and $25 for dinner. The event, which is presented by Ann Arbor's Main Street Area Association, is about more than just giving people a reason to dine out on the town. It aims to support downtown's local economy, by encouraging people to frequent downtown dining establishments, shop at nearby businesses, and find new favorite places.

"Restaurant Week is all about bringing people downtown. For those that frequent downtown it's an opportunity to try some new spots, for those that have maybe fallen out of the routine of supporting downtown businesses it's encouragement to come back and see what's new. And for those who have never been to downtown Ann Arbor, it's yet another reason to visit our award-winning neighborhood," Main Street Area Association executive director Maura Thomson was recently quoted in an article Magdalena Zenaida contributed to annarbor.com.

Jennifer Eberbach is a professional journalist and writer. Find contact information on her website www.jenthewriter.info