At 11:30 yesterday morning, we got a call from Matt Hehl. He was at Eastmanville Farm with his tractor and our bag of seed. The long-awaited day had finally arrived.

Farmer Matt Hehl with his hunger-fighting machine

Sweet corn doesn’t do well in waterlogged soil, and for weeks persistent rains had pushed our planting date farther and farther back. Conscious that our corn will need 80 days of temperate summer weather to mature, Matt found a narrow window between this week’s thunderstorms and took it.

Out at the farm, food sourcing specialist Katie Auwers helped Matt load our seed into the planter. After performing some on-the-fly repairs to a broken hydraulic line, Matt fired up the tractor and finished the job in less than an hour.

To spread out the harvest, Matt will do a second planting in 10 days. This week’s acreage will be ready for picking around Labor Day — plenty of time to track down a few extra pallets of butter, right, Katie?

If you live anywhere in the 5,500 square-mile Grand River watershed, you probably have been too. This spring’s relentless rainfall brought the Grand to record levels, flooding homes and businesses throughout West Michigan. Kent County’s early estimate puts flood damage at $6 million.

(At one point, we even got a call from a Grand Rapids Press reporter who wanted to make sure the river, which is right in our background, hadn’t spilled into the food bank. We had about five feet of breathing room. No sweat.)

All that rain was also a setback for West Michigan’s farms, including our own fledgling operation.

Matt Hehl, the local farmer and West Michigan Agricultural Education Center board member managing our farm, had planned to start tilling this week. But with the ground so saturated, he feared that any disturbance to the soil could cause erosion. Instead, Hehl is going to hold off on the tilling entirely this year.

Planting should start around Memorial Day. Photos to come.

The Grand River flows about 300 yards south of Eastmanville Farm. During April’s intense flooding, that distance got a little bit shorter.

As you read this, that’s exactly what’s happening.

In 2012, the West Michigan Agricultural Education Center (WMAEC) donated a portion of its lease on the Eastmanville Farm in Polkton Township, just north of the Grand River, to Feeding America West Michigan. This spring, those three acres will be planted and harvested — with help from WMAEC — by the Food Bank.

Our first crop will be sweet corn. It’s easy to grow, it’s nutritious and it’s something almost everyone knows how to cook.

“The benefit for us is not only that it’s going to be a product that we don’t normally get donated, but we can plan for it,” said food sourcing specialist Katie Auwers. “We can stagger the planting so we can harvest week to week so we know that it’s coming.”

Matt Hehl, a full-time hog and grain farmer and a member of WMAEC, will manage the farm. “I just think it’s a worthwhile cause, and it speaks well of the local farmers and their willingness to give back to the community they make their living in,” Matt said.

After all, he added, feeding the hungry is “something that we do and we do well.”
Katie hopes that in addition to providing badly needed produce to families in need, the Food Bank Farm will further WMAEC’s work to educate people about modern agriculture, especially the hundreds of volunteers needed to harvest the crop.

“People ought to be interested in it,” Katie said. “It’s part of our culture.”

More than 160 people attended our Million Meal March Awards Luncheon on Thursday, November 1. We were particularly grateful for the chance to honor those who put their time and resources on the line to make our work possible this year.

Access of West Michigan, Old Orchard Brands, Walmart, and Kristi Hekker received awards for excellence in agency partnership, food donations, financial support, and volunteering. We’re sincerely grateful for all that they’ve done for our Food Bank.

The day ended with a call to action. Writer and researcher Ali Benjamin presented two portraits of children living with food insecurity from her Emmy-winning documentary Growing Hope Against Hunger. She reminded us that the well-being of children is a community’s primary responsibility.

Learn more about Ali and her work here.

Most significantly, the luncheon raised awareness and funds for our Million Meal March campaign. This community has now put over $73,000 toward our goal of sending an additional million meals to families in need throughout West Michigan. Thank you.

There’s more to be done. Visit millionmealmarch.org to find out how you can get involved.

How we can all end hunger together It’s shocking, how many West Michigan families don’t know where their next meal will come from. But it’s amazing, what a big difference you make when you join Feeding America West Michigan – and thousands of farmers, manufacturers, grocers, restaurateurs and other committed citizens – in saving surplus food from landfills and sending it where it’s needed to feed the hungry. Ever wondered what you can do about hunger? This 4-minute video shows how a little help from you can make maximum change.

FOOD NEWS Full Plate Press

Past newsletters (.pdfs): Fall 2012Summer 2012Spring 2012Winter 2011/12Fall 2011

Hikers set out on the White Pine Trail.

This year, we asked West Michigan to undertake a new effort in the fight against hunger, and West Michigan answered. So far, the Million Meal March has raised over $57,000, and the donations keep coming.

Feeding America West Michigan’s first-ever Million Meal March Trail Hike on Saturday, September 29, was graced with beautiful weather and a joyful atmosphere. More than 200 people showed up at the Food Bank to hike 10 kilometers on the White Pine Trail. Three local bands — Hawks and Owls, Suburban 5&10, and Chinese Baseball — provided the morning’s soundtrack, and The Corner Bar, Country Fresh, and Pepsi supplied the refreshments.

We want to thank everyone who attended, the individuals and families, and the hiking teams from local schools, churches, and businesses that helped us spread the word. For keeping a tight ship behind the scenes, we salute our volunteers, especially the team from Grand Valley State University who arrived bright and early and stayed until the end.

Finally, we want to thank our many sponsors. Your compassion and your generosity have been inspiring to see.

The Million Meal March is a six-month campaign to send an additional 1 million meals to families in need throughout West Michigan. To join the effort, visit MillionMealMarch.org.

Each Saturday from now through March, Cherie Inn will donate $1 to Feeding America West Michigan for every customer who orders Eggs Benedict. That’s equivalent to 4 meals for your hungry neighbors. Stop by this East Hills favorite for breakfast or lunch. View the menu and get directions.

Past newsletters (.pdfs): Fall 2012Summer 2012Spring 2012Winter 2011/12Fall 2011

An innovative pizza shop offering locally sourced ingredients, Michigan brews, and an extensive vegan menu, Brick Road Pizza is helping the hungry in West Michigan. Eat at Brick Road between 5 and 9 p.m. on Wednesday, August 22, and 15% of your bill will be donated to Feeding America West Michigan. Brick Road Pizza is located at 1017 Wealthy Street in Grand Rapids. You can order ahead by calling 616-719-2409.

A couple hours on a wooded trail in late September. Music, hotdogs, all the colors of fall. Good food for West Michigan families in need. This is the Million Meal March Trail Hike, and it’s kicking off on Sept. 29 with a 10K hike on the White Pine Trail. The mission, taken up by hikers like you, is to raise enough money to send out one million meals in addition to what Feeding America West Michigan Food Bank already distributes. On top of helping hungry families, the Trail Hike also benefits Friends of the White Pine Trail, caretakers of the state park. In the 40 Michigan counties we serve, one in six people struggles with hunger. Among children, it’s one in five. Is it really possible for us to meet this need? If we all band together, we can. The Million Meal March Trail Hike begins at Feeding America West Michigan in Comstock Park (directions). Starting at 9 a.m., participants can register in person, pick up t-shirts and drop off donations prior to the hike, which kicks off at 10 a.m. Water will be provided along the way, Rockford’s Corner Bar

will serve their famous hotdogs at the halfway point in Belmont, and ice cream, courtesy of Country Fresh, will be waiting for hikers back at the Food Bank. Local bands Hawks and Owls, Chinese Baseball and Suburban 5 & 10 will be playing throughout the day. A host of West Michigan organizations have already joined the March: Kent District Library, Wolverine Worldwide, Country Fresh, Bissell, Meijer, Eastown Veterinary Clinic, Old Orchard Brands, Berends, Hendricks, Stuit, Forest Hills Foods, Brewery Vivant, B.C. Pizza of Belmont, Rockford’s Corner Bar, Reds on the River, Brick Road Pizza, and Honey Creek Inn and Grist Mill. Stand up and add your strength to the March by signing up at MillionMealMarch.org.

It’s shocking, how many West Michigan families don’t know where their next meal will come from. But it’s amazing, what a big difference you make when you join Feeding America West Michigan – and thousands of farmers, manufacturers, grocers, restaurateurs and other committed citizens – in saving surplus food from landfills and sending it where it’s needed to feed the hungry. Ever wondered what you can do about hunger? This 4-minute video shows how a little help from you can make maximum change.

But in every generation, a few people manage to start enormous waves of change – and sometimes even to turn the tide against long-term problems.

John Arnold was one of those people. As our executive director for 21 years, John was the driving force behind developing a food bank that would do more to help the hungry than almost anyone could have imagined. Today, as a direct result of John’s vision and energy, Feeding America West Michigan reaches more than 100,000 households in 40 counties. His model of rescuing good food and having those who need it choose what they could use has become the standard around the country. His vision of mobile food trucks providing perishable goods directly to communities has been duplicated in more than 100 food banks around the country.

Please join us on Saturday, May 19 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. to celebrate John’s legacy – and follow in his footsteps – by visiting and volunteering during the John Arnold Day of Service at Feeding America West Michigan Food Bank’s main warehouse, 864 West River Center Drive in Comstock Park, just north of Grand Rapids. Get directions.

Let’s each honor John in our own small way – and together make waves in his memory and in the fight against hunger.

Later that day, the John Arnold Memorial Bike Ride will depart from the Food Bank at 12:30 p.m. This 15-mile trip to Rockford and back along the White Pine Trail includes a stop for lunch at Arnie’s in Rockford. Email Andrew Steiner at andrews@feedingamericawestmichigan.org for more information.