In March 2024, a core group of smaller-scale area farmers/growers and interested parties met to discuss how we could better serve the needs of our customers, our fellow farmers, and our wider communities in relation to food and the land we grow on. We have chosen the name Newaygo Area Local Growers. We feel that our local communities are served and strengthened by having ample locally grown food available to as many area-wide residents as possible. We hope to promote that through our mission statement and actions. 

“Our mission is to cultivate healthy, sustainable local food systems while promoting land stewardship and economic viability for small-scale agriculture. We strive to build strong relationships with our customers, partners, and the land to create a more resilient, equitable, and nutritious food system for our communities.”

At this point in time, all growers are from Newaygo County and the areas within about 10 miles outside the county in our neighboring counties:  Muskegon, Oceana, Mecosta, Montcalm, etc. 

Eating locally grown foods makes sense from a “tastes better” standpoint, but fresher foods have a more dense nutrient content. Much is lost when foods are picked, stored, and shipped for days/weeks before ending up on your table. Buying from a local grower promotes a circular economy, strengthening our area’s economy.  Much of the money you spend on locally grown fruits, veggies, eggs, meat, dairy, etc., ends up being spent by area farmers right back here, close to home, when they use that same money for goods and services in our area. That starkly contrasts the money you spend on foods grown hundreds, if not thousands, of miles from Newaygo County. Those dollars are lost to our community forever. They are not reinvested in our local businesses by the farmers who use your money for their own local purchases – farm goods and services, local restaurants and entertainment, healthcare and schools, vehicle repairs, etc. All around, supporting locally grown food is almost always a better choice. 

We are excited to announce the creation of a directory of local area growers and vendors. This inclusive platform is open to all area farms and growers, and we hope that as more of them learn about our goals, the directory will continue to grow. It’s free to be listed, and we encourage all our area farms and growers to contact us to be added. Welcome! Customers and farmers alike can use this website to discover who is growing which foods, herbs, and flowers, and learn about their production methods. A form is available on the website for easy submission. 

We are planning a couple of social events (farm visit, potluck, etc.) for farmers in the group already to get to know each other a bit better and see where we can go with this collective endeavor to promote the production and purchasing of locally grown foods from Newaygo county and surrounding area. We hope to plan some educational and social events for our wider community in the future. We have also met with one robust area food pantry to build connections, so they might add to the worthy goal of purchasing from more county-area farms. We are excited about the possibility of making more and more connections with other growers, organizations, and customers and forming and strengthening relationships between farmers and the communities we serve.