The Department of Agriculture’s Select Michigan campaign is helping farmers sustain their businesses and helping consumers identify locally grown food.

“We definitely support the campaign,” said Nancy Voges, manager of the Downtown Rochester Farmers’ Market. “It helps to educate the public on the importance of buying local.”

The 5-year-old program has been a success since its inception. In the first year, 700 jobs were kept or created and sales increased by 10 to 20 percent, the department said.

Continue reading: Capital news Service at mlive.com

Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm is eating like a food stamp recipient this week to raise awareness about poverty.

The governor says she took her son shopping Sunday at a Meijer grocery store. They could only spend $5.87 per day per person.

She says she bought a lot of macaroni and cheese.

Continue reading: mlive.com

The U.S. National Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in Ishpeming will gain four new members in April.

Hall president Tom West said the U.S. Ski Team’s Liz McIntyre, Nelson Carmichael and Cary Adgate, along with American ski mountaineering pioneer Bill Briggs, will be inducted.

Both Olympic medalists, McIntyre and Carmichael will be recognized with Adgate, an Olympian who was named 2005 Masters Racer of the Year.

Briggs has a collection of famous first descents to his name.

The official induction of the four new members will take place in Park City, Utah, in April, with an enshrinement in Ishpeming in September.

Continue reading: The Mining Journal