Eat your way out of the recession?

**DetroitPlanner** · June-08-09, 07:26 PM

The State of Michigan has been promoting buying Michigan-made foodstuffs as being better for the State economy. This got me thinking, how can we use this to better support local providers of foodstuffs or other products? I know sugar beets and corn support a large chunk of the thumb and the Saginaw Valley's economies. Can we find closer things?

By buying local, we can help support the companies that support jobs in our area. We should try to list as many of these local providers as we can. For this scenario, I would like to limit this just to the stuff you can buy at your local grocery. Now I know there is a lot of other things out there we can support such as diners or car companies that provide jobs locally.

Please try to list as many as you can, I'd like to compile these and use it for grocery shopping. Local brands keep more dollars locally. I am not interested in say Pepsi made at the giant Pepsi plant on the East Side because a lot of those dollars leave our area. Yes Pepsi provides jobs, but there is still some leakage of dollars to elsewhere.

I'll start of with a few of my own:

Gurnsey Dairy
Better Made Potato Chips
Sanders/Morely candy
Garden Fresh Salsa and Chips
Faygo
Shatila
The Irish Baker

hmmm no wonder michigan has so many fat people! somebody post some better for you stuff!

**gazhekwe** · June-08-09, 07:44 PM

Northwest Detroit Farmers Market
The Northwest Detroit Farmers' Market operates every Thursday from 4PM till 8 PM during the months of June, July, August, September and October in the parking lot of the Bushnell Congregational Church. It regularly hosts nearly twenty vendors that sell locally grown produce, locallyl produced baked goods, antibiotic- and hormone-free meats, eggs, cheeses, and hand-blended teas.

Retroit · June-08-09, 07:51 PM

I found this list:

I haven't vetted out the list.

source: http://www.michiganbusiness.us/cat.php?niccer=388

**gazhekwe** · June-08-09, 07:52 PM

Keep happy with Michigan beers and wines!
Cherry Creek Old Schoolhouse [[Irish Hills)
Burgdortf's [[Haslett)
Sandhill Crane [[Jackson)
Lone Oak [[Grass Lake)

Retroit · June-08-09, 08:02 PM

Here's a list of 152 more: [[Again, I haven't vetted each one)

http://food.kellysearch.com/suppliers/Food/US/MI/06

Retroit · June-08-09, 08:10 PM

http://www.michigan.org/News/Detail....7-6D92953301F1

Retroit · June-08-09, 08:17 PM

Here's a Grocery Guide with more recognizable brand names.

http://www.buymichigannow.com/downlo...-%20040909.pdf

**BVos** · June-08-09, 08:21 PM

Here's some more locals that are my favorites:
-Avalon Breads
-Detroit Beer Co.
-Jack's Salsa
-And I'll second Farmers' Markets. Most of them feature vendors that are all within 100 miles of the market and selling produce/products they made/raised themselves. Many in Detroit have a Grown in Detroit table of local community gardens with kids selling the bounty of those gardens.

Agriculture is one of the only growing sectors of Michigan's economy and it's growing faster in Michigan than many sectors of the national economy. So here's to DP's excellent idea of eating out of this economy and returning money to Michigan that will be reinvested in Michigan to create a sustainable future for the economy and the environment.

**Gannon** · June-08-09, 08:36 PM

Silly thing...but if anyone loves the Faygo bottled Original Recipe sodas...perhaps some communication with the company in addition to supporting their products at retail might help secure the future of this product.

I spoke with our rep the other day, pressing for a price break...simply asking the question of what level a buy-in would I need to order to get the next column discount on their price sheet...and he came back with nothing save a hint that the product might not exist because they only made good numbers within the city...and the fellow who introduced it was re-evaluating the worth of the production line.

No shit. They only sell well in the city?

Where might the highest percentage of individuals who remember what Faygo USED to taste like happen to congregate regularly?! Where might some setup shop to sell Detroit stuff?!

So why don't they work WITH the local dealers...and help promote a truly great local product? Instead of having unreasonable expectations from other markets lagtime in discovering that the low-price soda company could actually make a premium product?! There are a good many mature national premium soda companies...and only so much shelf space.

But, enough people experience it when they visit, or enough ex-pats request it at their newfound local stores...sales nationwide would improve. At least they would get valuable fridge space in a tight market...then they'd see another knee in the chart.

For now? It would be tough to lose these taste sensations again. I apparently hadn't forgotten what Rock 'n' Rye and Rootbeer and Redpop and Grape and Orange and Creme Soda used to taste like. This is some of the best Pop I've ever had...especially the Rootbeer. Hands down the best, in the glass bottle.

Had fun at the deli, helping a bunch of folks reveal their inner children, if only at that first sip! I'll re-order the instant they create that second column on the price sheet...or when the rebellion happens on the demand side...we're already hearing grumbles.

**Gannon** · June-08-09, 08:42 PM

Oh yeah, and never forget old Guernsey's high-school friend and future competitor, Calder Dairy. His factory store is in Lincoln Park, on Southfield a few blocks toward the river from Fort Street.

Love that place...amazing ice cream, too.

**Gertrude** · June-08-09, 09:25 PM

Gannon - Calder chocolate milk is better than nearly anything. You must try it if you have not already. Still need to go visit you at Eph's one of these days.

**DetroitPlanner** · June-08-09, 09:27 PM

Thanks keep them coming, once we exhaust this thread we should try other industries, but lets stick to food first. After all we all gotta eat. Keep the money local and the jobs will help out everyone that lives here.

Strong farms mean more greenspace. Farmers would rather grow stuff than grow houses and by supporting food you can help make a farm more economically secure and provide spin-off jobs in distribution, processing, and retailing foodstuffs.

**Gannon** · June-09-09, 10:54 AM

Gertrude,

I know it well...so rich I have to cut it by half a glass of their Natural Milk.

Right on the verge of freezing...in a chilled mug...oh yeah.

And for fun, full strength in the freezer overnight in ice cube trays!

My favorite way to get calcium and Vitamin D...might have to put that on the menu...

Cheers

**Danny** · June-09-09, 11:56 AM

Lot's of people are heading to those "Welfare Supermarkets" like Save a Lot, Aldi's and Gordon Food Services to but cheap bulk foods.

WORD FOR THE STREET PROPHET!

Now where can I find a block of welfare cheese?

**Bigb23** · June-09-09, 12:01 PM

My grandma used to give me her "welfare cheese" - she couldn't stand the stuff. Three pound blocks, right ?

lilpup · June-09-09, 12:40 PM

There's also pick your own for those so inclined ~ http://www.pickyourown.org/MI.htm

**michiganmushrooms** · June-09-09, 09:48 PM

Just so you know I didn't just register to self promote my business; I used to post under williamsfamilyfungi but I guess the account lapsed since I hadn't posted in a long time.

So yeah... I own and operate Michigan Mushrooms LLC, we are a small mushroom farm up in Alpena but we market all over the state. Come see us at the Ann Arbor farmer's market every saturday for some super fresh gourmet mushrooms.

www.williamsfamilyfungi.com

We have been wanting to make a move down closer to our main markets, ie South east Michigan and are considering Detroit since there is so much cheap space that would work well for us.

**Pam** · June-10-09, 06:34 AM

but I guess the account lapsed since I hadn't posted in a long time.

No, we all had to re-register when the board was upgraded.

**detroitbred** · June-10-09, 03:45 PM

Busch's Grocery stores are promoting Michigan made products, as are some other chains. I bought some really good Michigan made ice cream at Busch's, made at Hudsonville Dairy [[ southwest of Grand Rapids) I will definetly go out of my way to buy Michigan whenver and wherever I can....we all need to "take care of our own" these days.

**detroitbred** · June-10-09, 03:48 PM

Michiganmushrooms...are you in any of the local grocery store chains? Nothing my family likes better than fresh mushrooms, cooked, raw, any old way! I would definetly purchase if you can tell me where [[ other thatn A2 Farmer's Market ).

**reddog289** · June-11-09, 01:34 AM

I agree with you Gannon, love the Faygo in the glass bottles.Too bad I haven't seen it at my local gas station which deals with the glass Pepsi/Coke "Mexican" pop.

**michiganmushrooms** · June-11-09, 12:22 PM

Detroithread::

Unfortunately we have a pretty limited presence in the direct metro area. The closest thing to you would probably be the Ypsilanti food co-op. We are hoping to start marketing more to Oakland/Wayne counties later this month, and maybe even start doing Eastern Market or one of the bigger Oakland Ct farm markets.

**lalynch** · October-11-09, 10:12 PM

Originally Posted by Gannon

Oh yeah, and never forget old Guernsey's high-school friend and future competitor, Calder Dairy. His factory store is in Lincoln Park, on Southfield a few blocks toward the river from Fort Street.

Love that place...amazing ice cream, too.

I remember Guernsey's well having grown up close by there. Everyone went to Guernsey's after Northville's 4th of July fire works. Cloverdale in downtown Northville was also a popular place for ice cream. Now I live in Lincoln Park and enjoy Calder's.