Page 22 - Scene Magazine 42-06 June 2017

Annual Report
Sprout – Prosper Through Food, Education, and Enterprise
BY JEREMY ANDREWS, CEO
Sprout is a Battle Creek based region- al nonprofit organization whose mission is to help people prosper through food, education, and enterprise. We began as a grassroots effort to improve Battle Creek’s food system with a group of about 100 residents deciding our path. They chose a focus on increasing good food accessibility, community educa- tion, youth engagement in the food sys- tem, and better food retail options. Let’s talk a little about how we met those com- munity driven goals:
Increasing Good Food Accessibility
• Community Garden Technical As- sistance: Every year we support new and existing community gardens in different ways. We offer tools from our tool library. Our leadership team will facilitate a meeting to deter- mine the best way for your group to succeed. We have helped more than 30 gardens get their start at local
churches, schools, and community
organizations.
• Mobile Markets: We bring the market
to you. Our market on wheels sets up markets to make it more convenient for people to get fresh, local food near their home or work. We have set up in assisted living facilities, schools, community centers, and in pop-up locations.
• Our Farm Incubator: We operate a two-acre incubator farm from which emerging farm entrepreneurs can begin their business. We develop busi- ness agreements with them, buy their goods through our food hub, and help market their products.
Community Education
• School Garden Programs: Currently we operate garden programs in four area school districts with a focus on showing educators how to use their gardens as a tool for instruction of
various subject matters. Our school garden coordinator works with MSU extension to deliver appropriate les- sons with teachers.
• Workshops: We have hosted various workshops throughout the years such as rain harvesting, gardening 101, raised beds farming, composting, and preservation. Today, we work with other organizations to promote their good food education opportunities, too!
Youth Engagement in the
Food System
• Internships: Every year we hire
interns to work at the food hub. Our intention is to hire students interested in a future in sustainable agriculture or food enterprise at some level. We give them a glimpse into this world from several angles.
• Youth owned enterprise: While we support ALL business development
in Battle Creek, we have a particu-
lar fondness in ensuring our young citizens are all fully supported in their endeavors, believing that a communi- ty with open arms to opportunity will flourish.
Better Food Retail Options Through our Regional Food Hub
• Our good Food Hub distributes prod-
ucts from over 40 local producers, keeping your food dollars circulating in our local economy.
• Our food hub supplies our mobile markets, our farm stand at 245 N. Kendall Street, and our new market at 503 Military St. in Springfield, the former Farmers Market.
• Wholesale sales: We sell local fruits and vegetables to large institutions such as Bronson Hospital, local school cafeterias, and local employers.
• THE SPROUT BOX: Our subscrip- tion program for local food. It’s like Netflix for food. You order online. We charge your account weekly. We send you a list of amazing local food. You pick what you want. We deliver it to your home or workplace. Or you pick it up from us. Your shopping dollars go directly to support local farmers and food enterprises.
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