From Farm to (every) Fork
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From Farm to (every) Fork
with the Michigan Good Food Fund
In 2015, Fair Food Network helped launch a first-of-its-kind statewide healthy food financing initiative in Michigan in partnership with Capital Impact Partners, Michigan State University (MSU) Center for Regional Food Systems, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
The Michigan Good Food Fund broke new ground with its commitment to support businesses from farm to fork with a grounding in equity. It also demonstrated a new collaborative model with partners aligned in a shared commitment to increase healthy food access and spark economic opportunity in places that need it most.
Since 2015, this collective has deployed nearly $17 million in loans and grants, and the 300+ enterprises supported with financing or business assistance have in turn created or retained 1,000+ jobs.
We’ve been honored to be at the table leading pipeline development, initiative marketing and outreach, and business assistance in partnership with MSU Center for Regional Food Systems. This past year, we pivoted all business assistance support online, providing responsive and adaptive support to food businesses as they navigated the pandemic.
We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished together and have learned so much, not least the necessity to keep evolving to meet the needs of those we serve.
And those needs have never been more urgent and far-reaching. While 2020 was turbulent for all businesses, it was devastating for those led by Black and Brown entrepreneurs.
As we look toward the next chapter of this collaborative, there is a need to further center racial equity in this work in support of Black and Brown entrepreneurs, as well as deepen community engagement to ensure alignment with and accountability to community voice. We also aim to continue growing our lending network and available capital products, moving from individual transactions to the development of entrepreneur cohorts to support their continued growth.
Fair Food Network is honored to step into management of the Michigan Good Food Fund starting in 2021. Our impact investing arm, Fair Food Fund, will also join Capital Impact Partners, Detroit Development Fund, Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women, Michigan Women Forward, Northern Initiatives, and Lake Trust Credit Union as a lending partner, bringing equity and near equity products to Michigan entrepreneurs.
We can only achieve the change we know is possible — and needed — with this incredible network of partners. And it’s never been more important for us to stand up together.