Northern Michigan University is hosting the 2023 U.P. Food Summit from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, March 27th at the Northern Center. The event will celebrate local foods, highlight projects from around the Upper Peninsula and provide networking opportunities. NMU began offering a bachelor's degree in controlled environment agriculture—the first northern climate, indoor growing degree program in the nation—last fall, two years after the successful launch of an associate degree in the field.
The NMU program emphasizes sustainability, teaching students how to adapt indoor, urban farming models to northern climates in multiple structure and building types in order to provide fresh, local food sourcing year-round.
Keynote speakers for the U.P. Food Summit include Roger LaBine, water resource technician for the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa; and Kathleen Smith, Manoomin Ganawandang or “She who takes care of the wild rice” for the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission. They will present findings on the impact of climate change on wild rice in the Great Lakes area.
The event is free, and includes a free lunch and refreshments. Farmers, food producers and industry workers, advocates, researchers, policy makers, and community members are all welcome.
Pre-registration is required; click here to register.