At its core, what we eat nourishes our bodies and provides energy to sustain our daily routines. But have you ever stopped to think about how the food economy – the systems that allow a local restaurant to serve you your favorite meal or a grocer to stock collard greens on the shelf – could have a larger impact?

Here we are in the height of summer in Michigan. We’re spending more time outdoors, connecting with community programming, and enjoying time with friends and family. Menus feature locally-grown ingredients, farmers' markets and stands are full to the brim, lakeshore communities are bustling, and Michiganders are getting outside to enjoy our neighborhoods, parks, and waterways.

Know Your Lender: Northern Initiatives

Where do they work: All 83 counties in Michigan

What they are: A CDFI! Huh?

Northern Initiatives is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that focuses on providing loans when family wealth is not an option. They provide the types of loans that banks won’t do, can’t do, or shouldn’t do. Typically this is because of low credit scores or lack of equity or collateral to meet traditional bank standards.

Raise your hand if you love Spring! The smell of dirt and thunderstorms. Sitting outside on the first 60-degree day. Leaving the puffy coat at home. It’s a time of emergence and renewed energy. Sunny Saturdays and Sundays see friends and families strolling the sidewalks, seeing their community through freshly thawed eyes.

Move Your Money relaunched during Financial Literacy Month! Throughout April, financial institutions, nonprofits and human service agencies all ramp up their support so that individuals, communities and businesses alike may evaluate and seek to improve their financial resiliency and impacts. 

Did you miss the Annual Meeting on March 10th? We've got the digest for you!

If you've been following the Local First program for a while, you know we're all about creating opportunities to support local and amplify our membership base. It's these businesses that keep our money close to home, employ our neighbors, and hold themselves accountable to our community. And while we may sound like a broken record, we'll keep saying it: They need your ongoing support.

We’ve learned that building a People First Economy takes more than a single action, one time. But it doesn’t have to be as overwhelming as changing everything all at once. We encourage you to instead think about a single action as the beginning of forming a habit. A good habit.

New habits take anywhere from 18 to 254 days to form (European Journal of Social Psychology), which is why we’re going to provide resources all year long. 

Need some inspiration? Here are six local and sustainable habits to include in your New Year's Resolutions!

Fall and winter are busy times for all of us. And after a year of working to build back better from the ongoing pandemic, the 2021 Holiday Season is no exception. Add to that the year-end bookkeeping, social (distance) engagements, busy storefront hours, and personal holiday shopping, it's no wonder these months fly by. It's enough to overwhelm anyone.

Food naturally brings people together. Whether it’s making a meal, supporting a farmer, sharing a recipe, or celebrating a special occasion: food is communal.