Tag Archives: food systems

Just smile and say, “cheese please”

Yesterday, Alison and I had the privilege to visit an awesome new specialty food store in Grand Rapids called The Cheese Lady. From the moment you open the door and breathe in the delightful aromas, you know you have found … Continue reading

Posted in advertising, agriculture, architecture, art, cities, consumerism, Cuisine, culture, economic development, economic gardening, fair trade, Food, food systems, geography, historic preservation, land use, placemaking, product design, revitalization, third places, tourism, Travel, urban planning, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Cultivating a “GRand” farmers’ market

This past Saturday, I had the privilege of patronizing one of the finest farmers’ markets in the country for the first time – the Fulton Street Farmers’ Market in Grand Rapids. I have visited farmers’ markets in Boston, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Greater Lansing, … Continue reading

Posted in Active transportation, adaptive reuse, agriculture, architecture, bicycling, Biking, charities, cities, civics, civility, consumerism, Cuisine, culture, diversity, economic development, economic gardening, economics, entertainment, entrepreneurship, environment, Food, food systems, fun, geography, government, health, historic preservation, history, land use, placemaking, planning, revitalization, seasons, sustainability, third places, tourism, Trade, transit, transportation, Travel, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Food as art – artisan dining as a great third place

Greater Lansing has been blessed in recent years with two superior artisan dining establishments – Soup Spoon Cafe and Fork in the Road Diner. They both take locally grown and handmade produce and baked goods, turning them into exquisite works … Continue reading

Posted in art, cities, coffee shops/cafes, Cuisine, culture, economic gardening, entertainment, entrepreneurship, food systems, land use, placemaking, third places, tourism | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Don’t chase brick and mortar from afar – grow it organically

For as long as I can remember, a numerous residents of Greater Lansing (including me) have been trying to coax Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Fresh Market, or Plum Market to locate a store here. To date we have been greeted … Continue reading

Posted in cities, Cuisine, culture, diversity, economic gardening, entrepreneurship, environment, food systems, land use, placemaking, tourism, urban planning | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments