Rainbows End Farm

09/15/2024

Cool!

09/02/2024

Good Michigan happenings!!

Westwind Farm is a 120 acre educational and working farm, offering real food for real people, includi

09/01/2024

Watch - great film.

Can we feed the world without destroying it?! Rosario Dawson’s award-winning film The Need To GROW shows the SOLUTIONS — and the real stories of the game-changing innovators behind them.

07/26/2024

I’m missing Fowlerville Fair this year.
My Grrreat nephew Jack made this table, it will be in the youth auction Sat morn about 10am!
He sure would love to get some bids!! He received a 2nd place Judges Award! I think that’s pretty cool!

06/30/2024

🤣🤣

04/16/2024

Great respected farm in central Michigan!

Be sure to join us on Earth Day at 11 AM to hear Mike Buza of the Sierra Club discuss Michigan's clean energy legislation! Mike is the Chair of the Nepessing Five Rivers Groups of the Sierra Club, as well as Chair of the Legislative Committee of the Michigan Chapter. Mike has been highly involved with promoting renewable energy for over 15 years, and has had solar on his own house for 13 years.

Mike will talk about some of the latest accomplishmehnts in renewable energy in Michigan.
Recently, Michigan has gone from one of the bottom states in renewable energy to being in the top 5! He'll be discussing these changes and how they benefit communities and the environment. Hear how you can save money and the environment! Afterwards, enjoy some fun activities, shop with our local, natural products vendors and have a healthy and delicious bite to eat! See you on Saturday, April 20 at 11 am here at Westwind Farm - 11487 Reid Rd. Swartz Creek 48473!!

03/08/2024

An Open Door is the forthcoming documentary that reflects on the influential life and work of Dr. Temple Grandin as a champion of the humane treatment of liv...

02/13/2024

Consider this!

Livingston County Democrats will salute Black History Month with a special presentation on race relations in Livingston County at a meeting later this month. Local author Leo Hanifin will discuss his book, A Brief History of Race Relations in Livingston County. The book covers the relationships of t...

01/27/2024

Can you help?

**PLEASE SHARE**

We are in desperate need of volunteers to help cover for our volunteers that go south for the winter. We need help in both Livingston and Western Oakland County to help deliver and/or pack meals for our Homebound Seniors.

Please contact Lucy our Volunteer Coordinator if you are interested at 810-632-2155.

01/19/2024

LANDOWNERS SPEAK OUT ON NEW LEGISLATION "Renewable Energy”

“Farming is a tough business. My family has owned the farm since 1880, and we would like to continue to operate it as a farm. Unfortunately, the land lease payments will not be able to cover the taxes and maintenance in the very near future. We signed a wind lease because we believe in renewable energy and that it would be a big boost in income, allowing us to keep the property as a farm.” –Dick Farnsworth, Pine Township, landowner

“As a science educator and a farmer’s wife, I knew that leasing our land for renewable energy would not only allow our family farm to continue for years to come, but also provide a better future for my daughter. Many farmers in my community support wind and solar energy projects for these reasons.” –Ashlyn Newell, Maple Valley Township

“As much as I support local control as a concept, we need to have a fair process where landowners have their rights respected and their opinions heard. That’s why I support this legislation. We need the state to step in and protect the rights of farmers for renewable energy in the same way our rights are protected by the Right to Farm Act. The township can’t ban me from operating a dairy farm; they shouldn’t be able to ban my neighbor from participating in a wind farm either.” –John Black, Winfield Township

“The legislation you’re considering is important for the state’s renewable energy goals, yes, but it is also important to us because it protects our property rights. Farmers should not be told by outside groups what they can and cannot do on their own land. I am for keeping control even more local than the township. Let the local farmer control his or her land without interference.” –Jed Welder, Sidney Township

“I believe that anyone who wants to participate in the responsible siting of solar and wind projects should be able to do so. They shouldn’t be denied that fundamental right because somebody doesn’t like the view, and that’s really what opposition to these projects is about: a change in the view.” –Steven Poulsen, Maple Valley Township

“People in our township were spun into a frenzy because they were lied to by people who didn’t want their view to change. The problem is they don’t own their view. Their view is farmland that families like mine have tended, preserved, and paid taxes on for generations. They should not get to decide what we grow or what we harvest. And that includes harvesting the sun for electricity.” –Clara Ostrander, Milan Township, Monroe County, MI

“For the local zoning process to be effective and fair, it must rely on a reasonable, well thought out, and well written ordinance. Unfortunately, in many communities, including my own, the process has proven anything but fair. Instead, opponents of renewable energy have worked to find the most restrictive and exclusionary ordinances that exist and to copy and paste their provisions and force them into place in our townships. Anything short of an outright ban on wind and solar is not acceptable to them. And if local officials are unwilling to go along with these restrictive and, potentially, illegal ordinances, they are harassed and intimated until they resign or are recalled.” –Don Smucker, Stanton

12/31/2023

January 2024 classes coming up!

The Michigan Organic Food and Farm Alliance (MOFFA) was organized in 1992 as a non-profit organization with the mission of promoting organic agriculture and the development and support of food systems that revitalize and sustain local communities. MOFFA was one of the first organizations in Michig....

10/26/2023

Cow Love!

08/24/2023

Check this out!

It's time to Learn with the Worms once again: the Great Michigan Compost Tour is coming to 5Heart Earthworm Farm! While tours will be happening all around Michigan the week of September 11th, 5Heart Earthworm Farm will be hosting an Open House on September 14th from 3-5pm!

This Open House is free and open to the public, so if you would like to know how organic material is being managed in your area and meet the locals who make up the composting industry in your community, be sure to stop by! We look forward to seeing you there!

08/08/2023

Birds & bees! Without them, we would no longer Bee!

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2023/08/08/listening-to-the-birds-and-the-bees-to-make-solar-farms-more-biofriendly?utm_medium=email&fbclid=IwAR1nlMixO8MFQoUtjSoAhd1GL1g3f7Xcs3U-uaneG9OufQLnIsh-csZt_HI_aem_AUnjii0Pz-omFI_c9ufHIM_tsIkad82cRukUwV4xHIk60k1jj3jx5GGKJBwIvf3lD6Q&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

As the U.S. makes the transition towards greener energy production, one thorny issue is the millions of acres needed for solar farms. This will involved farm fields and other land. At three sites in Minnesota research is underway to find ways of serving both the needs of energy and nature.

07/11/2023

Apply that SPF.

07/04/2023

Howell/Brighton farmer 😔

The result of a nearly yearlong investigation, VICE News examines the role one Michigan automotive supplier has played in spreading toxic ‘forever chemicals’...

06/30/2023

Native grasslands for the win! 🌾🌾

05/14/2023

Fun story!

News Release:
On May 09, 2023, a suspect later identified as Joshua Russell Minton, age 34, of Millers Creek, NC, fled from Boone Police Officers during a traffic stop. The suspect led Boone police and deputies of the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office in a chase. The suspect abandoned his vehicle in the area of US Hwy 421 and US Hwy 221 in Deep Gap and fled into an undeveloped area. Due to the suspect’s fast and reckless driving our officers were not close enough to see exactly where the suspect ran.
As officers began to search the area they received some unexpected, but welcomed assistance from some local cows. Apparently cows do not want suspected criminals loitering in their pasture and quickly assisted our officers by leading them directly to where the suspect was hiding. The cows communicated with the officers as best they could and finally just had the officers follow them to the suspect’s location.
In addition to thanking our officers and deputies for putting themselves in harm’s way; obviously, we want to express our gratitude to the cows for their assistance. This opens up all kinds of questions as to the bovines’ role in crime fighting. Honestly, it is something that we have not considered before now. As we examine the obvious next steps of incorporating a Bovine Tracking Unit into our department’s law enforcement capabilities there are many factors that we will have to consider:
• How adaptable are cows to a variety of police work or can they just find hiding suspects?
• Are cows more cost effective than K-9 dogs?
• How will we transport cows to the scenes, and is this compatible with the Town’s sustainability goals in terms of types of vehicles needed and obviously there are methane issues?
• Cost of training, vet care, ballistic vests, etc.?

We at the Boone Police Department are always looking for better ways to serve our community. We may be a small town; but we are a progressive, forward thinking law enforcement agency. For rural law enforcement, we want to be the tip of the spear.

Mr. Mitten was charged with multiple charges to include:
• 1 count of Felony Flee/Elude Arrest with a Motor Vehicle
• Driving with License Revoked
• Disorderly Conduct

Mr. Mitten was taken before a magistrate and received a $20,000 secured bond with a court date scheduled for 06/28/2023 in Watauga County.
See local media for the real press release