October is both Agritourism Month and Farm-to-Table Month. The designations are meant to draw attention to Michigan’s family farms, processors, wholesalers, and retailers who rely on local customers especially during harvest time, and the connection between Michigan agriculture and school lunches.
Agritourism includes things like apple orchards and pumpkin patches, where agriculture and tourism connect by the public being invited on to the farm to enjoy their products and services.
Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Director Gary McDowell said, “Agritourism opportunities are available in every county in our state, providing loads of family friendly fun.”
The National Farm to School program helps connect local dairy, fruits, vegetables, eggs, honey, meat, and beans with schools to get the products on the menus in school cafeterias. There is also a component of a nutrition-based curriculum and exposure to food growing.
State School Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice said that over a quarter of a billion meals have been served to school children and their younger siblings throughout Michigan since March 2020.
Courts have been backlogged for over 18 months since COVID slowed things down. A plan is in the works to take one aspect of the backlog, firearms-related cases, and speed up their processing with an increased number of visiting judges and increased funding for prosecution and defense.
The MI Safe Communities framework would use federal American Rescue Plan money to put $75 million into safety programs to help the justice system operate more efficiently.
Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget M. McCormack said, “Courts pivoted quickly to remote proceedings to keep our justice system running, and trial courts statewide have held nearly four million hours of remote hearings since April of 2020. To protect the rights of defendants, however, many criminal proceedings must be in person, creating a substantial backlog in many courts. Additional visiting judges will help tackle that backlog, resolve cases more quickly, and help keep our communities safe.”
Part of the plan also calls for investment in Collaborative Community Violence Intervention Programs and an array of prevention and treatment services.
Justin Dalenberg grew up looking forward to his annual trip to McCallum’s Orchard and the process of turning the apples he picked into homemade pies. His love of food grew as he helped his mother in her work as a caterer and baker, and he refined his culinary skills at St. Clair TEC in the St. Clair Hospitality Academy program.
Justin was a student Port Huron Northern and worked at Tom Manis Restaurant, Crystal Gardens, and the River Crab while growing up in the Blue Water Area. After winning a cooking competition at St. Clair TEC, he earned a full-ride scholarship to Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, which is very well-known for its culinary arts program.
After college, Justin worked in various fine dining restaurants around the U.S. including the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, and Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor. As a consultant, he has opened 20-30 restaurants in the Metro Detroit and Ann Arbor area, and he is the owner of VERITAS in Jackson, MI; Grand River Brewery in Marshall, MI; and several Doll n’ Burgers restaurants in Jackson, Marshall, and Tecumseh, MI.
Justin Dalenberg’s newest food and dining adventure is the renovation and reimagining of the 17,000-square-foot Manchester Market which celebrates its grand opening on Saturday, October 16, 2021 at 455 W. Main Street in Manchester, Michigan. He is co-owner of the market with business partner, Ken Heers.
Manchester Market is a foodie’s dream featuring a full-service grocery store, a commercial butcher shop & bakery, and a gelato shop, along with a coffee shop and beer cave. The market is also the new home of the Acorn Farmer’s Market and Café, a non-profit farmer’s market.
“We have a bunch of different people with different skills and different passions all under one roof,” said Dalenberg.
Justin Dalenberg, Co-Owner Manchester Market
When asked what draws him to the food and hospitality industry, Dalenberg said, “I’m obsessed with it. I love making people happy. I love throwing parties, I love taking care of people, and I love great food.”
Dalenberg learned a great deal living on the East Coast, in the Carribean, and in the Aspen, Colorado area. He said, “Everything you did was top-notch, and I kind of bring that East Coast, cook-from-scratch, buy-better-ingredients-for-flavor idea. In Michigan, we have the best ingredients, but a lot of people just don’t use them.”
Dalenberg has plans to open several more Grand River Breweries and Doll n’ Burgers in the next few years along with a hotel and another market.
Water is a pretty big deal around here and Port Huron’s water filtration plant is a very big deal. A tour of the plant brought the inner workings of the massive plant, located near Pine Grove Park, to local officials and interested citizens.
The water filtration plant takes water right out of the St. Clair River and turns it into clean drinking water that goes to up to 60,000 customers, including homes, businesses, and industries. Right now, the plant treats around 8 million gallons of water per day, but it has the capacity to treat 30 million gallons if needed.
The plant, built in 1966, is in a constant state of maintenance and monitoring to continue to treat and pump fresh, clean water to Port Huron and the surrounding townships 24 hours a day. Steps have been taken recently to increase security at the plant.
The operators of the facility hold high-skill jobs and the City of Port Huron is actively recruiting to fill future vacancies at the plant. The jobs are high-paying and require extensive certification and training.
Port Huron City Council Member Anita Ashford remarked on the complexity of the water plant, saying, “We want the best with no shortcuts. We are stewards of the water for a lot of people.”
Union trades leaders are applauding the recent Prevailing Wage requirement announced by the State of Michigan. The ruling applies to state construction projects.
Tom Lutz, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights, said, “This decision protects Michigan’s investments in infrastructure because when prevailing wages are the expectation, contractors have to compete on a level playing field based on quality of their skilled work, not on the exploitation of their workers.”
Michigan’s prevailing wage rule was repealed in 2018. Prevailing wages differ geographically. The total costs of projects does increase with prevailing wage rulings, but is thought to increase standards.
Steve Claywell, President of the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council said, “The restoring of prevailing wage provides a fair and equal bidding process allowing for highly trained men and women to be paid a good wage.”
Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced the ruling, saying it was “offering Michigan a highly-trained workforce to rely on as we build up our roads and bridges, replace lead pipes, install high-speed internet, and more.”
St. Clair County Community College has opened registration for its Mission Lunar Quest at the Challenger Lunar Center. The center will launch in Spring of 2022, but students and educators, businesses and corporations, and community members can reserve a spot now.
Dr. Deborah Snyder, president of SC4, said “The Challenger Learning Center at SC4 will help support STEM education, exploration and innovation with experiences that go far beyond an everyday field trip, outing or corporate training session.”
Guests to the Challenger Learning Center can schedule half day or full day experiences that are geared toward 5th through 8th graders but can be adapted for older guests. The interactive experience simulates a trip to the moon and utilizes a variety of STEM-based roles.
Lance Bush, president and CEO of the Challenger Centers, said, “We’re hard at work building the Spacecraft and preparing Mission Control to welcome students and community members to fly our newest space missions that we developed in partnership with NASA.”
Galaxy Quest STEM Summer Camp is in the works for next summer. A link to more information can be found at WGRT.com.
