NW Michigan Food and Farming Network Report to the Community 2015 Report to the Community | Page 47

2015 Report to the community

FarmRaiser Helps Schools
Go Further with Fundraisers
More fundraisers are
selling local products
By Christina Carson
FarmRaiser
FarmRaiser is working to expose
more people to healthy products that
are grown and made by members
of the local community. We do so
in hopes that those newly exposed
individuals will begin to alter their
purchasing habits to favor local
businesses. This goal is accomplished
through school fundraising.
Every year, students take to their
neighborhoods, families, and friends FarmRaiser partners with local farmers and food artisans to source healthy
in hopes of selling products that will products for school fundraisers. (Photo: Christina Carson)
raise funds for their schools. It is estimated that each year, 81 percent of with. Students not only interact with operations. The business is currently
conducting more fundraisers and
U.S. households purchase something local products through selling and
from at least one product-based fun- delivering them, but also participate working with more local vendors in
in educational the region than in any other place in
draiser. Imagactivities so
the country.
ine if those
they’re learnOur biggest success story in
households
ing why eating 2014 was in Traverse City’s Central
2014
were purchasing vegetables,
By The Numbers a healthy, local Grade School. The school’s biggest
diet is impor- fundraiser used to be sub sandwiches
Northwest Michigan
peanut butter,
tant for their
made by fifth-grade students with not
and coffee
8 Schools & Programs Engaged
bodies and
particularly healthy or high-quality
from local
their commu-