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Podcast: Seedy May discussed with Rachael Pressley

May 10, 2021 | By Michael H. Babcock

The Portage Health Foundation Podcast is about to get to the roots of an incredible event series taking place this month with the title “Seedy May.” These four events are all free and open to the public starting May 12 and finishing up with a pair of events Memorial Day weekend.

 

This Episode’s Guests

  • Rachael Pressley, Assistant Regional Planner for the Western U.P. Planning & Development Region
  • Dr. Michelle Seguin, Director of Community Health at Portage Health Foundation

The podcasts starts by introducing listeners to the Western U.P. Food Systems Collaborative and the PHF Food Initiative. Dr. Michelle Seguin is involved with both, and said the efforts are complentary as the food culture in the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan continues to strengthen.

Pressley then explains the work that’s being done by Growing From the Heart, one of the many projects to come out of the colllaborative. “We believe food is a right,” she said. “Together we have committed to actively creating new processes, networks and infrastructure so that all the members of our community can access and enjoy the abundance of food offered by the land and water of the Western U.P.” Together with the Portage Lake Seed Library, they’ll be hosting the first event on the 12th at Porvoo Park.

This episode was the second one where new Seed Library was discussed. Pressley is one of the organizers of it and said it’s now available free to all community members at the Portage Lake District Library in Houghton. Even those without a membership to the library.

Listen to the podcast for more details on all of this!

Quotable Moments from Podcast Guests

  • “Events like what are coming up this month with the Seedy May (events) are in total alignment with our work here at the Food Initiative. They’re increasing access to supplies and education needed to grow your own food.” - Dr. Michelle Seguin
  • “Truly the relationships and the people in the collaborative have been instrumental in my new position and this work at the foundation. Through our shared experiences, through our individual training and resources and knowledge, we’ve been able to share such a breadth of work together.” - Dr. Michelle Seguin
  • “Food systems are complex, it’s more than just the food we eat every day. It’s where it comes from, how it’s processed, how it’s shared, how it’s grown. I am just grateful for those connections.” - Dr. Michelle Seguin
  • “We wanted to lift up these separate events on one flyer to share with everyone.” - Rachael Pressley
  • “We believe food is a right. Together we have committed to actively creating new processes, networks and infrastructure so that all the members of our community can access and enjoy the abundance of food offered by the land and water of the Western U.P.” - Rachael Pressley
  • “This is such a wonderful way to get the community excited about gardening and growing your own food.” - Dr. Michelle Seguin
  • “If public libraries revolutionized access to knowledge by making books available for free, seed libraries provide access to food for the community.” - Rachael Pressley
  • “We invite people to take seeds for free, remembering seeds are gifts.” - Rachael Pressley
  • “Save the seeds at the end of the year and bring them back to keep the seed library going.” - Rachael Pressley
  • “It’s a great time of year to get outside and reconnect with one another. It’s been a hard year, and gardening and gardens are a great way to build that connection.” - Dr. Michelle Seguin

Additional Links

Michael H. Babcock

Michael H. Babcock