*NEW* Explore one of the highest and best uses of surplus food by touring GoodwillNMI’s Food Rescue. They rescue, harvest, repack, and distribute 2 million pounds of food annually — that’s $3.34 million worth of food! Each day, Food Rescue brings 8,000 lbs of food to 78 food pantries and community meal sites in the Northwest Food Coalition, and 42% of it is fruits and vegetables. Food Rescue’s work is powered by strong community partnerships: working with more than 115 local grocery stores, bakeries, food distributors and processors, 82 farms, and 15 schools to rescue and distribute food across a rural, six-county region—at no cost to their partners.

This event is part of the Michigan Organics Council’s Great Michigan Compost Tour. Food rescuers, animal feed operators, and composters across the state are hosting tours to highlight how surplus food, yard waste, and food scraps are rescued to feed hungry people or transformed into valuable animal feed or soil amendments. The other tours in our Northern Michigan region are featured in this event series.

Organizer Note: Most tours take place outdoors, so we advise participants to dress in weather-appropriate layers.