For several years, I have been part of a collective effort to provide more access to healthy food to those in our community who need it most. The program, which is called Farm2Neighbor, is an on-the-ground effort that helps meet the immediate needs of our food insecure neighbors.
This season, we invite you to be part of supporting that effort by attending one of our most meaningful community traditions, the annual Empty Bowls event.
This year’s theme is Farm to Bowl: Local Roots, Shared Food, and will be held on Sunday, May 3, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Howe Arena in Traverse City.
We will be celebrating all the local area farms that supply us with fresh farm food.
At this special farm-themed event, 17 acclaimed local chefs and culinary partners will transform fresh, locally grown ingredients into a marvelous variety of soups, celebrating the connection between our farms and our tables.
Guests will enjoy these creations, select a handcrafted bowl to take home, and join together in raising awareness and support for food security in our community. The event is kid-friendly (ages 15 and under are free with a paid adult) with lots of fun activities (like a full-size tractor for photo opportunities and a cow milking simulator!)
Every bowl served and every ticket purchased helps fund the Farm-2Neighbor Fund, allowing us to purchase fresh produce and protein from local farms and distribute it through our remarkable network of over 70 pantries and meal sites across six counties of northwest Lower Michigan. Changes in federal policy, along with inflation and increased housing and healthcare costs, continue to contribute to rising need for food assistance in our region.
Keeping the Farm-2Neighbor program funded and functioning is a collaboration of three organizations. The Northwest Food Coalition, Food Rescue (a program of Goodwill Northern Michigan), and Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities.
Together, we provide high quality, nutritious food grown by local farmers to people who use food pantries and meal sites to eat and stay nourished.
To pay for the food, the coalition solicits donations and grant funds, and can thereby offer farmers a fair market price.
The food is distributed to food insecure people served by the coalition’s network of food pantries, meal sites, and baby pantries.
Farm2Neighbor achieves two extremely important goals: It increases the amount of healthy food for pantry families, and it provides important income for our region’s farm families.
Join us for great food, community connection, and impact.
Purchase your tickets at the Coalition’s website https://northwestmifoodcoalition. org/, at both Oryana Community Co-op locations, or at the door the day of the event.
We hope you will join us at Empty Bowls and continue to be part of this important work. Together, we are building a stronger, healthier community one meal at a time.