Groundwork Center

10/20/2026

OUTSTANDING CULINARY MEDICINE CONFERENCE this Saturday, in East Lansing. Seats still available. Register!

Join the Michigan Clinicians for Climate Action (MiCCA) for our 3rd Annual Climate & Health Event in East Lansing on Saturday, Oct. 24 with this year's focus as Food As Medicine. Food as Medicine is a healthcare framework that integrates nutritious, high-quality food into clinical care, recognizing its role in preventing, managing, and treating disease. Our food systems have broad implications on our climate and dictate who is nourished and which communities are underserved. See the agenda and full speaker list here. Designed for health professionals and open to all, this CME-eligible event will feature a diverse range of speakers, including health professionals, registered dieticians, food system researchers, and community organizers. Register and learn more on our event page! https://michigancca.networkforgood.com/events/93874-micca-s-3rd-annual-climate-health-event-food-as-medicine-for-people-and-the-planet

10/20/2026

So…what would your vote in Oryana’s Groceries for Good actually do?

If Groundwork is selected for the 2027 program, those donations would help us keep doing the work that makes a difference right here in northern Michigan (and all over the state).

It helps us:
- Strengthen local food systems and connect kids with healthy, locally grown food.
- Help communities move toward clean, affordable energy.
- Make it easier and safer to get where we need to go without always having to get behind a wheel.

And maybe most importantly, it helps us turn good ideas into real things happening in our communities.

If Groundwork’s work matters to you, whether it’s because you care about local food, clean energy, better transportation options, or simply the future of northern Michigan - please take 30 seconds and vote for us!

Vote by October 31: https://oryana.coop/community/groceries-for-good/

10/16/2026

Shop local. Support Groundwork. Build a better Michigan.

We’re excited to share that Groundwork has been selected as one of the nonprofits participating in Downtown TC (Official) Shop Your Community Day on Saturday, November 7!

Here’s the best part: When you shop at participating downtown businesses that day, you’ll get to choose which participating nonprofit receives a portion of the sale.

So whether you’re shopping for yourself, getting a jump on holiday gifts, grabbing lunch, or just enjoying a day in downtown Traverse City, you can make your purchases do a little more good.

And we would love for you to choose Groundwork!

Saturday, November 7 || Downtown Traverse City
Downtown TC (Official)

Save the date, bring your shopping list, and shop for Groundwork!

10/15/2026

REGISTER FREE TODAY!

The Great Lakes region is in the middle of a data center boom. Developers are filing a record number of applications, a growing list of communities are enacting moratoriums, and local leaders are scrambling for the resources to keep pace. Meanwhile, the speed of development and a lack of transparency from developers have left many without answers.

Join our partners at the Great Lakes Business Network to learn what data centers mean for our water and our energy grid, and what policy solutions can be implemented to address growing concerns.

Meet our speakers:
Helena Volzer, Director of Water Resources, Alliance for the Great Lakes
James Gignac, Midwest Policy Director for the Climate & Energy program, Union of Concerned Scientists
Chris Gilmer-Hill, Policy Manager, Michigan Environmental Justice Northwest Food Coalition
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/5317912089914/WN_ZtJ86eGVTcClG5UhTBR04w #/registration

10/14/2026

Waymo robotaxis started driving Detroit streets fully on their own on Oct. 6. Only Waymo employees can ride for now, but the company plans to open service to the public once the technology is validated.

Our question: When driverless rides reach more of the state, who will they serve?

We’d love to see them get people to buses and future passenger rail, give rides to seniors and others who can’t drive, and free up land now used for parking. What we don’t want is more traffic, more sprawl, or fewer of the transit options people depend on.

Driverless cars are now navigating the streets of downtown Detroit. Waymo, a ride-hailing service similar to Uber or Lyft, has launched its fully autonomous test phase.

10/14/2026

Lori Nelson, from Chef Ann Foundation, helps us understand the transformative potential of the farm to school movement, as seen at RR Oehrli Elementary in Montague! Give a listen! (Chef Ann Foundation is a major supporter of farm to school programs.)

10/09/2026

Hey, can you do us a super quick favor?

Groundwork is in the running for Oryana’s 2027 Groceries for Good program, and we’d really love your vote.

You can vote for up to 12 local nonprofits, and we’re hoping Groundwork can be one of them. If we’re selected, we’ll receive a month of donations from Oryana shoppers in 2027.

Why does this matter to us?

Because every dollar helps Groundwork continue working toward a Michigan where local food, clean energy, better transportation options, and strong communities aren’t just ideas - they’re part of everyday life.

If you believe in that kind of future, we’d be grateful for your vote.

Vote for Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities by October 31:
https://oryana.coop/community/groceries-for-good/

You will find us in the “Environmental Advocacy & Conservation” category. AND you can vote for up to 12 organizations while you’re there, so there’s room for lots of great causes.

10/08/2026

🚨 FREE Webinar Alert!

Hear firsthand from people who live near a large-scale solar project in Michigan.
Join Groundwork Center and the Michigan Conservative Energy Forum for "Solar in My Backyard," a conversation with neighbors, farmers, and local leaders.

Panelists Include:

🌾 Clyde Taylor, lifelong farmer, Rosebush

🐑 Brenden Ritola, Traverse City sheep farmer who grazes his flock on a local solar site

📋 Tim Ross, landman and former solar developer (moderator)

🏛️ Ed Rivet, Planning Commission Chair, Aurelius Township, and Executive Director, MiCEF

📅 Oct. 15th, 12 to 1 PM
👉 Register for free: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_R2aBSTNHTyi57pN4uM693w #/registration

10/05/2026

Last week's clean energy outlook report by Environmental Defense Fund shows the power of federal policy in propelling—and stalling—the clean energy transition. Stopping the heating of planet Earth is not about lack of technology, it's about lack of leadership and will. Download the report at the link.
https://www.edf.org/media/report-us-clean-power-continues-grow-cancellations-gas-development-accelerate

10/02/2026

We’re on the ballot for Oryana Community Co-op’s 2027 Groceries for Good program! 🧡

Voting is open October 1–31, and we’d love your support. Cast your vote and help us earn one of 12 spots in next year’s Groceries for Good program!

🗳️ Vote here: oryana.coop/community/groceries-for-good