This Community Food Profile is intended to give readers a better sense of how producing, processing, distributing, retailing, preparing and eating food influence and interconnect a community’s economic, ecological and social wellbeing.

We hope this sketch of the local food system will stimulate you to consider your relationship to food and how your food purchases affect your community. Use the Profile to better understand how agriculture and food fit into your work and your daily life. When we base our food choices and food-related activities in our community, multiple benefits are possible. Allow the stories in this Profile to suggest new – and perhaps unexpected – partners as you continue to make your community a better place to work and live.

This Profile focuses on the Lansing tri-county area. However, it is our hope that it becomes a model and inspiration to develop similar food system profiles for communities across Michigan.