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Articles in this Issue
Fourth of July Fun
We Need Your Help
The Summer Happening

 

 

 

Fourth of July Fun

The Willy's Jeepster was purchased by Grow Benzie to be auctioned at the Happening event .What fun we had driving it in both the Frankfort and Beulah parades on the 4th of July.   

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 Starting out in Frankfort with many of the Schultz clan.

 

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After Frankfort we motored onto Beulah where retired WWII veteran Art Steinkirchner honored us by riding in the Jeepster.

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The weather was perfect, the crowds great,  and the Willys Jeepster was welcomed to Benzie County.

Side note, the new owner of the Jeepster has named it "Benzie" so watch for it out and about next summer!

 We need your Help!

Getting the word out on the "Double Up Food Bucks" program at Farmers Markets. 

This summer the Grow Benzie Farmers Market became certified to accept Bridge Cards (formerly food stamp program).  Along with that Grow Benzie was instrumental in becoming the administrator for the Double Up Food Bucks Program for three Farmers markets in the area.  This program is such a positive way to help low income folks increase their access to fresh produce-one swipe of the bridge card for $10 generates $20 in the amount of purchasing power.  A great way to encourage healthy eating.  It's a win, win situation for both the buyers, the farmers, and the community overall as those are local food dollars that stay and work in our local communities. 

 

The problem- reaching the people that need it with the information.  Even if you do not know a single person who uses a bridgecard,  word of mouth supporting these programs travels far- someone in your church, who does work for you, a relative of someone they know-the network is wide and the program is very successful once people know about it.

 

So. . .help us spread the word:   Bridgecards and Double Up Food Bucks- Talk it up!

 

The Double Up Food Bucks program is supported through fall of 2012.

  

 

 
 

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Browsing the garden at the event. 


 

The Summer Happening 

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What an event it was!  Another Blue Ribbon event with great weather, and great community support.  From a fundraising point of view we raised 20% more money than last year in addition to receiving a matching grant of $18,500. The 90 total auction items took us over the top.   400 generous folks attended making it happen.

     Highlights were: the first live auction item of a pig going for well over its value at $2200.  The pig was then donated to local food bank resource BACN.

     The dancing ladies brought in $650 total, and one showed up at the Crystal Lake Art Center Auction- a great way to "pay it forward".

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      We hit a new record with the Master's tickets going for $8700.

      The mixology bar drew quite a "happy crowd".

      The food from Cooks House received ravereviews.

      Jon Lindner's music left us begging for more. 

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 Thank you for all your support!

 The following is a letter from Dave Query, our Happening Maestro, who pulls everything together for us in addition to working non stop prior and during the event.  

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 The Happening. Thank you for making it one!!

 

  This year's event held it's own against the bar raising Ho-Down First Anniversary Grow Benzie Fundraiser we had a year ago. It seems as though everyone had enough good food to eat and great things to sip on.

 

 

We would like to thank the following individuals and business who helped and donated to make this years event a success.

 

Black Star Winery- Traverse City

Stone House Bread and Paul Huffman of Traverse City

Oryana Food Market- Traverse City

Jim Barnes / Crystal Lake Catering

Mike and Don - Port City SmokeHouse Frankfort

Right Brain Brewery - Traverse City Nicg=hiahn

Jon Lindner for his Fabulous music

Justin Rashid - American Spoon Foods - Traverse City

Steve Savage - EcoProducts- Boulder, Colorado

Mark Stoddard and Adam Watts

The Mike Query Family (for the second year going)

The lovely Dana Faulk

All the hardwarking volunteers

And Chef Eric Patterson and Chef Jennifer Blakeslee from The Cooks'House in Traverse City 

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     Please make plans to go visit Chef's Eric and Jenn at the Cooks House in TC. The most outstanding meal anywhere and now they have a liquor license.

 

 

Thanks to all of you the guests who are now reading this and staring at September and beyond. These Michigan summers are all too short and are marked by events such as this evening we all had at Grow Benzie to raise money for the efforts going on here. Thank you so much for attending.  
 

Dave Query

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Guests perusing the greenhouse were greeted by the "Gardener", one of the Dancing Ladies that was auctioned off during the evening.  

 

 

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Gazpacho served at the event, made from Grow Benzie tomatoes which were featured in a stand alone station just above the greenhouse.

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A view from a tomato plant in the garden looking back toward the building.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

cropped logo from dan 

 5885 M 115, Frankfort Hwy

Benzonia MI 49616 

231 882 9510

www.growbenzie.org

growbenzie@gmail.com