Lighting a Candle

I recieved an e-mail yesterday that had a suggestion that I wanted to share

"If we all spent $10 a week on Michigan products, we could put $36 million every week back into the state's economy". That was powerful to me.

Every day I hear people bemoan the state of Michigan's economy. Here was a simple and impactful thing that each of us could do to help.

I contacted a woman named Jeanne Lipe at the Michigan Agri-tourist Department who confirmed that the numbers were correct and gave me some leads to get started on what has turned into this email today. The idea is to shift $10 per week of your grocery budget to products that are from Michigan companies.

I wanted an easy to use list of Michigan products that I could find at my local grocery store. I have attached a copy of that list to this email. It is in no way complete, but it will get you off to a good start if you should choose to help out.

Some things I learned along the way:

There are a lot of Michigan owned grocery stores that are supporting other Michigan businesses on their shelves. Spartan stores are a cooperative, this means that if you buy a Michigan made product from a Spartan affiliated grocery store, you are getting a "triple dip".

The product is made in Michigan, the grocery store is independently owned by a Michigan family, and Spartan Stores headquarters is located in Grand Rapids.

Other independently owned stores are a "double dip". This includes stores like Randazzo's and Westborn markets. Meijer is based in Grand Rapids, MI.

I believe it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.

It may be a small thing but this simple suggestion is something we can all do to help

Here is the list of of Michigan-made products that you can find at your local grocery store. Print it out and take it with you on your next shopping trip!

Product brand names company located in:

all purpose gourmet spice blend deyoung's fore seasons hartland
bill knapp's cake etc. awrey battle creek
brats alexander & hornung st. clair shores
bread flatout saline
bread and muffin mixes jbdough benton harbor
cereal kellogg's battle creek
cheese reny-picot benton harbor
cheese s. serra warren
chewy granola bars yotta bar maple city
chocolates morley's sterling heights
condiments american spoon petosky
cookies archway livonia
cookies& crackers keebler battle creek
dairy goods bareman's holland
dairy goods calder carleton
dairy goods cf burger detroit
dairy goods guernsey northville
dairy goods melody farms livonia
dairy goods dairy fresh taylor
soynut snack products nature's select owosso
extra virgin olive oil kenzoil ann arbor
garlic bread - frozen cole's grand rapids
herring ma cohen's detroit
hommus basha ferndale
horseradish brede's detroit
hot dogs etc kowalski hamtramck
juice old orchard sparta
lunch meat & sausages koegel's flint
mexican food hacienda mexican detroit
muffins and snack cakes weight watchers jackson
muffins, brownies etc jiffy mix chelsea
mustard mucky duck ferndale
natural foods eden's clinton township
nuts germack detroit
packaged vegetables butter blends grand rapids
pasta al dente whitmore lake
pasta - frozen pierino lincoln park
pasta sauce sansonetti foods holly
pasta sauce romano's shelby township
peanuts and snack food kars madison heights
peanuts and tortilla chips great lakes snacks or festida cedar springs
pickles freestone pickles bangor
pickles topor's detroit
pop faygo detroit
pop vernor's detroit
private label beef jerky spartan, meijer taylor
produce aunt mid's detroit
rice and tapioca pudding spillson's monroe
salad dressings litehouse lowell
salsa sansonetti foods holly
sausage dearborn sausage dearborn
snack foods better made detroit
sugar pioneer and big chief bay city
sugar free candies dr. john's grand rapids
tortilla chips, salsa garden fresh, ferndale
tortillas la michoacana detroit
tortillas don marcos romulus
tortillas la jalisciense detroit
turkey (deli) golden legacy, brickman's grand rapids
tuscan italian foods elena's auburn hills
water absopure plymouth
wines st. julian paw paw

The foods on this list may be available at these Michigan owned grocer’s :

Spartan Stores
Meijer
Busch’s
Hiller’s
IGA
Glen’s
D&W
Felpausch
L&L
VG’s
Hardings
Nino Salvaggio
Quality Dairy
Randazzo’s
Taorello’s
Vince & Joe’s
Colasanti’s
Family Fare
and more…

If you don’t see them at your store, ask for them!

In addtion here is a list of Michigan Farmer's markets around the state:
http://www.farmersmarkets.msu.edu/

More information here about Michigan products
http://www.michigan.gov/mda/0,1607,7-125-1570_2468---,00.html