“HUNGER IS NOT BETTER THAN WE ARE, IT IS NOT BIGGER THAN WE ARE, AND IT IS NOT BEYOND US TO SOLVE.” Featuring innovative leaders from government, industry and nonprofit organizations, Food First is a platform for sharing ideas and, more importantly, solutions to end food insecurity. Dr. Knight is a…
Hunger in America_May 11, 2025 by Phil Knight
What Gets Measured Gets Evaluated_May 4, 2025 by Phil Knight
Government Extreme Makeover Edition_April 6, 2025 by Phil Knight
Stephanie Johnson_March 2, 2025 by Phil Knight
Executive Orders - February 22, 2025 by Phil Knight
Representative Phil Green - February 2, 2025 by Phil Knight
Holiday Show - December 24, 2024 by Phil Knight
What Changes - October 6, 2024 by Phil Knight
9 Years of Food First Michigan_9.8.2024 by Phil Knight
Hilary Doe MI Chief Growth Officer by Phil Knight
Understanding the value and impact of the food is crucial to understanding the bold concept of keeping food first folks food first.
Strategic Framework with Julie Yurko by Phil Knight
Native/Tribal Landscape Assessment with Mark Ford by Phil Knight
Stephanie Johnson joins the show to help us unpack the State of the State address and the upcoming legislative session and how their work and priorities impact our work of creating a food secure state.
Changing the World One Day at a Time by Phil Knight
USDA Report 2022_Never Give Up by Phil Knight
Leaders see better, before and beyond the rest of us by Phil Knight
There are over 6,500 food deserts in the U.S. These are places where economics and geography make it harder for people to access healthy, nutritious food. While the challenges for those in rural and urban food deserts may look different, their refrigerators often look the same. Michigan's Food Banks stand is the gap to help meet this need in both the rural and urban food deserts across our state. In Michigan, our network of 7 Feeding America Food banks and their 3000 pantries helps create access for the 1.1 M people struggling with and living under the toxic stress of food insecurity.
“Healthy things grow, growing things change and growing things change things,” says author Christine Cain. That has been the case at the Food Bank Council of Michigan over the past several years. Our work has expanded, scaled, and changed to help meet the need in the communities across our state. As we have gotten healthier, we are privileged to have earned the trust of our legislature, governor's office, as well as the community itself. Listen today as Gerry and Phil talk about the journey to get healthy in all our relationships so the work of creating a food secure Michigan could grow. Phil and Gerry will share a huge announcement that highlights this healthy growth experience in recent years by the FBCM. Don't miss this edition of Food First MI.
Hunger has a straightforward solution – access to healthy food on a consistent basis. Food security is a bit different. It is a systemic adjustment to allow people to use and keep leverages to meet their daily, weekly, and monthly household needs. On this week's Food First Michigan we talk with United Dairy Industry of Michigan CEO Dwyer Williams. She is a problem solver who know there are many obstacles, challenges, and opportunities to help families have access to the food they want and need, specifically the most requested food item in our food bank network – milk.
Poverty in America sounds like an oxymoron. It just doesn't seem to fit together. Why must there always be a class of people in our country that doesn't have enough? During this week's episode of Food First Michigan, hosts Dr. Phil Knight and Gerry Brisson examine this question.
On this week's Food First Michigan show we are talking with Scott Piggott, CEO of Michigan Farm Bureau, and member of the Food Bank Council Board of Directors, about the consequences of policy change. The recent federal legislation passed surrounding the debt ceiling means the Michigan Milk Producers Association will no longer be able to donate the 350 gallons of milk they have been supplying to the state's food bank network each day. The money is no longer available that covered the cost of processing for that important donation. Our conversation this week centers on for how long and why we need a different approach to addressing food security and its resources both in Michigan and across the nation.
It's been articulated, and rightfully so, that things only truly change because of relationships. The Mackinac Policy Conference creates an annual opportunity to build and enhance our relationships with influencers across the state. We want them to know, understand about food insecurity, its effect on children and our communities and, more importantly, we want them to grasp the idea that food insecurity can be solved with their help. This year Paula Cunningham, State Director for AARP Michigan, joins me in welcoming Patty Graham, CEO of Meridian Health Plan; Greg Viener Regional Marketing President for Huntington Bank in Flint; and Monique Stanton, CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy stop by for a quick conversation about why they want to invest part of their one handful of life in helping create a food secure state. Patty, Greg, and Monique are doers of good. And, while they occupy the positions of influence they do, they use them to stand in the gap in order to make a difference in people's lives by bridging the gap between poverty manifested as food insecurity and having enough access to the food they want and need for their families. Join us as we strive to put and keep food first.
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