HANCOCK – People looking to purchase locally grown food from Upper Peninsula growers can use the UP Food Exchange (UPFE) to do an easier search.

Created in 2012 with funds from a Regional Food Systems grant from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the UPFE is an extensive program that allows farmers, businesses and individuals who want to participate in their local food system to connect.

The UPFE is divided up into three hubs:

the Western Food Hub serves the six western UP counties,

the Central Food Hub encompasses the six central counties, and

the Eastern Food Hub serves the three eastern counties.

The Western Food Hub includes Houghton, Baraga, Ontonogan, and Keweenaw counties and is coordinated by the Western UP Health Department (WUPHD).

The UPFE maintains an extensive website that offers users many ways to get involved.

The website contains a UP Food &Farm Directory, an online marketplace, an online community forum and other informative pages.

Ray Sharp, manager of community planning and preparedness at the Western UP Health Department, has been involved with the UPFE since its organization.

“(The WUPHD) is one of the three founding organizations of the UPFE, along with the Marquette Food Co-op and the MSU extension in Sault Ste. Marie,” Sharp said.

He explained how the market place and the food and farm directory work.

“The food and farm directory,” Sharp said, “is for individuals looking to purchase local food products – vegetables, beef, fruits, jams, jellies and etc. The directory is printed annually in the spring and is available locally at the Keweenaw Co-op. It is also available online.”

Online Marketplace is for large-scale buyers.

“Online Marketplace brings together local producers and institutional buyers – schools universities, hospitals,” Sharp explained. “The Michigan Hospital Association is an example of institutions that have adopted the Michigan Good Food Charter, so that means that local hospitals aim to purchase at least 20 percent of their food products from Michigan growers, producers and processors by the year 2020.”

There is a variety of ways for individuals who want to become actively involved in their local food system, Sharp said.

“They might go onto the directory and look online for farmers markets, or farmers who sell their products to individuals. They can come to a conference. There is a big conference coming up in July.”

Sharp is clear on the objectives of the Upper Peninsula Food Exchange.

“The goal is support sustainable agriculture in the UP by growing the supply and the demand,” he said. “You have to grow the two simultaneously to be successful.”