Michigan DNR awards grants for ‘food forest’ at KI Sawyer

MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) – Combining food security, the environment and education. The Michigan DNR is partnering with Marquette County to bring a ‘food forest’ to K.I. Sawyer. The DNR is awarding $100,000 to Marquette County in collaboration with the Let’s Grow KI Community Garden and the Marquette County Conservation District.

The money is for developing ‘tree guilds’ at K.I. Sawyer along an ADA non-motorized path connecting a school, a park and other public spaces. A ‘tree guild’ is a community of trees and other plants that complement each other and work together to help each other grow.

“It’s to provide the benefit of trees to communities across the state,” said John Pepin, Michigan DNR Spokesperson. “In this case, these are going to be food forests, which are beneficial for food and community gardens that they have out there. It helps communities that are less food sufficient or they don’t have ready access to grocery stores or things like that around.”

The senior planner for Marquette County says this is part of a larger project at K.I. Sawyer.

“We just completed our funding goal for three or four miles of non-motorized trail pathway,” said Emily Leach, Marquette County Senior Planner. “This tree grant kind of brings the final aesthetic piece and lets us enhance programming and connecting with the community members.”

Leach says this will also allow students to learn about plants and growing their own food.

“This non-motorized pathway actually will connect right up to the elementary school,” Leach said. “It’s pretty streamlined to be able to allow for programming and field trips with the schools.”

Leach says construction will happen this summer as they build out the trail. Planting of the food forest will likely happen in the fall and then again next spring.

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