Phil and Gerry had the pleasure of interviewing Congressman Dan Kildee and United States Senator Debbie Stabenow at the 2018 Mackinac Policy Conference #MPC18. Congressman Kildee and US Senator Stabenow are prime examples of standing in the gap for those who cannot stand for themselves.

Tune in to hear great conversations from two powerful leaders about the financial cliff, poverty lines / self-sufficiency and an update on the Farm Bill.

Tune in to hear from MSU Academic Specialist and Host of Our Table, Sheril Kirshenbaum. Sheril delves into a variety of topics - from GMO's to who we should be listening to about food (surprisingly, it's not the Kardashian's) to food waste.

In the U.S. we are wasting 1400 calories of value are wasted per person per day - that's absurd!

We must have an impact that MATTERS! Talk isn't cheap - it's valuable because it gives a voice to our thoughts.

Waste not, want not.

Did you know that 43% of all food waste comes from yours and my refrigerators? Tune in to hear how Kirk Mayes, CEO of the nationally recognized Forgotten Harvest and his team are combating food waste by rescuing food around the Metro Detroit area.

Food waste is so much more than just waste, it's a BIG picture issue. It has such a large impact on the environment: once the wasted food reaches the landfill and starts the decomposition process it becomes 20 - 30 times more harmful than fuel emissions coming out of your car.

Do yourself, your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren a favor and listen up and learn more about food waste and food rescue.

Tune in to hear from the enlightening Jodi Schafer and Sonya Robinson, two of the four founders of PureReinvention discuss the foundation - there is passion behind every move they make. Food for Thought is designed to follow the Fundamental 5: disrupt, own, simplify, connect and move in changing the conversation and the culture around the issue of food insecurity.

Interested in learning more about Pure Reinvention - be sure to check them out: www.purereinvention.com

Food for Thought: The true test of leadership is the ability to create positive change.

The sum is greater than the individual part.

As a common leadership motto goes, 'People are an organization's greatest asset' - Julianne Pricinsky, Retired President of Baker College - Flint Campus and Board Chairman of Food Bank of Eastern Michigan is just that, she is one of Flint's greatest assets and has no loss of enthusiasm for the mission!

Julianne, Phil and Gerry thoroughly discuss the servant leadership philosophy - people who are in the most difficult times in their own lives are still willing to give up themselves to help someone who is worse off. It truly doesn't matter what the problem is, we can come together to find solutions.

Simplicity has a clarifying quality to it, but it's also frothed with dangerous fix-it bumper sticker platitudes which make solving a huge multi-faceted problem like hunger seem simple. Ask yourself 'why are people hungry in one of the richest countries in the world?'

Tune in to hear from a continuing contributor on Food for Thought, Carrie Calvert, Managing Director of Government Relations at Feeding America. Carrie, Gerry and Phil discuss the Farm Bill and its vital interest in FBCM's work and our mission to created food security across the state.

The Farm Bill covers food production policy, land conversation and nutrition programs. It also uniquely connects the people who are producing the food to the people who are in need of food.

It's as simple as this - if you like access to safe and nutritious food, then you should care / learn more about the Farm Bill!

"Hunger is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." Winston Churchill

Data-driven decisions allows us to be more in tune with the communities we serve and gauge our effectiveness. Dr. Erin McDonald, VP of Center for Research and Learning at Feeding America and her team are leading the Map the Meal Gap study across the nation. Feeding America has undertaken the Map the Meal Gap analysis to continue learning about how the face

of food insecurity can vary at the local level. By better understanding variations in local need, communities can develop

more targeted strategies to better reach people struggling with hunger.

Do YOU believe this stubborn problem can be solved? Tune in!

YOU can make the different in the power of one, but WE can make an impact!

This week provides a breath of fresh air from the strong forces behind the Farm Bureau Insurance Michigan Agent Charitable Fund. The Agent Charitable Fund started organically and has really evolved and became successful because of the collective effort across the state. These agents are a serious group of people who are committed to help solve the problem of food insecurity. Tune in to hear from Merrick Maris, Nick Hurst and Nolan Kamer!

Learn more about the Farm Bureau Insurance Agent Charitable Fund: http://bit.ly/2Gc5TaD

You also get to hear from Patrick Mixis, Head Chef at Feed The World Cafe - where every meal purchased provides one or more meals to the local community. Check them out!

'Together we are not simply adding, but we are multiplying our influence to build the momentum and insight necessary to move the hunger needle across our state.' As Phil often says, one is too small of a number to multiply, and the work of creating food security cannot be done by one person.

Tune in to hear from Dave Hodgkins, Government Relations Director of American Heart Association Mid-Michigan. Dave, Phil and Gerry discuss their partnership through an amazing program, My Neighborhood Mobile Grocery (MNMG). MNMG sole purpose is provide and maintain access to healthy and nutritious food for the people who can't quite close the gap. 100% of the food for MNMG is purchased from low cost and healthy sources throughout MI.

AWESOME fact: our food bankers across MI can stretch $1 to $16 - now that's impressive, right?!

'Ordinary doing the extraordinary' - this fits Stephen Ritz to a T. Stephen Ritz - author, educator, innovator and urban farmer is investing his one handful of life in the youth of his community. His leadership journey took him from the Bronx to the White House and back simply because he cared what kids were eating, how often they were attending school and if they were graduating.

'The Green Graffiti, an urban farming revolution, has taken Stephen and his students from their Greenhouse to the White House and from hope to the Pope.' Intrigued about the revolution? Learn more about it - Green Bronx Machine and / or read Stephen's book "The Power of a Plant."

Stephen, as well as Phil, Gerry and the rest of the food bank network believe: kids who aren't well fed, will not be well read. This makes total sense, right?!