March 2007

The Community in Community Supported Agriculture
Community Support Agriculture is a growing social and agricultural movement, which enhances stability, profitability, and the preservation of small family farms, according to Jim Sluyter, the proprietor of Five Springs Farm in Manistee County. In this article he explores the origin of the movement and the benefits to the farmer, consumer, and land.

Angels in the Architecture
Brad Kik, co-founder of ISLAND, sat down with local developer Ray Minervini to discuss the restoration of The Village at the Grand Traverse Commons and the influence of iconoclast architect Christopher Alexander.

Gevas Moyo: A Man without a Country
Gevas Moyo is a Zimbabwean man on political asylum in Traverse City. YourPlace caught up with him at a Kiwanis Club Meeting this month.

Smart Growth: From Principles to Action
Smart Growth, defined by a set of 10 interrelated principles, is being implemented on a daily basis in the Grand Traverse Region. Cristin Popelier in this article takes you on a Smart Growth tour of walkable neighborhoods, open space preservation and transportation choices in our Region.

Some Thoughts on Placing Documents and Information on-line...
Communities are always looking for ways to increase stakeholder involvement in public planning processes.  When it came time for the Village of Elk Rapids to update their Master Plan and create a Recreation Plan, Howard Yamaguchi, a Village Parks & Recreation Commissioner, put most of materials on the World Wide Web.  In this article he reflects on the pro's and con's of web-based information dissemination by local governments. 

An Interview with Josh Mills: Unraveling the truth behind local land use decision-making
YourPlace sat down with City Superintendent and Zoning Administrator, Josh Mills of the City of Frankfort, to discuss zoning regulations, their benefits, and how individuals can get involved with the planning and zoning processes in their community.

Michigan Farmer
Northern Michigan singer and songwriter, Michael Camp, shares his memory of "Old Joe" a neighbor and farmer in this month's feature song, Michigan Farmer.