Groundwork Center

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Traverse City, MI
Groundwork Center

Economy. Environment. Community. Groundwork is optimistic about Michigan’s future.

Our unparalleled natural resources and our deeply rooted agricultural heritage are assets to be enjoyed and protected. We envision a state with a strong and diversified economy that offers opportunities for people from all walks of life: new jobs throughout the state in clean energy and agriculture; towns and cities that are vibrant, exciting centers of community, arts, culture, and commerce; and more options to get around with a diverse transportation infrastructure that makes it easy to choose walking, biking, public transit, or access to a well-maintained road network. People will move to Michigan, or return home, to enjoy all the state has to offer and to raise the next generations of bright, industrious, and proud Michiganders. Groundwork is committed to realizing this vision through strategically selected campaigns, initiatives, and projects. We focus our work in northwest Michigan because the region’s entrepreneurial spirit, culture of collaboration, and successful track record of joining economic growth and environmental protection make it a proving ground for innovation and possibility. We believe northwest Michigan will play an essential role in leading the state to prosperity.

10/09/2026

Hey, can you do us a super quick favor?

Groundwork is in the running for Oryana’s 2027 Groceries for Good program, and we’d really love your vote.

You can vote for up to 12 local nonprofits, and we’re hoping Groundwork can be one of them. If we’re selected, we’ll receive a month of donations from Oryana shoppers in 2027.

Why does this matter to us?

Because every dollar helps Groundwork continue working toward a Michigan where local food, clean energy, better transportation options, and strong communities aren’t just ideas - they’re part of everyday life.

If you believe in that kind of future, we’d be grateful for your vote.

Vote for Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities by October 31:
https://oryana.coop/community/groceries-for-good/

You will find us in the “Environmental Advocacy & Conservation” category. AND you can vote for up to 12 organizations while you’re there, so there’s room for lots of great causes.

10/08/2026

🚨 FREE Webinar Alert!

Hear firsthand from people who live near a large-scale solar project in Michigan.
Join Groundwork Center and the Michigan Conservative Energy Forum for "Solar in My Backyard," a conversation with neighbors, farmers, and local leaders.

Panelists Include:

🌾 Clyde Taylor, lifelong farmer, Rosebush

🐑 Brenden Ritola, Traverse City sheep farmer who grazes his flock on a local solar site

📋 Tim Ross, landman and former solar developer (moderator)

🏛️ Ed Rivet, Planning Commission Chair, Aurelius Township, and Executive Director, MiCEF

📅 Oct. 15th, 12 to 1 PM
👉 Register for free: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_R2aBSTNHTyi57pN4uM693w #/registration

10/05/2026

Last week's clean energy outlook report by Environmental Defense Fund shows the power of federal policy in propelling—and stalling—the clean energy transition. Stopping the heating of planet Earth is not about lack of technology, it's about lack of leadership and will. Download the report at the link.
https://www.edf.org/media/report-us-clean-power-continues-grow-cancellations-gas-development-accelerate

10/02/2026

We’re on the ballot for Oryana Community Co-op’s 2027 Groceries for Good program! 🧡

Voting is open October 1–31, and we’d love your support. Cast your vote and help us earn one of 12 spots in next year’s Groceries for Good program!

🗳️ Vote here: oryana.coop/community/groceries-for-good

10/02/2026

We need more of this in Michigan!

10/01/2026

A few days ago we launched a digital ad campaign for our book Shared Abundance. Guess what — looks like the food systems folks been itching to get a book like this! This batch of 44 books is going out to 20+ states from Hawaii to Maine! Get yours while they last! (A thanks once more to author Diane Conners and photographer Beth Price for this beautiful and oh so useful book!)

https://groundworkcenter.org/shared-abundance/

09/30/2026

Groundwork hosted a community meeting last night in Cheboygan that featured renowned MSU agrivoltaics researcher and lifelong farmer Charles Gould. He shared the latest advances in the solar siting method that enables farmers to continue farming in fields that have solar panels installed. The approach provides two income streams for the farmer (crop and solar revenue) and helps ease concerns about farmland being used for solar. Stay tuned as this exciting solar approach evolves and helps keep farmers in farming while also helping speed the clean energy transition that we urgently need.

09/28/2026

Hilary Rose, of Freshwater Preserve farm, in Beulah, stopped by our Fall Fling, at Stormcloud Brewing, Saturday. She received a $2,000 Building Resilient Communities grant to help get her farm operation up and running, and here she shares a few thoughts! Thanks for all you do for your community, Hilary!

09/24/2026

We asked folks what they hoped to learn from solar homeowners during Groundwork's bike tour of solar homes to celebrate Access Mi Solar on a beautiful summer evening. Hear what they said.

09/23/2026

As part of next steps in the North + South Passenger Rail project, our Mobility Fellow Aaron Johnson is addressing a recurring question asked by station communities along the proposed route: once people arrive by train, how will they get around? Johnson uses GIS (Geographic Information Systems) to map existing conditions (demographics, built environment, safety, etc.) at each of the 23 stops along the line. The maps will suggest likely accessibility gaps, which will shape targeted recommendations in Groundwork’s upcoming First + Last Mile Strategies for North + South Passenger Rail Communities.

These preliminary GIS maps are just a sneak peek behind the scenes to show the kind of work we are doing. They are for visual illustration only and do not represent final or official data.

Address

414 E Eighth Street , Suite 204
Traverse City, MI
49686

Website

https://www.groundworkcenter.org/

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