When Veronika Scott of the Empowerment Plan came to us as a bright-eyed social entrepreneur last year, we had no idea what we were in for.  All we knew is we wanted to be involved.

It's been a year of helping her to secure materials, finalize patterns, lay out a production floor, consult on electrical needs, put a sewing process together, cutting parts and eventually assemble them. But here we are, helping her make a difference in the lives of Detroit's most in need.

Veronika's project has utilized nearly every process we have in the plant, from prototyping, through developing patterns and cutting quilted parts on our Gerber and sewing finished coats. Our staff even put back together a 50-year old quillting machine to make the process possible.

See the complete article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/01/fashion/young-designers-focus-efforts-on-homeless-population-in-detroit.html?pagewanted=all&smid=fb-share

Hillsdale - Utilizing Crops - September 15, 2011
 Daily News/Holly Roney

Farm2Factory meeting held

Innovative minds are leading the agricultural and manufacturing industries of Hillsdale County toward a productive future.  

The Hillsdale Economic Development Partnership (HEDP) hosted a meeting for its Farm2Factory bio-manufacturing initiative on Thursday, September 15, at Johnny T's to discuss their goals and gain support from farmers and manufacturers in the county.

"This was an initial meeting to bring the manufacturing and agricultural communities together and have a conversation about what the opportunities are and what part they play," said Sue Smith, executive director of HEDP. "The heavy lifting has been done (for this project), we just need to bring it to the local level."

The project will focus on different ways to utilize crops - mainly soy and corn in this area - for production parts for global customers.  Soy and corn's non-edible bio-mass can be used to make products ranging from alternative fuel, to coffee cups, to comforters and diapers.

Eighty percent of the soy grown in Michigan is sent out of state for processing.  Leaders at the meeting believe that this is a waste of money and resources.  One of the purposes of the meeting was for the mapping of assets in the community to help everyone realize their combined potential.

"It's my job to look for opportunities for Hillsdale County to utilize what we have in the agriculture community for the greater good,"Smith said.  "this is a very natural fit."

WORKING TOGETHER
"The County Commissioners will work with the community (for this project).  We're not going to stand in people's way.  We're going to encourage you the best we can."  District 1 commissioner Pare Hayes told those present. 

Hillsdale County has the resources available to process their own crops for manufacturing products and certainly the crops.  According to the Hillsdale Council, 78 percent of the acreage in the county is cropland. 

The HEDP also has the benefit of resources at the state universities to further their research.  It has recently been discovered by a research team led by Michigan State University that using an ammonia-based solvent may make pretreating biomass to be used for bio-fuel easier and more cost-effective.

"This is something that CAN happen.  We CAN make a difference," said Davie Cloyd, vice president of project management at Fairway Innovations and one of the guests present.  "We have the opportunity to make a change and give this community what it needs - hope."