TRAVERSE CITY — An expanding sector of agriculture in the Grand Traverse region relies on chemical-free farming and eating what is grown here.
Greg Reisig believes its proponents -- organic farmers and promoters of the local foods movement, among them -- are environmentalists, too.
To recognize their efforts, a new category for agriculture will be added to the list of honors given Friday at the Northern Michigan Environmental Action Council's annual awards ceremony.
"There are a lot of people that are just doing it right, without chemicals and producing organic fruits and vegetables," said Reisig, NMEAC's board chairman. "It's becoming a bigger and bigger thing."
Mostly local foods will be served at the 23rd awards ceremony, to begin at 6 p.m. Friday at the Park Place Dome in Traverse City. Honors will be given in several categories, including to students, educators, public officials and volunteers who advocate for the environment. Roughly 50 people are nominated in multiple categories.
"It's our biggest night of the year," Reisig said.
Organizers of the Great Lakes Bioneers conference also will present their Bioneer of the Year award. Derek Bailey, tribal chairman of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, will be the keynote speaker.
"We hope people get inspired," Reisig said. "We know that we have a really strong environmental community in northern Michigan."
In the past year, one of the biggest environmental stories was the push for renewable energy, said Ken Smith, NMEAC's executive director. Wood-burning biomass, coal-burning power plants, a debate over wind energy and natural-gas exploration have made headlines both here and across Michigan.
Smith's organization also raised money for an environmental defense fund, used to pursue legal action against proposed projects that NMEAC believes would threaten natural resources.
NMEAC is working with a group near Interlochen to fight development near the Little Betsie River watershed, Smith said.
