Join us for the 2026 NEMI Regional Food Summit on September 9, 2026!
Location: UAW Conference Center, Onaway, MI | Time: 9:30am-4:30pm, Farm Tour 4:30PM-6:30PM
This Summit brings together people who care deeply about food, land, health, and community - and who understand that none of these thrive on their own. Over a single day, you’ll connect with growers, health practitioners, community leaders, entrepreneurs, and neighbors who are shaping a future where regional food systems are resilient, equitable, and economically vibrant.
This is more than a chance to hear ideas; it's a chance to experience them. Participants will see how regenerative agriculture strengthens soil, farms, and communities; explore how community health reveals the strengths and gaps in our food access systems; and how improving local agriculture supports healthier families, circulates dollars locally instead of leaving the region, and contributes to long-term community stability. Together we will discover the innovative ways rural communities are supporting small businesses and building local wealth.
You’ll leave with new relationships, practical tools, and a renewed sense of what’s possible when communities collaborate with intention to strengthen both healthy food systems and local economies.
Register Here:https://forms.gle/jTTp3TYJivs6r7Cs9
Lunch Provided | Farmer travel/participation stipends available.
Lodging Information: The UAW Conference Center has lodging on-site. Guests should call (989)733-8521 and tell the reservationist that they are attending the NEMI-HFI Retreat so the staff person knows to access the room block.
Map of Conference Center Driving Directions Golf Rates
Travel Tips:
Bring your own toiletries. The hotel rooms have Dial hand soap and a combo shampoo/shower gel but no conditioner or lotion. Hair dryers are available at the Front Desk but they do not have hair dryers in the hotel rooms.
Bring a swim suit. The indoor pool is heated and there is a sauna in both the Men’s and Women’s locker room. Pool towels are provided by the hotel.
Attendees are to check in at the main gate. They will then be directed to an adjacent parking lot to park. From there they will take a very short shuttle ride to the Center. If they are bring materials for a resource table, or if they are checking into the hotel, they will be allowed to drive in and drop off their items and then return to the lot and the shuttle.
This work is supported by the North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center, project award no. 2024-70027-42470 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture
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