PCF Featured in NMU Student Documentary Highlighting Small Scale Farming in the U.P.
On a warm July day in 2025, a student in the Rural Leadership Fellowship Program at NMU sat down in the hoophouse at the Community Farm with PCF’s Mary Andronis, Executive Director of Programs and Partnerships, and Allison Stawara, Community Farm Manager. Seated in front of trellised tomato and cucumber plants, Mary and Allison discussed their experience with small scale community oriented farming in the Upper Peninsula.
Partridge Creek Farm is grateful to be featured in this student documentary alongside Seeds and Spores Family Farm and Full Plate Farm to highlight agriculture in the Upper Peninsula.
The Importance of Small Scale Farming in the Upper Peninsula
Why is Farming in the UP So Important?
Across the U.P., small communities face a growing need to provide for themselves and build long-term resilience. Local farms play a crucial role in meeting that challenge. They supply fresh, often year-round produce, support neighborhood restaurants and school systems, and help to strengthen our region’s overall food security.
At Partridge Creek Farm, along with other small farms throughout the U.P., we’re working hard to develop efficient, small-scale farming operations that feed our neighbors, local businesses, and schools directly.
This work keeps more dollars circulating in rural communities, creates local jobs, and ensures that healthy, locally grown food reaches the people who need it most.
Beyond growing food, we teach children and community members how to grow their own food. Helping to build a hyper-local food system where our community feels confident, capable, and connected. By empowering residents to cultivate food at home, we’re strengthening self-reliance across the U.P., one garden at a time.
