The Mining Journal, Wednesday, March 30 — 9G
PROGRESS2016
2016
MINERALS EXTRACTION/WESTERN MARQUETTE COUNTY SECTION G Part 2
PROGRESS
A SPECIAL SECTION OF THE MINING JOURNAL ALSO ALSO INSIDE INSIDE
PAGE 10G Family owned, quality service Farm charm Famous inn expands
PAGE 11G Full speed ahead for bubbly brews History in apparel Going strong Above, Pam Perkins, owner of the Rare Earth Cafe in downtown Ishpeming stands in the dining area. The cafe features hand-prepared foods made from all natural antibiotic free ingredients. Upper right, the front of the Rare Earth Cafe is seen at the corner of First and Division streets. At middle-right and below, examples of food provided from the Rare Earth Cafe. Right, some of the eclectic atmosphere and artwork is seen. (Journal photos by Lisa Bowers)
PAGE 12G Savory bakery goods
PAGE 13G Trail progression Supporting health and community
A feast for the eye and palate Rare Earth Cafe continues to prepare fresh, healthy, high quality food By LISA BOWERS Journal Ishpeming Bureau ISHPEMING — A customer entering the Rare Earth Cafe will be guaranteed a new, eclectic and satisfying experience for both the eye and the palate. The cafe, situated at the back of Rare Earth Goods Natural Foods and Art Gallery on the corner of Division and First streets, served its first meal in December 2014. Cafe owner Pam Perkins said she prides herself in preparing fresh, healthy food with an emphasis on high-quality ingredients. “I try to do healthier foods, quiches, homemade soups and homemade desserts. Its kind of small scale, but quality food,” Perkins said. Perkins said there are also several sandwiches on the menu like the Division Street Special with fresh pesto, tomato and mozzarella cheese on a grilled panini.
Food is prepared in the kitchen in view of the customer. Perkins and the other cooks use a small convection oven, a panini maker, and a couple of commercial-grade hotplates to prepare made to order dishes. Perkins said all of the foods she carries are antibiotic free — only farm fresh eggs, bacon sausage, turkey, and ham. “We purchase a lot of our fresh vegetables and greens in the summer time from Partridge Creek Farm,” Perkins said. Perkins said she grows the basil and rosemary she uses in her Tuscan potatos right in the window of the restaurant. Perkins said the cafe just opened for breakfast in December. “Its starting to catch on, it seems like everything is slow at first because people are not aware of the hours,” Perkins said.
The atmosphere in the cafe is unique from the seating to the decor. Perkins said much of the artwork on the walls is for sale and she has sold quite a few items since the cafe opened. “I have to be a little pickier because I am running out of room. I dont sell a lot of paintings, but the jewelry is a big mover, and the art classes are the main things,” Perkins said. Perkins hosts art classes at 4 p.m. on Sundays after the cafe closes. She said people can learn basic skills like knitting and sewing all the way up to an aromatherapy necklace making class. Perkins said the cafe hosts a private, by invite only open mic night on Tuesday evenings. Lisa Bowers can be reached at 906486-4401. Her email address is lbowers@miningjournal.net.
10G -— The Mining Journal, Wednesday, March 30
PROGRESS2016
Family owned, quality service Providing local and American made products for decades By LISA BOWERS Journal Ishpeming Bureau NEGAUNEE — Karl Shunk Sr. said keeping his business in the family, local and American made has set it apart for decades. Shunk Furniture has offered the most name-brand furniture and bedding to the people of Marquette County and the U.P. for 36 years. “There are no stores in Green Bay or Appleton that carry as many name brands as we do,” Shunk said. “We have all American manufacturers, most of the big box stores that you see carry a couple of name brands and the rest are made specifically for that store so the store has more control over the price.” Shunk said many of the product lines have been upgraded at the three locations in the last year — most notably the addition of the Smith Brothers, an Amish furniture line. Since opening the companys main location in Negaunee
Township in 1977, Karl Shunk and his wife Carol have expanded the business to more than 50,000 square feet of showroom at three locations, expanding the Clearance Center in the last year. “We want people to know that were a family that works together and we are from the U.P.,” Shunk said. Success has also come to the business through investing in a structured advertising profile that has made the company a local household name, Shunk said. “We have a recognized advertising program — on TV and in the paper,” Shunk said.“ Shunk said his business prides itself on service, starting with giving customers the ability to custom order furniture. “Its not just a cookie cutter setup,” Shunk said. “Brands like Lazyboy and Broyhill allow you to choose from hundreds of available upholstery styles.” Shunks also carries a full line
of name brand mattresses in its showroom. Shunk said when a customer is making an investment in any kind of furniture it is important that they can try the product out and see it firsthand. Shunk said this is especially true for mattresses because everyone has a different idea of what is comfortable. “Its important that they are all here for people to lay on and try out, because that is the only way you can really tell,” Shunk said. Overall, Shunk said, his store combines the widest variety of American made products from office to bedroom furniture within a 300-mile radius with a promise of knowledgable service after the sale. “Our knowledge of the furniture that we sell sets us high above the competion,” Shunk said. Lisa Bowers can be reached at 906-486-4401. Her email address is lbowers@miningjournal.net.
At top, from left, Karl Shunk, his wife, Carol, their daughter, Jessica, and Karl, Jr. run the family owned business Shunk Furniture in Negaunee Township. Above, Shunk Furniture has the largest selection of name brand mattresses for the guaranteed lowest price in the Upper Peninsula. The showroom is filled with choices, giving customers the opportunity to try before they buy. (Journal photo by Lisa Bowers)
Farm charm Partridge Creek expects abundant growth
Famous inn expands Mather Inn adds new rooms
Ishpeming High School Life Skills student Haleigh Carne levels the soil in a planter so that the entire surface will get sunlight for the vegetables that will be planted there. The school is partnering with Partridge Creek Farm to grow vegetables in the classroom. (Journal photo by Lisa Bowers)
By LISA BOWERS Journal Ishpeming Bureau ISHPEMING — Great things can grow out of strife and controversy. Such is the case with Partridge Creek Farm, an educational farm in downtown Ishpeming that is dedicated to improving local access to fresh produce, building a healthy community and promoting education on sustainable food systems. The farm went through some growing pains last year when negotiations to lease a 16.8 acre site on Malton Road from the city for 50 years at $1 per year stalled in March. The Malton Road site was an alternative option to the original site of the farm, a city lot located behind farm board chairman Dan Perkins residence at 300 W. Division St.
Perkins said the city had required a number of conditions for the lands lease on Malton Road, including putting as much as $10,000 in escrow in the event the farm failed and the city had to pay to clean up the property, and buying insurance beyond the farms liability insurance, as well as hire an outside consultant to conduct yearly financial assessments of the farm, and give the city full access to the land and any future buildings on the site. An alternative to the Malton Road site came in the form of a 10-year lease of half of the 100 square foot plot at Grace Episcopal Churchs community garden on the corner of Euclid and First streets. The site consists of a fenced in 100-by-100 foot
plot with a hoop house, 20 raised planting beds, and 15 additional plots for members of the community to garden in. Perkins estimated that about 1,000 volunteer hours went into building the site. The farm had a successful inaugural season growing all-organic greens, root vegetables, squash, beans and herbs on the incubator site thanks in part to a $10,000 grant from the Western Marquette County Health Foundation. Perkins said the farm was able to expand upon its goal to bring community together and educate area residents about nutrition and the importance of a healthy lifestyle. The site utilized two new
See Partridge Continued on 14G
By RYAN STIEG Journal Staff Writer ISHPEMING — The famous Mather Inn will now be known not only for being a movie landmark, but also for affordable housing. Thanks to a $566,400 Community Development Block Grant from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, 15,000 square feet of the building will be used to create 12 rental housing units. There are already four units on the fourth floor and six units will be added on both the second and third floors. Fiftyone percent will be used for low- to moderate-income households. Mather Inn LLC, which is a developer, will add $160,000 to the effort and is required to maintain a five-year affordabil-
ity period. During this span, rental costs must be at Marquette County fair market rates and rent cant increase more than 10 percent each year. The county will also receive 15 percent of the grant for administering the funds. In an Mining Journal story from August, MSHDA executive director Kevin Elsenheimer said in a press release that “creating new purpose for a historical building adds another layer of significance to the community.” In that same article, state Rep. John Kivela, D-Marquette, also spoke about the project. “I am happy to see MSHDA continuing to reward quality projects throughout the Upper Peninsula,” Kivela said. “It is from innovative projects like this that we can
both save a part of our local history and help our communities move forward into the future. “I applaud MSHDA and the project developers on creating this new chapter for the historic Mather Inn.” The Mather was built in the 1930s and hosted special events as well as actor Jimmy Stewart when he was filming the movie “Anatomy of a Murder” in the 1950s. In 1986, the Mather was sold at a tax sale auction and was in disrepair for a long time until its lower-level lounge and boiler room turned into the Cognition Brewing Company.
Ryan Stieg can be reached at 906-2282500, ext. 246. His email address is rstieg@miningjournal.net.
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The Mining Journal, Wednesday, March 30 — 11G
PROGRESS2016
Full speed ahead for bubbly brews Cognition Brewing Company self-distributing beer from the Mather Inn
By LISA BOWERS Journal Ishpeming Bureau ISHPEMING — Its full speed ahead for Cognition Brewing Company less than a year after opening its doors on March 14, 2015, to brew and self-distribute its beer at the from the taproom of the Mather Inn in Ishpeming. The company recently began distribution of its beer through Imperial Beverage Company of Kalamazoo, Mich. Jay Clancey, the owner of Cognition, said the beer will be distributed to bars in the Upper Peninsula that particularly like craft beer. “We are only selling to bars that really know how to handle it and have their tap lines professionally cleaned every two weeks like we
do,” Clancy said. Cognition Brewmaster Brian Richards said he really expects that distributing through Imperial should really help the process of getting the product out beyond its little corner of the U.P. “Those guys will be reaching out a little further, trying to get things spread out around the U.P. a little more,” Richards said. “They are kind of working on new accounts.” Richards said the beers being distributed through Imperal will be Cognitions Deep Scream Cream Ale, Gnome-wrecker Belgian Pale Ale, Sans Regrets Strong Ale, and they expect to add their Neurosis Pilsner soon. Richards said Cognition has brewed and served more than 35 dif-
ferent varieties of beer at the pub since it opened. Clancey said the Mather Inn Taproom is a perfect place for his business. “As soon as I loooked at it without the boilers, I said this is just obviously the place for a brewery,” Clancey said. “Plus you have a taproom with an existing bar.” The Mather Inn is located at 107 Canda St. in Ishpeming. It was opened in 1932, and is known for having provided lodging for the cast of the movie Anatomy of a Murder in 1959. The building is featured in the National Register of Historic Places. Lisa Bowers can be reached at 906-4864401. Her email address is lbowers@miningjour- Above, one of Cognitions brews. Inset, a photo of the Tap Room and Cognition nal.net. Brewing Company signs. (Journal photo by Ryan Jarvi)
History in apparel Pride in quality and tradition at 1844
By LISA BOWERS Journal Ishpeming Bureau ISHPEMING — 1844 marked the start of something great, especially for the city of Negaunee. William Burt accidentally discovered iron ore on the shores of Teal Lake in 1844, leading to what some call an iron ore mecca. According to business owner Ann Kantola, that is why the name 1844 was a perfect choice for her apparel business centered around the U.P. and the city of Negaunee. Founded in October 2014, the store is nestled in the corner of the Negaunee City Center building on Iron Street in the heart of downtown. Kantola, who is also a photographer, has come up with all of the graphic designs for the apparel sold at the shop.
“We do a lot of custom work. Sometimes someone will come in and like a design but want it on a different color, or a different type of clothing. We can accommodate them,” Kantola said. The shop sells a variety of modern and vintage apparel, from headbands to sweatshirts and sweatpants. The philosophy of the store is perhaps best described in a blog on its website. “1844 and its apparel prides itself on quality and tradition, two valued components within Negaunee and nationwide,” the site states. One of the more unique U.P.-centric designs looks like the line of a heart monitor with an outline of the U.P. in the middle of it. The store also has many designs centered on Negaunees “Irontown” nickname as well as a variety of items
that show off pride for Negaunee High School and its sports teams. Kantola is even responsible for a helping to design a T-shirt used by the Negaunee High School Band at sporting events. She keeps them in stock so that students have a place to pick up the shirts. Kantola said although business is pretty good all year round, the store gets very busy in the summer months when tourism season kicks in. “You get Negaunee High School alumni, people who feel like their heart is in Negaunee or the U.P. or people who are visiting for the first time and absolutely love it here and want to take home a part of that,” Kantola said. Lisa Bowers can be reached at 906-4864401. Her email address is lbowers@miningjournal.net.
Going strong Teal Lake Senior Living Community thrives By LISA BOWERS Journal Ishpeming Bureau NEGAUNEE — Teal Lake Senior Living Community has 33 residents since opening its doors in Negaunee on Oct. 1. The 32,000 square foot community, perched atop a bluff overlooking Teal Lake strives to meet residents needs in a homelike setting, Administrator Julie Kelly said. “The services that Teal Lake Senior Living Community offers are much more broad than in a nursing home, covering a wide variety of services that can work for just about anyone," Kelly said. Kelly described TLSLC as a special combination of housing, personalized supportive services and health care that is designed to meet the needs of those who can benefit from help with the activities of daily living. “The community provides licensed nurses and resident care aides 24 hours a day, seven days a week," Kelly said.
Kelly said the community serves a wide range of resident needs. "We have residents who are very independent and still drive, all the way through full assistance and end of life care," Kelly said. TLSLC is comprised of a combination of 38 studio and one-bedroom apartments each with its own private bathroom. Residents have access to dining and private dining rooms, television and sitting rooms, a spa room with a whirlpool and a beauty and barber shop, all within the confines of the community. "In our dining room you can order off of a weekly changing menu, much like you would at a restaurant, as opposed to other senior communities where residents might only have two choices," Kelly said. She said the standard monthly fee for residents includes three nutritious meals daily plus snacks and can accommodate special or therapeutic diets as
prescribed by a physician. Kelly said the staff at the community work with other agencies in the area to offer the residents the best care possible. “We can accommodate home health and hospice providers to provide additional or skilled services the residents may be interested in or require,” Kelly said. Kelly said the resident's apartments are cleaned by staff daily, along with laundry and fresh linens. Although furnishings for the apartments can be provided, residents are encouraged to bring in their own furniture because being surrounded by familiar items makes it feel like more like home, which Kelly said it should. “I like to think that I have an office in their home and the staff are respectful of keeping this in mind,” Kelly said.
Lisa Bowers can be reached at 906-4864401. Her email address is lbowers@miningjournal.net.
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Honoring the past with the Gossard Tribute Wall Located on First Floor
Supporting Non-Profit Businesses & Home To:
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Retail and Office Space Available
The
BOX CAR Boutique
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12G — The Mining Journal, Wednesday, March 30
PROGRESS2016
Savory bakery goods Huron Mountain Bakery adds new treats By LISA BOWERS Journal Ishpeming Bureau MARQUETTE — For about two decades, Huron Mountain Bakery has been the place to go to get the finest quality breads, muffins and donuts in Marquette County. Owner John Scheidt said he sees great things happening at both his Marquette and Ishpeming locations this year. Scheidt said he is especially excited about the addition of Joe Heck from Joes Cakes to his staff and menu, for more reasons than just the new items in the baking rack. “The collaboration with Joes Cakes has had a huge impact on our business. We are now the go-to place for wedding cakes,” Scheidt said. Scheidt said that Heck, who made high-end confections at the Landmark Inn for more than eight years has had a positive influence on all aspects of HMB, already known for its care for quality, since he joined the bakery in October. “He has elevated our game in our business, elevated the overall quality of our products,” Scheidt said. Scheidt said that Heck has introduced a whole new line of European desserts, working with Belgian chocolate to create high end fillings and
2015
mousse as well as italian puff pastries and other delicacies. Rachel Freeman, production manager at the Marquette location, said the addition of Joes Cakes is just the newest thing that sets Huron Mountain Bakery apart from other places. “What goes into the product is going to affect what comes out,” Freeman said. “We use only premium ingredients. Our breads are all made from scratch, by hand.” Within the past few years both locations have added gourmet sandwiches to the menu, made with fresh bread, along with the unique woodfired pizza, which is only available at the Ishpeming location. Chelsea Arpinen, a manager in the Ishpeming location said sales of the pizza are going very well because it is a unique product that is not available anywhere else in the area. “The best part is the wood flavor that gets baked into the pizza, and it gets the nice char on it from the wood flame,” Arpinen said. Arpinen said the Ishpeming location just recently started offering breakfast sandwiches. “The sandwiches are made on our croissants, with egg patties that we make ourselves. We put applewood smoked bacon or Canadian bacon with cheddar cheese
and throw them in the oven. We feel like its a pretty good product,” Arpinen said. For her part, Arpinen is very happy to have Joes Cakes in the display case at her store. “Joe does great cakes, and we are lucky that we partnered up with him,” Arpinen said. Scheidt is pleased with the continued success of his business
and sees a bright future ahead. “It was an exciting year last year, we grew 25 percent and we are expecting to grow that much this year, year over year,” Scheidt said. Lisa Bowers can be reached at 906-4864401. Her email address is lbowers@miningjournal.net.
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The Mining Journal, Wednesday, March 30 — 13G
PROGRESS2016
Trail progression Iron Ore Heraitage Trail furthering improvements
A family is seen walking the Iron Ore Heritage Trail in Negaunee. (Journal file photo)
By LISA BOWERS Journal Ishpeming Bureau MARQUETTE COUNTY —The Iron Ore Heritage Trail is entering a new era, with more improvements to complete and millage renewal requests to be placed on the ballots of the seven Marquette County communities the trail touches. Four of the municipalities have approved placing the millage on the ballot with three waiting to address the question at future monthly meetings, according to Iron Ore Heritage Trail Authority Administrator Carol Fulsher. The administrator of the 47-mile trail, running from downtown Republic to Chocolay Township, is asking for the .2 mil renewal from the residents of Ishpeming, Negaunee, Negaunee Township, Ishpeming Township, Marquette, Chocolay Township and Tilden Township. The original request was approved by the municipalities in 2010. The millage renewal request will be placed on the ballot in August to be approved by voters in those municipalities. The trail, which educates the public through a vari-
ety of interperative methods such as signs about the areas iron range and mining history, plans to add 10 new interpretive signs from Negaunee to Marquette in the coming year. Fulsher said the $33,000 project will paid for in part by a $22,000 DNR Trust Fund Grant and that the trail authority plans to have the signage installed by late summer. Fulsher said another project to provide benches, custom bike racks and bike fixing stations at Lions Field, the Welcome Center, Schwemwood Park and the Republic Trail Head should be completed by autumn 2016. A large portion of the roughly $28,000 project is being paid for by a $17,000 State of Michigan Recreation Passport Grant. Along with the bench and customer bike rack, an ADA accessible trail will be built at Schwemwood Park in Marquette Township this year, Fulsher said. The addition would connect the parking lot of the park off of County Road 492 with the IOHT 1/4 of a mile west of County Road 492. The IOHRA is in the midst of an additional project to build a bridge at a
portion of the trail in Humboldt that washed out in June. Because of the damage, trail traffic has been diverted since the washout occurred. A bridge replacing the existing culvert system is being paid for entirely by grants that the IOHRA received with the help of the DNR, and is expected to be completed early this spring Fulsher said. A $32,700 grant from the Recreational Trails Program covered engineering for the project as well as some bridge construction costs. A $25,000 Snowmobile Program grant and a $25,000 ORV Program grant will pay for the remaining $50,000 for the completion of the project. Fulsher said the IOHRA will pay up front for the work and then be reimbursed by the grantors with the exception of the snowmobile portion. That portion of the project funding goes through the Moose Country Snowmobile Club. The club grooms the snowmobile trail in that area from December 1 to March 31. Lisa Bowers can be reached at 906-486-4401. Her email address is lbowers@miningjournal.net.
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Supporting health and community Grants provided, new applicants sought
By RYAN STIEG Journal Staff Writer ISHPEMING — The Western Marquette County Health Foundation has been accepting grant applications for health and wellness solutions for its April 1 cycle. Grant sizes can vary upon request, but the average size ranges from $1,000 to $10,000. WMCHF also accepts multi-year grants. “The foundation is very community-oriented and really the board itself does a very good job of taking into consideration all that we can do to support the health in the community through grants and funding,” Greater Ishpeming-Negaunee Area Chamber of Commerce executive director Kori Tossava said. “Every grant cycle, we have two of them April 1 and Oct. 1, varies, but we usually get anywhere from a dozen to two dozen grant applications. I think the highest weve had to review at any given moment was 19 and were usually able to fund four to six of them depending on the amount that they ask.” Tossava said that WMCHF has two requirements to get grant money. The organization has to be nonprofit and the program has to be health-related. She also said that they usually get a mixture of repeat and new applications. “Its a competitive process, so it really does depend on the number of applications and quality of those proposals,” she said. “Just because someone may have received funding for two or three cycles, if something has come up, and we have significantly more applications that we find are more competitive, those ones might receive funding.”
Some of the health and wellness areas that WMCHF focuses on are chronic disease education, mental health and social and emotional support, prenatal health, obesity, and the uninsured or underinsured with a particular focus on kids. “We do the two competitive grant application cycles, but every May, we commit to funding the four school districts to a certain amount,” Tossava said. “Last year, it was $50,000, so $12,500 for each of the four westend school districts to implement school-based programs that they are interested in or strategic initiatives that each board of education has set forth. “We plan to do that every year into perpetuity ... to identify how much we can budget for that specifically and then provide that funding directly to the schools.” Tossava is also trying to get the word out about what the MCCHF does for the community. “Im getting in front of as many organizations, municipalities and service clubs as possible to talk about the purpose of the Marquette County Community Health Fund, and to be aware of the fact that theyre there if youre a non-profit and looking to implement new programs for wellness,” she said. “Im always available to meet to discuss them and really we just want to make sure as much money can go back into the community as possible. We encourage people to contact us with any questions that they might have.” Ryan Stieg can be reached at 906228-2500, ext. 246. His email address is rstieg@miningjournal.net.
14G — The Mining Journal, Wednesday, March 30
PROGRESS2016
Partridge
Continued from 10G farming products invented by local artist Earl Senchuk. The Boomer Bloomer, a 4-foot-by-8-foot heated table with a constant soil temperature of 85 degrees, is intended to turn the three-month U.P. growing season into a nine-month growing season, Senchuk said. The 16- by-20-foot prototype greenhouse called “Yoopertopia” is designed so that more than one can be added end to end, Perkins said, like solar cells, allowing growers to expand their operations as needed. According to Senchucks website, it also features an airtight canopy that keeps in heat during cold months, with large, screened vents that circulate air in the summertime.
“The idea of Yoopertopia is to ... create a whole other agriculture industry,” Perkins said. Setbacks for the farm, however, continued into August, when the city sent a letter to Perkins requesting he remove his property from the original site of Partridge Creek Farm, a city lot behind his residence at 300 W. Division Street. The letter gave Perkins adequate time to harvest the food grown on the site, but indicated that the land could not be used for the garden in 2016. Initially the city supported and approved Perkins use of the property behind his house for the farm, but found out in 2013 from then city attorney David Savu that the area is almost totally within a por-
tion of Cliffs Seventh Addition Plat and dedicated to the used of the public for a playground and park purposes. According to an Oct. 16, 2013, memo from then Interim City Manager Jon Kangas and Savu, minimum projected expenses to the city to ammend the plat would be around $5,000. An alternative site has also been chosen to expand the farms outdoor growing, Perkins said. The farm has a 1/3 acre of land on Southwood Drive in west Ishpeming at Ann Tourney's Horse Farm. The project will include a 30-foot-by-72foot hoop house. Perkins said six interns from NMU and other colleges to work on the farm this summer.
The goal of community outreach is being expanded upon as well. Perkins said the farm will work with HeadStart to provide healthy cooking classes for the families in the community starting in April and going through the summer. Classes will be held at the Greenwood Headstart kitchen from April through August and a schedule will be available soon. “We are also going to be putting garden beds and edible landscaping in the play yard at that center,” Perkins said in a recent email. Perkins said the Partridge Creek Community is setting up ongoing classes with all four sections of the fifth and sixth grades at Ishpeming Middle School.
“We are working with Kaitlin Hares, Ishpeming Middle School science teacher, Kevin Harrington, Life skills teacher, and Ryan Reichel, health education teacher, to design an integrated agriculture curriculum involving modern indoor farming and soil building methods such as aquaponics, hydroponics, vermiculture, etc. placed right inside the classrooms. We will also involve the students with the outdoor farming projects being implemented at Partridge Creek Farm,” Perkins said. Perkins said the farm will work with Transition Marquette County to sell seeds and Worm Castings (Organic Fertilizer) as part of an Ishpeming School fundraiser through Thursday. The joint venture will
raise money for the eighth grade Chicago Trip and a 2016 education series presented to the community by Partridge Creek Farm and Transition Marquette County. The schedule on the education series is expected to be made and presented by the end of March, Perkins said. The farm will also host an educational indoor mushroom growing operation within the next of months that will be a source of gourmet mushrooms for the local market and a source of education for young potential mushroom growers in the community. Lisa Bowers can be reached at 906-486-4401. Her email address is lbowers@miningjournal.net.