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Hi. I'm State Representative Terry Brown. Welcome to my weekly update, "Talking With Terry."

During these tough times, we're all looking for ways to save money while feeding our families the best-tasting, most nutritious food possible.  Fortunately, we are very blessed here in the Thumb to have fresh, inexpensive fruits and vegetables being grown all around us. We can make our food dollars go farther by shopping at local farmers markets and roadside stands.

Our local economy benefits, too, when we spend our money in our own community and support our farmers.  On Monday, August 18^th, I will hold a town hall meeting to help residents learn how to make the most of locally grown food for our families. Joining me will be State Representative Jeff Mayes of Bay City and a great panel of presenters who will share valuable information.

The town hall meeting will take place from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 18 at Davenport University in Caro. Dr. Hal Hudson, director of Tuscola County MSU Extension, will share information about the nutritional benefits of locally grown produce.

He'll also talk about Project Fresh, which provides coupons for families eligible for the Women, Infants and Children – or WIC – program to buy fresh vegetables and fruits. I'm especially excited about having Dr. Hudson at the forum because he can share his own experiences of being a farmer and bringing products to market. Also speaking will be representatives from the Michigan Farmers Market Association and the state's Select Michigan program, which encourages shoppers to buy Michigan-grown produce.

Thumb native Richard "Cousin Don" Hobson, a market master and independent farmer, will also participate in the forum.

I'm very excited about bringing people together for this chance to learn more about connecting farmers and consumers.  As someone who has lived in the Thumb my whole life, I am committed to supporting our agricultural community. Earlier this year I helped expand the state's promotion and marketing of our farmers' products.

The recent increase in farmers markets in our area is another part of encouraging our farmers' entrepreneurial spirit. The growth of these markets in our communities stimulates our area's economic development and provides more options for families like mine and yours that want the best, most inexpensive food.

I encourage anyone who wants to learn how to save money while feeding their family well to attend this meeting on August 18.

If you have any questions about this forum, or any other concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me. You can call my office, toll-free, at (888) 254-5284. Or, you can e-mail me at terrybrown@house.mi.gov. I am here to serve you and your family and represent your interests at our state Capitol.

Thank you for listening to "Talking with Terry."

Make it a great day!