The Bloomingdale
Food Access Project

Restoring food access.
Strengthening community.
Building a resilient rural future.

Bloomingdale is facing a defining moment. The closure of our only grocery store threatens the wellbeing of our residents and the vitality of our rural village. Seniors, families, and neighbors without reliable transportation now face miles of travel for basic necessities — a burden our community cannot sustain.

The Bloomingdale Food Access Project is our response: a unified, community-driven plan to restore reliable access to healthy, affordable food while building a foundation for long-term rural resilience.

Why This Project Matters

For over a century, Bloomingdale has relied on local access to essential goods — not just as a convenience, but as a pillar of daily life. Without a grocery store, our village risks becoming a rural food desert, deepening existing challenges around poverty, transportation, nutrition, and community stability.

This project exists because food access is not optional — it’s foundational.

It is the first major initiative of the Bloomingdale Development Association, aligned with our mission to revive, rebuild, and reimagine the future of our rural community.

Black and white image of cows grazing in a field, with a person on horseback near the center, and trees lining the horizon in the background. Text at the bottom reads 'F. W. Banks. Machene Miller Herd'.

Fred W. & Robert Banks, Dairy Farm, Bloomingdale, MI 1909.

We are building a community-centered food access hub, designed specifically for the realities of rural life.

1. A locally operated grocery store

A smaller, smarter, community-focused store offering:

  • Fresh produce

  • Meat and dairy

  • Affordable staples and essentials

  • Locally sourced products where possible

  • A layout and model built for Bloomingdale’s size and needs

This is not the old grocery model — it is a new, sustainable approach developed with input from grocery professionals, regional partners, and rural development experts.

2. A nonprofit food pantry for community support

The pantry ensures that:

  • Seniors

  • Low-income households

  • Families in crisis

  • Residents without consistent transportation

…always have access to healthy, reliable food.

This charitable arm will operate alongside the grocery to make sure no one is left behind.

3. Strong partnerships with local farmers and producers

Our agricultural community is one of Bloomingdale’s greatest strengths. This project will:

  • Source directly from local farmers

  • Support regenerative and sustainable agriculture

  • Keep more food dollars circulating locally

  • Celebrate Bloomingdale’s farming, fruit, and dairy heritage

We are actively building a farmer advisory network and inviting producers to shape this model from the ground up.

Our Solution:
A New Model for Rural Grocery Access

Display of fresh vegetables in a grocery store, including lettuce, spinach, bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, garlic, cauliflower, broccoli, and eggplant.

Education, Learning,
and Community Connection

In partnership with regional collaborators, the food access hub will also serve as a place for:

  • Cooking and nutrition classes

  • Food budgeting and meal planning workshops

  • Youth and family programs

  • Farm-to-table education

  • Community events and hands-on learning

This is not just a store — it is a rural community center built around food, health, and connection.

Person chopping cherry tomatoes on a wooden cutting board in a kitchen, with fresh vegetables like tomatoes, cauliflower, and scallions on the counter.

We have already completed our community needs assessment and identified the location we intend to secure for the project. We are working with Michigan State University’s Cooperative Development Program to build an organizational structure that ensures shared benefit for all stakeholders and the community. At the same time, we are in active discussions with USDA Rural Development and the MEDC’s Market One team to determine the most effective pathways for funding, equipment financing, and repair or renovation support.

Our next step is to begin assembling a team of regional supporters, collaborators, and local stakeholders. This includes gathering letters of support and strengthening the partnerships that will help create a sustainable, community-centered grocery store and food pantry.

In the coming weeks, we will move into formal planning, finalize our project design, and begin pulling together the resources required to launch. Throughout this process, our commitment remains the same: restoring reliable food access for Bloomingdale as quickly as possible while laying the foundation for a long-term, resilient, and locally rooted solution. This project is built on collaboration, transparency, and the belief that our community’s strengths can guide our future — and we’re just getting started.

Where We Are & What Comes Next

Flowchart illustrating steps to restore food access for Bloomingdale, including community assessment, organizational development, building local support, and planning and launch.

Bloomingdale needs all of us now more than ever, the path forward will be shaped by the people who reach out a helping hand. Your support, whether through volunteering, lending your skills, connecting us with partners, or simply spreading the word, fuels the momentum behind this project.

Every hand offered, every hour given, every contribution made becomes part of the foundation we are rebuilding together. This is more than restoring a grocery store; it is reclaiming our community’s strength, dignity, and self-reliance.

By stepping forward, you become part of the story of Bloomingdale’s revival — helping to ensure that our neighbors, our elders, and our children have what they need to thrive. Join us, and let’s build a future worthy of the proud roots we share. Please share this project, share your ideas, and reach out to us if you would like to help.