In this spirit of innovation, Poptech fellows and other interested folks convene, talk and get down to work. During the annual Poptech conference in Maine, each fellow has the opportunity to articulate just why they find their chosen problem and solution so compelling.

Watch, listen and learn as Erika walks through how Local Orbit can leverage technology to change our food system, solving problems for farmers, chefs and food service purchasers — ultimately leading us to a system where more food is sourced locally. Local Orbit’s platform offers tools for people to source a greater percentage of their food through local and regional producers – and the impact that ripples outward, well beyond the food chain. It promotes healthier communities — physically, environmentally, and economically.

Get a glimpse of all of PopTech’s social innovation fellows in this quick clip.

(via Mark Bittman’s weekly New York Times food roundup.)

Besides, at what other job is grocery shopping considered an acceptable use of your time?

But now that I’ve been using it for a few months, I’ve noticed how it’s changed the way I buy food.

Guaranteed Availability
There are a few items at the farmers market that have become favorites, things that are often sold out or missed when I’m not the very first one there (which would be never). By ordering online the sellers reserve it for me and, voila, no disappointments or surprises.

Saves Money
Since I shop at the grocery store midweek, I can shop from my local farmer’s market at the same time that I’m making my grocery list. The extra planning helps me stick to a budget while keeping our pantry filled for our family of five with as much local product as possible. No impulse spending!

More Variety
But what really surprised me is the variety that our vendors list online. Let’s face it: some vendors have better displays than others. Or meat and other perishables are packed in coolers and it’s hard to tell what’s available. But with Local Orbit, it’s all out there to see. And some vendors list online but don’t attend the market, so ordering online is the only way to get it in our area. That’s the way it is with my lettuce, and now I’m such a fan of his stuff that it’s painful to run out and buy anything else.

I still enjoy shopping at our farmer’s market and visiting with the vendors that have become friends over the last few months. I usually find one or two things that I didn’t buy online. And my kids love to spend a couple of their dollars getting snacks. I get to enjoy the farmers market and feel good about supporting my local economy, but collecting my food is much simpler – especially with three kids in tow.

When Rob Sirrine, chairman of the Northwest Michigan Food & Farming Network, clicked on his favorite slide during his presentation to the third annual Farm Routes to Prosperity Summit, the audience responded with an appreciative “oooh!”

More than 100 people were there on Feb. 4, gathered in Traverse City to chart and plan for making more progress in the eat-local, buy-local food movement that is slowly but surely changing northwestern Lower Michigan’s farm and food economy.

The region is home to a unique, Lake Michigan-powered microclimate that supports a beautiful landscape of fruit orchards; tourism-related farm stands, wineries and breweries; and nearby fields of vegetables, livestock, and small dairies. Members of the Food & Farming Network—a diverse group of farm, nonprofit, health, community garden, land preservation, business, school, and economic development professionals—want to not just preserve it, but grow it.

Why did Dr. Sirrine’s slide show take their breath away? Because one of this MSU Extension educator’s slides showed a map with just one dot on it, marking the location of Central Grade School in the Traverse City Area Public Schools District. In 2004, that school launched the region’s first “farm to school” program, serving fresh, locally grown produce from area farmers in school lunches.

Read the rest of Diane’s report on the Michigan Land Use Institute’s site.

In case you ever have to do one, an elevator pitch is an “entrepreneur’s explanation of her business model, often heard in an elevator and directed at anyone who might want to provide funding for the entrepreneur’s start-up.”

Clear and Credible Presentation

More than 700 people in the auditorium heard Erika’s elevator pitch along with a panel of seasoned Venture Capital executives.  Investor feedback and enthusiastic reception from the audience was encouraging. The judges used phrases to describe Local Orbit and the business model as  “very clear, credible and understandable.” Erika was “passionate.”

But the line of the evening came from Meena Sooch of Apjohn Ventures, who stated that Local Orbit “is an investable proposition.”  It was hard not to stand up and cheer.

Local Food Works for Everyone

Oprah is talking about local food. The White House is talking about local food.  Chefs need easier ways to purchase it. State and local governments are promoting the economic benefits of local food.  Michigan Governor Rick Snyder talked about supporting local agriculture in his recent State of the State address. Now with the support of communities and investors, Local Orbit can create the bridge between growers and buyers.

Local Orbit Takes Home Another Prize

In addition to winning the Elevator Pitch competition, Local Orbit took home the Great Lakes Entrepreneurs Quest’s second prize for best new business plan. Both awards come with a cash prize that will be used to expand the business, as well as office space and other support services.

To get to this point, Local Orbit has leveraged the support many of Southeast Michigan’s accelerator services and volunteers through New Enterprise Forum, SPARK and GLEQ to provide investment, coaching and mentoring. And for that support we are grateful.

Last month our Brooklyn hub, St. Johns Bread and Life, provided locally sourced ingredients for holiday meals for 2000 families in Bed-Stuy, proving that local can be both accessible and affordable – even in December.

Chris Bedford tells the story of another institution serving local food throughout the year.  The Mendel Center at Lake Michigan College worked with Lee LaVanway to purchase and preserve local produce to serve during the winter months.  The chefs are happy, the guests are happy – and the college actually saved money, while keeping dollars in the Benton Harbor community.  Yes We Can!

• Humanely-raised, New York state turkeys. Hormone and antibiotic free. Vegetarian fed.
• Butternut squash, potatoes, onions and carrots from John Glebocki, a fifth-generation farmer from Goshen who serves white tablecloth restaurants and food pantries alike
• Organic cranberries from Plymouth, MA
• Christmas cookies from Long Island

It’s all part of a partnership between Local Orbit and St John’s Bread and Life, an innovative food pantry in Bed Stuy.  Local Orbit made it possible for Bread and Life to use its annual holiday meal budget to purchase high quality, local ingredients that were lovingly packed for each family by a crew of 400 volunteers!

Read more about this partnership on our blog and the profile in The New York Times.

Tony Butler, Bread and Life’s executive director, talks about the Local Orbit partnership: “You don’t create community around problems,” said Mr. Butler, who hopes that clients on food stamps will eventually be able to shop from Local Orbit farmers at St. John’s. “You create community around shared projects.”

John Glebocki, Tony Butler and New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn

The new way of connecting farmers with communities is gaining a lot of attention. Last week, fifth-generation farmer John Glebocki joined New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Tony Butler to discuss food distribution issues in the region. John knows a thing or two about fresh produce with 70 acres of fertile land in the black dirt region of Orange County, NY. His Goshen farm supplies the same high quality vegetables to Goldman Sachs, white table cloth restaurants and food pantries across New York.Since October he has been offering his produce for sale to residents of the Bed-Stuy community.

This month Glebocki’s vegetables — known for exceptional flavor — became part of a great holiday meal – sourced entirely through Local Orbit and enjoyed by 2,000 Bed-Stuy families, including a humanly raised turkey, a half pound of organic fresh cranberries and a vegetable bag that includes three carrots, four potatoes, one butternut squash and two to three onions.

Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser call it “the most important food safety legislation in a generation.”  Just Means has a summary of the amendment.  And Senator Tester’s floor speech makes a simple, compelling case for the benefits of buying food direct from farmers in your community.

I just ran across this lovely animation promoting the Eat Well Guide’s, Cultivating the Web.  Since its 2008 publication, digital tools have been central to the growth of the good food movement, conveying the stories and building online networks that support offline relationships and transactions.

And generating an increasingly broad-based awareness of the value and impact of local, sustainable food on nutrition, on the quality of our eating experiences and on the economic development of communities.