Local farmers and food processors are an essential branch of the charitable food system. They play an invaluable role in helping us get nutritious, locally grown products into the hands of neighbors across West Michigan and the Upper Peninsula.
We treasure our relationships with Michigan’s agricultural community. Learn more about two of the trusted Michigan food producers we are honored to work with. Our relationships with them help everyone involved — the food bank, their businesses, our neighbors, and the local economy.
Tolman’s Meats of Grand Rapids
Tolman’s Meats, a meat processor in Grand Rapids, was able to expand through their partnership with Feeding America West Michigan.
Brandon Bassett of Tolman’s Meats said the company began working with the food bank at a critical turning point for the company. Tolman’s Meats was looking for the opportunity to work on consumer-packaged products, but recognized the industry was highly competitive. They knew that approaching retailers with a product prototype in its earlier stages would put them at a disadvantage. Through the process of supplying Feeding America West Michigan with their high-quality proteins, they perfected their process for those consumer-packaged goods.
“Feeding America West Michigan gave us the chance when we needed an opportunity to continue to grow,” he said. “We’ve grown many, many times since then because of that opportunity.”
In fact, Tolman’s Meats has doubled its staff and quintupled its output because of the chance to perfect processes.
“If you look at 2024 with Feeding America West Michigan, plus the other businesses that we added for that consumer-packaged product, we probably did less than a million pounds in 2024. In 2025, we made almost 5 million pounds of consumer-packaged meats. And a lot of it had to do with us being able to figure out how to make a quality protein while fulfilling all the needs of consumer-packaged goods,” Brandon said.
In addition, the business they do with Feeding America West Michigan aligns with their values as a company.
“Part of our mission statement is to serve not only our employees and our customers, but our community,” he said. “We’re achieving part of our own mission to reach out and positively affect the community in which we live, in which we work, in which we worship. Those are things that are important to us. At the same time, we know that the food bank is getting a quality product that we would also serve to our own family members and friends. Feeding America West Michigan is in our backyard. These are people that we interact with in the community all the time. That’s something that makes the relationship meaningful, not transactional.”
Johnson Brothers, Inc. in Sagola supplies No. 2 potatoes
Photo Credit: Michigan Potatoes
Dale Johnson, president of Johnson Brothers Inc., has been partnering with Feeding America West Michigan for three seasons. The Western Upper Peninsula farmer says the partnership ensures their No. 2 potatoes continue to feed families in the community. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson Brothers Inc. was not able to continue work with the processor who previously took their No. 2 potatoes, which are smaller, misshapen, or possibly bruised. Feeding America West Michigan quickly stepped up to fill that gap.
“They only want No. 1s in stores,” Dale said. “So it’s been a great success working with Feeding America West Michigan. That food now goes to people. If we didn’t have a place for the product to go, there’s no reason to grow it. It’s very fortunate that Feeding America West Michigan makes an effort to take the product from our place to people who need it. That’s what makes it special. We grow them for people to enjoy.”
The partnership gets their products into the hands of families across West Michigan and the UP. Dale said he even packs extra bags when donating to Feeding America West Michigan to supply St. Vincent De Paul with quality potatoes for free.
“We think about how many people we can feed at our farm — and we’re a small farm.” he said. “You hope they enjoy them, and you feel good helping somebody. That’s a big thing.”
These are just two examples of how our relationships with local farmers, processors, and producers help neighbors, food producers, and our vital agricultural economy.
Happy Farmer’s Appreciation Month to our incredible agricultural community.