Without a specific local neighborhood to point to, the Washtenaw County Latino community has been somewhat overlooked and under-served. In 2010, Charo Ledón decided to help change some of that dynamic by co-founding Casa Latina. Concentrate chats with her about the changes and challenges that face her community.
Drawing interns and visitors from all over the world, Tantré Farms in Chelsea claims it does more than just teach organic farming techniques; it fosters sustainable life skills.
It's only (eco) logical. Permaculture takes the long-term view on sustainable design and farming practices, with an emphasis on "perennial food systems" and waste recycling. Concentrate talks with the founder of the Abundant Michigan, Permaculture Ypsi group, a local leader in the building and farming practices of tomorrow.
Ann Arbor's Farmers Market in Kerrytown is pretty awesome but what about the other five days of the week? That's a question folks in the Buhr Park neighborhood decided to answer with the Cobblestone Farm Market, a Tuesday event that offers healthy eats, crafts, educational opportunities and a quickly growing crowd of weekly visitors.
With growing numbers of bikers making Ann Arbor the place to live and work, the grounds for biking infrastructure are being laid. The non-profit Common Cycle co-founders dream of a free public bike repair station in every neighborhood. Concentrate gets the story on how this is done.
To many, Food Gatherers is an organization that collects and provides sustenance for those in need. But feeding the hungry is only part of the equation. Teaching at-risk young adults to find careers in the food industry is another. And with an 87 percent graduation rate, the program is inching our community toward long-term solutions for hunger.
While most kids are wasting their time mastering Xbox, high schoolers Albert Foo and Sharath Anand are developing a new fire-fighting technology, one that extinguishes interior flames from outside the building. So far ExtinBreachR has landed them top science fair awards and a couple of small grants. But they've got bigger plans.
If you're wondering when we'll finally get that holodeck Star Trek promised, the folks at University of Michigan's 3D Lab could probably give you a decent ETA. From 3D printers to digital models to immersive virtual environments, these tech wizards are pushing the 3D envelope. And their technology is accessible to students and members of the public alike.
Why pedal on an elliptical or curl dumbells when you can fly? The newly opened Ann Arbor Aviary provides acrobatic exercises for those who'd rather soar with eagles than pump iron with gym rats. Silks, ropes, and trapezes are the equipment of choice for this alternative, aerial gym.
VGKids set out years ago to serve the screen-printing needs of musicians and other creative businesses. In the process, they've spun out such creative ventures as SPUR Studios and reinvented historic industrial spaces in Ypsilanti.
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