If it feels like everything you buy this year is competing for the top spot of being inconveniently expensive, you’re not alone. But of all the things going up in price, groceries are probably the most frustrating. 

While there are a lot of things we can simply forgo to stay within our budgets, at the end of the day, we need to eat, and the cost of feeding a family is putting a real squeeze on Michigan households.

But there may be another way to stock your kitchen with fresh food without relying entirely on the grocery store. Community Supported Agriculture programs, or CSAs, connect local farms with members who receive regular boxes of seasonal produce, and you might be surprised at how affordable some of these programs are.

Today, The ’Gander’s Chaunie Brusie breaks down how CSAs work and rounds up Michigan farms offering memberships.

Plus: We’ll hear from a Michigan clerk on what he wants voters to know ahead of Election Day.

And one final note about voting before the big day tomorrow: 

Polls for the general election open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. local time. 

If you are already in line when polls close, you have the right to vote. Stay in line.

And, if you’re not registered to vote yet, you can still register and vote at your local clerk’s office until 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Michigan Dems rally behind El-Sayed after Stevens backs Rogers (Michigan Advance): Michigan Democrats are stressing party unity after US Rep. Haley Stevens publicly endorsed Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers over Democrat Abdul El-Sayed just days before the election. Stevens cited concerns about El-Sayed’s campaign rhetoric and its handling of antisemitism. El-Sayed’s campaign also reported a record-breaking fundraising day.

Red Baron employee targeted in prank thanks GoFundMe supporters (The Detroit News): A Michigan delivery worker who went viral after confronting a social media prankster has received more than $500,000 in donations from supporters moved by his story. Walt Zerod, a father of four who described struggling to keep up with his mortgage while working long hours, says he and his family are doing well but are protecting their privacy amid the attention.

Lions hand Vikings first loss of season (AP News): The Detroit Lions handed the previously undefeated Minnesota Vikings a 19-15 loss, extending their winning streak to three games and moving to 5-2 on the season. The victory was tempered by a serious neck injury to All-Pro linebacker Jack Campbell, who was taken to a hospital, along with several other Lions injuries. The Lions next head to Miami on Sunday.

CSAs let Michigan families buy produce directly from local farms. (Johnny McClung/Unsplash)

By Chaunie Brusie

With five kids in our household—four of whom are teenagers—our family has been feeling the squeeze at the grocery store. My favorite coffee? Has risen by over $6. A box of Goldfish crackers? A luxury item. Kids’ cereal? Basically a mortgage on my house. I’m constantly experimenting to figure out how to afford our new normal, and I am not alone.

According to 2024 data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the average annual cost of groceries (not including restaurant meals) per person in Michigan was just over $4,172. For a family of four, that’s roughly $1,390 in groceries every month. News stories across Michigan have also commented on the steep rise in grocery prices. MLive reports that grocery costs in the Midwest shot up more than 31% between January of 2020 and March of 2026.

Families are finding solutions, however, like budgeting, shopping the best deals at grocery stores, and in some areas, joining Community Supported Agriculture. One of the Michigan CSAs we found provides a full weekly box of local, farm-fresh veggies for only $27/week! 

Want deeper coverage of Michigan politics? Our free Thursday newsletter, This Week in Michigan Politics, breaks down what’s happening in Lansing and Washington—clearly and without the jargon.

With the midterms approaching, we’ll keep you informed on what could affect your day-to-day life.

Interested?

A sign for voting at Maples Elementary School on primary election day, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Dearborn, Mich. (AP Photo/Nic Antaya)

By Domonique Clemons, Genesee County Clerk and Register of Deeds

Local clerks across our towns and cities are diligently preparing for long hours and careful protocols to guarantee that every single ballot is properly counted for the Nov. 3 general election,

At the same time, there is a lot of misinformation being spread about election administration in Michigan, so it’s important to shine a light on our election procedures so the public knows what duties and responsibilities the job entails. The reality of managing our voting sites continues to evolve dramatically, and local officials face unprecedented strain as they are continually forced to validate their statutory responsibilities to the public. 

As a clerk, I have become very aware of the threats facing our elections. These threats tend to arrive as relentless attempts to erode trust from the ground up. We see this through bad-faith voter challenges, rogue poll challengers demanding unlawful requirements, and self-appointed “auditors” intimidating local officials without legal authority.

Over the past few years, bad actors have attempted to take control of our election systems while election workers face unprecedented harassment, compounded by AI-generated misinformation that confuses voters.

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Karel Vega and features stores Chaunie Brusie and Domonique Clemons. It was edited by Crystal Niforos.

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