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11 Places to Sustainably Stay, Eat, Shop, & Tour in Michigan
Written by Jaclyn Yost | October 12, 2020
📷Jaclyn Yost. Copper Harbor, Upper Peninsula, Michigan.
Eco-Accommodations
El Moore Lodge
Source: El Moore Lodge
Price Range – $ – $$$
Located in Midtown, Detroit, El Moore Lodge follows a triple-bottom line approach that prioritizes environmental stewardship, community well-being, and economic resilience. Understanding the need to take care of mother Earth, this eco-accommodation builds sustainability into the core of their business operations – strategically minimizing their footprint via their energy, water and waste management practices; ensuring an inclusive and healthy working environment; as well as supporting their outside community. The lodge offers a diverse set of rooms – from dorm style to suites (to even long-term living!) – so no matter what type of traveler you are, El Moore can be your sustainable home away from home when in Detroit.
Sylvatica Ecolodge Nature Retreat
Source: Sylvatica Ecolodge Nature Retreat
Price Range – $$
Tucked away by the tranquil Hiawatha National Forest in Manistique, Michigan, Sylvatica Ecolodge sits on a 4-acre property amongst diverse forest, wildlife, and vegetation; also including a short interpretive nature trail that educates guests on the natural environment and history. With tons of local nature attractions nearby, visitors can make themselves comfortable in the all-natural, semi-rustic interior surrounded by lush forest. Whether it be a few days or a few weeks, Sylvatica Ecolodge is a great eco-escape to relax into nature.
Socially Responsible Eateries
Luna Taqueria Cocina
Source: Luna GR
Price Range – $$
Luna Taqueria Cocina is a Latin American Food restaurant in Grand Rapids, Michigan with a responsibly-authentic mission. To instil a sense of community and strengthen the local economy, the eatery commits to only supporting local and independent farmers, purveyors, distributors, and producers to ensure fresh and seasonal dishes. Luna provides simple, heart-felt, intense flavors that reflect the owner’s lived experiences; through their food, they add another dimension to an already vibrant city.
Brewery Vivant
Source: Brewery Vivant
Price Range – $$ – $$$
As the world’s first LEED® certified commercial micro-brewery, and a certified B-Corp, Brewery Vivant in Grand Rapids, Michicgan ensures that sustainable practices are always at the forefront of the business. Publishing their annual ‘Impact Reports’ since 2011, the company is fully transparent over their decisions on the natural environment, the people that may be affected, and the financial health of their business. Refurbished from a historic funeral home, the micro-brewery brews culturally inspired beer, serves dishes from-scratch, and promotes a sustainable good life, one beer at a time.
Madcap Coffee
Source: Madcap
Price Range – $
Madcap is located in various locations across Michigan that brings craft and levity to the coffee bar. The locally run micro-chain prides themselves in tasting every batch roasted, ensuring fair-trade and top prices for coffee farmers, spending time with farmers & growers outside of the US for ⅓ of the year, providing staff with ongoing education and training courses, running a constant ‘Zero Waste’ campaign, and only partnering with specialists who share their core beliefs. Through these high standards and hard work, Madcap coffee ensures that every cup served represents a greater impact.
Terra
Source: Terra
Price Range – $$
Terra is a restaurant located in Grand Rapids, Michigan that brings authenticity to the table through the thoughtful sourcing of seasonal, sustainable ingredients from the local farms and purveyors. They believe in culture that’s driven by community and take pride in providing genuine hospitality, which is showcased through their hand-crafted, passion-driven farm-to-table experience.
The Candied Yam
Source: The Candied Yam
Price Range – $
The Candied Yam serves up delicious soul food, where each recipe is linked to rich heritage and prepared with fresh, local ingredients and products from the Midwest Michigan Region. Their much-loved comfort meals are Southern-inspired and made with love in a warm, friendly environment. The founder’s story of “rummaging through trash cans to eat” has led Jessica in the direction of philanthropic work through her restaurant. Amongst many of her #RandomYamsofKindness, one of the most noteworthy opportunities has been to award over US$115,000 in scholarships for high school and college students over the past 12 years.
Social Enterprise Shopping
The Rust Belt Market
Source: The Rust Belt Market
Price Range – $$
Located in the Metro-Detroit area, The Rust Belt Market is an event and weekend marketplace venue that features over 40 independent Michigan maker and collector shops. The large, collective space comes equipped with a full bar, event space, and numerous artists, vintagers, and designers who call The Rust Belt Market their main storefront – providing a space where visitors can help stimulate the local economy, while engaging with local artisans and exploring with fascination.
Clothing Matters
Source: Clothing Matters
Price Range – $$
Clothing Matters is an eco-apparel shop that has supported social justice and environmental issues since 1996. The store offers a place where visitors can take home a piece of their “world class collection” while reducing toxins in closets, communities, and ecosystems; preventing pollution; conserving resources; and promoting social equity.
Ethical Experiences
Downtown Market Grand Rapids
Source: Downtown Market Grand Rapids
Price Range – $$
The Grand Rapids Downtown Market is a unique one-stop eco-experience home to 20+ indoor market merchants and full service restaurants, monthly outdoor market events, hands-on cooking classes, private event venues, a state-of-the-art incubator kitchen, rooftop greenhouses, amongst other activities! With the mission to provide a vibrant and innovative food gathering place, they simultaneously stimulate a healthier community and local economy, as well as promote a healthier lifestyle through innovative environmental practices. Shopping here will ensure you are supporting their environmental, socio-cultural, and economic vision of revitalizing previously neglected areas.
Sister Pie
Source: Sister Pie
Price Range – $$
*Due to COVID-19, in-person baking classes are currently not in operation. However, virtual classes are available and the bakery is still open for pre-orders and takeaway.
Sister Pie is a bakery and baking class that follows the traditional ‘People, Planet, Profit’ bottom line in their business operations – considering their employees, environment, and local economy. To ensure their staff feel well supported, as well as the greater outside community, Sister Pie instils the mentality of continuous improvement and learning through fair wage, growth and learning opportunities, and providing a family-style community environment. Furthermore, they work to stimulate the local economy by supporting local farms and buying seasonal produce, hiring employees from the city of Detroit, and investing in their surrounding neighborhood. And when it comes to the planet, the business implements practices that lessens their carbon footprint and reduces waste. They connect with local partners to compost, recycle, and provide compostable/biodegradable takeaway containers. Visiting and experiencing Sister Pie will allow you to satisfy your sweet tooth while supporting a sustainable mission.
meet the author
Jaclyn Yost
Jaclyn is the founder of ecomadic and editor of The Sustainable Seed. She is conscious creative passionate about shedding light on environmental and social sustainability issues through travel.
ecomadic 