Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Galvanek.
Hi Mary, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Forest and Farm is more than just a small family-run farm — it’s part of a local movement to strengthen food security and community resilience across Northern Michigan. Together with my amazing husband, Alan Hubbell, and our beautiful five children, we steward 1.5 acres of vegetable fields and a 70×30 hoop house, growing nutrient-dense, chemical-free produce with care and intention. Alongside my business partners Emily Miller and Chere Elenbaas, we’ve built Forest and Farm into a hub for education, food access, and connection — teaching classes, hosting community events, and ensuring that every family, regardless of income, has access to wholesome, local food.
Through the Cadillac Farmers Market, Reed City Farmers Market, and our Farm to Home vegetable basket program, our team has helped dozens of local farms sell thousands upon thousands of pounds of produce directly to thousands of customers over the past five years. Every market day and every delivery strengthens our region’s farms while reducing food insecurity — bringing neighbors together around the shared value of fresh, local food. From supporting small growers to filling family tables, this work represents what we believe in most: community, connection, and the power of good food to change lives.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Starting up the Cadillac Farmers Market, the Reed City Farmers Market, Farm to Home, and Forest and Farm has been a journey built on passion, perseverance, and countless lessons learned along the way. From the beginning, the goal was simple but powerful — to strengthen our local food system and create community connections through fresh, local produce. But the road to get here has been anything but easy. We faced constant challenges navigating complex programs like EBT, Senior Fresh, and the Produce Connection — systems that are meant to help families but can be difficult for small farmers and market managers to access and manage. At the same time, we were pouring endless hours into growing food, harvesting, delivering, and keeping everything running smoothly — all while raising our families and literally watching our babies grow alongside the markets themselves.
Through it all, we’ve kept our hearts grounded in purpose. We’ve juggled farm work, business management, and advocacy — traveling to Lansing and Washington, D.C. to speak up for equality, clean water, and fair food systems. Every step has come with challenges, from the exhaustion of long growing seasons to the frustration of red tape and shifting policies, but it’s also brought incredible growth and community. These obstacles have only strengthened our resolve — showing that real change comes from those willing to plant seeds, nurture them through storms, and keep showing up for their community, season after season.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Forest and Farm, Farm to Home, Reed city Farmers Market and Cadillac Farmers Market ?
At the heart of all our work is a shared mission: strengthening local farms and solving food insecurities right here in our own communities. Through Forest and Farm, the Cadillac Farmers Market, the Reed City Farmers Market, and our Farm to Home program, we’ve built systems that connect local growers directly with families, ensuring that everyone has access to fresh, healthy food. We specialize in growing vegetables, herbs, and cut flowers on our 1.5-acre farm and 70×30 hoop house, but our reach extends far beyond our fields. By organizing large, vibrant markets, we’ve created spaces where local nonprofits, bakers, artists, and small businesses can connect with the community, share their work, and sustain their livelihoods. These markets aren’t just about buying and selling — they’re about building relationships, supporting neighbors, and keeping food dollars circulating locally.
Education is another cornerstone of what we do. We believe deeply in empowering people with the knowledge and skills to grow and preserve their own food. Each year, we host hands-on classes covering everything from canning, pickling, and sourdough baking to herbal medicine, seed saving, and seed starting. Our annual spring seed swaps are community favorites — gatherings where families and farmers alike share seeds, stories, and a love for growing. These experiences not only pass down traditional homesteading skills but also nurture the sense of self-reliance and community resilience that define who we are and what our mission stands for.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
One of the most surprising things that people learn about me is that I have lived all around the country and in each place that I have lived. I have worked on a farm and worked to help solve food insecurities. Even with five children and four businesses I still find time for self-care every single day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Forestandfarm.us
- Instagram: @forestandfarm
- Facebook: @forestandfarm
