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Since the beginning of the year, Michigan Radio’s Morning Edition host Christina Shockley has been asking people from all walks of life for their three ideas for what we can all do to help the state. Today, she talks with Amy Sherman, host of the upcoming PBS show, “The Great American Brew Trail.” Amy begins by explaining that drinking Michigan beer is her first idea.

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“Not only does our beer taste incredible, and it’s an amazing product, it’s one of the best in the country and we consistently win awards all over the country for our beer, but it’s going to keep money here in the state of Michigan and support our local brewers who live here in the state and who make this wonderful craft beer. You have to drink it to save it, so, do your part and hoist a pint to Michigan.”

Amy sees beer as an easy way to incorporate more local, Michigan products into our diet, “Pick a Founders, pick a Bell’s, pick a New Holland, pick an Atwater. Any of those are great choices that are made right here in the state of Michigan.”

As the founder of the Slow Foods chapter in West Michigan, Amy believes in “enjoying local food around the table with friends and we hope that as you do that you’ll start to talk about the food – where it came from and who grew it, and who made it for you? It’s just such an easy way to discuss bigger issues by sharing a meal with friends. It’s one of the nicest things you can do and a lot of people today forget what a great gift that is to give people, just by making a dish for people, making a meal, it doesn’t matter if you’re a great cook or not. You have to do it every day anyways, you have to eat.”

Amy believes that sharing a meal with friends and eating Michigan grown food will have significant payoffs for the state, “We are a huge agricultural state and we are second in the nation in diversity of products next to California, which I think most people don’t realize. We need to highlight those things; we need to celebrate all the wonderful foods that we grow here in Michigan…and if we can do that around the table with friends on a one-to-one basis talking about it that’s going to keep money here in the state of Michigan…instead of sending it out to California, or even to China, it can go right here to the farmer a couple miles away down the road.”

Amy’s third idea is for more people to offer to babysit for families with small children.

As a mom it’s an idea that’s close to her heart. She says, “None of the things that I’ve done outside of my home would have been possible without all of my family and friends who have babysat for free over the years and helped me raise my kids…Moms are an untapped market for the state of Michigan. We have so many talents to offer the state, we just need a little bit of time to do it.”