Lansing Food System History
Resources created by SAFS capstone students and Lansing area community partners
These are works in progress, and we welcome your contributions and corrections!
Interviews
conducted by to SAFS alumni E. Hardenburgh and C. Hodgins
visit MSU Mediaspace if you would like to read the transcript
Joan Nelson, executive director of Allen Neighborhood Center
Bill Castellani, owner of the former Castellani’s Market
Steve Scheffel, owner of the former Goodrich’s Shop-rite
Lansing Grocer History Map
created by SAFS alumni S. Stemaly, Fall 2021
Interactive Timeline
assembled by SAFS Alumni B. Liang, E. Rau, P. Weatherwax, M. Orler, and J. Nixon (Fall 2020) with contributions from
J. Chima (Fall 2021), E. Hardenburgh and C. Hodgins (Spring 2022)
Snapshots Through Time
Castelleni’s Market –> Asian Gourmet
Local grocery stores have dwindled in number over time. The first image on the right is of Castellani’s Market on the 2000 block of East Michigan Ave. Drag the slider to the right to see a more recent photograph taken of the same city block; most of the block is now populated by restaurants and bars.
City Neighborhood –> Highway Lanes
Construction on Interstate 496 began in 1963 and the highway opened in 1970. Conceived as a project to better connect downtown Lansing to the existing major freeways nearby, the new highway was routed through a black neighborhood along the southern edge of downtown. Drag the slider up and down on the image to the right to get a small glimpse at the ways the construction of the highway changed the geography of the city.
