Thaddeus Owen discusses permaculture and sustainable food systems in Traverse City, Michigan. He notes that over $32 million leaves the county each year to purchase food from elsewhere. His plan is to capture this money by encouraging more local farming and sales of produce, creating a commercial kitchen for value-added products, and using food waste for biofuels and compost to create a closed-loop system. This would stimulate the local economy, create jobs, improve health, and build resilience for the community.