In partnership with Crosshatch Center for Art + Ecology, Oryana is proud to offer zero-interest loans to local farmers and food producers who are growing something meaningful in our region.
Through this program, farms and food businesses could apply for loans of $500 to $10,000 to support innovative changes in their business or practices. These investments help strengthen our local food system by supporting thoughtful, ethical growers and makers who are building a more resilient community.
We’re excited to introduce our 2026 Microloan recipients: Danu Hof Family Farm and Saltless Sea Creamery!
Danu Hof Family Farm
Danu Hof is a small, family-run farm in Northern Michigan raising pasture-raised pork, poultry for both meat and eggs, and a seasonal market garden. Our work is rooted in a commitment to producing clean, high-quality food while staying deeply connected to our local community.
In the past year, our farm—and many others across Northern Michigan—faced a significant challenge with the loss of access to poultry processing. This disruption made it difficult for small farms like ours to continue raising and selling poultry, directly impacting local food availability.
With support from the Microloan, we are building a poultry processing facility on our farm. This investment allows us to regain control of our own production while also creating a resource for others. Our goal is not only to process our own birds, but to offer equipment rental and educational opportunities for other small farms and homesteads in our region.
This project is about more than infrastructure—it’s about strengthening the local food system, increasing access to processing, and helping ensure that small farms in Northern Michigan can continue to grow and serve their communities.
We have already ordered the main equipment and are just waiting for it to be shipped.
Saltless Sea Creamery
Nestled outside of Traverse City, Michigan, Saltless Sea Creamery is surrounded by farmland, forest, and the freshwater expanse of the Great Lakes. Founded in 2019 by cheesemaker Dave Omar and his wife Joy, our creamery specializes in Mediterranean-style cheese crafted from Michigan ingredients. We use traditional techniques to create artisan cheese that is uniquely Midwestern: down to earth and surprisingly complex.
We’ll be using the funds from the Microloan to purchase an enclosed trailer for our business. It will allow us to haul milk from our supplier (the fantastic De Vor Creamery in Kalkaska) to our new facility at our home property on 3 Mile Rd. We’ll be making batches 3x larger than we’ve ever made before, and 150 gallons simply wasn’t going to fit in the Outback. The trailer will allow us the ability to fit all our milk cans without spilling and keep them nice and cool, out of the sun. This way our most important ingredient stays healthy and happy before becoming our beloved wheels of Mediterranean style goodness.
