TM Teaching Kids About Michigan Agriculture - Food, Farmers & Fun! D I G I T A L M A G A Z I N E E N R I C H M E N T CUSTOM EDITION Michigan
Okemos Public Schools
“Our goal is to provide nutritious meals that fuel academic achievement and inspire lifelong healthy choices.”
– Okemos Public Schools Food Service Department
Okemos Public Schools Nutrition Services is proud to be participating in Farmers Market Days serving Michigan crops and celebrating local farmers.
Lettuce
Sweet Corn
Cherries
Milk
Lettuce
80% of lettuce grown in MI is used for the fresh market.
MI grown lettuce is only available year-round when grown in greenhouses.
Darker green lettuce leaves are MORE LEAST MOST Lettuce prefers to grow in colder climates.
popular type of lettuce in the U.S.
4
Main Types of Lettuce:
1. Butterhead
Lettuce is a part of the sunflower family.
2. Crisphead
3. Looseleaf
4. Romaine
Lettuce is water.
Lettuce is the 2nd most popular vegetable in the U.S.
95% Because of lettuce’s water %, it must always be eaten
FRESH.
Michigan
Blue
AZ 4977 Cornell Road Okemos, MI 48864
Mitten Farms is a hydroponic lettuce & microgreens farm
is a way of farming in which crops are grown in nutrient rich water rather than soil.
Blue
Hydroponics
Mitten
Mitten Farms was started in 2016. greenhouses.
Mitten Farms specializes in growing romaine, artisan greens herbs using their hydroponic practices. Blue Mitten Farms lettuce is available year-round! Home to four greenhouses. Visitors welcome!
Farms Blue
Blue
Sweet Corn
Michigan grows over 86 MILLION pounds of sweet corn each year.
The U.S. is the LARGEST producer, consumer & exporter of corn in the world.
Humans only eat sweet corn
10,000 acres of sweet corn is grown in Michigan.
In many other countries, corn is called “maize
1 corn stalk produces 1 - 3 ears of corn
Corn is grown on EVERY continent except Antarctica.
There are around 800 kernels on each ear of corn. field
An ear of corn ALWAYS
Corn stalks can grow between 7 – 10 feet tall.
crop.
Michigan
Ruhlig Farms
Ruhlig Farms is a fourth-generation that was established in 1970.
Ruhlig Farms was started by Dave 40 years ago.
All the produce grown at Ruhlig Farms is harvested by hand.
24508 Telegraph Rd
Ruhlig Farms grows over 30 different crops –sweet corn, peppers, tomatoes,
Brownstown, MI 48134
When crops are in season, Ruhlig Farms harvests daily.
Michigan
Cherries
Traverse City, Michigan is known as the Cherry Capital of the World.
Michigan grows 70% of all tart cherries grown in the U.S.
Michigan is home to around 4 MILLION tart cherry trees.
Cherry trees start to produce fruit 3 - 4 years after planting.
Tart cherries are most often used for baking.
2 main types of cherries: tart & sweet.
Cherry blossoms bloom on the trees in the spring.
Cherry trees can grow up to 33 feet In height!
varieties.
An entire cherry tree can be harvested in just 7 seconds.
A typical cherry tree produces ~ 7,000 cherries/year.
A cherry tree can survive and produce fruit for around 100 years.
King Orchards
King Orchards is a first-generation family owned & operated fruit farm.
King Orchards was started by brothers John & Jim King with their wives Betsy & Rose.
King Orchards is home to 140+ acres of Montmorency
4620 N M-88
Central Lake, MI
49622
King Orchards has been around for 30+ years.
King Orchards offers visitors to pick their own fruit!
King Orchards variety of
Milk
Michigan is home to 900+ dairy farms & 445,000 dairy cows.
11.6 BILLION pounds of milk is produced in Michigan each year.
Nearly 98% of U.S. dairy farms are family owned & operated.
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Breeds of Dairy Cows:
1. Ayrshire
2. Brown Swiss
3. Guernsey
4. Holstein
5. Jersey
6. Milking Shorthorn
Holstein cows all have a unique pattern of spots!
1 cow produces around 6 gallons of milk per day.
The reason milk is white is because it contains “casein”
- a type of protein.
ALL 50
The U.S. produces ~21 BILLION gallons of milk each year.
Farmers measure milk in
Milk is the source of ALL dairy products!
Michigan
Cedar Crest Dairy
Cedar Crest Dairy is a family-owned dairy distributor that started in 1978.
Supply a wide variety of products.
Cedar Crest Dairy is currently run by Rob & his 3 kids.
Cedar Crest Dairy was started when Rob & Rick Becker purchased Cedar Crest Farms.
5850 Balsam Drive
Cedar Crest Dairy supplies their products to grocery stores, ice cream shops & schools!
Hudsonville, MI 49426
“Serving others is at the heart of all we do.”
