March 2021
Family & Farm
Magazine
A Supplement to:
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Manistee News Advocate & Benzie County Record Patriot
MARCH, 2021
Centennial Farm Program honors family farming tradition K en Grabowski Special to the News A dvocate Families operating a working farm in Manistee and Benzie counties is often a tradition that is handed down from one generation to the next. Many times, several generations of the same family have tilled the land on that property dating back to the late 1800s. What started with a process of a simple horse and plow has evolved as modern technology changes over time. The Historical Society of Michigan, DTE Energy Foundation and Consumers Energy teamed up to create the Centennial Farm Program to honor those generations of the same family who have a farm they have worked for 100 years or more. The program was designed to honor the families who have been the backbone of America since its early days in creating the food products necessary to feed the country. Cathy Wollensak, historical society membership and relations director, said current owners must first fill out the appropriate paperwork to qualify for the honor. The process is simple to complete for farm owners and then they receive the distinction of being named a centennial farm. “Once a farm is certified through the Michigan Centennial Farm Program the owners receive a certificate marking that accomplishment and receive a display marker for their farm,” Wollensak said. To be designated as a centennial farm, a property must be a working farm of 10 or more acres that has been continuously owned by the same
Manistee County has a total of 61 centennial and sesquicentennial farms while Benzie County has 19. (Courtesy Photo/Ken Grabowski)
family for at least 100 years. In the past 13 years the Historical Society of Michigan has stepped up in a leadership role in the program. Larry Wagnaar, society executive director, said “the Historical Society of Michigan is delighted to work with our partners to honor centennial farms.” “We recognize the longevity and important contributions that centennial farms and their families bring to Michigan’s cultural heritage and the ongoing vitality of agriculture in our state,” Wagnaar said. The markers are sponsored by Michigan electrical utility companies to commemorate the dramatic changes electricity brought to farm
operation and family life. Wollensak said it is surprising how many farms in Michigan have remained in the same family for more than 100 years. “It is amazing and we usually get two or three requests a week from farm owners,” she said. “We are always seeing farms that have been in the same family for many generations. Farms seem to stay in the same family more so than other property.” This Centennial Farm program has been in existence for the past 73 years and during that time has honored thousands of Michigan Farms including 61 certified in Manistee County and 19 in Benzie County. The Historical
Society of Michigan has coordinated and operated the program since 2008 with financial support from the utility companies. To have a farm remain in the same family for 100 years is quite a feat, but what is amazing is some Michigan Farms have been operating under the same family for many generations over a span of 150 to 200 years. The Historical Society of Michigan also has a special programs to honor those farms called the Sesquicentennial and Bicentennial Farm Programs. Centennial Farm families are also given the opportunity to join the Michigan Centennial Farm Association and the Historical Society of Michigan when they qualify for the program. The association began in 1955 and comprises a group of farmers who have qualified for centennial and sesquicentennial farm status. Consumers Energy director of corporate giving Carolyn Bloodworth said they have been pleased to be associated as a sponsor of the program. “We are honored to help recognize the work of these family farms because they continue a distinguished and important role in helping shape our state’s history and economy,” she said. Farm owners who feel their farm qualifies for centennial farm status should visit the Historical Society of Michigan website, hsmichigan.org, to find out more on how to apply for the status. Details can also be obtained by calling the society at 517-324-1828.
BY THE NUMBERS These are highlights from Benzie and Manistee counties centennial farm information provided by the Historical Society of Michigan as of March.
Manistee • • • • •
Manistee County has a total of 61 centennial and sesquicentennial farms. The oldest certified farm was Samuel T. and Anna Potter Farm founded in June 8, 1847. Bear Lake Township has the most of each township at 12 certified farms. Cleon, Filer and Marilla Townships have the least with two certified farms each. There are three certified sesquicentennial farms in the county.
Benzie • • • •
Benzie County has a total of 19 centennial and sesquicentennial farms. The oldest certified farm was Nathan Jaquish Farm founded in Aug. 10, 1857 in Inland Township. Homestead and Platte townships tied for the most certified farms per township with three each. There is one certified sesquicentennial farms in the county
The Historical Society of Michigan, DTE Energy Foundation and Consumers Energy teamed up to create the Centennial Farm Program to honor those generations of the same family who have a farm they have worked for 100 years or more. (Courtesy Photo/Ken Grabowski)
Manistee News Advocate & Benzie County Record Patriot
MARCH, 2021
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Lindgren Family farm changes gears Colin Merry
calling (231) 882-4532. “We start processing in June,” Deb said. “Lots of people are buying it, and A working family farm telling us they’ve never in Benzonia has changing done it before.” its practices as the latest Beef is also sold by the generation prepares to take pound at the farm starting over its operation. in July. The Lindgren Family “It seems to be this way, Farm, located at 7033 Mick kind of anything local is Road in Benzonia, has in style right now,” Larry switched gears from raising said. “I’m not saying this several hundred head of meat is better, but it’s cattle on corn grown on the different when compared to farm to raising around 20 grain-fed cattle. Corn-fed grass-fed beef cows using a cattle make good beef, but rotational grazing system. there are people who would “We have moved to rotarather have grass fed cattle tional grazing during the and they like the idea of grazing season,” said Larry locally produced beef. They Lindgren, who owns the know where it came from. farm with is wife, Deb. “We When you go to the store, periodically move the cattle you have no idea where around in the pasture. The that beef came from. I’m concept has been around not saying there’s anything for a long time. It allows wrong with it, but you don’t the cows to have newer, know where it came from.” fresher forage to graze on Eggs are also for sale. and it helps maintain the Carter keeps a flock of pasture.” heritage chickens, and sells The change was made in the free-range eggs at a 2019. stand near the farmhouse, Larry and Deb said first come, first serve. Deb there were several reasons said people drive out in for making the change; the middle of the night to it is more environmenpurchase the eggs. tally friendly, people are The farm also has several moving toward grass fed dogs and cats, as well as beef and their daughters, five goats and a couple of Jodi Lindgren and Mindy horses, kept as pets. Carter, wanted to change Deb said people interestthings up. ed in buying beef can come “Both our daughters and out to the farm and see the their family live on the operation for themselves. farm, and each of them “We want to be as transhave other jobs, but we’re parent as we can be,” Larry trying to keep the farm said. “Come see what we’re going, so we moved to fewer doing. It’s outside and there cattle and grass,” Deb said. is plenty of room.” “Our kids do not want to do Larry said the Lindgren what we were doing, so no family has been farming silos and no corn. It’s just a for six generations, starting fit with that age group, they with his great-grandfadon’t want to climb silos ther and grandmother, and grow corn.” who came from Sweden In the winter, the and began farming at a Lindgren’s cattle feed on property near U.S. 31. His non-GMO hay grown on the grandfather bought the farm. 302 acres of property the “We really wanted to Lindgren family farm is keep the farm and land, but currently on in 1931. As the it would be hard to justify farming operation grew, it keeping it and paying taxes was converted to a dairy if we weren’t using it,” operation in the ‘60s, where Deb said. “This helps us 60 head of dairy cows keep the land and income were milked. In the ‘80s, coming in. It all worked the Lindgrens changed to out. We did a lot of research raising beef cattle. before we made this shift. “I’ve been farming since In spite of farming all these I was old enough to ride years, we had a lot of stuff a tractor,” Larry said. to learn.” “Farming is more of a Deb said the family held lifestyle than a job. There’s an auction in 2019 and some things I liked doing sold a lot of its big farming and some things I didn’t. equipment like trucks and a I’m 67 now and I’m done combine, only keeping what climbing everything. I like they needed to raise their doing things myself but I 20 cattle. can’t do everything myself, In the spring, the so we asked our daughters Lindgren family takes what they wanted to do. We orders for beef, selling could have sold the whole whole cattle, halves and thing and walked away, but quarters. The cattle are we wanted to keep the farm taken to Ebels General and I want to live here.” Store for processing. The Deb said she married customer discusses what into farming, and had been kind of cuts they want with doing it for 45 years. the Ebels staff, and pick up For more information on their meat at the store. the Lindgren Family Farm, The Lindgrens are including how to order beef, currently taking orders. visit www.lindgrengrassBeef can be ordered by fedbeef.com. cmerry@pioneergroup.com
The Lindgren Family Farm in Benzonia has gone from raising several hundred head of cattle on grain to around 20 grass-fed cattle that graze the pasture on a rotation. (Courtesy Photo)
Aside from cattle, the Lindgren Family Farm in Benzonia also raises chickens for the eggs. (Courtesy Photo)
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Manistee News Advocate & Benzie County Record Patriot
MARCH, 2021
Z&N Farm offers fresh produce, curbside pickup Kyle Kotecki
In November 2017, the pair set about resurrecting Zac’s grandfathers’s old farm, which had been Nicole Mezeske didn’t abandoned in the 1990s, grow up planning to be a and Z&N Farm was born. farmer. “We started just by “I never thought about clearing space, because it’s being a farmer, really. in an old cherry orchard ... My dad was in the Air that was about 27 years out Force, so we were on Air of production by the time Force bases,” she said. we started in 2017,” Nicole “There were not community said. “There were all these gardens; there was not old, dead trees and the old farmland around that I irrigation pipe and stuff, ever really saw. But my so Zac started pulling that grandparents in Maine, on stuff out. That was kind my mom’s side, had a farm. of like the start of it in They had chickens and just 2017, but really, the bulk did the homestead thing, of it began once the snow making homemade maple started to melt in April syrup and jams and stuff, 2018 and we started putting so I was always kind of up our first grow house.” around it.” The 6-acre farm offers On the other hand, a vast array of produce for Nicole’s husband, Zac, grew patrons. up around farming in Bear “We kind of grow it all. Lake, with both sides of his It’s kind of a combination family having farmed for between market gardening generations. and traditional farming — Nicole said though Zac like with tractors and stuff,” didn’t grow up on a farm, Nicole said. “It’s a combifarming was all around nation field crops, lettuce, him. spinach and root crops like “Being raised here in radishes, beets and carrots, Michigan you just have a but I would say tomatoes connection to farms. It’s are our main thing.” different than a lot of areas Z&N Farm sells its of the country where I produce at a roadside stand was raised,” she said. “You located at 9740 Chief Road, didn’t see farm stands. You both the Manistee and didn’t get to go across the Elberta farmers markets street to an asparagus field and as of last year, via an and pick your asparagus online farm stand with yourself or something like curbside pickup. that. Zac’s had that his “That was kind of in whole life.” response to COVID. The two met in California We were unsure of how and witnessed the sustain- farmers markets would able local food movement start,” Nicole said. “We had which is well established been told that they were in northern California. Zac postponed and possibly had been growing tomatoes canceled. We had already and other produce in a started our produce for small backyard garden, and the year in preparation the two decided to return to for a farmers market that Zac’s hometown to have a would begin usually in the go at farming full time. beginning of May, so we “(In California), there had all this produce and we were farmers markets that needed to find people who had over 10,000 people needed it.” attending the market. We Nicole said she saw a few saw what those were like other farms utilizing online and it’s really competitive farm stands and “took a there. It’s been going on for leap of faith.” The online a long time, so it’s hard to store opens on Fridays and a link to place an order is get in as a farmer,” Nicole sent out to anyone signed said. “... Coming back to Michigan, there’s a little bit up to the Z&N Farm newsmore opportunity and room letter. “You can shop all of for small farms to make a the produce that we have way here.” kkotecki@pioneergroup.com
available that week. Then we get it ready, bag it up, and on Sundays people can come and pick it up,” Nicole said. “They don’t even have to get out of the car right now. Literally, just curbside pickup. It’s all paid for online and picked up. That was in response to COVID. Obviously it’s still here and we plan to continue to do that this year as well. We’re thinking mid-April we would have produce again for weekly pickups.” Visit https://www.zenfarmllc.com to sign up for the newsletter. Nicole may have never planned to become farmer, but now that she is, she wouldn’t trade it for the world. “Our favorite part about farming is definitely just being outside and the connection to the land. Showing our daughter where our food comes from is really important to us,” she said. “We want to show her where food comes from, how it’s grown and the work it takes to get it to the table. We think it’s really important to recognize that everything that comes to us from the store is brought to us by a lot of labor.” Farming is labor intensive, but Nicole said the juice is worth the squeeze. “It’s very physically demanding — long hours in the day from sunup to sundown,” she said. “And the heat — the plants need you even when you’re hot and tired. It can be strenuous at times, but we believe it’s absolutely worth it.” Z&N Farm can be reached by email at zenfarmllc@gmail.com or by phone at (707) 672-5118. Follow @zenfarmllc on Instagram or on Facebook at https://www.facebook. com/zenfarmllc. “We’re so appreciative of the community support that we’ve had,” she said. “We’ve been so grateful for everybody sharing our farm and showing up week after week. It’s been a real honor to grow food for this community.”
West Coast Farm Service
Z&N Farm is located in Bear Lake on 6 acres that used to be a cherry orchard, which belonged to owner Zac Mezeske’s grandfather. (Courtesy Photo)
Located in Bear Lake, Z&N Farm offers a variety of produce, including tomatoes, lettuces, cucumbers, zucchini, radishes, green beans, potatoes, melons and more. (Courtesy Photo)
Zac, Nicole and Willow Mezeske enjoy a connection to the land at Z&N Farm in Bear Lake. (Courtesy Photo)
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Z&N Farm in Bear Lake sells its produce at a roadside stand, at the Manistee and Elberta Farmers Markets and via an online farm stand offering curbside pickup. (Courtesy Photo)
Manistee News Advocate & Benzie County Record Patriot
MARCH, 2021
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Beekeeping for beginners A ldon Maleckas Special to the News A dvocate So, you want to be a honey beekeeper. You may need honeybees to pollinate your garden, you have heard that honeybees are struggling to survive, or you just like honeybees. Whatever your reason, here are some things to consider. If you have no experience with honeybees, it would be best to talk to some beekeepers in your area and ask a lot of questions. If you decide beekeeping is for you, ask one of the local beekeepers if they will be a mentor. The first item to consider is where you are going to obtain honeybees. You can purchase a twoor three-pound package of bees, purchase a nuc (an established nucleus hive with five frames of bees and a queen), or purchase an entire hive. After deciding what you want to purchase, you need to decide the origination of your bees. Honeybees can come from southeastern U.S., western U.S. or your local area. There is a growing number of beekeepers who feel beekeepers should purchase bees from their local area. Next, you need to consider where you are going to put your bees. Most beekeepers put their bees in Langstroth boxes. These are five, eight or 10 frame wood boxes designed to accept frames with some type of foundation on which the bees make comb for food storage and reproduction. Deep boxes are where the bees live. Deep boxes are usually heavy, so beekeepers do not want to move them a lot. Medium boxes are lighter, they are found on top of deeps, and are used mostly for extraction of honey. Shallow boxes are used for beekeepers who want to eat the whole honeycomb. The frames come in sizes to fit each box, are wood, and the insides of the frames contain wax or wax coated plastic foundation. You have decided what to put the bees in, now where to put the hives. The ideal location has wind protection from the north and the west. You want to protect your bees hive from the prevailing cold north and west winds. The hive opening is usually facing south for a warmer entrance or to the east to catch the morning sun. If the location is close to someone’s house, it would be appropriate for you to ask how they feel about honeybees in their area.
People with swimming pools may complain if the bees go there for water and some people are allergic to honeybee stings. The majority of beekeepers keep their bees in 10 frame boxes. Because of the cost and desire for hives with less weight, eight frame boxes became available. The latest addition to keeping bees is the five frame double deep hive. In addition to the boxes, hives have some type of bottom board on which the hive sits and the bees enter, an inner cover to sit on top of the top box, and an outer cover to keep the weather out of the hive. Hives can sit on the ground, on concrete boxes, on raised wooden frames, or anything else that will raise the hive. Following box selection, you need to determine how you are going to work your bees. The basic tools you need are a helmet, veil, hive tool and smoker. The helmet and veil keep the bees off your face, the hive tool lets you open the hive and remove frames for inspection, and the smoker masks any defend the hive scents the bees give off to alert the hive that it is being invaded. Masking the scent distracts the bees in order to prevent bee attacks and stings. Some beekeepers
use jackets with various types of hoods and some use full suits. In addition, you might consider a bee brush and gloves. It is best, when working your bees, to wear light colored clothes. Avoid black or brown fuzzy type clothing. Bees have a tendency to attack horses that are generally brown and fuzzy. Bears attack beehives, so black and fuzzy clothes are not recommended. Speaking of bears, you will need to consider that the black bear population is growing in Michigan. This means you must consider protecting your
Michigan made Assembled and unassembled 10 frame boxes and frames “The Nester” a 5 frame double deep hive body system
hives from a bear attack. An electric fence seems to be the solution. An additional option is to put your hives in an enclosed area such as a garage or some type of out-building. There is a growing movement among beekeepers to keep bees more naturally. Wild bees usually live in a tree nest. A tree nest is more vertical; has insulation on top of it, around it, and below it; the entrance opening is small; and the opening is six feet or more above the ground. Using many components of traditional beehives, some are beginning to use the five frame double
deep hive. It is vertical; it has about the same inside volume of an average tree nest; insulation is available for the top, sides, and bottom; and it is lighter and less expensive than a traditional 10 frame beehive. Finally, you will spend hours reading, talking and listening to determine how you should do this or that. There are as many different opinions on how to raise honeybees as there are beekeepers. Good luck on your decision. Aldon Maleckas is the owner of Mason County Bee Supplies in Custer.
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Manistee News Advocate & Benzie County Record Patriot
MARCH, 2021
Manistee worm business hits the ground wriggling Scott Fraley Scott.fraley@pioneergroup.com Elana Warsen is not your typical farmer. Her livestock, which number in the thousands, does not require a large pasture or barn. Instead, her entire herd is housed in a basement laundry room. Warsen is a worm farmer and a self-described “evangelist for invertebrate husbandry.” Her Manistee-based business, Michigan Worm Works utilizes the worms to convert food waste into a valuable form of compost, which she sells to farmers, gardeners and growers. Michigan Worm Works also offers workshops, consultation and equipment for would-be worm enthusiasts. Raising worms requires little space and maintenance, according to Warsen. The worms convert food waste into vermicompost, a nutrient-rich soil amendment made from a blend of worm castings and other decomposed organic materials. Warsen said these can make for an effective and environmentally-friendly alternative to commercial fertilizers. Applying vermicompost can also improve water retention and absorbency in soil. “If you’ve got a bunch of food scraps, you can decide if you’re going to pay somebody to haul them to a landfill where they’re going to produce methane as they break down, or you can keep them on site … and let worms turn those into a soil amendment that you can use in place of store bought fertilizer,” Warsen said. “That’s a net positive for the environment.” Warsen said her business was guided by two ethical principals: environmental sustainability and community self-reliance. “I love the idea of local communities producing the things they need to sustain themselves, especially during the pandemic. Instead of throwing away nutrients in apple cores and banana peels, we can conserve them onsite and return them to the soil, where they are useful for growing food and other plants,” Warsen said. “I want northwest Michiganders to know about the abundant resources we have at our disposal, and feel confident to steward
Michigan Worm Works utilizes red wiggler worms to convert food waste into a form of compost, which the company sells to gardeners and farmers (Courtesy Photo/Elana Warsen)
Elana Warsen is the founder of Michigan Worm Works, a Manisteebased business which utilizes worms to produce a nutrient-rich compost. (Courtesy Photo/Elana Warsen)
them wisely and even try growing some of their own food.” Warsen employs between 2,000 and 4,000 red wigglers — known scientifically as Eisenia fetida — to produce the vermicompost. “They’re very good composters,” Warsen said. “The nightcrawlers that people might be more familiar with burrow deeper into the ground, but red wigglers feed at the surface so you can add compostable materials and they will feed right at the top.” Red wigglers are native to Europe, but have been introduced to every other continent except Antarctica. “No worms are native to Michigan. All the worms that you find in your garden were all imported by Europeans and most of them have been here for a long time and most of the damage that caused has already happened,” Warsen said. “They’re livestock, not wild animals that deserve a place in nature. If you think of them as livestock and treat them as livestock they can be very beneficial in a garden, not in a forest.” Warsen cultivates her stock of red wigglers in specially made worm bins. Their substrate consists of a moist layer of bedding made from shredded cardboard, paper or fall leaves. Food scraps are placed over this bedding layer gradually, with another dry bedding layer added on top. Worm castings are heavier than food scraps and naturally drop to the bottom of the container. The castings can be harvested safely while the worms
consume refuse toward the top. Warsen founded Michigan Worm Works to “bring the wonders of worms to a wider audience,” according to her company’s Facebook page. Though Michigan Worm Works was founded in spring 2020, she held off on promoting the business until November, due to the pandemic. Despite this, Warsen said that worm composting can be the perfect hobby for those in isolation. “This is really compatible with the new normal because it provides a hobby that people can do in the isolation of their own home, but you can easily join online communities about it,” Warsen said. “People have an urge to be more self-reliant — it appeals to people that want to do more with the resources that they already have in their home.” According to the Worm Work’s Facebook page, Warsen first “invited worms into her home in 2017 as a way to compost indoors during the winter.” “It was important to me to bring my child into the best possible world that I could,” Warsen said. “So I was looking around me for what I could control about the environment. I’m just one person, we’re just one household and we can’t dictate national policy or anything. But I realized we can stop throwing away our food scraps and compost them.” To Warsen’s surprise, she found that worm composting can be done without noxious odors and the
Worms are cultivated in specially-made worm bins. (Courtesy Photo/Elana Warsen)
Damp packing paper can be utilized as a source of bedding and food for worms. (Courtesy Photo/Elana Warsen)
Michigan Worm Works uses worms to produce an environmentallyfriendly soil amendment for gardeners and farmers. (Courtesy Photo/Elana Warsen)
threat of worms escaping. “It just seemed too easy,” Warsen said. “(I) found out there was this whole subculture of people doing it for the fun and to help the environment and that I could actually make money doing it too.” Warsen said her worm farm has been a source of comfort, as well.
“It’s taken my eco-anxiety and turning it into something positive,” she said. “That’s been therapeutic.” More information on worm husbandry is available at facebook.com/ michiganwormworks, and Warsen said she is available for consultation via email at ejwarsen@gmail.com
Manistee News Advocate & Benzie County Record Patriot
MARCH, 2021
7
Pandemic paints mixed picture for produce farms Erin Glynn
Meister said. “He bought the farm (that would become Apple Valley Orchards) Before most had heard because he wanted to retire of the coronavirus, people here.” weren’t fussing about Meister was working in a turning an apple over in grocery store in the Detroit their hands to check for area when his dad asked him spots or softly poking a to come work the farm. peach to see if it’s ripe before Working outside and being purchasing. your own boss are perks of The pandemic changed farming, but it’s not without that and with it how some its challenges, Meister said. produce farmers operate “It’s hard to make money their businesses. consistently,” he said. “You David Meister operates a have to keep up with new farm outside of Onekama. technology and new varieties His crops include sweet and and be a good manager.” sour cherries, sweet and tart The pandemic has also cherries, peaches and 40 meant difficulties for his varieties of apples. business. “Honeycrisp is the most Meister, who also sells popular,” Meister said. apples wholesale, said he He has a new variety this “never thought that would be year called EverCrisp, which affected” by the pandemic. is bred from Honeycrisp and “Everybody needs to eat, Fuji. It will be harvested in right?” he said. November which is quite late Meister normally would for apples. have gone to the Manistee Meister has been farming Farmer’s Market this year, since 1976. He operated but he was worried about Apple Valley Orchards in the restrictions that meant Bear Lake until the fall of people couldn’t handle the 2019 when he sold it and produce. focused on the Onekama “People usually want to farm. handle produce,” he said. “My dad was from this “Would you buy something area and he moved to Detroit you can’t touch first?” after the war, like a lot of Not all produce farms in people in the area did,” the county suffered last year. erin.glynn@pioneergroup.com
Candy Grossnickle, who runs Grossnickle Farms and the farm market in Kaleva with her husband Allen, said last year was “one of their best.” “It’s surprising,” she said. “I think people wanted to stay local.” The Grossnickles require social distancing and masks at their market. “All in all, it’s been really good, most people were fabulous,” Grossnickle said. “The market was very popular.” Grossnickle Farms has four main crops: asparagus, sweet corn, strawberries and peaches. Allen’s parents, Levon and Mary Alice Grossnickle, ran the farm from 1961 to 1990, when Levon retired and Candy and Allen took over. “We were brought up in farming,” Candy said. Both she and Allen grew up on strawberry farms. Challenges for them include with dealing government regulations and sporadic weather and finding people to work on the farm. Meister encourages people to shop locally to support the numerous produce farms in the area.
David Meister of Apple Valley Orchards said the pandemic has meant challenges for produce farmers. (File Photo)
Candy Grossnickle, who runs Grossnickle Farms with her husband Allen, said last year was “surprisingly one of their best.” (Courtesy Photo)
Dispute resolution assistance available for Michigan farmers Compiled by Michelle Graves mgraves@pioneergroup.com
Farmers facing financial or other conflicts may receive no-cost dispute resolution assistance through the Michigan Agricultural Mediation Program (MAMP). Forty-two states have Agricultural Mediation Programs. Through a federal-state partnership each program receives a stipend from USDA. With this and other funding sources Agricultural Mediation Program services are offered at a very minimal cost or at no cost as with the MAMP. A not-for-profit organization, MAMP has been providing dispute resolution services to Michigan agriculturalists for 30 years. “This existing federal-state partnership has a proven track record of providing confidential and neutral forums to discuss and resolve loan and credit issues between farmers and their lenders,” said U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) in a 2020 letter to former Secretary Perdue. “The program’s caseloads
have steadily risen over the past eight years and can be expected to increase as the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic ripple through the rural economy.” Stabenow chairs the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. In mediation, a trained, impartial mediator helps participants review and
discuss their conflicts, identify options to resolve disputes and agree on solutions. Ideally, this process helps avoid expensive and time-consuming administrative appeals and/or litigation. Dispute types eligible for free services through the Michigan Agricultural Mediation Program may
include these and others: • Agricultural credit and loans • Wetland determinations • Compliance with farm programs, including conservation programs • Crop insurance • Organic certification • Leases
•
Family farm transitions • Farmer-neighbor disputes To make a confidential inquiry about MAMP services, call Kate at 800616-7863. Agricultural Mediation Program information is also available at https://www.agmediation. org/
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Manistee News Advocate & Benzie County Record Patriot
MARCH, 2021
March is Michigan Food and Ag Month Compiled by Colin Merry cmerry@pioneergroup.com
LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has proclaimed March as Michigan Food and Agriculture Month to honor and celebrate Michigan’s farmers, the diversity of products grown and processed in the state, and the partnerships that keep the food and agriculture industry thriving. Michigan’s wide array of crops, fresh water supply, unique geographic location, rich and varied soil types, various microclimates created by the state’s proximity to the Great Lakes, and dedicated producers and processors make Michigan the ideal location for food and agriculture businesses. “Michigan’s food and agriculture industry is a national powerhouse,” said Whitmer. “It is responsible for 805,000 jobs and contributes over $104 billion to our state’s economy. With more than $1.8 billion in export sales annually, nations across the globe buy our products for their quality and safety. Many of our wines, beers and spirits are rated the best in the United States, and innovators and entrepreneurs continue choosing Michigan for their operations. In March, we recognize every person and business that makes Michigan’s food and ag industry what it is today.” Throughout Michigan Food and Agriculture Month, MDARD will partner with Michigan Farm Bureau, MSU Extension, commodity
organizations, McDonald’s/Seyferth PR, MSU Product Center, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, and others to highlight the various facets of the state’s food and agriculture sector. “Most events and activities for this year’s Michigan Food and Agriculture Month will be offered virtually due to the pandemic, but there will be many opportunities
to learn more about how the food and agriculture industry impacts and improves the lives of each of us,” said MDARD Director Gary McDowell. “Throughout the entire month of March, you’ll see posts on our social media channels featuring Michigan crops, Michigan food and agriculture businesses, and MDARD employees who help support and grow our industry. We
will also highlight nutrition tips to celebrate National Nutrition Month, and safety information for our farmers and businesses during Severe Weather Preparedness Week.” On March 24, there will be a celebration of National Agriculture Day commemorating the industry’s contributions to the nation.