Sustainability at Work on Michigan Farms
Farmers across Michigan are committed to continuous improvement when it comes to sustainability. Whether its achieving greenhouse gas neutrality or reducing pesticide dependency using GMOs, farmers are invested in protecting the environment and continually improving the land they farm.
Beef in a Heart Healthy Diet
February is American Heart Month, and it is the perfect time to showcase beef’s role in a heart-healthy diet. The Beef Checkoff supports numerous research studies that explore beef and heart health and provide sound science about beef’s positive nutritional profile.
SNAP at Farmer’s Markets
Did you know you can redeem food stamps for fresh foods and produce at farmers markets? Many markets around the state offer customers the option to purchase locally grown produce at farmers markets using this program.
7 Michigan-based Food Brands to Pack in Your #MILunchBox
Supporting local farmers is as easy as Michigan Cherry Pie for Michiganders. Whether you are looking for a sweet treat, or something savory, it’s easy to pack a #MILunchBox with local goodies.
Farmers Markets 101
Summer is the season for farmers markets. It is also important to understand how the food we choose is grown and spark conversations with farmers to learn more about their operations. This simple practice can encourage awareness about the agriculture industry and promote healthy communities.
300 and Counting: A Story of Chestnuts and Diversity
No agricultural community is fresher in age and quality than the Michigan chestnut industry! Despite its youth, Michigan is currently the number one state in chestnut production.
5 Food Safety Tips for Summer Picnics
July is celebrated as National Picnic Month. Our team at the Michigan Agriculture Council has put together 5 food safety tips to help you remember items you won’t want to forget this summer. Spend all the time you want outdoors with family and friends, but don’t forget food safety on the way.
What Does “Knee-High” by the Fourth of July Mean?
You have probably heard the Midwestern saying “knee-high by the fourth of July” a time or two. What does this mean to the grower?
Celebrate #MIBurger All Summer Long
Those looking for inspiration for their #MIBurger can find a bonanza of mouthwatering burger recipes at BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com. The most popular burger recipes on the site include:
Celebrate Earth Day by Growing Your Own Garden
We can all make changes in our lives to impact the environment and make our world a better, safer place for the next generation. One choice that everyone can make is to plant a garden and grow some fresh vegetables.
Celebrating National Nutrition Month in 2021: Personalize Your Plate
4 Ways to Celebrate National Nutrition Month in 2021!
Sugar Beet Harvest Hangout
Do you know where your sweet stuff comes from?
Have You Herd About This Soap?
While goat milk soap is certainly not the first product you associate with agriculture, it is an udderly moisturizing one!
5 Reasons Agriculture Education is Important
Can you guess all 5?
Cook Dairy Farm
Grab a glass of milk and learn more about the Cook Dairy Farm!
St. Johns Family Continues its Labor of Love for Generations to Come
This family has been farming apples for decades and milling their famous cider ever since the 1970s.
Yoga on the Farm
What do you get when you take an apple orchard, sunflower patch, a whole bunch of goats, a yoga instructor, and a little bit of creativity?
Potatoes, Sustainability and Family Tradition
Learn more about the Sackett Family who has been growing potatoes for six generations and what they are doing to make an even better potato chip!
How Shopping Local Can Reduce Stress and Anxiety
Guest Post: Sarah Zastrow the Stress Expert and Founder of Cultivate Balance With all the uncertainty surrounding Covid- 19, it’s a good practice to control the things you can and forget the rest. In essence, we should “pick our battles”. One thing we can control is...
Teaching the Next Generation a Love for Agriculture
Guest Post: Natalie Holbrook, Agricultural Education Teacher In 1877, the Hornung Family (now Horning) immigrated from Germany to America and established a small farm on a lake in Southeast Michigan. 115 years later, the first of the sixth generation of Hornings was...
Farmers are Essential.
On March 23, 2020, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive order urging all Michigan residents to “Stay Home, Stay Safe” amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Sectors considered to be essential were excluded from this order, including those employed in food and...
Make your holiday season Michigan GROWN, Michigan GREAT!
When planning your upcoming holiday menus, make sure you keep it local! With more than 300 foods and products grown right here in Michigan, all your meals this season can be Michigan GROWN, Michigan GREAT. Moreover, you’re supporting the local farm families who take...
From the field: Potatoes, corn & soybean harvest
Ride along with first- and second-generation family farmers Lowayne Yoder and Jonathon Yoder for an insider view into harvesting potatoes, corn and soybeans in southwest Michigan.
Warmth and views of cows on the horizon
My motivation to get out of bed and trek outdoors in bad weather is knowing that I am responsible for living animals. They depend on me to provide food they require to survive and create heat. I also just enjoy seeing our cattle every day. Something about seeing cattle eating soothes my soul.
Organic? Cage-Free? What 7 Food Labels Actually Mean
Certain terms, such as “organic” and “gluten-free,” are strictly regulated by agencies including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Others are voluntary seal and certification programs. Still others are manufacturer-driven marketing strategies. Seven common terms that trip people up in the grocery store explained by guest-blogger Bethany Thayer, MS, RDN.
Keeping the valley growing
Climb a farm structure, check Michigan corn, wheat and sugarbeet fields, ride in a combine harvesting wheat and step into a food processing facility in Frankenmuth with sixth-generation family farmer Justin Krick.
How do we know if a product is really organic?
Have you ever asked your farmer or producer, “Are you certified organic?” The first thing to know about the term organic is that it is a regulated, legal term established by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Read on to learn more!
Is farming worth it?
Farming is a way of life…but is it worth it in today’s culture and business climate? One Michigan farmer tackles the topic and addresses the challenges when it comes to growing food for others.
Farming with Dad
I didn’t spend a lot of time on the farm when I was younger, but once I left for college I realized how much I enjoyed farming & working alongside my dad. My dad is often a man of few words, but the conversations I share with him are the ones that I value the most in my life.
What does it mean to be a farm owner?
What does it mean to be a farm owner in Michigan? One Michigan farmer shares about taking care of land and animals, the environment and supporting our local community.
Farm work: Is it hard finding labor?
Over the past two decades, labor has been an increasing concern for the fruit & specialty crop farmers in Michigan. Learn more from a fifth-generation farmer who grows local fruit.
What’s the Farmers Cost for Water Quality?
A farmer’s profitability and commitment to environmental stewardship often go hand in hand. So what are farmers doing to protect Michigan’s water and other environmental assets?
Are there hormones in milk?
It’s hard to know everything about every food, so farmers are happy to answer about their own areas. I hope you enjoy a tall, cold glass of milk, an ice cream cone, or a pizza tonight – maybe all three!
Encouraging more people to join a profession in agriculture
Agriculture includes farming. But agriculture is marketing, engineering, floral design, sustainability, and food science. It’s time to lose the stereotype that it is only cows, plows and sows.
Sustainable tile
Field tile helps produce a perfect seed bed and strong root base for plants, plus helps equalize Michigan’s unique seasons from the soil’s perspective.
Do farmers eat what they grow & raise?
More than once recently I’ve been asked why I farm. There’s no simple answer to the question. Honestly, on those days when things aren’t going well, I sometimes ask myself why I do this.
Finances on a farm
Talking about finances for a household is complicated. Trying to explain finances for a farm is just as complicated, if not more so. My husband and I are dairy farmers and because of that we are selling our milk daily versus seasonal product sales like a lot of other farmers.
Work-life balance: Motherhood and farming
I have humans relying on me for survival and I can’t commit the time I used to to the farm. There are only so many hours in a day. But I was once told, “The most important thing you’ll ever raise on a farm is your kids. Everything else can be sold or lost in a day.”
Are cancerous tumors allowed by meat inspection?
Cancerous lesions or tumors are not allowed to enter commerce or the food chain. Jeannine Schweihofer, a Meat Quality Extension Educator and adjunct assistant professor at Michigan State University shares more here.
Organic Farming: Low Risk, High Reward
What makes a farm organic? How do farmers achieve their goals using organic methods? Michigan farmer Amy Engelhard shares all in this Michigan grown blog post.
Goals? You have goals in farming?
Everyone needs change in life, right? But as a farmer, I am not a big “resolution” person. Rather, I am a big goal person. So what are my goals? Read on to find out.
What do farmers do in the winter?
While it’s true that crop farmers don’t have nearly the amount field work that we do in the growing season, all farmers still have a lot of work to do in the winter.
Does a farmer have the same things to do year after year?
Just like everyone has chores, farmers have daily, weekly, seasonal and yearly tasks. Things on a farm are never, EVER the same!
Christmas tree harvest
Have you ever wondered about where Christmas trees are grown before you’re able to buy them in your local area? Learn more today directly from a Michigan farmer!
Beef project sale
How does a young farmer get started in raising animals? We talked with a Michigan farmer who raises beef cattle for youth projects and a local auctioneer to learn more.
Growing up on a Michigan farm
Growing up on a dairy farm since I was 7 years old has been a blessing. Living on a farm with animals entails a large amount of responsibility even as a young person. When I was very young, my parents owned and managed a farm with beef cows. I loved walking...
Dry bean harvest
What do black beans look like on a Michigan farm before they’re in a grocery store? This dry bean harvest video with a local Michigan farmer shows it all!
Wheat harvest
Virtually ride along with a Michigan farmer while he harvests wheat on his family’s farm.
Breathing life into wildfire-devastated areas
Michigan farmers are truly committed to helping others. In March 2017, Michigan farmers breathed life back into communities that experienced great, unimaginable losses. They encouraged people to rebuild and get back to a routine of raising food for families across America and our world.
Wildfire relief: Michigan convoy reflection
Michiganders are never more than six miles from a fresh water source. That’s not the case in southwest Kansas where water is consistently scarce and where wildfire relief efforts were needed in March 2017.
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