Midwest

Northern Michigan winemakers excited about 2020 harvest

For more than a decade, Laurentide Winery’s team has been tending its vineyards high on the rocky slopes of French Road, their rows of varietal grapes tucked neatly between the long ribbon of Lake Leelanau and... more »

Northern Michigan cherry grower pens children’s book on elections, bullying

Ben LaCross is a farmer, a leader in the agriculture industry, a small business owner, and now author. With that same passion, LaCross is educating children and teaching lessons surrounding the election process while also... more »

Nick Nadai succeeding Phil Pitts with Michigan Processing Apple Growers

Phil Pitts, sales desk manager for the Michigan Processing Apple Growers, also known as the Apple Division of the Michigan Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Association (MACMA), plans to retire Jan. 21, 2021. Pitts is being succeeded... more »

Climate change or not, NW Ohio, SE Michigan apple growers are hurting this fall

Call it climate change or yet another anomaly. But this fall’s apple crop is no bumper crop here in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan, thanks to a late-spring freeze and late-summer drought. According to a... more »

Michigan’s Stabenow announces initiatives to help state ag interests

U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, announced Oct. 7 several initiates to help Michigan agricultural interests. Included were federal support to help expand five... more »

Michigan Apple Committee pilots new pop up display bins

The Michigan Apple Committee is adding cardboard pop-up display bins to its in-store offerings on a pilot basis this fall. The bins will be featured beginning this month at select Fresh Thyme, Meijer, Piggly Wiggly... more »

BelleHarvest introduces earth-friendly sustainable packaging

BelleHarvest, Belding, Michigan-based apple distributor, continues to push the limits of the apple industry by introducing new 100% recyclable, sustainable packaging. The earth-friendly cartons are an industry first and just launched this month. According to... more »

$600K USDA grant helps MSU entomologist lead training for Latino/a farmers

Michigan State University’s La Cosecha (a Spanish word for harvest) program, which provides training for first- and next-generation Latino/a farmers in Michigan, has received a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute... more »