Michigan’s roots are in agriculture. That’s why March is Michigan Food and Agriculture Month, a way to honor the local farmers and industries that cultivate our state’s bounty for both our dinner tables and millions of families around the world.
Michigan Food and Agriculture Month is a new tradition first instituted by Governor Gretchen Witmer in 2020. The month is all about honoring and supporting the myriad industries who have driven our economy and strengthened our state for generations. Michigan is really a do-it-all producer. We benefit greatly from our unique geographic location, abundant sources of freshwater, lake transportation, numerous microclimates, and different soil types to produce a wide array of fruits and vegetables, not to mention considerable livestock as well.
Food and agriculture is responsible for over 800,000 jobs and generates $104 billion for the Michigan economy annually.
Of course, northern Michigan is still a global powerhouse when it comes to growing cherries. Our orchards make the state first in the nation when it comes to tart cherries, while we also rank fourth in sweet cherries. Additionally, our crops are sent around the globe as an in-demand commodity that rivals producers like Turkey on the world stage.
We’re also the top producer of the potatoes most commonly used in potato chips! That success has led to a number of snack food companies like BetterMade and our hometown favorite, Great Lakes Potato Chips.
Michigan is also a hotbed for eggs. While much of the state’s poultry and egg production is in the southern part of the state, Traverse City does contribute through a number of small farms in the area. Our little bit helps to provide a tremendous amount of eggs. Did you know that Michigan farms provide McDonald’s with all the eggs they use in every single restaurant east of the Mississippi?
All of that delicious, locally-grown produce makes Michigan a real powerhouse when it comes to farmer’s markets. Traverse City’s Sara Harding Farmer’s Market is an economic driver that supports local farms all year long, with thousands buying local foods and goods each Wednesday and Saturday during the summer, and through CSA programs the rest of the year. Michigan offers the third-most farmer’s markets of any state in the country; not too bad considering we’re nowhere near the third-largest state!
Michigan’s storied and treasured agricultural past has helped shape our state into what it is today. Here in Traverse City, we’re indebted to the farms and families that have helped establish our region as a veritable cornucopia of flavors for generations.
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