Tagged: Michigan agriculture

Michigan farmers are in the fight of their lives. They're aggressively preparing their orchards for a robust harvest, lobbying lawmakers to pass policies that will help protect them - and some are diversifying their revenue streams with related businesses that attract tourists, such as cider mills and wineries, to help insulate them from the hard times.

PAW PAW, MI -- When temperatures plummeted into the 20s overnight, most farmers were ready with wind machines and sprinklers to protect vulnerable fruit. But it will be a few days before they know how well their efforts worked, said Mark Longstroth, Michigan State University Extension educator, as he began his rounds Monday morning to assess damages.

Farmers across the state said they are optimistic about a fruitful growing season after the massive losses incurred last year by the erratic weather."We couldn't do any worse than last year," said Norm Holtz, who grows everything from tomatoes and strawberries to potatoes and pumpkins on the family's 60-acre farm in Ida.