Small farms grow here in Michigan
Andrew Norton
The USDA defines a small farm as one that generates less than $250,000 in annual revenue. Michigan is home to some 34,621 such small farming operations. These range from small greenhouses to simple fruit and vegetable producers. I found it interesting that there has been growth in the number of small farms in Michigan. This is due to a couple of different factors. One, a lot of people are wanting to grow their own food and be a provider of locally grown produce for others. The other factor is that technology is making small farms profitable, even those run on a part-time basis.
Agriculture is Michigan's second largest industry generating an economic impact of $71.3 billion annually. “If Michigan’s agri-food sector appeared on the Fortune 500 list, it would rank 55th,” Don Koivisto, Michigan Department of Agriculture director.
How about that? Something to feel good about in Michigan.