Small farms grow here in Michigan

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.

Read the article on small farms at the Detroit News.

March Madness Marches to Motown

Today, March 16th, is one of the least productive days in offices across America. Why? People are swept up in the giddiness that is filling out brackets for the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament a.k.a March Madness. Who do you have in the Final Four? Do you have Michigan State winning it all? How about Michigan surprising everyone (including themselves) and dancing into the Sweet 16? Should I pick Siena over Ohio State as an upset even though Ohio State is practically playing a home game (only an hour from Columbus)? Which 12 Seed will beat a 5 (I pick Western Kentucky over Illinois)? It's just a lot of fun to fill out a bracket (or two) for the office pool or go against your friends online at any number of sites now hosting bracket pools.

This is the first time since 1998 that both Michigan and Michigan State have been in The Big Dance. That was back when my beloved alma mater, Western Michigan, was an 11 Seed and upset 6 Seed Clemson. I was interning at an accounting firm in Coldwater and some fellow Western alums and I ran across the street to the local bar when the final minutes were ticking off the clock and Western was still in it. Hey, you know who Michigan plays in the first round? Number 7 Seed Clemson. There's your random bit of meaningless trivia for today.

The Final Four is in Detroit and that is not only great news for Detroit, it's great news for our entire state. With bad news piling up quicker than Michigan State's Goran Suton picks up fouls this will be a nice distraction in the newspapers. It will also give the Detroit economy a brief (but necessary) boost with hotels, restaurants, and other local businesses reaping the benefits of the national spotlight and fans.

This week's poll question deals with March Madness so without further ado, vote!

[poll id="20"]

State looking to axe Michigan State Park fees

Legislation has been proposed that would axe the $6 daily and $24 annual Michigan State Park fees in favor of an additional $10 on your vehicle registration. Any vehicle with a Michigan plate would gain entrance to any state park without paying. They want to include an option to opt out of paying the additional $10 on your vehicle registration. This would create a policy similar to the numerous roadside stands selling produce or something and they have a tin can that you place your money in. It's covered by an honesty policy. They expect people to tell the park attendant that they did not pay the additional $10 fee? Really?

How else would this be tracked?

Now this is estimated to bring in more revenue than the current $10 million that park entrance fees bring in and you know that the state parks are in need of more funds. They just can't keep up with upkeep and have even considered selling some parks in recent years.

Honestly, I would be more apt to stop in at state parks if my fee was already paid. It would be nice to just drive on in and not have to wait in line to pay for a daily or annual pass.

What do you think?

What's your favorite brand of Michigan beer?

St. Patrick's Day is coming next Tuesday and that got me thinking about beer. Then, I got to thinking about how to turn that into something Michigan-related. Well, it didn't take much to start wondering about which of the many quality brewing companies in Michigan might be the outright favorite. An informal polling of people on Twitter last week turned up Bell's as the hands-down favorite. So how about it, Michigan?

[poll id="19"]

Supporting charities during these tough economic times

There are numerous charities just here in Michigan that do great work and their services would be sorely missed if they suddenly disappeared due to lack of funding. Food banks, Salvation Army, Goodwill, and many others are finding a demand for their services while at the same time seeing funding and donations dwindle. MIPRO Consulting out of Milford, MI is going to donate $10,000 to the nominated charity that garners the most votes. Charities can be nominated now through March 18th and voting will run March 23rd until April 6th. They had a successful year in 2008 and want to give back to a charity here in 2009.

You can nominate your favorite charity at www.miproconsulting.com.

We recently donated one of our Michigan's Best Gift Baskets to a raffle the YES Center (Youth Enrichment Services) is holding tomorrow, March 7th, at the Lansing Country Club. The YES Center raffle and dinner is their annual fundraiser that generates the necessary funds to pay their utilities and mortgage for the year. The YES Center is a non-profit with a mission to "facilitate the development of collaborative, locally based initiatives which serve to improve the safety, health and quality of life for all Grand Ledge area youth."

Things are tight financially for a lot of people and businesses here in Michigan, but your donations to charities do not need to be monetary. They're always looking for volunteers and your time won't cost you a thing. Lets show everyone how Michigan residents and businesses can band together and not only survive, but thrive during these tough economic times.

New one stop site for those doing business in Michigan

The State of Michigan has a new site for those looking to do business in Michigan, www.Michigan.gov/Business. It combines a lot of information and forms all in one convenient location. Believe me, this is something that should have been done a long time ago. When we first launched Gift Baskets From Michigan LLC the necessary forms, information, and resources were scattered across numerous departments and webpages. Lets just say it wasn't the most user-friendly experience.

The new site features -

an array of resources and tools to help you start and operate a business in Michigan. From tips on writing a business plan to financing your business . . . and learn the state requirements for getting started, including costs and time frames.

So, if you're interested in starting a business in Michigan make sure your first stop is www.Michigan.gov/Business.