25 new dairy manufacturing jobs coming to Thumb

BY AMY ROBINSON

25 new jobs and $40,000,000 in investments are coming to Cass City in the Thumb.

The State is supporting a plan to build a new dairy manufacturing plant.

The Dairy Farmers of America, who are behind the project have been awarded a-half-a-million-dollar Michigan Business Development Program grant.

Jamie Clover-Adams is the Director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

“It’s an excellent example of how communities in a region in the state can work together to have a project come to fruition. It’s also an example how the food and agriculture sector is really adding the state’s economy; adding jobs and investment and improving the value chain, and that benefits everyone in Michigan,” Clover-Adams said.

Clover-Adams said this is considered phase one of the expansion project. She said the market for milk and milk products is, in her words, “infinite.”

And she said that spells good news for the new factory and for the entire supply chain in the thumb and throughout the state.

Cherry crop in Northwest Lower Michigan on track for great harvest over last year

BY MARCY MISNER

Farmers in the northwest Michigan have begun harvesting sweet cherries this week. They say tarts will be ready next week.

Farmers say they’re happy to see a good crop this year after getting none last year. You may recall last year the early, warm March was followed by a late freeze that killed blossoms and ruined the crop.

Bill Johnson is a Benzie county cherry farmer.

“It’s a lot better than it was last year because we got wiped out with March 80 degree temperatures like that. It was one of the shortest crops we’ve ever had. This year is coming back a real good one. The sweets, as you can see, are not a real heavy crop, but they’re a good crop. And the sour cherry crop right through this area is real good. Real good,” Johnson said.

Johnson owns about 800 sweet cherry trees and 2,500 tart cherry trees. He said he prefers his right off the tree, when they’re in season.

Labor shortage is a concern entering harvest

BY DAVID NICHOLAS

Despite the good news of improved yield numbers, Michigan’s agriculture industry is facing a challenge this year from a labor shortage.

August and September are critical months for many of the state’s commodities.

Craig Anderson with the Michigan Farm Bureau said the current status of immigration policy is contributing to a lower supply of needed migratory workers to harvest the fruit and vegetable crops that have a very limited time period to, in his words, “get them out of the ground.”

Anderson said legislation that has passed the Senate and is under consideration in the House has a component that is looking to address those who are currently here, and also the future needs of agriculture.

“And over the last few decades, we’ve had significant periods where we have had tight labor supplies and we have had periods with significant supplies. . The Senate bill looks to work through both of these periods of time not only here today, but also as we move into the future,” Anderson said.

Anderson said there have been attempts in the past to address the issues within the context of the Farm Bill, but for now he said, all rules governing migratory labor are under the tenants of immigration policy.

State official declares smoking patios at bars and restaurants legal

BY JAKE NEHER
Michigan Public Radio Network

Michigan smokers could once again have a place to light up at some bars and restaurants under a decision out of Lansing Monday.

The Michigan Department of Agriculture said outdoor smoking areas are OK, as long as employees don’t have to wait on customers in those spaces. That means no food or drinks, unless patrons are allowed to bring them in themselves.

Director Jamie Clover Adams said the state’s “smoke-free” law was unclear when it comes to outdoor smoking sections.

“We thought it would just be best to be straight about when smoking was not allowed, and that is when food is being prepared, provided, or served,” Adams said.

But the Michigan Restaurant Association said don’t expect smoking patios to start popping up all over the place. It said cutting food and beverage services in outdoor spaces would be too costly for most restaurants.

Copyright 2013, MPRN

Report says Michigan attracting more farm workers

BY RICK PLUTA

Michigan Public Radio Network

A new report commissioned by the state estimates there are about 49 thousand seasonal farm workers in Michigan. When family members are counted, the number is closer to 94 thousand. Most of the seasonal farm worker are in lakeshore counties in southwest Michigan.

Leslie Fritz is the interim director of the state Department of Civil Rights. She said the state can use the information to decide where to put resources that protect the health, safety, and welfare of seasonal workers. 

“That’s everything from ensuring that in-season inspections occur for housing. That’s ensuring that water’s available for the workers. That’s ensuring that effective, fair wages are paid,” Fritz said. 

The report found the number of seasonal and migrant workers in Michigan has grown over the past seven years, in part because the agriculture sector weathered the recession well.

Copyright 2013, MPRN

Deadly disease finds its way to U.S. pigs

BY AMY ROBINSON

Agriculture officials are warning pig farmers to be aware of a new, deadly disease affecting pigs.

It’s called Porcine epidemic diarrhea, or PED, and it’s been reported in 14 states, including Michigan.

The disease does not affect humans and it doesn’t harm the quality of meat. It does however, cause vomiting and diarrhea in pigs and can result in death.

Beth Ferry is an educator with the Cooperative Extension Service.  

She said pigs in Europe and China, where PED was previously reported have developed some level of immunity. But US pigs have not and that means the disease could hit hard.

If we do get widespread PED, we can expect to see maybe a decline in pork numbers and that may affect pork prices for some of our consumers. 

Ferry said PED is spread through fecal contact; on shoes, the tires of vehicles, even by birds or mice. Agriculture officials are urging pig farmers to increase their bio-security in an effort to prevent the spread of the disease.

Grant initiative would boost agriculture, food industries

BY ANTHONY RIZZO

A three-million-dollar grant has been announced to boost the state’s food and agricultural industry.

The grant program is a joint venture between the Michigan’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and Economic Development Corporation. 

Officials said the program will focus on new economic opportunities for Michigan’s food processors, agri-businesses, and agricultural production in order to foster business development, and growth.

Jamie Clover Adams is the Director of Agriculture and Rural Development.

She said the grant has set some primary goals for agriculture.

The three that are pertinent to this grant program is increasing the impact of the sector on the state’s economy, doubling exports and then increasing the number of jobs in the sector.

Clover Adams said the program is an important step in helping the industry continue growing and expanding jobs throughout the state.

Cherry crop in Northern Lower Michigan on track for great harvest over last year

BY MARCY MISNER

Last year’s wacky weather killed off most fruit tree crops in Michigan. 

This year is has been much more typical, and that’s good news for cherry farmers in northwest Michigan. Their harvest is underway.

This year at least one Benzie County area farmer is happy to see Mother Nature cooperating with him in producing a respectable cherry crop. 

Frankfort area cherry farmer Bill Johnson is a lifelong resident. He owns roughly 3,300 sweet and tart cherry trees on his family farm. After walking out one morning to sample some of the heavy dark cherries, he noted this year’s crop in Benzie County is a respectable one.

“It’s a lot better than it was last year because we got wiped out with March 80 degree temperatures like that. It was one of the shortest crops we’ve ever had. This year is coming back a real good one. The sweets, as you can see, are not a real heavy crop, but they’re a good crop. And the sour cherry crop right through this area is real good. Real good,” Johnson said.

Johnson expects tart cherries to be ready to pick next week. 

Farmers and ag watchers waiting for corn to “knee high”

BY AMY ROBINSON

This Thursday is the age old agricultural benchmark; as most of us have heard the adage that the corn should be “knee high by the 4th of July.” Crop experts said this year it likely will be.

Many field crops, things like corn and soybeans, were planted late this year. Farmers were waiting out cool weather and then a very wet spring.

But the past warm week has done wonders for crop growth, said Paul Gross, he’s a field crop educator with the Isabella county Cooperative Extension service.

He said corn is back on track, but there’s still a lot of summer left, and farmers aren’t counting on a good harvest until it’s in.

The always said the corn crop is made in July. They say soybeans are made in August. So you know. We still have everything ahead of us yet.

Gross said rainfall this summer is running far above average, and he hopes precipitation continues consistently for the next two months.

2013 Farm Bill passes initial votes, Michigan Farm Bureau supports legislation

BY ANTHONY RIZZO

The 2012 Farm Bill passed the Senate last year, but stalled in the House. 

Now that a revised version has passed both chambers, the Michigan Farm Bureau is supporting what it says is good agriculture legislation for the state.  

The bill passed the Senate on Tuesday and it was passed in the House on Wednesday. 

Ryan Findlay with the Michigan Farm Bureau explains what’s next for the legislation.

“Each chamber has indicated there will be amendments offered. We don’t know how many and we don’t know what those amendments will be. Civics 101, you would have to have conference committee on the two different bills. So a conference committee would be appointed by leadership and they would iron out the differences between those.”

Findlay said once the committee helps each side to an agreement, the bill is brought back for another pair of floor votes. 

The Senate has scheduled a vote for the new version next week.

The House has not yet planned a date for that vote. 

The deadline to adopt the bill is September 30th.