Michigan maple syrup farmers sound optimistic that the industry will see a successful 2022 season after production declined in recent years.
The post Maple syrup farmers grow hopeful with ideal weather first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/03/23/maple-syrup-farmers-grow-hopeful-with-ideal-weather/
A practice called regenerative farming could be the next step for sustainable farming in Pennsylvania. It reduces carbon, a greenhouse gas driving global warming, and improves water quality.
The post Sustainable farming practice mitigates climate change impacts first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/03/17/sustainable-farming-practice-mitigates-climate-change-impacts/
As Michigan feels the effects of a changing climate, agriculture experts say they can adapt to keep Michigan farms running.
The post Farmers chase migrating crops in a warming climate first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/01/11/farmers-chase-migrating-crops-in-a-warming-climate/
Growing crops, trees and livestock on the same land could help farmers battle climate change.
The post Trees, crops, livestock mix fights climate change first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/01/06/trees-crops-livestock-mix-fights-climate-change/
The Erie County Ag Research Corporation facility started as a small building in northeast Pennsylvania near the Lake Erie shore in 1948. Pennsylvania State University bought it just four years later.
Now, Penn State’s grape research center boasts 43 acres and has a joint program with Cornell University’s Grape Research Lab in New York.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/great-lakes-vineyards-changing/
In the western Upper Peninsula, climate change is hurting local food sources.
The post Community gardens help Michigan adapt to climate change first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/01/03/community-gardens-help-michigan-adapt-to-climate-change/
This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.
By Hannah Brock, Great Lakes Echo
Researchers are studying a long-vanished village near southern Lake Michigan that a World War II arsenal helped preserve.
A recent study by archaeologists sought to learn about those who lived at what is now the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in Illinois.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/wwii-armory-preserves-indigenous/
Earlier this month, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared December 2021 as “Christmas Tree Month” in Michigan.
It’s a move that makes sense — the Christmas tree industry provides jobs and bolsters the national and state economy.
“Michigan’s integrated network of family farmers, processors, wholesalers and retailers, work together to ensure a quality product that is enjoyed by millions throughout our state and country,” Whitmer said in a statement.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/christmas-tree-environmentally-friendly/
Michigan farms that offer agricultural tourism opportunities have seen record-breaking attendance over the past two years.
The post ‘Organic growth’ fuels record-breaking agritourism season, experts say first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/12/16/organic-growth-fuels-record-breaking-agritourism-season-experts-say/
Michigan farmers across the state say that the use of drones could revolutionize farming, but researchers working with drones say federal laws fail to meet their needs.
The post Federal regulations hinder farming with drones first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/12/09/federal-regulations-hinder-farming-with-drones/
Farmers are known for their ‘pull yourself up by your bootstraps’ mentality. It is rare they’ll admit they’re getting mental health help.
The post Mental health resources grow for Michigan farmers first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/12/02/mental-health-resources-grow-for-michigan-farmers/
As with books at traditional libraries, seed libraries contain seeds that circulate among community members.
The post Michigan seed libraries grow food resilience first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/11/30/michigan-seed-libraries-grow-food-resilience/
The Ontario government is funding projects aimed at helping farmers and landowners preserve water quality of the Great Lakes watershed.
More than $2.5 million was awarded to 19 projects that ranged from green infrastructure projects to helping spread good land management practices to reduce the amount of contaminants and excess nutrients, such as phosphorous, entering the Great Lakes.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/10/farm-ontario-projects-great-lakes/
As the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the world, a devastating scenario for local growers loomed on the horizon.
The post Pandemic tests resiliency of community supported agriculture first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/10/27/pandemic-tests-resiliency-of-community-supported-agriculture/
Farmers are set to take on a growing number of challenges in the face of climate change.
The post Uncertainty among Michigan fruit growers drives climate-related adaptations first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/10/21/uncertainty-among-michigan-fruit-growers-drives-climate-related-adaptations/
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new regulation of Wisconsin’s hemp program will be beneficial, experts say, but growers remain skeptical.
The post Wisconsin hemp industry switching from state to federal oversight signals changes for growers first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/10/12/wisconsin-hemp-industry-switching-from-state-to-federal-oversight-signals-changes-for-growers/
The gold medal winner of this year’s annual San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition was a light unoaked chardonnay from Debonné Vineyards – a vineyard located in the Lake Erie region of northeast Ohio.
Despite the American wine and grape industry’s association with California’s Napa Valley, the Great Lakes region boasts four of the top 10 wine producing states in the nation.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/10/grapes-soil-climate-great-lakes-wine-producing/
By Keith Schneider, Circle of Blue
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/09/drought-irrigation-michigan/
This article, first posted here, was republished with permission from Wisconsin Watch.
By Coburn Dukehart, Wisconsin Watch
The No. 1 factor for acute gastrointestinal illness in Kewaunee County’s private drinking water wells is cow manure, according to a federal study released today.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/08/cow-manure-sickness-contaminated-wells-wisconsin/
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin regulators can impose operating conditions on factory farms and consider high-capacity wells’ cumulative environmental impacts when deciding whether to grant permits, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday.
The decisions mark a major win for conservationists and clarify that the Department of Natural Resources has broad authority to protect Wisconsin’s waters.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/ap-dnr-farm-conditions-well-impact/
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Farmers in 10 more northern Ohio counties will be eligible to receive financial incentives for using new agriculture practices that improve water quality in Lake Erie, Gov. Mike DeWine said Tuesday.
That brings the number of counties eligible up to 24 through the H2Ohio water quality initiative’s farmer incentive program.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/ap-ohio-farmer-incentive-program-lake-erie/
For the second year in a row, scientists predict the annual Lake Erie cyanobacteria bloom will be smaller than it has been in the past decade.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s forecast, assembled with the help of multiple partners, indicates an expected bloom severity index of 3 on a scale of 10.5.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/2021-harmful-algal-blooms-toxic-algae/
Michigan farmers, especially soybean farmers, could benefit from higher sales to Cuba, state agricultural organizations say.
The post Michigan farmers could benefit from easing trade relations between the U.S. and Cuba, experts say first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/06/28/michigan-farmers-could-benefit-from-easing-trade-relations-between-the-u-s-and-cuba-experts-say/
What does Michigan’s future look like if we adequately prepare the state’s water resources for climate change? Goodbye to septics and shore-hugging homes. Hello to more diversified crops on Michigan farms.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/michigan-climate-future-wetland-parks-infrastructure-agriculture/
On the West side of the United States, residents are seeing problems crop up in their waters. Great Lakes region residents will find those issues familiar.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/05/tapped-out-power-justice-water-west/
Despite the cataclysmic effects the pandemic had on Michigan’s county fair events in 2020, most are expected to take place this year, at least in some form.
The post Despite last year’s cancellations, county fairs are coming back in Michigan first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/05/21/despite-last-years-cancellations-county-fairs-are-coming-back-in-michigan/
A new report about combining solar power and farming practices has advocates saying the practice could take hold in Michigan, boosting productivity while providing much needed refuge for bees and other pollinators.
The post Crops grown under solar panels and pollinator habitats could be wave of the future first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/05/19/crops-grown-under-solar-panels-and-pollinator-habitats-could-be-wave-of-the-future/
Michigan farmers take measures to reduce their environmental impact.
The post Michigan farms working to combat climate change first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/26/michigan-farms-working-to-combat-climate-change/
This article, first posted here, was republished with permission from Wisconsin Watch.
By Royce Podeszwa and Jim Malewitz, Wisconsin Watch
The state Supreme Court on Monday heard arguments in a case that could determine whether the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources failed to adequately protect water from manure pollution when awarding a permit to a giant dairy farm in northeastern Wisconsin — or whether the agency lacks the authority to issue such restrictions.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/04/wisconsin-supreme-court-protect-water-farm-pollutants/
A Land Ethic Mentorship program run by the Wisconsin-based agriculture nonprofit organization, Sand County Foundation, will help poor, beginner or socially disadvantaged farmers across the nation practice conservation.
The post Mentors to teach conservation farming to beginners, veterans, socially disadvantaged first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/06/mentors-to-teach-conservation-farming-to-beginners-veterans-socially-disadvantaged/
Michigan-grown hay is traveling south to feed horses in Florida.
The post Rising fuel prices might cause Southern horses to vote ‘neigh’ on Michigan hay first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/06/rising-fuel-prices-might-cause-southern-horses-to-vote-neigh-on-michigan-hay/
LED lights allow you to pick the spectrums of the sun that are most useful for plants.
The post Technology extends salad bowl to Midwest first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/02/technology-extends-salad-bowl-to-midwest/
The Michigan Craft Beverage Council recently awarded $34,644 to study how to produce new varieties of apples for cider making.
The post Red-fleshed apples could keep Michigan cider makers in the black first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/30/red-fleshed-apples-could-keep-michigan-cider-makers-in-the-black/
Michigan and other states need to collect more information about the enforcement of worker protection standards to protect farmworkers from pesticide exposure, according to a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan investigatory arm of Congress.
The post Farmworkers need information on pesticides, federal report says first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/24/farmworkers-need-information-on-pesticides-federal-report-says/
The first full-year report for Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s much-publicized H2Ohio water quality initiative is out.
Introduced in 2019, the plan has already reaped benefits for Ohio residents and will continue to expand in its scope, according to officials charged with its implementation.
The report was offered in a web presentation by Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Dorothy Pelanda, Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director Mary Mertz and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Director Laurie Stevenson.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/h2ohio-agency-directors-wetlands-lead-agriculture/
President Joe Biden’s recent “Buy American” executive order could provide future employment and economic growth for Michigan, food processors and agricultural industries, experts say.
The post Michigan food industries enthused about Biden “Buy American” order first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/18/michigan-food-industries-enthused-about-biden-buy-american-order/
Conventional farming practices have eroded much of the topsoil from a region of the Midwest known as the corn belt, according to a recent study.
The post As much as a third of the topsoil in the corn belt may be gone first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/17/as-much-as-a-third-of-the-topsoil-in-the-corn-belt-may-be-gone/
Last year when the Midland dams gave way, more than 21 billion gallons of water rushed into the Tittabawassee River. More than three and a quarter billion gallons of that ended up in the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/wetlands-property-damage-save-lives-floods/
As farmworkers from other states and countries come to work in Michigan, the need for safe and affordable off-farm housing options is becoming increasingly important, a recent task force report said.
The post Farmworkers need more off-site housing, Michigan task force says first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/15/farmworkers-need-more-off-site-housing-michigan-task-force-says/
In 2020, Chapter 12 farm bankruptcy filings fell by 7 percent.
The post Higher prices, pandemic payments help Michigan farms stay afloat in 2020 first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/10/higher-prices-pandemic-payments-help-michigan-farms-stay-afloat-in-2020/
As climate change complicates Lake Erie’s algae problem, scientists say farmers must do far more to reduce phosphorus runoff. But will enough farmers change their ways without a government mandate?
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/farmers-pollution-lake-erie-regulations/
Growers worry that higher license and testing fees will push an already high cost of operation even higher.
The post New state plan has Michigan hemp growers uncertain about the future first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/02/new-state-plan-has-michigan-hemp-growers-uncertain-about-the-future/
By Terri Cook, Eos
This story originally appeared in Eos and is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.
During the mid-1930s, in the wake of devastating Dust Bowl–era storms, the U.S.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/big-benefits-from-experimental-watersheds/
Michigan’s cherry industry may have a way to make money from, of all things, the pits.
The post New uses for cherry pits makes landfilling a “waste of a waste” first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/01/27/new-uses-for-cherry-pits-makes-landfilling-a-waste-of-a-waste/
By Rachel Fritts, Eos
This story originally appeared in Eos and is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.
Everything wears away in time, but human activities like farming can dramatically accelerate natural erosion rates.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/01/european-colonists-dramatically-increased-north-american-erosion-rates/
Great Lakes Moment is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor John Hartig. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
If you gaze off to the east from Detroit, Grosse Pointe or Downriver, chances are you will see bright lights adrift in the night sky.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/01/great-lakes-moment-leamington-greenhouses-lights/
Fertilizer runoff from seasonal heavy rainfall on Midwestern farms is traveling down the Mississippi River and creating a “hypoxic zone,” or low oxygen zone in the Gulf of Mexico, a recent study by Iowa State University scientists warns.
The post Midwestern farms suffocating Gulf of Mexico ecosystems first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/12/31/midwestern-farms-suffocating-gulf-of-mexico-ecosystems/
This is part of a series in which the Great Lakes Now staff looks back on 2020.
In any effort to sum up the year that was 2020, one word is unavoidable: poop.
Don’t you agree?
At Great Lakes Now, we’ve kept our finger on the pulse of poop news all year, because we care about our readers and viewers.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/on-the-pulse-ive-got-one-word-for-you-2020/
From lead pipes to PFAS, drinking water contamination is a major issue plaguing cities and towns all around the Great Lakes. Cleaning up contaminants and providing safe water to everyone is an ongoing public health struggle.
Keep up with drinking water-related developments in the Great Lakes area.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Illinois:
The aquifer that supplies Chicago suburb Joliet’s drinking water is expected to dry up by 2030.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/water-withdrawal-contaminated-farmers-water-quality/
A newly funded project in Ohio’s Ottawa Soil and Water Conservation District aims to reduce water nutrients and sediments that flow into Lake Erie, causing excessive growth of algae.
The post New nutrient trapping program takes off first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/12/14/new-nutrient-trapping-program-takes-off/
