Michigan WIC and Ag Diversity
From Grist...
Michigan WIC whacks organic: Evidently, women, infants, and children in need don't deserve organic
Hopefully with the help of you good people reading this and others we can tweak such misappropriated values. It would seem if anything was to be encouraged it should simply be fresh things from Michigan, keeping our economy in-state, seeing how according to the USDA...
Michigan WIC whacks organic: Evidently, women, infants, and children in need don't deserve organic
Hopefully with the help of you good people reading this and others we can tweak such misappropriated values. It would seem if anything was to be encouraged it should simply be fresh things from Michigan, keeping our economy in-state, seeing how according to the USDA...
Michigan is the second most agriculturally diverse state in the country. Michigan's unique micro-climates allow farmers to produce over 125 different food and fiber products. Agriculture, the 2nd largest industry contributes $37 billion annually to the states economy.
Michigan ranks #1 in production of black beans, cranberry beans, blueberries, tart cherries, processing cucumbers and Niagara grapes.
Michigan also ranks #1 in the production of flowering and bedding plants, seed and cutting geraniums and hanging baskets.
posted by shannon at
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
1 Comments:
Michigan ranks #1 in production of black beans, cranberry beans, blueberries, tart cherries, processing cucumbers and Niagara grapes.
I'm kind of late on the response here, but I think what is amazing about Michigan produce is not only what we are #1 in, but also where we rank for so many other crops. I don't know where to get the definitive numbers for last year, but from the USDA web site and the Michigan Ag site, Michigan ranks close to the top 10 in production of a long list of produce: maple syrup (7th), asparagus (3rd), plums (4th), sugar beets (4th), honey (9th), celery (2nd!), onions (9th), sweet cherries (4th), corn (9th), milk (8th), butter (7th), trout (12th), Christmas trees (2nd!), grapes overall (4th), rhubarb (3rd), new potatoes (1st), chip potatoes (1st). We are also very high in production of pork and mint. Now, some of the numbers for the dairy and pork come from CAFOs (a huge proportion of pork comes from one company in a small area) so we don't necessarily *want* to be so high for some of the meats, but the diversity is pretty amazing. Plus we grow much of this without irrigation. Take federally-subsidized water away from the Western states and Southern states and Michigan would be even higher. If you look at the Michigan/Ohio/Illinois/Indiana region, there is certainly enough food to feed ourselves with plenty left over. Unfortunately, our Midwestern/Great Lakes states export almost all of our produce, and conversely, import most of our food. That is the big problem.
By
Juliew, At
7/20/2008 06:57:00 PM
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