Farming in Montcalm County and the impact agriculture has on our county.

Montcalm County, has a huge impact on the state’s overall Ag industry.  Today I am going to touch on a few of the farms in Montcalm County.

Sietsema  has a grain elevator in Howard City which is the tallest building in my small town.  I have been to the top of it and the view is really nice.

The Sietsema family’s main operation is out of Allendale and has been around since 1940.
https://www.sietsemafarms.com/

Main Farms out of six lakes has a few locations and covers around 15 thousand or so acres.   They are a fourth-generation family farm that grows potatoes, corn, soybeans, wheat, peas and green beans.  yee haw 🙂  Let’s feed the area.

Today Agriculture plays a vital role in Montcalm County’s economy. The county’s soil, favorable climate, and access to water resources make it suitable for a variety of farming activities.  This has been a dry year and I am seeing irrigation systems going all around the county.   I remember growing up and staying at my grandparents outside Lakeview and playing in the water that was shooting over the road.

Today The county boasts several farmers markets that go directly from the field to the consumer and of course our plates 🙂  I was just at the Pierson market on Friday and picked up some good eats.
– Now that’s what I call buy local.   Farmer Markets provides all of us access to fresh, locally grown produce, meat and helps us support the local farming community.  We need our farmers and the hard work they put in everyday.  Thank you

County Line Farms out of trufant specializes in bulk milk transportation and custom forage harvesting.
https://www.facebook.com/CountyLineFarmsService/

Farm Services out of Lakeview offers growers large and small the most efficient and reliable irrigation systems on the market

I see their product right next door to me in my neighbors field.  I call it the neighborhood water park.    https://www.farmservicesinc.com/

Sandyland Farms between Howard City of Lakeview is not to far from where my grandma and grandpa used to live on Kendaville Road east of Gravel Ridge

I remember seeing the Sandyland Farms trucks, tractors and harvesters in the fields when hanging out over the summer with my grandparents.  Today they have some pretty cool technology for growing, harvesting, storing and shipping potatoes all over the US..

Carlson-Arbogast Farms is not too far from the DW Video studio in Howard City and I must say, they love beans  🙂   Beans are their specialty.

They have been growing beans for over 140 years and for 6 generations on their Michigan Centennial Family Farm!

They ship all  types of beans for retail in 24 oz and 2 lb packages and can be found in local stores, however if you have bigger bean needs, they provide 25 to 2000 pound packaging options.  Not that is a lot of beans.

Weaver Farms, a farm market from Sheridan offers farm fresh goods (beef, lamb, eggs, honey, maple syrup and seasonal vegetables.  Other farmers markets include Howard City, Pierson, Greenville and I am sure I have missed a few.  i was just at the Farmers Market in Pierson on Friday – picked me up some good eats.

Let’s not forget about the tourism aspect that farming brings to the area. There are places around the county that give tours, have animals, events,  pick your own   and are ideal for all ages,

Montcalm County has an active 4-H and Future Farmers of America or (FFA) provide opportunities for young people to learn about agriculture, participate in livestock shows, and develop skills in various farming disciplines that they will carry with them throughout their lives. I know you can contact Amanda the AG instructor from the Montcalm Area Career Center if you want more information on the FFA in Montcalm County.

I know I have missed many farms around the area,  As I close today, agriculture in Montcalm County holds a strong economic impact on the county.   From Livestock to crops we should all take time and thank a farmer, without them LIFE would be rough.

I cannot imagine the struggles running a farm can bring, weather for example.  Talking with my neighbor over the weekend, the lack of water for example on his corn field and being down a fair number of bails compared to last year..  Keeping the animals healthy whether for meat stock, eggs or milk.   Have other friends that lost a lot of their chickens to raccoons over the past few weeks.  The struggle is real, thank you for all that you do to feed us.  All the food we take in does not grow on the grocery store shelves ha ha.

Continue to follow us at discover montcalm podcast dot com remember to buy, shop and EAT locally.