© 2024 MICHIGAN PUBLIC
91.7 Ann Arbor/Detroit 104.1 Grand Rapids 91.3 Port Huron 89.7 Lansing 91.1 Flint
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Preventative agricultural technology: a farmer's best friend

This was taken at the Allendale Farmers Market summer 2008. The Allendale Farmer's market is open for business Tuesdays and Fridays from 11 am - 4 pm. This is only during the summer which is from about the 2nd week of June to the last Friday in October.
user tami.vroma
/
Flickr
This was taken at the Allendale Farmers Market summer 2008. The Allendale Farmer's market is open for business Tuesdays and Fridays from 11 am - 4 pm. This is only during the summer which is from about the 2nd week of June to the last Friday in October.

All over Michigan farmers are keeping fingers tightly crossed and their eyes fixed on the weather forecast. 

Most Michigan farmers are struggling to recover from 2012, the worst growing season in our state in more than 50 years. That combination of extremely warm weather in March, followed by a hard freeze in April, and then a hot summer full of drought crushed farmers, especially fruit farmers.

It's something that hits all of us, because agriculture is the second biggest industry in Michigan. Agriculture pumps 37 billion dollars into the state's economy, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Preventative agricultural technology is giving farmers some creative weapons in their battle to save their crops from Mother Nature. 

Don Armock of River Ridge Produce is one of these farmers. He joined us in the studio to talk about the 2013 growing season.

Listen to the full interview above.

Stateside is produced daily by a dedicated group of producers and production assistants. Listen daily, on-air, at 3 and 8 p.m., or subscribe to the daily podcast wherever you like to listen.
Related Content