Agriculture
Eggs for sale.

No break in sight for high egg prices, experts say

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EGGS: Blame avian flu in part for the sky-high price of eggs in Michigan as millions of chickens have been destroyed. Quick relief isn’t expected. Avian flu has been found in Kalamazoo, Macomb, Menominee, Livingston, Washtenaw, Saginaw, Wexford, Branch, Oakland, Ingham, Tuscola, Lapeer, Genesee and Sanilac counties. We hear from an MSU agricultural economist, a Harvard public health nutritionist, formerly from U-M, and the Michigan Retailers Association. By Dan Netter. FOR MICHIGAN FARM NEWS, FOWLERVILLE, DETROIT, CADILLAC, LANSING CITY PULSE, LAPEER, IRON RIVER, MARQUETTE AND ALL POINTS.

Agriculture
Aflatoxin fungus.

Climate change prompts rise in toxic corn fungus

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CORN FUNGUS: An MSU study says a toxin produced by a fungus in corn will increase over the next few years because of global warming. From 2031-40, over 89.5% of counties in 15 states will experience a rise in aflatoxin levels. The value of Michigan’s 2021 crop of corn used for grain topped $1.85 billion, and farmers planted 2.35 million acres. Three counties planted at least 100,000 acres: Sanilac, Lenawee and Huron. By Jake Lyskawa. FOR MICHIGAN FARM NEWS, BLISSFIELD, ADRIAN, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, CORP! AND ALL POINTS.

Agriculture
Community members work on a spring planting project at a community garden in the University Avenue Corridor in Flint.

Gardening with a whole community could reduce violent crimes in neighborhoods, study says

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GREEN AGAINST CRIME: Community engagement in maintaining and mowing vacant city lots can contribute to lower violent crime rates,says a new study by researchers from U of M, the CDC and other institutions. Such community involvement is underway in Flint through the city’s Clean and Green program. We talk to researchers and the Genesee County Land Bank Authority. By Vladislava Sukhanovskaya. FOR DETROIT, LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.

Agriculture
Gabrielle Cerberville forages up to 80% of her diet.

Eat the weeds, please

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FORAGING: Eat weeds? Foraging has gained in popularity since the onset of the pandemic. We find out why that’s happening and how foraging can benefit the environment from a long-time forager in Kalamazoo and an ethnobotanist at a tribal college. By Nicoline Bradford. FOR BAY MILLS, LANSING CITY PULSE, STURGIS AND ALL POINTS

Agriculture

Wood products from urban sources a growing trend

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URBAN WOOD: City trees and demolished buildings could help save the environment and small businesses. A growing “urban wood” movement is producing building materials and lumber salvaged from city streets and buildings. The practice also locks global warming greenhouse gases into products. We talk to mill operators in Hillsdale and Detroit and an Ann Arbor-based wood recycling expert. FOR HILLSDALE, DETROIT, TRAVERSE CITY AND ALL POINTS By Liam Jackson

Agriculture
Gigiigoo’inaan uses Ojibwe names and art to share culturally relevant health information for users.

Fish consumption app for Anishinaabe works, study finds

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EAT FISH HEALTH:An advisory program designed for the Anishinaabe is a useful tool for tracking fish consumption in Great Lakes tribes, and a new app provides personalized advice regarding chemical contaminant levels in fish. The app called “Gigiigoo’inaan,” which means “Our Fish” in Ojibwe, is the product of collaboration among the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan, the Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority and the Medical College of Wisconsin as part of a project aiming to increase environmental health literacy in tribal communities. By Abigail Comer. FOR BAY MILLS, SAULT STE. MARIE, MARQUETTE, IRON MOUNTAIN, CHEBOYGAN, ALCONA, ALPENA, MONROE, HOLLAND, OCEANA, BENZIE, HARBOR SPRINGS, LEELANAU, MANISTEE, LUDINGTON, TRAVERSE CITY, PETOSKEY AND ALL POINTS.

Agriculture

Asparagus growers target online sales 

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SPECIALTY CROPS – Promoting online sales of asparagus is among the $1.2 million in projects to support Michigan specialty crops recently awarded by federal officials. The COVID19 pandemic proved that asparagus didn’t benefit from the surge of online buying, farm officials said. Addressing that deficit is among the dozen projects recently awarded federal support. Others include hops and cherries. BY LIAM JACKSON. FOR MICHIGAN FARM NEWS, CORP!, TRAVERSE CITY, OCEANA COUNTY, LANSING, GRAND RAPIDS AND ALL POINTS.

Agriculture
Whitefish haul from the Great Lakes

Whitefish campaign seeks to lift fisheries while fish stocks drop 

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WHITEFISH: Don’t stop at fillets. Whitefish parts also can be used to make cosmetics, supplements, wallets and other products, boosting the economic value of the fish. We talk to the Lansing-based Great Lakes Fishery Trust, the organization representing Great Lakes governors and Canadian premiers and others about the “100% Whitefish” campaign. By Jake Christie. FOR ALPENA, ALCONA, MONROE, CHEBOYGAN, SAULT STE. MARIE, BAY MILLS, MARQUETTE, IRON MOUNTAIN, TRAVERSE CITY, LEELANAU, LUDINGTON, MIDLAND, OCEANA, BENZIE COUNTY, HOLLAND, MANISTEE, PETOSKEY, HARBOR SPRINGS, ST. IGNACE , CORP!, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS AND ALL POINTS.

Agriculture

Farm vehicle traffic accidents on the rise

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FARM ACCIDENTS: As farmers wrap up the harvest season, traffic accidents involving farm vehicles are up over last year, officials said. As of Oct. 28, there were 168 accidents involving farm vehicles, according to Michigan State Police reports. By the same time in 2021, there had been about 150 of these accidents. November sees the most accidents of any month. Last year, Ottawa and Ingham counties each had nine, the highest of any county. So far this year Branch County has had 20 farm vehicle traffic accidents, the most this year. By Janelle James. FOR GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL, CORP!, CITY PULSE, HOLLAND, MICHIGAN FARM NEWS AND BUSINESS AND NEWS PAGES OF ALL POINTS.