Snow delays spring corn planting, asparagus harvest

By NICK STANEK
Capital News Service
LANSING — Farmers may be off to a late start this year after snowfall and low temperatures put them behind schedule. There is good news and bad news associated with the snow. The heavy snow insulated the ground, protecting micro-organisms that are good for corn. But the high water remaining in fields could strain the industry, said corn grower Scott Lonier, owner of Lonier Farms near Lansing. “We are at the mercy of Mother Nature right now,” he said.

Tough winter good for some endangered species

By LACEE SHEPARD
Capital News Service
LANSING – Heavy snowfall is proving to be helpful for some of Michigan’s endangered species. Karner blue butterflies are federally listed endangered insects that are taking advantage of the protection the heavy snow brings, said Chris Hoving, an adaptation specialist with the DNR in Lansing. “Karner blue butterflies do best when there’s continual deep snow through the whole winter,” he said.  “That’s what we’ve had this winter for the first time in decades. It’s excellent weather for blue butterflies.”

The Karner blue butterfly has been found in Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio and in western Michigan. In Michigan it used to be common from Lake County to Allegan County, but the butterfly sightings have dropped 50 percent to 90 percent every year for the past four years, said Hoving.

Michigan farmers seek better Internet access

By BECKY McKENDRY
Capital News Service
LANSING – For farmers, tablets are becoming as common as tractors… and that means higher demand for broadband Internet access. Farmers are increasingly turning to technology to help track weather, map the spreading of fertilizers and seeds, and follow prices for input and services. But Internet access in rural areas lags behind urban areas. Around one-third of rural households and farms nationwide lack broadband Internet, according to the most recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Museum to highlight Michigan's legacy of stormy weather

By BECKY McKENDRY
Capital News Service
LANSING – Almost a century ago, two intense storms merged to form a massive, deadly blizzard that ravaged most of the Great Lakes – and almost everything in, on and around them. The hurricane-force winds were so violent that the storm killed more than 200 sailors and caused millions of dollars in damages. That tragedy, the Great Storm of 1913, stands as one of the defining moments in Michigan’s weather history. Alongside other Michigan weather history events, people can reexamine that storm in the Michigan Historical Museum’s upcoming exhibit, “Lake Effects,” set to debut Oct. 5.