Examination of Organic Grain Productivity to Support the Upper Peninsula Organic Livestock Industry

Ashley McFarland, Colin Thompson, Monica Jean, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan

As consumers continue to drive preferences within the marketplace, the demand for natural or organically produced meat has greatly increased, but no such grain market exists within the region to support this expanding industry. Organic grain production is virtually non-existent in the U.P., and sourcing outside of the region is quite costly and limits the growth potential for these operations – especially those wanting to market as certified organic.

Impact: Increased knowledge of grain performance in an organic system, leading to the expansion of certified organic grain production in the Upper Peninsula.

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Photo credit: Henrik Sendelbach [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]