Cultivating local farm economies
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EmailFarm viability requires flexibility, along with innovation in local government planning and zoning to allow for farm income diversification.
Fundamentally, farmers are entrepreneurs. With the rising sun, farmers greet each day knowing they have products and services that must be of sufficient quality and quantity to meet market demand. The thing is, markets change and farmers, like any business owner, must adapt to the changing markets globally, nationally, and even locally.
Increasingly, Michigan farmers have seen and explored market opportunities beyond commodity production. Many specialty crop producers are adding value to their raw products and selling those refined products directly to consumers. Travel any rural Michigan road and you’ll likely pass numerous farm stands and farm markets. Some might even take things to the scale of value-added processing through canning, freezing, dehydrating, fermenting, brewing, and more.
A related market opportunity for Michigan farmers is expanding the farm market to a scale that might be considered an agritourism operation. The Michigan Agritourism Association defines agritourism as the places where agriculture and tourism connect: “Anytime a farming operation opens its doors to the public and invites visitors to enjoy their products and services – that’s agritourism.” According to analysis of the agritourism industry conducted by Coherent Market Insights, the dollar value of the global agritourism market is expected to double by 2031 with more people seeking authentic experiences and looking to educate future generations about food systems. This has led farmers to grow programs like on-farm dining experiences, farm-based lodging and recreation, and educational opportunities.
While it seems that Michigan farmers face a growing demand that supports their entrepreneurial endeavors, it must be recognized that in Michigan, local governments write most rules that either allow or don’t allow these economic opportunities throughout a given jurisdiction. The news media is replete with stories of Michigan farmers pursuing one or more of the above farm diversification opportunities, only to receive cease and desist notices from local zoning administrators or face a costly court battle.
From the local government’s point of view, processing of farm products is not covered by Michigan’s Right to Farm Act (Public Act 93 of 1981, as amended), and such operations can present noise, odor, and other nuisance concerns. Or an agritourism operation might explore evening activities on the farm, such as a barn wedding, that can have another set of health, safety, and public welfare considerations for neighbors and local officials. Further, on-farm renewable energy development can result in a landscape change that conflicts with the pastoral and natural sense of place enjoyed in a community by many residents.
Michigan State University Extension offers educational material for both farmers and local government officials on these economic opportunities to help find common ground among the varied perspectives. One such resource is Planning and Zoning for Agritourism (webinar recording), part of the Cultivating Local Farm Economies series and the MI Ag Ideas to Grow With conference.
Local government officials, farmers, and other interested community members are encouraged to engage one another, plus other community interests, to discuss trends in regional agritourism markets and how to tailor local regulations that allow for on-farm diversification while addressing health, safety, and public welfare concerns.