Happily cooling themselves in a pristine creek they're vaguely accused of polluting are members of the fourth and fifth generation of the Oesch family farm. From the left are James Link (with tomato), held by his uncle, Tom Oesch, and Annie Link, holding three-year-old son William.
Spinning a fish tale casts farm in lurid light
Two-year-old James Link didn't seem to care what people might have been saying about his grandpa. His life and opinions had yet to be shaped by a television screen. Mischievous and quick, he slipped past his grandpa, great-grandpa, two grand uncles, two uncles and mom just long enough to pluck a pinkening tomato from one of several productive plants outside the Swisslane Farms milkhouse. Gripping it as if his reputation was on the line, he surrendered the fruit only after he cooled his feet - and, eventually, the rest of his body, clothes and all - in sparkling clear Tyler Creek. Then, he tossed it in and watched the stream carry it swiftly over a hole where trout sometimes hide; where Uncle Tom rescued it. Trout were not there, though. They'd been killed by a combination of factors including extreme heat and humidity; a storm that a few days before dumped more than half an inch of rain in 15 minutes, ultimately ending after two inches fell; and some kind of sediment that hasn't been identified. And so, try as they may, the state government can't know who's to blame. Click here for full story.Farmers allowed more time for truck ID - locals can ticket
More time will be allowed for phase-in of truck identification regulations for intrastate carriers, according to Inspector Randy Coplin of the Michigan State Police (MSP) Motor Carrier Division. In a plan provided to Michigan Farm Bureau, MSP Motor Carrier outlines a phase-in plan of acquiring a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) number. Click here for full story.Farm land value reaches new record high
Michigan farm real estate value, including land and buildings, averaged a new record high of $3,500 per acre as of Jan. 1, according to the USDA's National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS), Michigan Field Office. Click here for full story.Rendering firms down to one; get ready to compost
It's a business very few people want to talk about, and it appears fewer still want to make their living in the dead animal rendering industry. In fact, there will be only one company left in Michigan on Sept. 1, because Mypac in Hudsonville is closing its doors. Click here for full story.MSU students take silver in international dairy competition
Michigan State University (MSU) agriculture students won a silver placing in the fifth annual North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge (NAIDC). Click here for full story.