Farming In The New Economy

Farming is becoming much more popular. See NYTimes.com: Leaving Behind the Trucker Hat

And farming is more than just cool, some people are finding new ways to actually make money while they work.
Examples:
Farmers cashing in on carbon credits

More farmers see wind as a cash crop

Program pays for planting pollinators

Northwest Michigan and Traverse City seem poised to become a force in these future farming methods, but will it take the path?

Community Supported Fishing

A new take on Community Supported Agriculture - Community Supported Fisheries. From the CS Monitor - Small fishermen borrow a page from small farmers

Perhaps this could be a model for preserving the Great Lakes commercial fishery?

More Flight Options

Good news for Traverse City as a micropolis - United Express offers Denver-Traverse City flights

Truly You Have A Dizzying Intellect

Interlochen Public Radio had a clip this morning from Senator Michelle McManus (R-Lelanau County). In it she called Michigan's stellar waste of time and money primary vote a success (the Senator sponsored the original bill that moved Michigan's primary elections to January).

Yessiree - Mission Accomplished! No, not the mission to make Michigan voters meaningfulmeaningless, but the mission to require all Michigan voters to declare a party affiliation. (Major parties contemptful of public)

Sen. McManus is the same genius who also brought Michiganders the ability to have 10 year olds go hunting without any hunter safety training.

I wouldn't want to be part of any club that would have Senator McManus as a member.

The Walk And Toast

Found via BoingBoing - Won’t You Be My Drinking Buddy Neighbor?

Finding Salt-Free Ways To De-ice Roads

In Japan, there is a region where apples are grown and sea scallops are processed. Together, they create an eco-friendly road de-icer.

Northwest Michigan has fruit processors and lots of zebra muscles in Lake Michigan. Perhaps these could be used together to make roads safer in the winter, similar to what has been done in Japan?

The Timber Industry In Leelanau County

The Leelanau Enterprise has a short article on the forest products industry of Leelanau County - Timber county's first 'cash crop'