Editing Michigan (section)

===Agriculture===
{{See also|Cherry production in Michigan}}

[[File:Michigan Cherries, 2009 July.jpg|thumb|Michigan is the leading U.S. producer of [[Prunus cerasus|tart cherries]], [[Blueberry|blueberries]], [[pickling cucumber]]s, [[navy bean]]s, and [[petunia]]s.]]
[[File:Kellogg World Headquarters (battlecreekcvb) 001.jpg|thumb|The world headquarters of [[Kellogg's]] in [[Battle Creek]]]]

A wide variety of commodity crops, fruits, and vegetables are grown in Michigan, making it second only to California among US states in the diversity of its agriculture.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.senate.michigan.gov/sfa/Publications/Notes/2000Notes/NotesJulAug00Thiel.PDF |title = Michigan agricultural exports |first = Craig |last = Thiel |access-date = September 3, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080909225027/http://www.senate.michigan.gov/sfa/Publications/Notes/2000Notes/NotesJulAug00Thiel.PDF |archive-date = September 9, 2008 |url-status = live}}</ref> The state has 54,800 farms utilizing {{convert|10000000|acre|km2}} of land which sold $6.49&nbsp;billion worth of products in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Michigan/Publications/MichiganFactSheets/STHILGTS.pdf |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060515222949/http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Michigan/Publications/MichiganFactSheets/STHILGTS.pdf |url-status = dead |archive-date = May 15, 2006 |title = Number of farms and land in farms, 2009–2010 |publisher = National Agricultural Statistics Service, Michigan Field Office, Michigan Department of Agriculture |id = NR-09-77 |first = Jeff |last = Andersen |date = October 7, 2011}}</ref> The most valuable agricultural product is milk. Leading crops include corn, soybeans, flowers, wheat, sugar beets, and potatoes. Livestock in the state included 78,000 sheep, a million cattle, a million hogs, and more than three million chickens. Livestock products accounted for 38% of the value of agricultural products while crops accounted for the majority.

Michigan is a leading grower of fruit in the US, including blueberries, [[Cherry production in Michigan|tart cherries]], apples, grapes, and peaches.<ref name="MIAG">{{cite web |url = http://web1.msue.msu.edu/fruit/bluberry.htm |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110720004949/http://web1.msue.msu.edu/fruit/bluberry.htm |archive-date = July 20, 2011 |title = Michigan Blueberries |author = Agriculture Experiment Station |publisher = Michigan State University |access-date = January 3, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last = Hanson |first = Eric |url = http://web1.msue.msu.edu/imp/modsr/sr589201.html |title = Small Fruit Crops |website = Ag Experiment Station Special Reports |date = July 28, 1998 |publisher = Michigan State University |access-date = January 3, 2008 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060417083215/http://web1.msue.msu.edu/imp/modsr/sr589201.html |archive-date = April 17, 2006}}</ref> 
Michigan produces 70 percent of the country's cherries.  Most of these cherries are [[Montmorency  cherries]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.9and10news.com/2023/07/01/what-makes-traverse-city-the-prime-place-for-cherries/ | title=What makes Traverse City the prime place for cherries? }}</ref>
Plums, pears, and strawberries are also grown in Michigan. These fruits are mainly grown in [[West Michigan]] due to the moderating effect of Lake Michigan on the climate. There is also significant fruit production, especially cherries, but also grapes, apples, and other fruits, in northwest Michigan along Lake Michigan. Michigan produces [[Michigan wine|wines]], beers and a multitude of processed food products. [[Kellogg's]] cereal is based in Battle Creek, Michigan and processes many locally grown foods. Thornapple Valley, [[Ball Park Franks]], [[Koegel Meat Company]], and [[Hebrew National]] sausage companies are all based in Michigan.

Michigan is home to very fertile land in the [[Tri-Cities (Michigan)|Saginaw Valley]] and Thumb areas. Products grown there include corn, sugar beets, navy beans, and soybeans. Sugar beet harvesting usually begins the first of October. It takes the sugar factories about five months to process the 3.7&nbsp;million tons of sugarbeets into 485,000 tons of pure, white sugar.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.michigansugar.com/about/education/growing.php |title = Michigan Sugar Company: Education |publisher = Michigansugar.com |access-date = July 25, 2010 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100821121324/http://www.michigansugar.com/about/education/growing.php |archive-date = August 21, 2010}}</ref> Michigan's largest sugar refiner, [[Michigan Sugar Company]]<ref>{{cite web |url = http://michigansugar.com/ |title = Michigan Sugar Company |access-date = May 25, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080514085038/http://www.michigansugar.com/ |archive-date = May 14, 2008 |url-status = live}}</ref> is the largest east of the Mississippi River and the fourth largest in the nation. Michigan sugar brand names are Pioneer Sugar and the newly incorporated Big Chief Sugar. Potatoes are grown in Northern Michigan, and corn is dominant in Central Michigan. Alfalfa, cucumbers, and asparagus are also grown.