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Ottawa County unveils Focus on Ag Plan

One of the top agricultural-producing counties in Michigan has released an economic development plan to take action on top issues farmers face.

Economic Development Coordinator Becky Huttenga tells Brownfield the Focus on Agriculture plan is the first of its kind in Michigan, outlining tangible ways Ottawa County can help navigate solutions for the food and ag system.

“Without the land to grow the food and the farmers to do it, the rest of it doesn’t matter much.”

In 2019, the county surveyed producers on areas where improvement is needed to protect farmland and enhance economic opportunities for the sector after the 2017 Census of Agriculture revealed Ottawa lost nearly 20 percent of its farms since 2012.

She says zoning, land use, taxes, succession planning, and easements were some of the top issues raised.

“We kind of have a siting issue,” she says.  “We need the right sites for food processors to be able to come here locally in the county to have the amount and quantity of water that they need, the access to energy that they need.”

Ottawa county was ranked third in the state for the value of ag products sold at more than $500 million according to the 2017 Census.  The county is also ranked first for the value of crop sales and for nursery, greenhouse, floriculture, and sod sales, and is a top 10 producing county of eight other categories.

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