On the Beach

This week, “Adventures from the Corn Belt” took us to the southeast shores of Lake Michigan where I had the opportunity to visit with a couple of STAR Partners in the area. And…since I had never seen the Great Lakes before, an afternoon of adventuring was in order!

My first STAR Partner was Ryan Meachum in Hartford, Michigan. He, alongside his two brothers, has quite the family business that covers a vast array of agricultural commodities such as apples, grapes, jalapenos, strawberries, plums, corn, soybeans, and wheat. They also operate a rail line, mainly shipping canola (dairy feed supplement), grain, and by-products from ethanol plants. He shared with me that this rail line is in infant stages as there have been discussions with local growers to have a more diverse array of products coming such as pot ash and liquid fertilizer. “Agriculture has allowed me to make a good, honest living,” he shared in his interview. Check out the LG Seeds YouTube channel in the near future to get the entire conversation.

The next STAR Partner dealer I had a chance to visit with was Kurt & Klint Blaauw at Shelbyville, Michigan. These two gentlemen have worked hard to take over the family farm and grow their dealership. They are both extremely busy, with families of their own and each having their own enterprise within the farm. However, as 4th generation agriculturalists, they understand that continuing to expand the family business is critical in allowing them to pass on the farm when it comes time to do so. It was fun to visit with them and listen to the changes in the agriculture industry over the past four to five years.

Showing cattle at county and state fairs growing up was the “Mosher family vacation” each summer because we were able to connect with old friends and meet new ones, all while taking a small pause from the farm. I can recall two occasions where we took a “real” family vacation – one to Bozeman, Montana and the other to Houston, Texas. Being the farm family that we are, visiting local farms and ranches was the main attraction. We visited ranches such as 44 Farms, Talon Angus Ranch, the Luling Foundation, and Leachman Angus Ranch.

So, naturally, when I reached Michigan this week, I couldn’t wait to explore the beaches of Lake Michigan. I grew up running around barefoot in black dirt, so when I reached the beach, it was a totally different experience walking around in the sand. The views are really pretty and South Haven (the town I stayed in) had picture-perfect storefronts and cute ice cream shops. As you can imagine, the style of people that you meet are different too. Cowboy and feed store hats are nowhere to be found – it’s a board shorts kind of community – more power to them! The people are kind and the food is delicious.

My cows at home must have gotten word that I disappeared and went to the beach because Wednesday afternoon, they called me home. I was happy to get back to the land of black dirt and corn and was able to finally sit at my desk and run some photos that I gathered through Photoshop. I have absolutely loved my travels so far and can’t wait to see where the next few weeks take me.

Speaking of which – it’s time to find out where we head next. Grab your cowboy hat, boots, and 4th of July sparklers because for the next two weeks, we are headed to the Wild West where we’ll be cheering on the local cowboys at rodeos and visiting with STAR Partners in South Dakota and Nebraska. Stay tuned for more “Adventures from the Corn Belt!”

Lauren Mosher

LG Seeds Marketing Intern

Published 6.26.2020