Michigan's Bounty
 In Michigan, sandy soils in the north, richer soils in the
south and the moderating winds off the Great Lakes create special environments for growing
a wide variety of crops. The Michigan Farming Areas map in
the exhibit shows these different areas. Between 1900 and 1940, Michigan was a national
leader in the production of celery, sugar beets, potatoes, oats, hay, cherries, apples,
peaches, plums, blackberries and dry beans.
With the improvement of Michigan roads, farmers trucked their crops to gateway cities.
Railroads and Great Lakes ships carried Michigan farm products to large Midwestern cities
including Detroit and Chicago.
Beets and Beans
 Michigan farmers began growing beets for sugar in the late 1890s. The first
sugar beet factory opened in southern Michigan in 1898.
Farmers needed additional laborers. During the 1910s and '20s, Eastern European
immigrants were hired to cultivate and harvest sugar beet and potato fields. In the 1920s,
as these immigrants found jobs in the auto plants and elsewhere, Mexican and Texan
seasonal workers began coming to Michigan to harvest sugar beets and other crops.
Soybeans, not widely grown before 1920 except as feed for livestock, received a boost
from Henry Ford in the 1930s. His "Henry Ford and Son Laboratories" developed
uses for soybean oil in auto lubricants and paints and for soybean meal to make a sort of
plastic for auto parts such as gearshift knobs. In fact, Ford made a whole car out of his
soybean formula—but he never found a market for it.
Roadside Marketing
My mother sold all our products—milk, cream, buttermilk, butter, eggs,
raspberries, garden produce, potatoes and fruit. She had many customers who came regularly
to purchase her goods and just as many customers on her delivery route (which she serviced
with her Model T Ford). —Glenn Grice remembering his Sanilac County centennial farm
  Roadside marketing grew dramatically in Michigan after 1914 due
to the variety of products farmers were raising and the increasing numbers of people with
automobiles. To assure quality for the consumer, operators formed the Michigan Roadside
Market Association. Tourists and townspeople alike could bring home an amazing variety of
products such as thimbleberry jam, sweet cherries and apple cider. Many markets also sold
soft drinks and candy.
MAC, the Farmer's Friend
Michigan Agricultural College (MAC, now Michigan State University) professors laid the
foundation for scientific advancements in Michigan agriculture. Researchers experimented
with various crops, tested orchard fungicides and insecticides, evaluated seeds and
fertilizers and raised livestock on different feeds to learn the most cost-effective way
to produce the best meat, crops and dairy products.
 MAC Agriculture Agents became the link
between the college's research and farmers. They introduced new farming practices and
scientific advances to farmers through extension bulletins and workshops. They organized
home extension groups for farm wives and 4-H clubs for farm children. They provided
information on soil, crop research, farm markets and ways to obtain credit.
Frank A. Spragg of MAC fostered the organization that became the Michigan Crop
Improvement Association in 1917. The association improved the quality and reputation of
Michigan certified seed by inspecting and approving members' fields. Spragg made Michigan
the leading producer of navy beans when he introduced the "Robust" variety in
1915. He also developed Rosen Rye and Red Rock wheat, two varieties that improved the
production of these grains in Michigan. Spragg's Hardigan alfalfa, introduced in 1920,
eased the way for Michigan farmers to turn from growing grain to dairy farming.
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