Rural Economy
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Gwen Frisbie-Fulton: ‘The people closest to the problem are often the ones who can find the solution’
About two years ago, tents started to show up in my neighborhood along the creek beds and in small stands of trees. Most only became visible when the leaves fell, exposing their orange rainflies and blue tarps. This increase in houselessness didn’t feel surprising to me or to my neighbors: The rent has nearly doubled…
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A love letter to the working class, from Gwen Frisbie-Fulton
It started in the back seat of my family’s Jeep Cherokee, the one with the broken AC and vinyl seats that stuck to my thighs in the late summer heat. After school we would wait, all the doors flung open, for my dad to get off work. My mother reading in the front seat, her…
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‘Some people work their butts off and other people get rich’: Gwen Frisbie-Fulton’s view from rural America
My dad raised us to work hard and do good for our families, but he was also going to make damn sure we didn’t step on anyone else along the way.
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A key to protecting apples from climate change might be hiding in Michigan’s forests
In the quest to make apple trees more resilient in a warming climate, some Michigan researchers are looking for a late bloomer.
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Highly pathogenic avian influenza detected in Ottawa County
The Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory has detected highly pathogenic avian influenza in an Ottawa County flock, following an investigation from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD).
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USDA orders nationwide testing of milk for bird flu to halt the virus
The US government on Friday ordered testing of the nation’s milk supply for bird flu to better monitor the spread of the virus in dairy cows.
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Opinion: We need a Farm Bill that prioritizes small family farms and animal welfare
Leah Smith, owner of Nodding Thistle Farms in Michigan, explains how passing the US House version of the Farm Bill would be undemocratic and harm Michigan farmers and rural communities.
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Planning Commission takes step to prep land for massive new manufacturing project near Flint
A vote this week at the Mundy Township Planning Commission is set to help advance ongoing plans for a massive new manufacturing facility in Genesee County.
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Federal grants to help dozens of Michigan farmers harvest their own clean energy
Nearly $23 million in federal grants and loans awarded this week through the Inflation Reduction Act is set to help dozens of Michigan farmers and other rural small businesses install solar panels and pursue new clean energy projects.

























