Aerial view of a forested parcel of land

Michigan is selling over 120 plots of land. Why?

By Emilio Perez Ibarguen 
Lakefront property in Wexford County, 40-plus acres of forested land in the Upper Peninsula and a tiny island sitting in the middle of Lake Ponemah are up for grabs this year. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is auctioning off those and over 100 other “surplus properties” that officials say are better off in private hands, with the proceeds helping the state acquire more useful land.

Black raspberries

Wild berry foraging gains popularity

By Rachel Lewis 
With summer in full swing, you-pick farms have been seeing customers picking their own fruits and vegetables across the state. From blueberries and strawberries to tomatoes and asparagus, many people have opted for gathering their produce themselves. For some, this food gathering goes beyond the farm. In recent years, many people have been turning to wild berry foraging. Instead of grocery stores, these foragers seek out fresh fruits, nuts and herbs from local hiking trails or even off the side of the road.

The cover of “Ancient Indigenous Cuisines: Archaeological Explorations of the Midcontinent”

New book digs into Indigenous cuisine through archaeology, culture and ecology

By Isabella Figueroa
In a new book, archeologists who study past societies of the Great Lakes and Midwest agree “you are what you eat,” but they say there’s a lot more to it than that. It’s also how we eat: the ways we “prepare, cook and consume” those foods are influenced by our history, family and natural environment.The book’s essays use the concept of cuisine to go beyond ingredients when studying thousand-year old foodways in regions that now make up Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and other states.

Firefighters fighting a wildfire.

State asks residents to prepare their homes for wildfires 

By Kayte Marshall
It only takes a sunny afternoon, a yard full of dead leaves and one bad decision to turn spring cleaning into a wildfire. The DNR and National Fire Protection Association are advising homeowners to fight fire with foresight this year, especially in Northern Michigan where winter storms left massive amounts of flammable debris and dead trees on the ground.

A heavy infestation of tar spot on a corn plant

Corn season means return of farmers’ worries about tar spot fungus

By Victoria Witke
Jacob Faist of Jackson County is among the state’s farmers worried about tar spot, an emerging disease in corn and silage fed to dairy cows. It can lower crop yield, reduce the nutritional value of the corn and reduce milk production. According to a study, Michigan and the Great Lakes region are particularly vulnerable. Researchers did the study in Branch, Ottawa, Ingham and Barry counties. Top producing counties include Lenawee and Ionia.