The rugged landscape and extended winters make successful farming in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and northern Wisconsin a little bit more challenging. The short growing season and soil types create a disadvantage for farmers in this region, but despite the challenges, they continue to produce millions of pounds of food every year.
U.P. farms contribute to at least three percent of Michigan’s agricultural production. This may not sound like much considering the more than 16,000 miles of land that make up 28 percent of the entire state, but with only three percent of the state’s population residing in the U.P., it’s clear that Yooper farmers can hold their own. About 84 percent of land in the Upper Peninsula is comprised of forests, and the region’s rugged terrain makes only a small fraction of the land farmable.
Michigan leads the nation in tart cherries, with 70 percent of the nation’s supply coming out of the state. One of the most diverse agricultural regions in the U.S., Michigan ranks second only to California in the diversity of crops, producing more than 300 different kinds of agricultural commodities. The Great Lakes state boasts 51,600 farms that operate across more than 9.9 million acres and contributes more than $104.7 billion annually to the local economy.
According to 2018 data collected by Michigan State University, the Upper Peninsula contributes to a whopping 51.2 percent of the state’s barley production – an impressive feat for the sparsely populated region. Primarily used for animal feed in the state, the crop is beginning to see a shift in usage with the growing interest in locally sourced ingredients. Malted barley is used in products such as beer, cereals, milkshakes and confections. With craft breweries popping up across the U.P., the demand for malt barley is continuing to grow.
The U.P. has less in common with its lower counterpart and more in common with northern Wisconsin. Known widely as America’s Dairyland, the state undoubtedly produces a large amount of cheese, contributing to 26 percent of the nation’s cheese and securing the top spot in cheese production.
But Wisconsin has more than just cheese to offer. The state harvested 545 million bushels of corn across 3.17 million acres in 2018 and ranks third in the nation in potato production, according to Farm Flavor Media. Wisconsin also tops the nation in the production of cranberries, contributing up to 59 percent of the cranberry population in the U.S., and is also the top producer of cranberries in the world.
The agricultural contributions that Michigan and Wisconsin provide are invaluable to the nation and the world. Protecting these precious commodities across the acres of farmland is crucial, and weather phenomena, such as hail, can inflict a lot of damage on crops. Finding a public adjuster to help you file a hail damage insurance claim in Michigan or Wisconsin can ease the burden of a stressful situation.
K-Factor Advocates is a team of public adjusters with experience in the insurance and agricultural industries. If you’ve experienced property damage of any kind, call 844-406-5677 or email info@kfactor-adv.com.
ABOUT OUR TEAM
If you’re looking for a public adjuster in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan or northern Wisconsin, K-Factor Advocates has a skilled team of professionals that specialize in insurance claim negotiation, policy language and interpretation, and claims estimating. The K-Factor team has helped hundreds of clients navigate the challenges of the claims process, securing fair settlements in order to restore their property damage.