OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — When developers look for space to build a project, they often turn to farmland.
The amount of farmland and the number of farms in the U.S. continues to decline, according to the American Farmland Trust.
This is important because we need farms for food. One Ottawa County apple orchard is looking to keep the tradition of providing food going.
“We grow honey crisp and gala. [They] are obviously very big for us,” Windy Ridge Orchards Owner Kyle Rasch said.
Kyle’s family has a long history of growing apples in Ottawa County.
“Like my grandpa, I wish I could see and hear the thoughts that would be going through his mind, because he would be mind blowing to see the amount of growth that's gone on in the industry, for one, but also on the same acres that he grew up on,” Kyle said.
This orchard farmer is a seventh-generation grower. On his 28th birthday, Tuesday, he was handed the keys over to the family business.
“I think farming just did it all for me. It's where I get my joy,” Kyle added.
His parents couldn’t be any more excited to see one of the children keep the farm going and growing.
“I’m proud of how excited he is about the industry and to continue to be a part of this community and providing such a wonderful product for the people of our state,” said former Owner Sue Boomgaard-Rasch.
The Windy Ridge Orchards continue to invest in Ottawa County. On a section of the property, they have a building from the 1940s where they stored apples; the family also recently invested in a larger building to store more apples.
“We’ll be able to store across these five rooms, controlled atmosphere,” Kyle said. “We're able to hold the consistency of that apple and the eating experience from the time that we picked the apples in September until we might be selling some of that fruit in July even.”
The Windy Ridge Orchards take up around 250 acres across three counties to grow apples and peaches.
“We’ve all watched the price increase of land, and it's very tempting to some people, but once the land has gone and developed, it's gone,” Sue said.
That’s why Ottawa County is working to preserve as much farmland as it can.
“We're becoming more intentional about that by holding workshops and providing services and resources, connecting them with the folks that they need from the professional services industry to get their plans in place and to get over the barriers real quick,” Ottawa County Economic Development Coordinator Becky Huttenga said.
The county held a class Tuesday on a farmer's succession plan. They plan to be part of another class in Alpine Township near the end of March.
“We’re never going to stop farmland loss. All we can do is slow it down and make sure that the loss occurs in the right places,” Huttenga said.
One place they helped secure is a section of Windy Ridge Orchards.
“They can sell it. They can farm it. It just can never be developed now, if and when it sells to another owner, whether it's a family member or otherwise, that easement runs with it. You can't ever develop it. Regardless of who owns it, [it] will always be agricultural land,” Huttenga said.
Kyle says he's going to keep investing in agriculture.
“As far as Michigan goes, we have to stay competitive with Washington and others worldwide, even,” Kyle said.
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