Leading By Example

摘要

IT MIGHT seem surprising that up until the past couple of years, fruit growers and other farmers in Michigan did not have a statewide voice to address their farm marketing and agritourism concerns. After all, if you were to take a drive through different parts of Michigan, you'd find all sorts of farm-related activity, from U-pick apple orchards to cider mills, from vineyard bed and breakfasts to maple syrup suppliers. That all changed in late 2005, when the Michigan Farm Marketing and Agritourism Association (MI-FMAT) was officially unveiled at the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable & Farm Market Expo in Grand Rapids. After months of input from agriculture industry professionals, including roundtable discussions and Web surveys, there was finally an organization that could address the concerns of growers looking to get involved in direct marketing, as well as those already involved who were looking for advice or new ideas.