State's farmers feeding demand

More buying Michigan foods

Jennifer Youssef / The Detroit News

The beef in your Big Mac may have come from a farm in Michigan. The grains in your bowl of Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats may have, too.

Food companies big and small are buying ingredients from Michigan farmers for their products, and state agencies are reporting increased calls from others that want to do so.

Experts say there are many reasons for the uptick: The state's location -- in the middle of the country and relative closeness to the large East Coast market -- makes transportation costs cheaper; Michigan-based processing companies' are loyal to local businesses; and increasing consumer demand for locally grown food.

An exact figure for how much of Michigan's $71.3 billion agribusiness industry comes from sales of Michigan farm products to food companies is unavailable. But Christine Lietzau of the Michigan Department of Agriculture said the industry's 12 percent revenue growth from 2006 to 2007 can be attributed, at least partly, to more companies buying food from local farmers.

With more than 200 commodities grown in Michigan for commercial purposes, the state is a one-stop shop for ingredients.

More food companies have been inquiring about where they can find Michigan commodities in the past two or three years, said Lietzau, manager of the MDA's Select Michigan program, which connects consumers and companies with local businesses and growers. She said she gets about three calls a day from national and local companies looking for Michigan commodities to put in their products.

"It's an absolute boost for the Michigan economy," Lietzau said.

Last year, fast food giant McDonald's Corp. bought $443 million worth of milk, corn, beef, eggs, sugar, blueberries and apples from Michigan farmers. The company has a good working relationship with local growers, said Marcy Amble, vice president of operations for the Michigan region.

"Any time we can use local suppliers, we do," Amble said.

Battle Creek-based Kellogg Company has counted on Michigan farmers to supply many of the ingredients in its breakfast cereals and other products since it was founded in 1906. Although the company wouldn't reveal how much money it spends on Michigan products, officials said its support of local farmers will continue.

Popular commodities sought by processors include cherries, blueberries, apples and asparagus, said Bob Craig, director of the agricultural development division at the MDA.

"We've certainly seen an upsurge (in calls from food companies) in the last couple years," he said. "We get calls every day, and not just from big companies. (They are) all sizes."

For smaller companies, buying Michigan-grown and -produced ingredients is a way to support local growers and the economy while giving customers the freshest and highest-quality food available.

Randy's Granola, a start-up in Marne on the west side of the state, uses maple syrup from Sugar Bush Supplies Co. in Mason and brown sugar produced in Zeeland. Owners Suzanne Vier and Randy TenBrink are developing a new granola blend made with cherries from Traverse City, Vier said.

The partners said supporting local businesses is so important that they would rather spend time researching local growers and food producers than buy from vendors in other states. Backing Michigan businesses and the economy ensures that their own company will survive, Vier said.

"With everything we do, we strive to have all products from Michigan," she said. "Helping the local economy is helping our company."

Overby Farm LLC in Leland makes cat and dog treats using cherry concentrate, blueberries and cranberries grown at farms in northern Michigan. Owners Carol and Bob Adams never considered getting the ingredients from other states, even if it was cheaper, Carol Adams said. The couple doesn't keep track of how much they spend on local ingredients.

"We're loyal to Michigan," she said. "We want to support agriculture and protect our natural resources because they are the two golden nuggets of this state."