The Counties in the Fruit Belt
As any Michiganian knows, there are few treats tastier than eating Michigan cherries in the summertime. In fact, Michigan residents are able to enjoy a bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables, as Michigan grows more blueberries, tart cherries, cucumbers, and beans (black, cranberry, red kidney and navy), than any other state! The state boasts 46,000 farms covering approximately 27 percent of the state.
Unfortunately, the Michiganian quality of life is beginning to change as sprawling urban development eats away at our best farmland. Currently, Michigan loses an average of 38,900 acres each year to development and low-density fragmentation. In order to stop this dramatic loss, American Farmland Trust’s Central Great Lakes Regional Office is hard at work in communities throughout the state.
Allegan County
Geography
Allegan County is located in the south west part of Lower Michigan. It is approximately 827 square miles with 25 miles of coast line along Lake Michigan. It is the 18th largest county in Michigan and has 24 townships.
The County is still mostly rural in nature, and still maintains an agriculture and tourist based economy, however trends are toward more light industry and technology which has translated into Allegan County being in one of the fastest growing regions of the state.
History
Allegan County's name was coined by the noted student of the Indians, Henry Schoolcraft. The County was set off in 1831 and organized in 1835. Settlement of the County seat, Allegan, was promoted in 1835 by eastern capitalists who were attracted by the site's sources of water power. For many years, steamboats traveled the Kalamazoo River between Allegan and Saugatuck. Extensive lumbering by the pioneers cleared the way for farm production, in which the County has been a leader.
Allegan County was named by Michigan statesman/historian Henry Schoolcraft for the Alleghen Indian tribe which inhabited the area prior to its settlement. As early as the 1820’s, this area was known for its agricultural potential and water resources. By the mid 1800’s, steamboats were traveling the Kalamazoo River from Saugatuck to Allegan, transporting lumber and farm crops to Lake Michigan for shipping.
The approximate 25 miles of coastline along Lake Michigan also became a major attraction, with resorts springing up to service heavy tourist traffic from Chicago and Michigan.
Today Allegan County retains much of its agricultural tradition carefully balanced with growth and change that has come with modern times. The county seat, Allegan, supported by small businesses and mid-sized manufacturing facilities, continues to grow while retaining its traditional look in turn-of-the-century style architecture. Otsego and Plainwell to the south have become economically associated to the greater Kalamazoo area while still retaining small-town atmospheres. Communities like Wayland, Hopkins and Martin continue to be great places to live as adjunct communities to larger metro areas. And the Kalamazoo River is as beautiful as ever - whether seen from bridges in Otsego and Plainwell, or from boats in Saugatuck, or canoes in the 80 square mile Allegan State Game Area in the center of the county
Van Buren County
Van Buren County is located in beautiful southwest Michigan and is considered "Michigan’s Fruit Basket." This area was originally inhabited by Potawatomi Indians, who traded with early European explorers.
Organized in 1837, the County was named after then Secretary of State and later President Martin Van Buren, settled largely by Dutch Immigrants from New York. It was not long afterwards that the value of the soil was realized to be excellent for fruit growing, including grapes.
In the late 1860’s grape growers formed a coalition to organize marketing, which included the strategy of not more than one farmer bringing their grapes to the same market on the same day. This proved highly effective, and wineries began to flourish. Today, some of the best grape stock in the nation can be seen growing around Paw Paw and Lawton, while orchard fruits, especially peaches, blueberries, pears and apples also appear in abundance just to the west.
Van Buren County also generates a lot of tourism, with a scenic coastline on Lake Michigan that includes rolling sand dunes and the historic port of South Haven, complete with the bright red Pierhead Lighthouse. It is also an historic area, with many of its towns preserving turn-of-the-century architecture - including the County Building at Paw Paw, listed on the State Historical Register.
Van Buren County is a diverse Agricultural Community. A wide variety of fruit and vegetable crops are raised here because of the favorable Lake Michigan modified climate and the well drained soils that are found here. Van Buren County also produces the more traditional field crops that are raised in many of Michigan's Counties. Visitors flock to the area to enjoy the many inland lakes and the Lake Michigan coastline. Many of these visitors take advanantage of the time spent in the County to purchase some of the plentiful fruit and vegetables that can be found at numerous roadside stands and farm markets around Van Buren County. If you stop by to see us this summer, don't forget to take something delicious home for your family from Van Buren County. Van Buren County Farmers Markets
Berrien County
Berrien County is located in the Southwestern most corner of the State. It is bordered on the west by 42 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and on the south by the State of Indiana.
Berrien County has a diversified economic base with its manufacturing, agriculture, tourism and service industries.
With the Lake Michigan resource and 306 inland lakes and rivers, the County is a popular tourism destination which is enhanced with the unique farm markets which abound within the area.
The County's central location (fifty-four percent of U.S. manufacturing and sixty-five percent of Canadian manufacturing are within 500 miles) is serviced by major highways, airports, rail and commercial ports, which contribute to maintenance of the strong diversification of the economic base.
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