The Latest
Bits & Pieces: Childhood Ways
by Paula Johnson A recent article about childhood rules and traditions piqued my interest. I wondered how many of them John and/or I enjoyed in our youth. 1. Leaving with your bike in the morning and coming back for suppertime. Yep, that was John’s youthful MO. However, the quip explaining it refers to “a vague […]
USDA – March Hogs & Pigs
Michigan’s total hog and pig inventory on March 1 was estimated at 1.15 million head, down 40,000 head from a year ago, according to Marlo D. Johnson, Director, USDA NASS, Great Lakes Regional Office. Breeding hog inventory, at 110,000 head,was down 4 percent from last March. Market hog inventory, at 1.04 million head, was down 3 percent from last year. The averagepigs saved per litter for the December to February quarter was 10.95, compared to 11.40 from the same period last year. United States inventory of all hogs and pigs on March 1, 2025 was 74.5 million head. This was down slightly from March 1, 2024, and down 1 percent from December 1, 2024. Breeding inventory, at 5.98 million head, was down 1 percent from last year, anddown slightly from the previous quarter. Market hog inventory, at 68.5 million head, was down slightly from last year, and down 1 percent […]
February Milk Production
Dairy herds in Michigan produced 950 million pounds of milk during February, down 1.7 percent from a year ago, according to Marlo D. Johnson, Director, USDA NASS, Great Lakes Regional Office. Production per cow in Michiganaveraged 2,140 pounds for February, 60 pounds below February 2024. The dairy herd was estimated at 444,000 head for February, up 5,000 from a year earlier. Milk production in the 24 major States during February […]
Michigan March 1 Grain Stocks
On March 1, 2025, Michigan corn stocks totaled 188 million bushels, 7 percent below a year earlier, according to Marlo D. Johnson, Regional Director, USDA NASS, Great Lakes Regional Office. About 59 percent of the corn wasstored on farms. The second quarter disappearance was 112 million bushels, compared with 96.6 million bushels a year earlier. Soybean stocks on March 1, 2025, were 52.6 million bushels. That was 20 percent higher […]
USDA: Michigan Prospective Plantings
Michigan farmers intend to plant more corn and fewer soybeans in 2025 than they did last year, according to Marlo D. Johnson, Director of the USDA NASS, Great Lakes Regional Office. Michigan producers intend to plant 2.30 million acres of corn, up 2 percent from last year. Producers plan to plant 2.15 millionacres of soybeans, down 2 percent from last year. Winter wheat seedings, at 540 thousand acres, were up 35 percent from 2023 […]
The moose are loose – collaborative study tracks collared moose in western UP
A collared moose is shown having its vital signs taken by a research team in western Marquette County.Researchers fitted 20 moose with GPS collars to study species’ survival challenges By RACHEL LINCOLN, communications representativeand JOHN PEPIN, deputy public information officerMichigan Department of Natural Resources The moose population in the western Upper Peninsula has been a […]
Now is the time to get hunter safety-certified
If you plan to take part in Michigan’s spring turkey season (April 19 through June 7) and you still need to take a hunter safety class, sign up soon. These classes are commonly offered ahead of the spring turkey season or in the fall before the start of firearm deer season. To purchase a hunting license in […]
2025 fishing season opens Tuesday
New regulations take effect April 1, 2025 Heading out to fish? New sportfishing regulations for Michigan’s 2025 fishing season begin Tuesday, April 1, and are in effect through March 31, 2026. Changes this season include modifications to steelhead and muskie size limits and gear restrictions on some waters. Highlights include: Inland stream rainbow trout (steelhead) […]
Paw Paw Community Chorus announces Spring Concert
The Paw Paw Community Chorus will present their Annual Spring Concert on Sunday, May 4, 4 p.m., at the Paw Paw United Methodist Church, located at 420 W. Michigan Avenue, Paw Paw. The chorus, under the direction of Theresa Vaughn, will be accompanied on piano by Evonne Heystek. The following selections to be presented […]
M-43 (West Main Street) expansion in Kalamazoo starts March 31
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and contractor Hoffman Bros. Inc. will start work Monday, March 31, to expand M-43 (West Main Street) between Drake Road and US-131in Kalamazoo. Tree trimming and utility work will require the right lane to be closed in each direction. This $7.8 million project includes repaving […]
Increased unemployment benefits and added weeks go into effect April 2
Change to Michigan law also boosts amount for each dependent Significant changes in Michigan’s unemployment insurance law go into effect on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. The law increases the maximum benefit amount by $84 a week, extends the maximum weeks benefits can be collected to 26, and more than doubles the amount per dependent. The […]
