One of the top agricultural-producing counties in Michigan has released an economic development plan to take action on top issues farmers face.

Economic Development Coordinator Becky Huttenga tells Brownfield the Focus on Agriculture plan is the first of its kind in Michigan, outlining tangible ways the county can help navigate solutions for the food and ag system.

“Without the land to grow the food and the farmers to do it, the rest of it doesn’t matter much.”

In 2019, the county surveyed producers on areas where improvement is needed to protect farmland and enhance economic opportunities for the sector after the 2017 Census of Agriculture revealed Ottawa lost nearly 20 percent of its farms since 2012.

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