The West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission partnered with Michigan State University on a year-long study focused on the expansion of agricultural business within Muskegon, Lake, Mason, Newaygo and Oceana Counties.
“The five-county region already has a really strong agricultural presence, including agricultural processing, so really this study was looking at the strengths that are already there and then identifying opportunities for future growth and expansion within the industry.”
Annika Gacnik is an Economic Recovery Corps fellow with the West Michigan SRDC. She says the study found that a lot of agricultural business potential remains untapped.
“So, the goal is to identify key contributions to the industry, look at supply chain linkages and market opportunities.”
The study led to the development of two new online tools: an interactive map that visually showcases regional agricultural assets, and a report that explores the challenges and opportunities facing West Michigan’s agriculture and food processing sectors.
“And it was really looking at the economic impact of the five-county region and then additionally comparing that five-county region to the neighboring counties of Kent and Ottawa.”
The West Michigan SRDC will use the next 12 months to organize stakeholders who can address challenges and coordinate public and private investments.
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