Michigan Agriculture 2024

One of the country’s most agriculturally diverse states, Michigan is ripe with opportunity. The food and agriculture industry contributes over $104.7 billion to Michigan’s economy each year and leads the nation in the production of several crops, including tart cherries, asparagus, squash, cucumbers and several varities of dry beans. These crops are grown on the state’s 44,300 farms, which average 211 acres in size and span 9.2 million acres across the state. In total, Michigan farmers produce more than 300 commodities commercially, from pork and poultry to cabbage and carrots. 

Those commodities aren’t just enjoyed by the state’s residents, but by people across the globe, as Michigan exports about one-third of its agricultural production, generating $1.8 billion. Top export markets in 2023 included Canada, Mexico, China, South Korea and Japan.

As one of the oldest industries in the state, agriculture is more than just crops and commodities, encompassing many different areas, such as research and innovation, agribusiness and production, agricultural education, and agritourism.