New Models For Entrepreneurial Agriculture

While most American farmers scramble to keep up with agribusiness’s unrelenting "get big or get out" model, a small farm tucked away in the scenic northwest corner of Michigan’s lower peninsula is following a more promising path. Instead of growing endless acres of corn, soybeans and other commodity crops, Blackstar Farms in Leelanau County operates a winery, a stable, a cheese factory, and even a bed and breakfast. The thriving 120-acre farm is an example of "new entrepreneurial agriculture," a blend of small-scale farming and business practices that eschews middlemen and sells finished products directly to customers."