Bailey Samp

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Can agritourism help Michigan farms survive?

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Small American farmers are facing an existential crisis driven by record debt, corporate consolidation, and policy shifts that have negatively impacted farmers for well over 25 years, according to Time magazine. So how can Michigan save family farms and protect the rich agricultural heritage? Agritourism is one solution. Michigan farmers, and farming families who have been considering growing their agricultural businesses, listened to the opportunities offered during The Agritourism Summit held May 13-14. Starting with a pre-summit farm tour through Antrim County and an evening soiree, the Agritourism Summit was held at the Grand Traverse Resort with a focus on Planting Seeds for a Resilient, Sustainable Agritourism Industry.

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It’s always growing season at Lakeview Hill farm

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Lakeview Hill Farm is getting ready to celebrate a birthday. On July 6, its farm market will celebrate one year since opening. Chances are owners Bailey Samp and John Dindia will be too busy farming to worry about blowing out candles. After all, farming is hard work. Not just running the new store, but growing and harvesting crops on around their certified organic produce and cut flower farm while they work to extend the growing season through the use of greenhouses and caterpillar tunnels. “We now have six greenhouses and seven caterpillar tunnels on two acres. A quarter acre is flowers,” says Samp. The flower field now backs up to the market. This is the second story in our series on solutions to the farming crisis.

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Leelanau’s young famers: meet Bailey Samp and John Dindia

As they elaborate on their goals and farm structure, I am struck by the planning and intellectual effort that went into the purchase and creation of this new farm. John and Bailey have researched and taken advantage of seemingly every grant and loan available to them as young farmers.

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