Sustainability

Family-owned farms find new ways of connecting online

Victoria Mullen Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Jena Van Wagner is the executive director of Michigan Family Farms. Those who have joined her online community have focused on promoting those farms and getting the word out about great, local food that is grown and can be bought right in your town. Victoria Mullen reports on what that means locally.

Not your grandmother's milk--Well, yeah, it kind of is

Kim Hoyum Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Tracy and Terry DeBacker are combining generations of dairy experience with the local-food trend to succeed in a family dairy business in the western Upper Peninsula. That cream-top milk you've been seeing in the grocery store? These are the people that make it, and how they do it.

Big project in small town of Kinross: World�s largest ethanol plant being built in eastern U.P.

Neil Moran Wednesday, December 01, 2010

The eastern U.P. town of Kinross will soon be home to the world's largest cellulosic ethanol plant. Frontier Renewable Resources, LLC has formed partnerships with some big investors as well as tapped the expertise of Michigan's universities to bring this green technology to the region. Second Wave writer Neil Moran reports from the forest floor.

Deer Hunting: Transcending tradition in the Upper Peninsula

Sam Eggleston Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Deer hunting in the Upper Peninsula is about more than just getting a nice trophy to hang on the wall, or even putting meat in the freezer for the family to feast on throughout the grueling winter. It's about tradition, economic boost, family, friends, memories and more. Deer hunting in the U.P. is a way of life, and a passion, for many. U.P. Second Wave managing editor Sam Eggleston introduces the rifle deer season in the Upper Peninsula for exactly what it is this week: A Yooper holiday.

Mine remnants used in creative ways by U.P. entrepreneurs

Kim Hoyum Wednesday, November 03, 2010

It's no secret that mines leave behind plenty to contend with once they dry up and the companies that owned them move on. But here in the Upper Peninsula--where mining not only runs deep in the area history, but is still a major employer today--people are coming up with new and innovative ways to deal with what has been left behind. Second Wave's Kim Hoyum outlines three projects that have made the best of the situation at hand.

Marquette County landfill paving the way for future of solid waste with one-of-a-kind wet process

Kim Hoyum Wednesday, October 20, 2010

What can we do with all this garbage? That's the question asked since humanity first started creating solid waste and, unfortunately, we have yet to come up with the perfect answer. Second Wave's Kim Hoyum talks to Marquette County Solid Waste Authority director Rick Aho to find out just how one landfill is attempting to trash the old ways in favor of more innovative, sustainable methods.

Awesome colors: U.P. forests, coastlines burst with autumn hues

Kim Hoyum Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Oranges and yellows and reds? Oh, my! It sure feels like you're taken out of a world of black and white and over the rainbow to a land of technicolor and yellow brick roads when you travel through the Upper Peninsula during the fall. Tourism booms for just a few weeks of a year for one reason only: The plethora of hues that dazzle and shine, setting the forests ablaze with color. Upper Peninsula Second Wave feature writer Kim Hoyum traveled north recently to see the colors for herself and reports on what she discovered.

Yoopers and beer: We raise a mug and say 'cheers' to festival of suds

Sam Eggleston Wednesday, September 15, 2010

There's an old saying that God created beer to stop Yoopers from taking over the world. That may or may not be true, but one thing is for certain: there aren't many of us that are going to complain about a quality brew. The Second-Annual Upper Peninsula Beer Fest may have been subject to drizzling conditions, but it didn't stop the faithful, who turned out in droves last Saturday to get their hands on over 150 hand-crafted beers from nearly 30 breweries from across the state. Managing editor Sam Eggleston says "cheers," and reports from the liquid trenches.

From grass to grill: Your supper never has to leave the Upper Peninsula

Sam Eggleston Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Few things are as enjoyable on a nice summer day than a meal cooked on a grill. But did you know that you can have some of the best grilling available without having to look beyond the Upper Peninsula for everything you need? From farm to your family's table, the U.P. has businesses, farmers and restaurants that are ready to make your Yooper-originated meal a reality.

Anatomy of a Bee Keeper: A hobby and industry thriving in the Upper Peninsula

Kim Hoyum Wednesday, May 26, 2010

This article is none of your beeswax. Leave that to beekeepers Les McBean and Sarah Maki who, in different ways, have their fingers all over the sweet, sticky stuff. Yes, hives are breaking out across the U.P. and honey sales are going through the roof. Read on to find out what the buzz is all about.