MDARD visits TCBC to Celebrate MI Agritourism Month

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) recently spent part of October touring agritourism related sites around the state. Governor Whitmer recently proclaimed October as Michigan Agritourism Month, in an effort to highlight the impact and benefits that agritourism brings to their local communities. Agritourism is defined as where farming and business enterprise meets. Often the public interacts too; think corn mazes, you-pick, and cider mills. MDARD Director Gary McDowell led the charge in October with a team of his staff to visit agritourism sites around the state. They spent time in the Kalamazoo area, including stops at Texas Corners Brewing Company (TCBC) and Schultz Fruitridge Farms. The Schultz family that operates TCBC originally started with the concept of hard cider, crafted as a value-added product to the apples they grow on their third generation family farm in Mattawan. Hard cider expanded into craft beer and a full blown farm to table restaurant in 2015, which is the complete definition of value-added agriculture and agritourism.

You can read the full press release directly from MDARD by clicking this link.

MDARD Director Gary McDowell poses with Owner-Operators Ruth & Andrew Schultz on the front steps of Texas Corners Brewing Company