To stay on the farm, more and more farmers are working extra jobs
On the Leelanau Peninsula, known as Michigan’s pinky, the rolling hills and insulating lake effect make it possible to grow fruit. Cherry farmer Phil Hallstedt said he never tires of looking at the landscape, but growing cherries here is not the stable business it once was.
After several tough years, Hallstedt has switched to a labor-saving U-Pick model, where people pay to harvest their own cherries. He said his family made this change after years of juggling jobs off the farm.
“Two years ago, I was ready to throw in the towel,” Hallstedt said. “And my wife said, ‘I’m not,’ and I love my wife, and I follow my wife. And so I was like, ‘OK, I gotta figure this out.’ So together we’re trying this new business model.”
Only 37% of farmers held a primary job off the farm in 1974. Today, roughly 85% of family farmers rely on other jobs to support their livelihoods, according to a 2023 report from the Department of Agriculture.
