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By Lillian Williams

he shrinking number of farms in Michigan – down by about 1,300 between 2023 and 2024 – and the trend of existing farms to expand to survive is changing the culture of rural communities.

The post Shifting farm economy means changes for rural communities first appeared on



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By Bauyrzhan Zhaxylykov

Bankruptcies of Michigan farmers are troubling despite a dip in their Chapter 12 filings last year. Major reasons are higher expenses for inputs such as fertilizer coupled with flat commodity prices.

The post Michigan farmers face bankruptcies, other financial challenges first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.



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By Victoria Witke

Christina Petalas, a doctoral student McGill University, studies herring gulls to learn about plastic pollution near the St. Lawrence River. Across two studies, she found plastic additives in every bird sampled, which could have human health consequences.

The post What herring gulls tell us about plastic pollution



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The Ripley and District Horticultural Society’s (RDHS) Nov. 19 meeting at the Ripley-Huron Community Centre had something for everyone: creative arrangements, Christmas decorations and gardening advice. The usual business reports were presented including the annual summary of the For Our Youth group activities. The youth wing of the local horticultural