With its green pastoral fields, idyllic small towns, Great Lakes, friendly, dependable people, and changing seasons that provide a vivid backdrop for any and all outdoor activities — America’s Heartland boasts more than 127 million acres of agricultural land tended to by tenacious farmers who, despite challenges, never seem to lose their inherent sense of Midwest optimism.
Abby Schilling, who is chief executive and co-owner of Mick Klug Farms in St. Joe, MI with her husband, Mark, makes the point that the Midwest produces a wide variety of crops. “A lot of people think that the Midwest is only corn and soybeans; that’s what people have in their minds, but there is so much more diversity than that,” she says.
The duo also own nearby Schilling Family Farms. “The farms are different in size and what they grow. Schilling Family Farms is more of a commercial farm that grows tart cherries, tomatoes, apples and peaches, and Mick Klug is direct to consumer.
“We are growing any kind of fruits and vegetables that will grow from the end of April through October,” she says. Over the years, the variety of items grown and produced at the farm have included sweet corn, peaches, raspberries, blackberries, zucchini, grapes, tomatoes, green beans, sweet peas, ramps, and apple cider, says Schilling. “Our location is great because we stay a little bit warmer in the winter, and in the summer we stay a little bit cooler — so this area is ideal for fruit growing. The soil is really great; it’s very fertile.”
Seventy-five percent of the Midwest’s agricultural land is in corn and soybeans, the other 25% is used to grow alfalfa, asparagus, green beans, blueberries, cabbage, sweet and tart cherries, cranberries, cucumbers, grapes, oats, peaches, plums, peas, okra, flowers, potatoes, raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, onions, watermelon, sweet corn, bell peppers and wheat, according to the USDA Midwest Climate Hub.
While there isn’t a universal consensus, according to the USDA Midwest Climate Hub there are eight states that comprise the Midwest, namely: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Sarah Frey, who is the owner of Frey Farms in Keenes, IL, a grower-shipper in seven states throughout the Southeast and Midwest with distribution across the U.S. that produces a plethora of fruits and vegetables, says sustainability and creating opportunities for those living and working in rural communities are essential pillars of the business. Frey founded the company in 1992 when she was 17. She is also the author of “The Growing Season,” a book published by Random House that details her incredible life’s journey and how she transformed a failing enterprise into a thriving business.
Frey contends that the produce industry is uniquely positioned to deliver healthy foods that can help America improve its wellness profile. “Food is medicine, and farmers play a significant role in wellness. I don’t think anything is wrong with an educated public demanding higher-quality foods. As farmers, we want to produce clean, healthy, and nutritious food.
“There is an excellent opportunity for grocery retailers to tell the stories of the farmers they partner with and the crops they produce. Farmers weren’t usually out front having these kinds of conversations, but since Covid, consumer curiosity has only grown. There is great marketing value in transparency,” she says.
Frey, widely known as ‘America’s Pumpkin Queen’ because she is the top producer of branded pumpkins in the U.S., says, “The more information farmers can share about our products, the better. It builds trust.” Other products from Frey Farms include watermelons, sweet corn, squash, romaine and iceberg lettuce, cabbage, celery, carrots, and broccoli.
A self-described ‘eternal optimist,’ Frey contends the opportunities for Midwest produce are endless. “The West will continue to face challenges where water is concerned; fortunately for Midwestern producers, we have an abundance. Few commodities can’t be produced in the Midwest, and I anticipate a continuation of seasonal production shifts from the West where the crops are a good fit. In certain growing pockets in the Midwest, irrigation is abundant.”
Technology Transforms Farming
Due in large measure to its central location, the Midwest plays a major role in supplying produce to both U.S. coasts and beyond. “Being located on the Great Lakes and so close to the Mississippi River, Chicago is a real hub for the agricultural industry. You can regularly see the freighters taking the goods out of Chicago,” says Mike Kostyo, who lives in Chicago and is vice president of Menu Matters, a foodservice consultancy based in Arlington, VT.
In a recent tour of Midwest farms, Kostyo took note of the technological advances on farms post-Covid. “There were so many companies that needed to modernize, and they did. I don’t think people realize how much money there is in technology on farms today. Tech solutions are almost more omnipresent and advanced in agriculture than any other areas of business,” he says.
In today’s farming landscape where any unforeseen weather event or bug infestation can doom a growing season, many landowners are concerned about how outstanding Midwestern farmland can retain its traditional role in agriculture.
Fred O’Connor owns and manages a 405-acre corn and soybean farm in Woodstock, IL. Given the farm’s location, which is a mere 90 minutes from downtown Chicago, the opportunity for significant financial rental income in the establishment of a community solar project is “a game-changer for our family,” says O’Connor.
“At the intersection of solar and agricultural production is a strategy known as agrivoltaics,” he explains. Inspired by Jack’s Solar Garden in Longmont, Colorado, O’Connor plans to build a 10-acre solar project — using higher-set solar panel architecture — to enable vegetable and fruit farming between and under the panels.
O’Connor sees an opportunity to both embrace change and honor the legacy of farming in his community. “Innovations on community solar farms can spur local economic development, provide jobs for farmers, and encourage entrepreneurship and innovation,” he says. His plan includes finding farmers to take over management of various parcels of acreage, and he hopes to encourage new farmers as he wants “to help them build skills and create a glide path for these new entrants and their ideas.
“With the increased consumer focus on healthy food choices, I think the timing is right for boutique farmers to deliver top organic quality which allows them to capture an appropriate market price premium,” he says.
Farming in a Changing World
Many of today’s boutique growers have indeed found that niche in both organic and non-organic produce by cutting out the middle man and selling their fruits and vegetables at weekly or bi-weekly farmer’s markets that typically run from April through November.
The effects of a changing climate and enhanced climate variability are already being seen across the Midwest, according to the USDA Midwest Climate Hub; over the past century, temperatures have risen across all seasons, growing seasons have become longer, weather patterns have changed, and extreme precipitation events have increased in frequency and severity.
Because of the sensitivity of agriculture to weather and climate conditions, these impacts can have substantial direct and indirect impacts on farm production and profitability.
Despite these weather worries there seems to be a consensus among Midwest farmers that the 2025 harvest season is on track for success. “We are forecasting it is going to be a good harvest. We had a more normal weather pattern this winter where it gradually got colder, and it stayed cold without any major heat interruptions,” says Schilling. “The fruit trees gradually went dormant and stayed dormant, and there haven’t been many warm days in a row,” she says.
Frey concurs, “We had an exceptionally cold winter with a lot of snowfall, and that’s really good. It cuts down on the bad bugs; so we’ll see how the planting season evolves.”
Kostyo points to the changing climate as an influencer of Midwest agriculture. “As the climates are changing, it is opening up some parts of the Midwest. Michigan is a good example. The state is growing more grapes and producing better wines,” he says. “Now that we are seeing northern climates warm up, we’re seeing more stone fruit being grown there than we used to.”
Not surprisingly, Midwest farmers also contend with other thorny challenges. For Frey, a major concern is the lack of a steady labor pool. “Access to the workforce has always been a worry, and it’s not unique to farmers. In the Midwest, it’s tougher because we are not talking about border states.”
Schilling agrees labor is cause for concern. Citing the regulations and cost of the H-2A visa program that allows U.S. employers to bring foreign workers for temporary agricultural jobs, she notes it’s almost cost-prohibitive. “The costs for everything have gone up, and it greatly affects farmers because we are cost acceptors,” she says. “All of the things we need to farm are costing more, and what we are receiving remains the same.”
Kostyo also emphasizes challenges inherent in farming. “A lot of farms only make it because of the subsidies. It is so tough, and at the end of the day, we grow a lot of produce in this country and one bad year has the ability to wipe a farm out. Labor is also an issue and, yes, we have robots, but there are a lot of things in farming that require the human hand,” he says.
Schilling says greenhouse production and vertical farms will factor hugely in the future of Midwest produce. “Both are trending up, and growing things in a controlled environment is easier because you are in full control. It’s a lot easier to control your inputs and costs,” she says.
Frey agrees both will play a bigger role in the future of Midwest farming. “I think there is a big future with greenhouses, and you do have a lot more control. “Why didn’t I start a business with a roof over it?” she asks. “It certainly takes the uncertainty out of it.”
