Look at a map of the United States and you can tell right away what makes Michigan special. Its boundaries don’t bleed seamlessly into other states. It’s insulated by massive lakes and a peaceful international border, nestled snugly at the top of the Midwest.
It’s the perfect place to develop an identity. And we certainly have one. We love good weather and water and the outdoors, but can wait out a tough winter. We’re people who want to make things and share our handiwork. We don’t reside here for the easy living; we stay here because we want to. And even if we leave, we carry Michigan in our hearts. (And we always have a map to point out places in the Lower Peninsula: our right hand.)
That fondness for our home state only got stronger in 2007, when recession threatened our already hard-hit state and local businesses stressed the importance of buying made-in-Michigan products. Not only did we listen to that message, we’ve kept listening.
In the process, we discovered what we already knew: Michigan is a marvelously productive place. It’s the perfect state for those who want to eat locally: Next to California, we have more agricultural diversity than any other state. And we know how to enjoy it: From Ironwood to Luna Pier, Michigan brims over with festivals, food, and other fun. We’ve emerged in the last decade as a great beer state, with wine, tea and other beverages on the rise. And on top of all that’s happening right now, we have three centuries of history that have furnished us with historic buildings and precious museums. You name it, and somebody here is making it, or has made it, including art, writing, music, and more.
That’s why we dove in and searched for some of the best stuff our productive peninsulas have to offer, and compiled it in this year’s Made in Michigan guide. We believe you’ll feel some part of the pride that we did, that certainty that Michigan is something special worth safeguarding.
This article appears in Aug 12-18, 2015.
