Geothermal is leading the effort to provide a heating and cooling source that preserves earth’s resources.
Geothermal is the greener alternative. The Department of Energy considers it a “vital, clean energy resource” that “emits little or no greenhouse gas—all while requiring a small environmental footprint to develop.” WaterFurnace geothermal units use earth’s natural underground heat to keep your home comfortable, the sustainable way.
Geothermal is the only renewable that provides reliable operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
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EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Casey Clark
EDITOR: Christine Dorr
GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Karreen Bird
RECIPE EDITOR: Christin McKamey
COPY EDITOR: Yvette Pecha
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Emily Haines Lloyd
PUBLISHER: Michigan Electric Cooperative Association
Michigan Country Lines, USPS-591-710, is published monthly, except August and December, with periodicals postage paid at Lansing, Mich., and additional offices. It is the official publication of the Michigan Electric Cooperative Association, 201 Townsend St., Suite 900, Lansing, MI 48933.
Subscriptions are authorized for members of Alger Delta, Cherryland, Great Lakes, HomeWorks Tri-County, Midwest Energy & Communications, Ontonagon, Presque Isle, and Thumb electric cooperatives by their boards of directors.
Postmaster: Send all UAA to CFS.
Association Officers: Tom Sobeck, Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op, chairman; Gabe Schneider, Cherryland Electric Cooperative, vice chairman; Chris O’Neill, HomeWorks TriCounty Cooperative, secretary-treasurer; Craig Borr, president and CEO.
CONTACT US/LETTERS TO EDITOR: Michigan Country Lines 201 Townsend St., Suite 900 Lansing, MI 48933 248-534-7358 editor@countrylines.com
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Instagram contest winner
Nature’s masterpiece on display at the Eben Ice Caves. @dougjulian (Doug Julian)
6 NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S NATURAL TREASURE: THE PETOSKEY STONE
Why these fossilized formations 350 million years in the making are in such high demand.
10 MI CO-OP KITCHEN
Vegetarian: Meat-free and delicious recipes.
14 BIG BLUE BUSINESS: MICHIGAN’S BLUEBERRY INDUSTRY
Ideal terrain, a generational legacy of farmers, and the Michigan Blueberry Commission help these tiny berries make a $500 million impact.
To enter contests, submit reader content & more, visit countrylines.com/community
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Recipe Contest
See details on page 10. One-Pan Meals due May 1; Chocolate due July 1
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Guest Column
Share your fondest memories and stories. Win $200 for stories published. Visit countrylines.com/community to submit.
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Howard Bowersox, Chairman, District 8 219-670-0977 hbowersox@glenergy.com
Mark Carson, Vice Chairman, District 2 231-675-0561 mcarson@glenergy.com
Paul Byl, Secretary, District 7 231-861-5911 pbyl@glenergy.com
Dale Farrier, Treasurer, District 5 231-564-0853 dfarrier@glenergy.com
Janet Andersen, Director, District 6 231-690-4622 jandersen@glenergy.com
David Coveyou, Director, District 1 231-347-4056 dcoveyou@glenergy.com
Richard Evans, Director, District 3 231-883-3146 revans@glenergy.com
John LaForge, Director, District 9 269-623-2284 jlaforge@glenergy.com
Shelly Pinkelman, Director, District 4 989-390-6222 spinkelman@glenergy.com
PRESIDENT/CEO: Shaun Lamp 888-485-2537
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR/EDITOR:
Brett Streby 231-487-1389 • bstreby@glenergy.com
BOYNE CITY HEADQUARTERS
1323 Boyne Ave. Boyne City, MI 49712 Call center hours:: 7 a.m.–5:30 p.m. M–F Phone: 888-485-2537 Email: glenergy@glenergy.com
TO REPORT AN OUTAGE: Call 888-485-2537 or login to your account at gtlakes.com.
Change of Address: 888-485-2537, ext. 8924
Great Lakes Energy is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
As a father, it’s important to me that I help ensure my family has a safe, secure, and sustainable environment to call home. On a small scale, that means making sure the heat, plumbing, and electricity work and that our home is well maintained to keep us safe from the elements.
I feel much the same way about my role here at GLE. We are stewards of an organization born more than 85 years ago from a cooperative effort to bring electricity to rural communities. The GLE team does not take lightly the responsibility to ensure the cooperative continues to provide a safe, secure, and sustainable environment for our members and the communities we serve.
With another Earth Day on the horizon, I can’t help but think about how interconnected our personal and business environments are to the global environment we all share. They all affect each other.
At GLE, our commitment to the environment isn’t just something we think about around Earth Day. It’s an ongoing effort. About 60% of the energy GLE supplies comes from carbon-free sources. About 17% is generated by wind and solar sources, and those numbers are expected to increase in the coming years.
We have integrated many energy efficiency programs into our daily operations. This includes everything from automatic lighting control systems in our offices to recently adding two hybrid vehicles to our truck fleet—with more to come.
We hold ourselves to many high standards. Among them are 10 state-mandated performance standards. In 2022, GLE met all 10 of these standards. The efforts we make to regularly meet these standards not only help us provide better service for our members, but we are also improving our efficiency and impact on the environment. For example, the many steps we take to improve reliability mean fewer outages, which means fewer trucks on the road doing restorations.
We offer many ways for our members to get in on going green. In addition to our Energy Wise program, which offers members many rebate incentives on the purchase of energy-efficient products, members can also sign up for e-billing, eliminating the need to send you a paper bill in the mail. One paper bill might not seem like much, but if you consider that GLE has more than 126,000 members spread out across portions of 26 counties, a combined effort can make a big difference over time.
Whether it’s something as small as turning off a light when you leave the room, choosing e-billing, or something on a much larger scale, there are many ways we can all be good stewards of our environment to make sure it’s safe for many generations to come.
“The efforts we make to regularly meet these standards not only help us provide better service for our members, but we are also improving our efficiency and impact on the environment.”
If you’re a regular Michigan Country Lines reader, you’ve probably read about the energy savings that heat pump home heating and cooling and water heating systems offer. But did you know the same energysaving technology is now available in clothes dryers?
Unlike a traditional clothes dryer which heats air using electric coils and then vents the warm, damp air outside your home, the air inside a heat pump clothes dryer circulates in a closed loop. In a heat pump dryer, air is heated as it passes through a condenser—much like a refrigerator’s. The warm air then circulates around your damp clothes as they tumble in the dryer and then passes through an evaporator, which removes the moisture from the air. The still-warm air then returns to the condenser, and the cycle repeats until your clothes are dry.
At the end of the cycle, all that’s left to do is empty the water collection tank and get ready for the next load.
In addition to using about half the energy of a traditional electric clothes dryer, heat pump clothes dryers can be placed just about anywhere in your home because they don’t require outside venting.
Although heat pump dryers typically cost more than traditional models, Great Lakes Energy’s Energy Wise program is here to help. New in 2023, the program now offers GLE members a rebate of up to $400 for the purchase of a qualified ENERGY STAR heat pump clothes dryer.
For more information about this rebate and many others offered through the Energy Wise program, visit gtlakes.com/energy-wise. Rebate redemption forms may be downloaded and submitted through the same site.
Two family farms served by Great Lakes Energy were recently certified as a “Sesquicentennial Farm,” and another was recently certified as a “Centennial Farm.”
The Charles Hackert Farm, which was certified as a “Sesquicentennial Farm” on Jan. 4, 2023, was founded on May 2, 1870, near Ludington in Mason County. The current owner of the farm is Linda Hackert.
The Hyman H. Haskin Farm, which was certified as a “Sesquicentennial Farm” on Nov. 15, 2022, was founded on July 1, 1869, near Fife Lake in Kalkaska County. The current owner of the farm is Mae Anderson.
The John and Barbara Kudej Farm, which was certified as a “Centennial Farm” on Oct. 17, 2022, was founded on Sept. 19, 1921, near Wayland in Allegan County. The current owner of the farm is James Kudej.
Great Lakes Energy is a sponsor of the Michigan Centennial Farm Program that honors Great Lakes Energy members and other Michigan residents whose farms have been owned and operated by the same family for 100 years for Centennial Farms and 150 years for Sesquicentennial Farms. Once a farm is certified, the owners receive a certificate as well as a display marker for their farm. GLE members can request an application or receive more information about the program by contacting The Historical Society of Michigan at (517) 324-1828, or by visiting the organization’s website, www.centennialfarms.org.
When you think of searching out fossilized rock formations, you’re likely to conjure movie icons like Indiana Jones, Dr. Alan Grant, or Lara Croft. But along the coastlines in northern Michigan, you’ll see plenty of regular people flocking to the beaches and shoreline to do just that, in search of the state’s favored Petoskey Stone.
As told by the Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau, well before dinosaurs roamed the earth, over 350 million years ago,
the land we know as Michigan was located near the equator. Covered by a warm, shallow, saltwater sea, the colonial coral hexagonaria percarinata thrived with other marine life in tropical reefs. The earth’s plates moved and pushed Michigan north to the 45th parallel and above sea level, which created dry land formations. More recently, about 2 million years ago, glacial action scraped the earth and spread the fossils across the northern Lower Peninsula, depositing major concentrations in the
Petoskey area. The prehistoric fossil is called the Petoskey Stone, and it became Michigan’s official state stone in 1965.
While the history lesson is cool, what makes the Petoskey Stone such a coveted treasure by visitors and residents alike?
“Petoskey Stones are unique looking, and actually quite easy to spot on the beach,” said Jim Powell, the bureau’s executive director. “But I tell
“Whileyou’rebusylookingdownatthesand,rocks,andwaterfront, don’tforgettolookupeveryonceinawhile.There’ssomuch naturalbeautytotakeinallaroundyou.”
you, once you find your first one—you get hooked.”
Both the stone and the town that is home to this geological treasure are named in honor of a local chief of the Odawa Nation and well-respected businessman, Chief Ignatius Petoskey, and symbolize the area’s rich history. Whether people are walking along the water’s edge or visiting the town from out of state, the sheer number of gift shops and stores offering the stones or trinkets made out of the fossils speaks to the demand for the keepsake.
“We’ll get people in at the visitor’s center on a drizzly day wondering what to do,” said Powell. “I tell them, consider it good luck because that’s the best time to look for Petoskey Stones.”
With the faint outline on the stone, you can sometimes miss the intricate
fossilized coral imprint. However, the outline becomes clearer and easier to find when the stones are wet. Which often leads to the question—are Petoskey Stones hard to find? Powell says, “no.”
“Each spring, after the ice recedes, the weather, wind, and waves bring new stones to the surface,” said Powell. “By the end of summer, they may seem pretty picked over, but one good storm can always stir up more.”
Powell adds, “While you’re busy looking down at the sand, rocks, and waterfront, don’t forget to look up every once in a while. There’s so much natural beauty to take in all around you.”
This is just one of many tips the Visitors Bureau can offer. Powell has several helpful suggestions if you’re a newbie rock hound.
Always be careful and mind your surroundings— especially if you’re walking on rocks, which can be slippery. Also, keep an eye out for wave action, and don’t get too close to the breakwater.
Be aware of your location. While public beaches and parks offer full access to visitors, make sure you haven’t wandered onto someone’s private property. Bayfront Park or Magnus Park are good places to start.
Is there a limit if you’ve gotten the hang of Petoskey Stone hunting? According to the Michigan DNR, you are only allowed to remove 25 pounds of stones per year. So, unless you’ve got some massive plan for making a Petoskey Stonehenge—consider leaving some for other rock hunters.
As we said, spring is the optimal season, but you might find some newly turned rocks after a big storm. Bring along a bucket or other container to carry back your finds. Also, pack a garbage bag to pick up trash along the way. It’s the best way to thank the land for your treasures.
Petoskey Stones are beautiful just as they are, but they can also be sanded or polished with rock polish or mineral oil. Never put a Petoskey Stone in a rock tumbler. They are highly porous and will disintegrate— putting all your hard work to waste.
If you’re planning on being in the area, check out the Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau website to help make it a trip to remember—PetoskeyArea.com.
Nominating petitions are available in three districts for Great Lakes Energy (GLE) members who wish to seek election to the cooperative’s board of directors.
Three board positions, each for three years, will need to be filled. Qualifying GLE members who reside in districts 3, 4, or 5 can seek election to the board.
Counties by district are:
District 3 – Antrim County
District 4 – Crawford, Montmorency, Oscoda, and Otsego counties
District 5 – Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Manistee, Missaukee, and Wexford counties
The terms of directors Ric Evans of Ellsworth (District 3), Shelly Pinkelman of Frederic (District 4), and Dale Farrier of Kalkaska (District 5) expire this year. The three incumbents plan to seek reelection.
To get a name on the ballot, qualifying member-owners of the electric cooperative who maintain a primary residence within its service area must file a nominating petition.
Petitions must be signed by at least 50 active GLE members within the candidate’s district. Completed petitions are due by noon on June 9, 2023, at the GLE office in Boyne City. Visit gtlakes.com/board-of-directors to request a petition or learn more.
Great Lakes Energy members elect a candidate from within their district to the cooperative’s board of directors once every three years.
Find the district in which you reside below to determine when you will receive a mail-in ballot that will accompany the annual election issue of Michigan Country Lines. Watch for information about a new online voting option in an upcoming edition.
2023 Election
District 3 – Antrim County
District 4 – Crawford, Montmorency, Oscoda, and Otsego counties
District 5 – Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Manistee, Missaukee, and Wexford counties
2024 Election
District 1 – Emmet County
District 2 – Charlevoix and Cheboygan counties
District 7 – Muskegon and Oceana counties
2025 Election
District 6 – Lake and Mason counties
District 8 – Clare, Mecosta, and Osceola counties
District 9 – Allegan, Barry, Kent, and Montcalm counties
Enter to win a $200 energy bill credit!
Submit Your “Backyard Farming” photos By April 20
Each month, members can submit photos on our website for our photo contest. The photo with the most votes is published here, along with other selections. Our April theme is Backyard Farming. Photos can be submitted by April 20 to be featured in the June issue.
Enter the contest at gtlakes.com/photocontest/. Make sure to vote and encourage others to vote for you, too. The photo receiving the most votes will be printed in an issue of Michigan Country Lines along with other favorites. All photos printed in the magazine in 2023 will be entered into a drawing to win a $200 bill credit in December 2023.
MOST VOTES!
1. It’s not cold Dad, let’s play, Robert Dunlap, Marion
2. Hawkeye ready for his winter walk, James Knight, Kalkaska
3. Sweet snuggles, Candice Wires, Charlevoix
4. Lily and Gracie, James Mayo, Boyne Falls
5. Buster, the rescue dog, Heather Lovell, Grayling
6. Digging for gold, Nicole Bush, Muskegon
Meat-free and delicious.
Recipe Contest
Win a $100 energy bill credit!
One-Pan Meals due May 1; Chocolate due July 1
Submit your favorite recipe for a chance to win a $100 bill credit and have your recipe featured in Country Lines with a photo and a video. Submit your recipe at micoopkitchen.com , or send it via email (include your full name and co-op) to recipes@countrylines.com
Katie Schneider, Midwest Energy
1 tablespoon olive oil + 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 (16-ounce) package shelf-stable gnocchi
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
¾ cup white wine or vegetable broth
2 cups baby spinach
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes (use fire roasted for a little kick)
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
½ tablespoon dried parsley
½ tablespoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• vegan mozzarella cheese, optional
• fresh basil, optional
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi, stirring often, and cook until plump and starting to brown, 7–10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil, onion and carrots to the pan. Stir often over medium heat for 4–5 minutes. Stir in garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add white wine or vegetable broth; stir to deglaze pan. Add spinach and cook, stirring, until starting to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans, parsley, oregano, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then add gnocchi back to the pan. Cover and cook about 3 minutes. Serve immediately with vegan mozzarella and/or fresh basil on top as desired.
Watch a video of this month’s winning recipe at micoopkitchen.com/videos
(“Bending” the traditional with a few flavorful additions...) Dwain Abramowski, Great Lakes Energy
3–4 tablespoons organic margarine, coconut oil, or olive oil (do not overheat olive oil)
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 large celery stalk, finely chopped
1 medium onion, medium chopped
4–5 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons minced ginger
1–2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon sugar (enhances tang of the lime)
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1–2 (14-ounce) cans fire roasted tomatoes
1–1½ cup dried lentils (whatever kind you have on hand)
2½ cups water + 3 tablespoons veggie bouillon mixed in
1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk (or coconut cream, but may need to add more water)
¼ –½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (several grinds)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1–3 tablespoons lime juice
In a skillet over medium heat, add margarine and/or oils, carrots, and celery. Cook until vegetables are a bit soft (don’t overcook). Add onion and a bit of salt; cook until onions are soft. With heat on low, add garlic, ginger, curry powder, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, 2–5 minutes. Add the cans of tomatoes, lentils, water/stock, coconut milk, salt, black pepper and turmeric. Bring to boil, cover and reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook until the lentils are tender, 25 to 35 minutes. If soup is too thick, stir in a bit more veggie stock. Or for a thicker soup, add more coconut milk or cream to your desired consistency. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice. Experiment to get your favorite blend of spices. Don’t skimp on the lentils (I like my soup thicker). Store leftover soup in the fridge for up to 4 days. If it thickens too much in the fridge, stir in a little more liquid while reheating. Can be frozen. Enjoy!
Kathi McGookey, Great Lakes Energy
1 cup dried portobello mushrooms
2 cups boiling water
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1 (32-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 (16-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12-ounce) bag frozen vegetable crumbles (I use Boca or Morningstar)
2 teaspoons mild chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 vegetable bouillon cube (I use Knorr), crumbled or chopped into pieces
1 (12-ounce) bag frozen corn (no thawing necessary) or 1 (15-ounce) can corn, drained
Break dried mushrooms into medium pieces and put in a heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over mushrooms, cover, and set aside to soften for about 20 minutes. Put all remaining ingredients, except the corn, into a 7-quart pot; also include the water that the mushrooms have been soaking in. Stir well to distribute the spices evenly. Place the pot on the stove, and bring to a boil. Then turn down the heat, cover the pot, and simmer until the carrots and mushrooms are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep the chili from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add the corn at the end of the cooking time. If you like a thinner chili, add a bit more water at the end of the cooking time. If you double this recipe, only one bag of veggie crumbles is enough.
2 cups marinara sauce
Kathryn Ross, Thumb Electric
9 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed
15 ounces cottage cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 350 F. Ladle about 1 cup marinara on the bottom of the pan. Cook noodles according to package directions. Combine spinach, cottage cheese,
Parmesan, egg, salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out lasagna noodles. Make sure the noodles are dry. Take 1–2 tablespoons of the cottage cheese mixture and spread evenly over noodles. Roll carefully and place seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles. Ladle remaining sauce over the noodles and top each one with mozzarella cheese. Put foil over baking dish and bake for 40 minutes or until cheese melts. Makes 9 rolls. To serve, ladle a little sauce on the plate and top with lasagna roll.
Great Lakes Energy’s service area is filled with groups who are all about offering a helping hand to people, pets, or Mother Nature.
But sometimes even the people doing this good work might need a little help of their own as they make a difference in the community. That’s at the core of two grants the Great Lakes Energy’s People Fund provided to the Grass River Natural Area near Bellaire in 2022.
Located about five miles south of Bellaire in Antrim County, the Grass River Natural Area is a 1,492-acre nature preserve surrounding the Grass River. Along with the beautiful views of Grass River, the area also offers seven miles of wellmaintained trails including 1.5 miles of boardwalk floating above northern fen and cedar wetlands. With these natural features, Grass River Natural Area offers visitors an outdoor living laboratory to explore and learn. The Grass River Center is open year-round, offering a comfortable learning environment for public programming, school field trips, camps, and more.
The nonprofit organization that oversees the preserve received two People Fund grants in 2022, including $1,350 for infrared traffic counters and $2,000 for an emergency radio.
Although at first glance it might not be obvious how these grants will benefit the preserve, organization executive director Jenn Wright said both will be very useful for staff and volunteers who work at the sprawling facility.
Jenn explained that volunteers play a key role in keeping the preserve protected, well maintained, and managed. One key function these volunteers perform during warmweather months is trekking deep into the swampy reaches of the property to do survey work. These teams use an app to catalog the locations of the notable plants and animals they see, being particularly vigilant to note any invasive species that might need to be addressed. They are also on the lookout for evidence of potentially damaging human activity, such as off-road vehicle use, littering, unauthorized hunting blinds, and other activities not allowed on the property.
Much of the area where these teams of three to five volunteers do their work includes very thick brush and wetlands. Some areas are only accessible by kayak. Jenn said recent discussions among staff and volunteers highlighted the fact that cell phone service is spotty at best
in some portions of the preserve. That means if a volunteer had a medical emergency while way out in these remote areas, they’d have no way to call for help. The solution to this communication concern was to purchase a handheld radio that will allow volunteers to connect directly with staff at Antrim County Central Dispatch. Jenn noted that the same radio will be used by work crews when they visit some of these same remote areas for tasks such as removing invasive species.
“The radio is a great tool that provides not only peace of mind, but could become very important in an emergency situation,” Jenn said.
The Grass River Natural Area’s large size and year-round availability to the public make deciding how and where to focus improvement and maintenance efforts a major challenge for the organization. With limited resources, the board and staff want to make sure they are targeting their efforts for projects, programming, and fundraising to the greatest benefit for the property and the many visitors it draws each year.
One way the staff does this is by using infrared traffic counters placed at strategic locations throughout the property. The devices are simple: They collect data on how many people pass a particular location during a given period of time. One counter measures the traffic to the property, while others measure traffic at specific locations around the preserve. The grant paid for the replacement of one counter and the addition of a few more.
In one example, Jenn said data collected through the counters showed only about 25% of users actually go into the education center, where information about the property and the organization is available. This data prompted staff to create a series of informational signs and several brochures that are strategically placed outside the building to provide information that many visitors might otherwise miss.
“Our mission is to make connections with people. We want to educate and inspire them to protect not just this preserve, but also nature in general. This helps us do that even when we aren’t here," Jenn said.
The counters also showed that visits to the preserve went up by 30% during the height of COVID-19 restrictions. Jenn said this type of information is a valuable tool for fundraising because it shows just how important the preserve is to people. Similar data is being used to help bolster fundraising efforts for an ongoing initiative to replace the boardwalk, which was originally built in the 1980s.
The preserve continues to grow in popularity. In fact, thanks to the counters, the organization knows it set a record in 2022, eclipsing the 40,000-visitor mark for the first time.
Jenn said one of the many things that makes the Grass River Natural Area such a special place is that it represents a wide array of habitats found in the area.
“It really is the quintessential northern Michigan landscape and, thanks to our trails and the boardwalk, people are able to get out into areas where they would not be able to access otherwise,” she said. “We are sort of a hidden gem. It’s a really special place.”
For much more information about the Grass River Natural Area, visit the organization’s website at grassriver.org or its regularly updated Facebook page at facebook.com/GrassRiverNaturalArea .
“It really is the quintessential northern Michigan landscape and, thanks to our trails and the boardwalk, people are able to get out into areas where they would not be able to access otherwise.”
Over 13,000 years ago, tiny azure berries were located on leafy bushes and enjoyed by indigenous Americans gathering food. Back then, blueberries were referred to as “star berries” or “star fruit” because of the five-point star that is created on the blossoming end. They were eaten fresh, as well as smoked—in order to keep for the less “fruitful” winter months. The blueberry that we know and love in our pies, muffins, and parfaits has a rich history in our country as one of the few fruits indigenous to North America.
That history continues here in Michigan, which is one of the largest growers in the United States. While final numbers from 2022 are not yet available, our 20,000 bearing acres produce somewhere between 75 and
100 million pounds annually. Those pounds of fresh fruit are grown and harvested on the nearly 600 familyrun farms across the state—many of them overseen by third- or fourthgeneration growers.
“The generational legacy of blueberry farms in Michigan is pretty impressive,” said Nancy Nyquist, executive director of the Michigan Blueberry Commission. “These growers have such an amazing commitment to the land, their communities, and to this relatively close-knit industry.”
While geographically, the blueberry industry may feel cozy, the impact on our state is far-reaching. Nyquist says blueberries have about a $500 million impact on our state’s economy.
“A half a billion dollars generated from this tiny berry is pretty impressive,” said Nyquist. “Especially because blueberries are only being harvested for a few months out of the year in Michigan.”
While there are blueberry farms across the state, the densest areas of growth are in the southwest part of the Lower Peninsula, where the sandy soil and climate, which are moderated by the lake, produce perfect growing conditions. Of course, there is the hope that conditions will continue to be optimal and that there may be room for growth in the industry.
This is where the Michigan Blueberry Commission comes into place. It helps to leverage funding to support testing, research, and projects that can support the industry. The organization has been able to invest back into the blueberry industry to the tune of $900,000 through research grants. They assess certain challenges like a recent spotted wing drosophila influx, an insect that damages blueberry crops. They then determine how to limit the chemistry that is used to control the pests. Nyquist says the commission is starting to see the results of its efforts.
“The commission was developed to improve the economic position and competitiveness of the Michigan Blueberry industry—and we are
“ The commission was developed to improve the economic position and competitiveness of the Michigan Blueberry industry---and we are doing this by supporting research, education, and promotional programs to ensure that Michigan has the best blueberries.”
doing this by supporting research, education, and promotional programs to ensure that Michigan has the best blueberries,” she said.
While the commission is making efforts to grow the industry, Nyquist notes that blueberry lovers can help as well by reading labels in their local grocery store for Michigan-grown berries, grabbing fresh pints at the farmer’s market, or heading out with friends and family to enjoy a local U-Pick farm.
“We want our blueberry growers to succeed,” said Nyquist. “They go out every day with generations of experience and knowledge, and they put it all on the line because they have a passion and a desire to provide food for the families they serve. They’re proud of their work, and they should be.”
When Earth Day rolls around each year, for many people, it serves as a good reminder to look for changes they can make in their daily lives to help the environment. Although some steps are easier to take than others, Great Lakes Energy offers an easy way to help save time, money, and the environment all at the same time: paperless billing.
When you sign up to receive your bills from GLE electronically, you’ll no longer receive a paper bill in the mail each month. Instead, you’ll get an email when you have a new statement available. You can then log in to your online account or the GLE mobile app to review and pay your bill. Members who chose paperless billing are not only helping save trees, but they are also saving themselves time, the cost of postage and checks, and some clutter around the house.
Enrolling in paperless billing is easy.
Through your online account:
• Log in.
• Click on “My information” under the “My Profile” tab.
• Click on “Update my paperless settings.”
There’s more!
Through the GLE mobile app:
• Log in.
• From the “Home” screen, tap on “More.”
• Tap on “Settings.”
• Tap on “Paperless billing.”
Don’t have an online account or the mobile app?
Setting up an online account is easy.
• Visit gtlakes.com.
• Click on the red “Login to Your Account” link.
• On the next page, click on “New User” link.
• On the next page, enter your account information and email address.
• Click “Submit” and follow the remaining prompts.
• Complete instructions for creating your online account are available online at gtlakes.com/accountinformation/.
The GLE mobile app is available for both iOS and Android devices. Setting it up is just as easy.
• Download the GLE mobile app to your device.
• Open the app.
• If you’ve already set up your online account, the login information is the same.
• If you don’t have an online account, tap on the “Register now” link on the login screen.
• Enter the required information and follow the remaining prompts.
All it takes is a few minutes and a few clicks, keystrokes, or taps. You’ll be on your way to joining thousands of other GLE members enjoying the convenience, cost savings, and environmental conservation that paperless billing offers. When it comes to helping the planet, small changes made by many people can make a big difference.
Besides serving as your path to paperless billing, many other useful and time-saving features are available through your online account and the mobile app. Some examples include outage reporting, energy use monitoring, notification management, automatic bill payment, and much more.
When the power goes out, we go to work right away to get your power turned on as quickly and safely as possible.
GLE exceeds all 10 state performance standards
Great Lakes Energy exceeded all of the 10 state-mandated standards for electric service and reliability in 2022.
Thousands of Great Lakes Energy members are benefiting from improvements in reliability and service. It has led to our success in meeting all 10 state performance standards in nine of the last 16 years. The addition of more line protection devices, the use of new technologies, improvements to major line circuits, and ongoing vegetation management to limit tree damage to power lines are all helping to get the lights back on safely and more quickly for members during storms.
The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) requires electric utilities to report annually how well they are able to meet standards established to protect consumers from unacceptable levels of electric service and reliability. Standards to help measure utility performance in emergency outage situations are included.
Complaint Response. A utility must respond in three business days or less to at least 90% of any formal complaints filed against it with the MPSC.
GLE score: 100%
Call Blockage. No more than 5% of incoming calls should receive a busy signal.
GLE score: 0.83%
Meter Reading. At least 85% of the meters must be read within the approved time period.
GLE score: 99.55%
Wire Down Relief Factor. At least 90% of the time, a utility must respond within four hours to nonutility employees, such as firefighters, who request relief from guarding a downed power line.
GLE score: 100%
New Service Installation.
At least 90% of new services must be installed in 15 business days or less. Great Lakes Energy handled 1,742 new service installations last year, excluding those installed in combination with primary lines.
GLE score: 96.88%
Average Call Answer Time. Call must be answered on average in less than 90 seconds. In 2022, the cooperative handled more than 220,000 calls through its call center and outage and operator queues.
GLE score: 28 seconds
Outage Restoration (Normal Conditions). At least 90% of the customers should have their power restored in eight hours or less.
GLE score: 97.59%
Outage Restoration (Catastrophic Conditions). At least 90% of the customers should have their power restored in 60 hours or less.
GLE score: 100%
State rules define catastrophic conditions as either severe weather conditions that result in service interruptions to at least 10% of a utility’s customers or events of sufficient magnitude that result in a government-issued state of emergency declaration.
Outage Restoration (All Conditions). Power should be restored to at least 90% of the customers in 36 hours or less under normal and catastrophic conditions.
GLE score: 99.01%
Same Circuit Repetitive Interruption. No more than 5% of the utility’s electric circuits should experience five or more outages in a 12-month period.
GLE score: 0.93%
Getting the lights back on quickly is another way
Great Lakes Energy looks out for you.
IN-PERSON EXPEDITIONS WILL TAKE PLACE IN JULY AND AUGUST
Michigan electric cooperatives believe there should be “No Barriers” for veterans with disabilities. That’s the name and idea behind CoBank’s No Barriers initiative. Michigan cooperatives are looking for qualified veterans* from our local community to participate.
No Barriers is a five-day, all-expenses-paid expedition in Colorado, designed to help veterans with disabilities transform their lives through curriculum-based experiences in challenging environments (climbing, rafting, and hiking).
If you are a disabled veteran, or you know of a disabled veteran in our community who would like to participate in the No Barriers program, please complete the form on our website: countrylines.com/nobarriers
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