Fruit Ridge (also known as The Ridge) is a topographical land feature and growing region in
West Michigan
West Michigan and Western Michigan are terms for an arbitrary region in the U.S. state of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Most narrowly it refers to the Grand Rapids- Muskegon-Holland area, and more broadly to most of the region along the Lower Pe ...
. The area is so named for its extensive agricultural activity, specifically because of its fruit production.
Agriculture
It is considered to be an "agricultural mecca" as its unique features make it one of the prime fruit-growing regions in the world. The area's deposits of fertile clay
loam soils with excellent moisture holding qualities, elevation of greater than , and its proximity to
Lake Michigan; creates a unique climate and provides great soil and terrain for the growing of premium fruits and vegetables.
The Ridge is well known for apple production; in 2006 the area accounted for 65% of all Michigan apple production.
Geography
The Ridge is approximately wide and long covering in portions of
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
,
Newaygo,
Muskegon
Muskegon ( ') is a city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Muskegon County. Muskegon is known for fishing, sailing regattas, pleasure boating, and as a commercial and cruise ship port. It is a popular vacation destination because of the expans ...
, and
Ottawa counties
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
. It extends from
Walker
Walker or The Walker may refer to:
People
* Walker (given name)
*Walker (surname)
* Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer
Places
In the United States
*Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County
*Walker, Mono County, California ...
in the south; to
Grant
Grant or Grants may refer to:
Places
*Grant County (disambiguation)
Australia
* Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia
United Kingdom
* Castle Grant
United States
* Grant, Alabama
* Grant, Inyo County, ...
in the North, and is primarily centered on
Sparta
Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...
; the location of the
Old Orchard Juice Company. Fruit Ridge Avenue was named after it.
Renewable energy
In addition to agricultural practices, Fruit Ridge is also becoming an area of interest for the construction of commercial
wind farms
Wind is the natural movement of air or other gases relative to a planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heating of land surfaces and lasting a few h ...
.
Iberdrola Renewables of Spain has installed a tower of nearly on the ridge to test whether the wind is strong enough to produce a steady flow of electricity. Company officials hope to build 30 to 35 towers in the area. The Ridge is an area of interest because of the availability of straight line winds, existing
high-voltage
High voltage electricity refers to electrical potential large enough to cause injury or damage. In certain industries, ''high voltage'' refers to voltage above a certain threshold. Equipment and Electrical conductor, conductors that carry high ...
transmission lines
In electrical engineering, a transmission line is a specialized cable or other structure designed to conduct electromagnetic waves in a contained manner. The term applies when the conductors are long enough that the wave nature of the transmis ...
, and farmers eager to preserve agriculture on the ridge. Heritage Sustainable Energy of
Traverse City
Traverse City ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population was ...
has also been securing wind rights leases in the Fruit Ridge Area. It is estimated that landowners will receive from $3,000 to $5,000 per year per megawatt.
Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program
In 2005, International baby food manufacturer
Gerber Products Company
Gerber Products Company is an American purveyor of baby food and baby products headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, with plans to relocate to Arlington, Virginia. Gerber is a subsidiary of Nestlé.
Other Gerber products currently produced ...
as well as
Pacific Biocontrol, and
Michigan State University all were working with area apple packers to develop a region-wide
codling moth
The codling moth (''Cydia pomonella'') is a member of the Lepidopteran family Tortricidae. They are major pests to agricultural crops, mainly fruits such as apples and pears. Because the larvae are not able to feed on leaves, they are highly d ...
mating disruption program. This pest, which has been a major apple pest for many years, is developing documented resistance to the
organophosphate insecticides
Insecticides are substances used to kill insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against insect eggs and larvae, respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and by consumers. Insecticides are claimed t ...
.
[{{cite web, title=Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program - Gerber Products Company's 2006 Strategy , publisher =Environment Protection Agency, url = http://www.epa.gov/pestwise/pesp/members/strategies/gerber_product_company.pdf , accessdate = 2012-04-14 ]
References
External links
Fruit Ridge Center, USGS Topographic MapRidge Economic Agricultural Partners
West Michigan
Regions of Michigan
Geography of Michigan