Types of Produce Grown Around the Great Lakes

The Great Lakes region is, in a word, massive.

The ancient ice age glaciers that tore apart the ground and left giant lakes in their wake also created a watershed that sustains the plant life, animals and people who call the Great Lakes home. So much of the economic value in the states around the lakes comes from the crops grown around the area, and it makes the region a powerhouse when it comes to supporting other industries that have planted their roots here. 

Here’s a snapshot of the agricultural industries around the Great Lakes, as well as the four largest crops grown here!

Agricultural profile of the Great Lakes Basin

There are plenty of watersheds, aquifers and basins in the world, all of which collect vital freshwater that feed the ecosystems around them. 

Don’t let anyone tell you that an aquifer, watershed and basin are the same, though. Aquifers are areas of rock, sand or gravel that allow fresh water to permeate and fill the cracks, crevasses and pores underground. These underground lakes are what define the waterline underground, which gets revealed when wells are dug deep enough — just like when you eventually reach sea water when you dig holes on the beach. 

Watersheds and basins are a little more all-encompassing — and the names can be used interchangeably because they mean the same thing. A basin is all the land that affects and that is affected by water. Basins include the mountains, ridges and valleys that catch rainwater or snowmelt, as well as the ground that absorbs the water in aquifers. Basins include rivers, waterfalls, lakes and streams, all of which nourish the plants and animals that live within that basin. Large basins can include smaller basins, and there are about 21 major basins in the continental United States. 

The Great Lakes Basin and the neighboring St. Lawrence River Basin creates the largest watershed on the planet, covering an area over 94,000 square miles of surface water alone! The geographic boundaries extend into Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan, as well as into the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario. 

With such a large footprint and containing an astounding amount of fresh water, it’s no surprise that the agricultural profile of the Great Lakes Basin is strong, diverse and incredibly productive. North of the Canadian border is largely forested and dotted with plenty of smaller lakes, ponds and streams. Further south, though, the landscape changes to largely cropland surrounding urban areas and other green spaces. 

This results in plenty of well-watered land that’s great for crops, fisheries and livestock. In fact, the region’s production creates over 200 million tons of cargo shipped between us and our northern neighbor, accounting for over half of all the trade between Canada and the United States. If the Great Lakes Basin region decided to become its own country, it would have the third-largest economy on Earth. 

Wild, huh?

All that being said, here are a few of the major crops and livestock products that are popular around the Great Lakes and which contribute to the 51 million jobs generated by the Basin’s resources. 

Corn

Corn accounts for the largest crop industry in the Great Lakes region, occupying around 35% of the available cropland. 

It’s also one of the biggest crops south of the Great Lakes, too. Even though the state of Illinois lies largely outside the boundaries of the Great Lakes Basin, corn is the number one crop in the state and generates over $9 billion in revenue each year!

Soybeans

You’re likely to find a higher concentration of soybean farms in the southern regions of the Great Lakes Basin, down toward northern Ohio, southern Michigan and south western Ontario. 

The majority of the soybeans grown around the region are used for cooking oil or animal feed. A smaller percentage of the crop production goes toward oil-based products, like candles, household cleaners, lotions, makeup and crayons. 

Wheat 

Wheat — specifically, red winter wheat and soft white winter wheat — is the third-largest crop grown in the GLB area, and much of it goes toward creating flour and cereals. Winter wheat is a tough, sturdy wheat that is planted in the fall and slowly grows throughout the winter before ripening in the early summer. The winter wheat variety of wheat benefits from the heavy rain and snowmelt over the colder seasons, and it can be harvested much earlier than its summer variety cousin. 

Hay

Though hay farms are scattered throughout the region, most of the hay grown in the Great Lakes Basin can be found in Ontario and Michigan. 

The Great Lakes Basin is also home to a thriving dairy and livestock industry, so having a strong hay supply is vital to keeping those industries going. 

There are a few different types of hay crops grown around the Great Lakes Basin. Alfalfa is a popular one, and it’s the main variety grown in Michigan. You’ll also find pockets of red clover, white clover, timothy, bluegrass and sweet clover scattered throughout the region. 

Fun fact: around 60% of the alfalfa grown in the United States comes from the Great Lakes Basin! 

Hay! Cool!

All in all

The Great Lakes Basin is a nutrient-rich and well-watered swath of land that’s ideal for  nurturing crops of all kinds. These four crops — corn, soybeans, wheat and hay — are just the four largest and most popular kinds, though you can expect to find pumpkins, apples, root veggies and many other crops scattered in between the endless fields of grain. It just goes to show how important this ecosystem is, and how vital the watershed is to not just the natural world, but to the industries, jobs and livelihoods belonging to the people living within it. Including, of course, our very own residents in our luxury Chicago apartments!

Cool, huh?

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Featured photo courtesy Pixabay/Snapshot_Factory