Frankenmuth Agriculture

Frankenmuth Agriculture. . Frankenmuth's early farmers were loggers first, needing oxen to clear the thick virgin forests of oak, maple, hickory and pine, creating farmland. The environment favored farming: the flat topography of the land, once the lake bed of the Saginaw Bay, offered rich loam soil. Early crops included potatoes and corn, followed later by wheat, oats and barley. From "English" neighbors, Frankenmuth's earliest German immigrants bought cows, sows, geese and chickens which provided milk, meat and eggs., As harvests increased and farm tools improved, the manual task of separating grain from its plant stalks by the threshing flail was replaced by the threshing machine, powered by a steam engine. Neighborhood threshing companies were formed to purchase the machines, each of which could service the needs of up to a dozen farmers. Farming was a family enterprise, with children assigned chores for the crops, animals, and garden., The first Frankenmuth businesses mainly processed farm products or provided for farming needs. Farming enabled Frankenmuth to be a self-sufficient community, distinct from its neighbors. In 1848, the Hubinger brothers began a flour mill to process local wheat. Star of the West Milling Company began in 1874. Farmers hauled various grains (wheat, oats, corn) to be ground into specific feed blends for their animals. Most farms had cows, whose milk provided a steady income. At one time, six cheese factories in the village and township purchased and processed the local milk., The background photograph on the marker includes the following caption: Sometime between 1920-29. Children (dressed in their Sunday best) in front of a field, with shocks of gain ready for harvest.