Good weather in October is beneficial to some local businesses and farmers
NORTHERN MICHIGAN -- A stretch of warm and dry weather is helping farmers with the harvest and extending the summer season for the tourist business.
80 degree days, no rain, and a picture-perfect week for those of us who can wait for the sure to come Northern Michigan winter.
It also has a financial impact for a lot of people who are at the mercy of the weather.
It’s extended time for late-season harvest. RJ Shooks was out in his soybean field. For him, warm and dry weather means more green.
“The drier we get it in the fields, the less money we have to pay the co-op here to dry it down, so the more money you can make it obviously better," said Shooks.
The new Ellsworth Farmers Exchange grain bins in Atwood were filling up with farmers dropping off their late-season loads. A good sign for what some farmers have called a rough year.
“Being able to get the crop off we do have in a timely way, a quality way, is certainly important to end the year well," said Antrim County MSU Extension Agent Stan Moore.
It's also good for local fruit producers. Apples and other fruits peaked last week, and for John King of King Orchards, he can't ask much more from the weather than what he got.
“We've been able to pick almost every day, with no rain-outs, quality has been good, apples ripping up nicely," said King.
Now this good October weather isn't only great for the agricultural business, golf courses in the area were jam-packed this weekend.
“The weather has created, what I call, a bonus month in October," said Kevin McKinley of Treetops.
And a great bonus at that. On Saturday and Sunday, 1,500 rounds of golf were played at the five courses at Treetops. Walk-in golfers couldn't get out. McKinley says a thousand round day mid-summer is excellent.
“To do 750-800 rounds on an October weekend (day) is more than I’ve ever seen on an October weekend (day) before,” said McKinley.
And the courses were booked solid again Monday.
“People are out playing, I think it's helping out, and I think it's a good thing," said golfer John Rogers.
And in Traverse City, the weather is an added bonus for businesses to attract window shoppers and reel them in.
“It will extend the buying season, Pure Michigan ads have been running. The result expanding a good two weeks for our businesses and that means additional cash and revenue that definitely goes a long way for them,” said Laura Oblinger of the TC Chamber of Commerce.
For us who are cold blooded, we're not too far away. For warm weather folks, if only it was here to stay.
