The Hardy Dam plugs up the Muskegon River upstream of Newaygo.
(Ed. note: This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. Visit the newsroom online: bridgemi.com)
By Kelly House
Bridge Michigan
Consumers Energy is looking to delay hundreds of millions of dollars in planned safety upgrades at the largest dam in Michigan while it seeks approval of a hotly-debated plan to sell the facility and 12 others.
In a filing March 16, the company asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for permission to put off a long-planned $350 million replacement of the spillway at Hardy Dam on the Muskegon River. The utility contends it’s “neither feasible nor prudent” to
begin the work on the Newaygo County dam while it awaits needed regulatory approvals and pursues a sale to a private equity firm that has agreed to take over maintenance responsibilities.
Consumers initially pitched the project in 2022, with construction slated to begin in 2023, then later moved to 2025. Now, it wants the start date pushed back to Dec. 31, 2028.
“The requested two-year delay allows time for review and approval of the proposed sale and time for the new licensee to coordinate construction activities,” Consumers hydropower chief Adam Monroe wrote in the extension request.
Critics say they fear the delay will put communities downstream of the 120-foot dam’s 4,000-acre impoundment at risk.
The spillway upgrade is supposed to bring the 95-year-old dam into compliance with federal flood control standards, which require high-hazard hydropower dams to be capable of passing the so-called probable maximum flood, or the largest flood possible for the surrounding area.
After the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently upgraded its flood estimates, Hardy doesn’t meet the mark.
“I just don’t think it’s anything that Consumers should roll the dice on,” said Bob Stuber, executive director of the Michigan Hydro Relicensing Coalition, a river conservation group that opposes Consumers’ proposed dam sale.
Local public officials, who Consumers alerted to the proposed delay last year, told Bridge Michigan they don’t share those concerns.
It would take a “very, very big flood,” to overwhelm the dam, said Luke Trumble, dam safety chief with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.
“It’s always a concern when a dam should be designed to pass (the maximum flood) and it can’t,” Trumble said, “but there are varying degrees of concern.”
—————
A contentious plan
The possible project delay is the latest point of debate tied to the sale plan, which Consumers unveiled last fall after years of pondering whether to keep, sell or decommission its 13 dams in the Muskegon, Manistee, Au Sable, Grand and Kalamazoo rivers.
Averaging more than a century old, the dams generate $12.9 million-worth of power annually and face hundreds of millions of dollars in maintenance and repair costs. State utility regulators have hesitated to let Consumers charge those costs to ratepayers who derive little benefit.
But the dams are beloved by neighboring communities, where homes, campgrounds, restaurants, marinas and other businesses have cropped up along their reservoirs.
Without the dams, said Morgan Heinzman, supervisor of Croton Township, which is just downstream of the Hardy Dam and upstream of Croton Dam on the Muskegon River, “probably none of them would survive.”
Against that backdrop, Consumers emerged last fall with a plan to essentially give the facilities away to Confluence Hydro, a subsidiary of Maryland private equity firm Hull Street Energy, and then sign a 30-year contract to buy back the power at about twice the market rate, or $160 per megawatt-hour plus a 2.5 percent annual increase.
The plan will cost ratepayers billions of dollars, but is supposed to give Confluence enough money to upgrade and relicense the dams for another few decades-worth of operations. Hardy’s current power generation license expires in 2035.
While nearby communities have cheered the sale plan as a way to maintain the reservoirs, dam safety officials and environmental and ratepayer advocates have criticized the sale, with some questioning whether a more loosely-regulated private company can be trusted to safely maintain the impoundments.
—————
A ‘critical need,’ but who pays?
In past filings with state and federal regulators, Consumers officials have referred to the Hardy Dam upgrades as a “critical need,” without which federal regulators would likely revoke Hardy’s license and a major flood could destroy the dam.
Tens of thousands of people live in the flood zone, some of whom could die in the event of a failure. Damage to homes, roads, bridges and the environment could climb into the billions of dollars.
The dam had a near miss in September 1986, when a Consumers supervisor told reporters that floodwaters from a massive storm had Hardy and Croton dams “teetering on the edge.”
Such a failure would have sent a 52-foot wall of water barrelling downstream, imperiling lives and property all the way to Muskegon, more than 30 miles away.
Consumers spokesperson Brian Wheeler said subsequent enhancements to Hardy Dam make it capable of passing a similar flood with no need to activate the auxiliary spillway.
The company has estimated a cost of $350 million for the spillway project, telling utility regulators that it “cannot reasonably — and will not — make the investments” unless it can charge ratepayers for them.
Confluence plans to take that work on instead, using money from the 30-year contract with Consumers. Spokesperson Natalie Joubert said it’s not known when the project would begin because it requires federal regulatory approval.
“Confluence Hydro is proud of our long and proven track record of successfully managing improvement projects at hydroelectric dams on schedule, on budget and in compliance with all regulations,” Joubert said.
The sale plan to Confluence envisions construction work at Hardy costing no more than $216.5 million, and allows Confluence to charge Consumers up to $5 extra per megawatt-hour in case of overruns.
Wheeler, the Consumers’ spokesperson, declined to say how much such an increase could affect the deal’s overall cost, saying it’s confidential information.
Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office has called upon the Michigan Public Service Commission to not to allow the increases. Her spokesperson, Danny Wimmer, said Nessel will request a commission order for the spillway project to be completed quickly, with transparency about who is paying for it.
“To allow Confluence to increase the price of power should this project experience cost overages would grant confluence a blank check from Consumers Energy customers,” Wimmer said.
While the project remains on hold, Consumers has implemented “a suite of remedial risk reduction measures to address the flood risk,” Wheeler said.
That includes lowering the water level behind the reservoir by 12 feet from November to late May, leaving more space for floodwaters to accumulate behind the dam. Water levels are raised back up before Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer boating season.
Croton Township Supervisor Heinzman, whose community is located just downstream of the dam, told Bridge Michigan he’s comfortable with those measures.
“I’m not worried about that dam at all,” he said, adding that Hardy has “survived a lot of pretty tough rains over the years.”
But Stuber, of the Hydro Relicensing Coalition, said his group will ask federal regulators to order a year-round drawdown until Hardy’s spillway capacity issues are resolved.
“The coalition acknowledges this is going to disrupt normal recreation at Hardy,” he said. “It’s going to be a pain in the butt for people with their docks, with their boat watches and things like that. But human safety is paramount here.”
By Kelly House
Bridge Michigan
Consumers Energy is looking to delay hundreds of millions of dollars in planned safety upgrades at the largest dam in Michigan while it seeks approval of a hotly-debated plan to sell the facility and 12 others.
In a filing March 16, the company asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for permission to put off a long-planned $350 million replacement of the spillway at Hardy Dam on the Muskegon River. The utility contends it’s “neither feasible nor prudent” to
begin the work on the Newaygo County dam while it awaits needed regulatory approvals and pursues a sale to a private equity firm that has agreed to take over maintenance responsibilities.
Consumers initially pitched the project in 2022, with construction slated to begin in 2023, then later moved to 2025. Now, it wants the start date pushed back to Dec. 31, 2028.
“The requested two-year delay allows time for review and approval of the proposed sale and time for the new licensee to coordinate construction activities,” Consumers hydropower chief Adam Monroe wrote in the extension request.
Critics say they fear the delay will put communities downstream of the 120-foot dam’s 4,000-acre impoundment at risk.
The spillway upgrade is supposed to bring the 95-year-old dam into compliance with federal flood control standards, which require high-hazard hydropower dams to be capable of passing the so-called probable maximum flood, or the largest flood possible for the surrounding area.
After the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently upgraded its flood estimates, Hardy doesn’t meet the mark.
“I just don’t think it’s anything that Consumers should roll the dice on,” said Bob Stuber, executive director of the Michigan Hydro Relicensing Coalition, a river conservation group that opposes Consumers’ proposed dam sale.
Local public officials, who Consumers alerted to the proposed delay last year, told Bridge Michigan they don’t share those concerns.
It would take a “very, very big flood,” to overwhelm the dam, said Luke Trumble, dam safety chief with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.
“It’s always a concern when a dam should be designed to pass (the maximum flood) and it can’t,” Trumble said, “but there are varying degrees of concern.”
—————
A contentious plan
The possible project delay is the latest point of debate tied to the sale plan, which Consumers unveiled last fall after years of pondering whether to keep, sell or decommission its 13 dams in the Muskegon, Manistee, Au Sable, Grand and Kalamazoo rivers.
Averaging more than a century old, the dams generate $12.9 million-worth of power annually and face hundreds of millions of dollars in maintenance and repair costs. State utility regulators have hesitated to let Consumers charge those costs to ratepayers who derive little benefit.
But the dams are beloved by neighboring communities, where homes, campgrounds, restaurants, marinas and other businesses have cropped up along their reservoirs.
Without the dams, said Morgan Heinzman, supervisor of Croton Township, which is just downstream of the Hardy Dam and upstream of Croton Dam on the Muskegon River, “probably none of them would survive.”
Against that backdrop, Consumers emerged last fall with a plan to essentially give the facilities away to Confluence Hydro, a subsidiary of Maryland private equity firm Hull Street Energy, and then sign a 30-year contract to buy back the power at about twice the market rate, or $160 per megawatt-hour plus a 2.5 percent annual increase.
The plan will cost ratepayers billions of dollars, but is supposed to give Confluence enough money to upgrade and relicense the dams for another few decades-worth of operations. Hardy’s current power generation license expires in 2035.
While nearby communities have cheered the sale plan as a way to maintain the reservoirs, dam safety officials and environmental and ratepayer advocates have criticized the sale, with some questioning whether a more loosely-regulated private company can be trusted to safely maintain the impoundments.
—————
A ‘critical need,’ but who pays?
In past filings with state and federal regulators, Consumers officials have referred to the Hardy Dam upgrades as a “critical need,” without which federal regulators would likely revoke Hardy’s license and a major flood could destroy the dam.
Tens of thousands of people live in the flood zone, some of whom could die in the event of a failure. Damage to homes, roads, bridges and the environment could climb into the billions of dollars.
The dam had a near miss in September 1986, when a Consumers supervisor told reporters that floodwaters from a massive storm had Hardy and Croton dams “teetering on the edge.”
Such a failure would have sent a 52-foot wall of water barrelling downstream, imperiling lives and property all the way to Muskegon, more than 30 miles away.
Consumers spokesperson Brian Wheeler said subsequent enhancements to Hardy Dam make it capable of passing a similar flood with no need to activate the auxiliary spillway.
The company has estimated a cost of $350 million for the spillway project, telling utility regulators that it “cannot reasonably — and will not — make the investments” unless it can charge ratepayers for them.
Confluence plans to take that work on instead, using money from the 30-year contract with Consumers. Spokesperson Natalie Joubert said it’s not known when the project would begin because it requires federal regulatory approval.
“Confluence Hydro is proud of our long and proven track record of successfully managing improvement projects at hydroelectric dams on schedule, on budget and in compliance with all regulations,” Joubert said.
The sale plan to Confluence envisions construction work at Hardy costing no more than $216.5 million, and allows Confluence to charge Consumers up to $5 extra per megawatt-hour in case of overruns.
Wheeler, the Consumers’ spokesperson, declined to say how much such an increase could affect the deal’s overall cost, saying it’s confidential information.
Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office has called upon the Michigan Public Service Commission to not to allow the increases. Her spokesperson, Danny Wimmer, said Nessel will request a commission order for the spillway project to be completed quickly, with transparency about who is paying for it.
“To allow Confluence to increase the price of power should this project experience cost overages would grant confluence a blank check from Consumers Energy customers,” Wimmer said.
While the project remains on hold, Consumers has implemented “a suite of remedial risk reduction measures to address the flood risk,” Wheeler said.
That includes lowering the water level behind the reservoir by 12 feet from November to late May, leaving more space for floodwaters to accumulate behind the dam. Water levels are raised back up before Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer boating season.
Croton Township Supervisor Heinzman, whose community is located just downstream of the dam, told Bridge Michigan he’s comfortable with those measures.
“I’m not worried about that dam at all,” he said, adding that Hardy has “survived a lot of pretty tough rains over the years.”
But Stuber, of the Hydro Relicensing Coalition, said his group will ask federal regulators to order a year-round drawdown until Hardy’s spillway capacity issues are resolved.
“The coalition acknowledges this is going to disrupt normal recreation at Hardy,” he said. “It’s going to be a pain in the butt for people with their docks, with their boat watches and things like that. But human safety is paramount here.”
Turkey Hunting Season Just Around the Corner in Michigan
By Jack Payne
I borrowed a box call and was uttering out sounds. I really had no clue if the noise I was making sounded like a turkey or a sick dog. Two hours into the morning hunt, I heard a gobble. Frantically, I grabbed the box call and started making noises.
A bird walked into my opening, looking at my pathetic-looking hen decoy. He gobbled, and I continued calling, and finally, the bird walked off.
The next day was a near duplicate. I had planted my butt behind a few thick pines, stuck out what looked like a skinny, beat-up old hen, and started calling. And yes, a bird walked in making loud gobbling-style noises.
This was my first season of turkey hunting. I was hunting between Ruby Creek and Baldwin. This was a very limited draw hunt in the late 1970s. After the second morning, my friend Cal and I stopped for a sandwich.
In a guy's pickup truck was a dead turkey. I pointed out to my friend that the guy shot a hen. He started laughing and said that this was a dandy tom. I asked where the beard was, and he pointed to the chest.
Crap, two days in a row, I passed up on a bird that had this thick protrusion from its chest. I thought that a tom would have a beard under the chin. My buddy roared in laughter, and I did as well.
This was the beginning of my love affair with turkey hunting. When I started turkey hunting, it was in its early stages with limited tags and even less knowledge.
When I hunt public land, I search out roosting trees, dust bowls, and feeding areas. When I hunt farms, I look for tracks, fields that hold some food, and travel routes.
All my calls are made quietly. Nothing too aggressive, unless I have a hen with a tom and I am trying to tick her off into checking out the competition. My calling will not win any competition, but to get the job done.
Most of my calling is done with two different slates. One is an aluminum call, and the other is a traditional slate call. Both are calls that I made. The strikers are an assortment of walnut, hickory, and Purple Heart.
I use one call with a few purrs and wait. I will use the other call in 15 minutes. I will also rotate which striker I use. This is my crazy calling system. I tried using a mouth-call with disastrous results. Either I would start gagging with a fear of choking, or the sound that came out would scare any turkey within a quarter-mile.
Ditches and creek bottoms are among my favorites. I like hunting near water, and the water lets me travel unseen. I shot numerous birds while I was standing in a drainage ditch or a small creek. Often, you can sneak up unspotted when traveling on the water. The high banks offer concealment.
I like setting up between where the birds are roosting and a potential feeding area. I hope that I'm right, but often the birds will show up fifty or a hundred yards from where I am.
I will call very softly and infrequently. If the birds show some interest, I will sit until proven wrong. Sometimes this might be a few hours. If the birds move in a direction I am not set for, I will move, if possible, without being seen.
Last year, I belly-crawled 75 yards through briars and prickers. It took nearly an hour, but I shot a dandy tom.
I carry three very lightweight, realistic Montana decoys that pop out into full-body shapes. Two are hens in two different poses, and the other is a Jake. I set the decoys at 20-25 yards on my side, and the same out front. Once again, this is a confidence thing to me that works for me. It educes the number of birds that hang up just outside of range.
Patience is my virtue when it comes to turkey hunting. Stop in at Bob’s Gun and Tackle Shop for your turkey hunting gear.
I borrowed a box call and was uttering out sounds. I really had no clue if the noise I was making sounded like a turkey or a sick dog. Two hours into the morning hunt, I heard a gobble. Frantically, I grabbed the box call and started making noises.
A bird walked into my opening, looking at my pathetic-looking hen decoy. He gobbled, and I continued calling, and finally, the bird walked off.
The next day was a near duplicate. I had planted my butt behind a few thick pines, stuck out what looked like a skinny, beat-up old hen, and started calling. And yes, a bird walked in making loud gobbling-style noises.
This was my first season of turkey hunting. I was hunting between Ruby Creek and Baldwin. This was a very limited draw hunt in the late 1970s. After the second morning, my friend Cal and I stopped for a sandwich.
In a guy's pickup truck was a dead turkey. I pointed out to my friend that the guy shot a hen. He started laughing and said that this was a dandy tom. I asked where the beard was, and he pointed to the chest.
Crap, two days in a row, I passed up on a bird that had this thick protrusion from its chest. I thought that a tom would have a beard under the chin. My buddy roared in laughter, and I did as well.
This was the beginning of my love affair with turkey hunting. When I started turkey hunting, it was in its early stages with limited tags and even less knowledge.
When I hunt public land, I search out roosting trees, dust bowls, and feeding areas. When I hunt farms, I look for tracks, fields that hold some food, and travel routes.
All my calls are made quietly. Nothing too aggressive, unless I have a hen with a tom and I am trying to tick her off into checking out the competition. My calling will not win any competition, but to get the job done.
Most of my calling is done with two different slates. One is an aluminum call, and the other is a traditional slate call. Both are calls that I made. The strikers are an assortment of walnut, hickory, and Purple Heart.
I use one call with a few purrs and wait. I will use the other call in 15 minutes. I will also rotate which striker I use. This is my crazy calling system. I tried using a mouth-call with disastrous results. Either I would start gagging with a fear of choking, or the sound that came out would scare any turkey within a quarter-mile.
Ditches and creek bottoms are among my favorites. I like hunting near water, and the water lets me travel unseen. I shot numerous birds while I was standing in a drainage ditch or a small creek. Often, you can sneak up unspotted when traveling on the water. The high banks offer concealment.
I like setting up between where the birds are roosting and a potential feeding area. I hope that I'm right, but often the birds will show up fifty or a hundred yards from where I am.
I will call very softly and infrequently. If the birds show some interest, I will sit until proven wrong. Sometimes this might be a few hours. If the birds move in a direction I am not set for, I will move, if possible, without being seen.
Last year, I belly-crawled 75 yards through briars and prickers. It took nearly an hour, but I shot a dandy tom.
I carry three very lightweight, realistic Montana decoys that pop out into full-body shapes. Two are hens in two different poses, and the other is a Jake. I set the decoys at 20-25 yards on my side, and the same out front. Once again, this is a confidence thing to me that works for me. It educes the number of birds that hang up just outside of range.
Patience is my virtue when it comes to turkey hunting. Stop in at Bob’s Gun and Tackle Shop for your turkey hunting gear.
Outdoor Truths: Keep Coming Back
By Gary Miller
Hunting and fishing are like other sports in at least one area. There are more failures than successes.
Think about it this way. In baseball, if you only get a hit three out of ten times, you’re an all-star. In basketball, if you consistently make four out of ten 3-pointers, you are elite. In football, a quarterback who completes 65 percent of his passes is considered excellent. And that still means he misses one out of every three throws.
And the guys chasing him? A defensive end might rush the passer 500 times in a season and only get 12 sacks … and that’s considered a great season. The professional golfer misses the fairway 50-60 percent of the time.
And I’m not even gonna talk about the sport of being a husband. We’re wrong 100 percent of the time! (Did I say that?) I digress.
But here’s another similarity between all these guys and gals who participate in these activities: we all keep returning. And here’s what makes this truth even more impactful. Most of us are not professionals at what we do. And yet, we too, keep going back.
We may throw a club into the abyss or slam a fishing rod down in the boat, and we may even swear we’re never coming back and we’re going to take up gardening, but when the dust settles and when the cuss words that have been running around in our mind finally leave, we just go back. We do. It’s crazy.
Let me tell you what is also neat and crazy to me. Jesus picked 12 men to be His first disciples – His apostles. They were all different. Some were educated. Some were not. Some were aligned with the Roman government. Some fought it. Some were quiet. Some were loud.
But there were several things that marked their lives with Jesus. One was that they continually failed, whether it was by simple misunderstandings or by their own misdeeds. Jesus continually had to explain things to them and manage their misdirected actions.
But the other similarity they all had was that they kept coming back.
Sure, Judas took his own life at the end of Jesus’ ministry, and all the disciples left when they thought Jesus had died. But while Jesus was alive and doing His work, these disciples kept coming back even after times of stupidity and failure.
I think Peter summed it up when He answered Jesus’ question. Jesus asked the apostles. “Are you also going to leave?” And Peter said, “Lord, to whom would we go?”
To be honest, I have been angry at God before. I have thrown a spiritual club and sworn I’ll never play again. But with the same heated voice, I always said to God. “God, I’d leave, but where I’m I going to go!?” And then my anger settles. My mind clears. And I keep coming back.
Because I’ve learned like in most sports, failure is not the exception. It’s the rule. And God wants me (and you), no matter how many time we’ve failed or keep failing, to keep coming back.
—————
Gary Miller has written Outdoor Truths articles for 23 years. He has also written five books which include compilations of his articles and a father/son devotional. He also speaks at wild-game dinners and men’s events for churches and associations. Write to him at gary@outdoortruths.org.
Hunting and fishing are like other sports in at least one area. There are more failures than successes.
Think about it this way. In baseball, if you only get a hit three out of ten times, you’re an all-star. In basketball, if you consistently make four out of ten 3-pointers, you are elite. In football, a quarterback who completes 65 percent of his passes is considered excellent. And that still means he misses one out of every three throws.
And the guys chasing him? A defensive end might rush the passer 500 times in a season and only get 12 sacks … and that’s considered a great season. The professional golfer misses the fairway 50-60 percent of the time.
And I’m not even gonna talk about the sport of being a husband. We’re wrong 100 percent of the time! (Did I say that?) I digress.
But here’s another similarity between all these guys and gals who participate in these activities: we all keep returning. And here’s what makes this truth even more impactful. Most of us are not professionals at what we do. And yet, we too, keep going back.
We may throw a club into the abyss or slam a fishing rod down in the boat, and we may even swear we’re never coming back and we’re going to take up gardening, but when the dust settles and when the cuss words that have been running around in our mind finally leave, we just go back. We do. It’s crazy.
Let me tell you what is also neat and crazy to me. Jesus picked 12 men to be His first disciples – His apostles. They were all different. Some were educated. Some were not. Some were aligned with the Roman government. Some fought it. Some were quiet. Some were loud.
But there were several things that marked their lives with Jesus. One was that they continually failed, whether it was by simple misunderstandings or by their own misdeeds. Jesus continually had to explain things to them and manage their misdirected actions.
But the other similarity they all had was that they kept coming back.
Sure, Judas took his own life at the end of Jesus’ ministry, and all the disciples left when they thought Jesus had died. But while Jesus was alive and doing His work, these disciples kept coming back even after times of stupidity and failure.
I think Peter summed it up when He answered Jesus’ question. Jesus asked the apostles. “Are you also going to leave?” And Peter said, “Lord, to whom would we go?”
To be honest, I have been angry at God before. I have thrown a spiritual club and sworn I’ll never play again. But with the same heated voice, I always said to God. “God, I’d leave, but where I’m I going to go!?” And then my anger settles. My mind clears. And I keep coming back.
Because I’ve learned like in most sports, failure is not the exception. It’s the rule. And God wants me (and you), no matter how many time we’ve failed or keep failing, to keep coming back.
—————
Gary Miller has written Outdoor Truths articles for 23 years. He has also written five books which include compilations of his articles and a father/son devotional. He also speaks at wild-game dinners and men’s events for churches and associations. Write to him at gary@outdoortruths.org.
Grow More Tomatoes at Home
Big Beef tomato has remained one of the most popular red tomatoes in North America with its 8-to-12-ounce fruit.
Photo courtesy All-America Selections
By Melinda Myers
Enjoy the fresh-from-the-garden flavor of homegrown tomatoes. Grow one or more in a container, a dedicated vegetable garden or plant them with flowers in garden beds.
Purchase transplants from a local garden center if not starting plants from seed at home. Check the tags and select varieties suited to how they will be used. Grow bite-sized cherry, plum or cocktail tomatoes to use in salads, on relish trays, and for snacking. Include a few paste tomatoes, like Romas, with meatier fruit for making sauces and soups. Don’t forget about slicers, like Big Beef, Beefsteak and Better Boy, to enjoy on sandwiches, grilled, or on their own.
Prepare plants that will be moved from under lights indoors or a sunny greenhouse to the growing conditions in the garden. Start the hardening off process one to two weeks prior to planting outdoors. Stop fertilizing the plants and move them outdoors to a shaded location. Each day, increase the amount of direct sun the plants receive. Be sure to cover or move the plants indoors whenever there is a danger of frost.
Once hardened off and the soil is prepared, it’s time to plant. Carefully slide the plant out of the container. Gently loosen the roots of pot-bound transplants to encourage them to grow into the surrounding soil. Remove any flowers or small fruit so the plant can focus its energy on developing a robust root system and becoming a more productive plant.
Plant tall, leggy plants deeper to encourage roots to develop along the buried stem. Dig a trench, remove the lower leaves and set the plant on its side in the trench. Carefully bend the stem upright, then cover the portion in the trench with soil and water.
Set stakes and towers in place at the time of planting to avoid root damage. Training tomatoes keeps the fruit off the ground, reducing insect and disease problems. That means more fruit to harvest and enjoy.
Train tomato plants on to stakes for an earlier, but smaller harvest than those grown in cages. Grow plants with less effort in sturdy towers or cages. There will be more tomatoes to pick, but a bit later with this method. Plants left sprawled on the ground yield the largest harvest, but many fruits are lost to disease, insects and gardeners’ feet.
Shorten the time to harvest and help manage weeds with the help of floating row cover, clear plastic or cloches. Use these to cover the properly prepared planting space a week or two before planting. Once the soil is warm, lightly cultivate the soil to kill any weeds that have sprouted. Do not dig deep, which brings more weed seeds to the surface to begin growing. Use row covers or cloches to protect plants from early season cold temperatures and frost.
Further shorten the time to harvest by planting early ripening varieties, like Early Girl, Fourth of July, and Fantastico. Check the catalog description or plant tags for the number of days between planting and harvest. Growing these or other early ripening varieties means you’ll be enjoying fresh tomatoes sooner.
Always water plants thoroughly when the top few inches of soil are crumbly and moist. Avoid overhead watering which increases the risk of disease. Instead, apply water directly to the soil surface, using a watering wand, soaker hose or drip irrigation. Extend the time between watering and increase success with mulch. Spread a two-inch layer of shredded leaves, weed-free straw, or evergreen needles over the surface around plants. This will conserve water, suppress weeds, and improve the soil as the mulch decomposes.
With proper planting and care there will be a bounty of tasty, garden-fresh tomatoes to harvest and enjoy.
—————
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” streaming courses and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and her website is MelindaMyers.com.
Enjoy the fresh-from-the-garden flavor of homegrown tomatoes. Grow one or more in a container, a dedicated vegetable garden or plant them with flowers in garden beds.
Purchase transplants from a local garden center if not starting plants from seed at home. Check the tags and select varieties suited to how they will be used. Grow bite-sized cherry, plum or cocktail tomatoes to use in salads, on relish trays, and for snacking. Include a few paste tomatoes, like Romas, with meatier fruit for making sauces and soups. Don’t forget about slicers, like Big Beef, Beefsteak and Better Boy, to enjoy on sandwiches, grilled, or on their own.
Prepare plants that will be moved from under lights indoors or a sunny greenhouse to the growing conditions in the garden. Start the hardening off process one to two weeks prior to planting outdoors. Stop fertilizing the plants and move them outdoors to a shaded location. Each day, increase the amount of direct sun the plants receive. Be sure to cover or move the plants indoors whenever there is a danger of frost.
Once hardened off and the soil is prepared, it’s time to plant. Carefully slide the plant out of the container. Gently loosen the roots of pot-bound transplants to encourage them to grow into the surrounding soil. Remove any flowers or small fruit so the plant can focus its energy on developing a robust root system and becoming a more productive plant.
Plant tall, leggy plants deeper to encourage roots to develop along the buried stem. Dig a trench, remove the lower leaves and set the plant on its side in the trench. Carefully bend the stem upright, then cover the portion in the trench with soil and water.
Set stakes and towers in place at the time of planting to avoid root damage. Training tomatoes keeps the fruit off the ground, reducing insect and disease problems. That means more fruit to harvest and enjoy.
Train tomato plants on to stakes for an earlier, but smaller harvest than those grown in cages. Grow plants with less effort in sturdy towers or cages. There will be more tomatoes to pick, but a bit later with this method. Plants left sprawled on the ground yield the largest harvest, but many fruits are lost to disease, insects and gardeners’ feet.
Shorten the time to harvest and help manage weeds with the help of floating row cover, clear plastic or cloches. Use these to cover the properly prepared planting space a week or two before planting. Once the soil is warm, lightly cultivate the soil to kill any weeds that have sprouted. Do not dig deep, which brings more weed seeds to the surface to begin growing. Use row covers or cloches to protect plants from early season cold temperatures and frost.
Further shorten the time to harvest by planting early ripening varieties, like Early Girl, Fourth of July, and Fantastico. Check the catalog description or plant tags for the number of days between planting and harvest. Growing these or other early ripening varieties means you’ll be enjoying fresh tomatoes sooner.
Always water plants thoroughly when the top few inches of soil are crumbly and moist. Avoid overhead watering which increases the risk of disease. Instead, apply water directly to the soil surface, using a watering wand, soaker hose or drip irrigation. Extend the time between watering and increase success with mulch. Spread a two-inch layer of shredded leaves, weed-free straw, or evergreen needles over the surface around plants. This will conserve water, suppress weeds, and improve the soil as the mulch decomposes.
With proper planting and care there will be a bounty of tasty, garden-fresh tomatoes to harvest and enjoy.
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Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” streaming courses and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and her website is MelindaMyers.com.
Connected County Park Initiative Event Saturday
Ottawa County Parks & Recreation is launching the Connected County Park initiative, a regional effort designed to create healthier, more resilient landscapes by connecting people and nature across public and private lands.
The initiative encourages residents to take simple, meaningful actions, such as planting native species and removing invasive plants, to restore ecosystems and support biodiversity throughout the county. By providing accessible tools, training, and resources, the program aims to remove barriers to participation and empower individuals to become environmental stewards in their own backyards.
“Connected County Park is about creating a shared vision where small, individual actions contribute to a larger, lasting impact,” said Tyler Allyn-White, Stewardship Supervisor for Ottawa County Parks and Recreation. “By working together, we can build a future where natural systems thrive across property lines and throughout our communities.”
The public is invited to celebrate the official launch at a free community event this Saturday from 12 to 3:30 p.m. at Hemlock Crossing Nature Education Center, 8115 West Olive Rd., West Olive. The event is designed to raise awareness of the initiative and inspire participants to take action at home. Registration is required to be eligible for door prizes.
Event Highlights:
• Keynote Talk & Q&A – Learn about the initiative’s vision and practical ways to support local ecosystems
• Partner Organization Tables – Connect with local conservation groups and resources
• Native Seed Mix Bar & Plant Swap – Create a custom seed mix or exchange plants with others
• Door Prizes – Enter to win unique items and experiences that support conservation efforts. You must be registered for this program to be eligible for door prizes.
•.Native Plant Trivia – Test your knowledge of local ecology and win prizes
Participants will also receive next steps for getting involved, including registering existing plantings, becoming part of the Certified Habitat yard sign program, attending native plant workshops, or starting a native garden at home.
The Certified Habitat yard sign program recognizes residents who are actively restoring their landscapes with native plants. These signs not only celebrate individual efforts but also help raise awareness, inspire neighbors, and build a visible network of connected habitats across the community. Attendees with existing native gardens that meet minimum requirements will have the opportunity to take a sign home at the event.
The event is supported by regional partners, including the Ottawa Conservation District, ODC Network, Careerline Tech Center Environmental Field Studies, Land Conservancy of West Michigan, River City Wild Ones, Michigan State University Extension, and the Ottawa County Parks Foundation.
The initiative encourages residents to take simple, meaningful actions, such as planting native species and removing invasive plants, to restore ecosystems and support biodiversity throughout the county. By providing accessible tools, training, and resources, the program aims to remove barriers to participation and empower individuals to become environmental stewards in their own backyards.
“Connected County Park is about creating a shared vision where small, individual actions contribute to a larger, lasting impact,” said Tyler Allyn-White, Stewardship Supervisor for Ottawa County Parks and Recreation. “By working together, we can build a future where natural systems thrive across property lines and throughout our communities.”
The public is invited to celebrate the official launch at a free community event this Saturday from 12 to 3:30 p.m. at Hemlock Crossing Nature Education Center, 8115 West Olive Rd., West Olive. The event is designed to raise awareness of the initiative and inspire participants to take action at home. Registration is required to be eligible for door prizes.
Event Highlights:
• Keynote Talk & Q&A – Learn about the initiative’s vision and practical ways to support local ecosystems
• Partner Organization Tables – Connect with local conservation groups and resources
• Native Seed Mix Bar & Plant Swap – Create a custom seed mix or exchange plants with others
• Door Prizes – Enter to win unique items and experiences that support conservation efforts. You must be registered for this program to be eligible for door prizes.
•.Native Plant Trivia – Test your knowledge of local ecology and win prizes
Participants will also receive next steps for getting involved, including registering existing plantings, becoming part of the Certified Habitat yard sign program, attending native plant workshops, or starting a native garden at home.
The Certified Habitat yard sign program recognizes residents who are actively restoring their landscapes with native plants. These signs not only celebrate individual efforts but also help raise awareness, inspire neighbors, and build a visible network of connected habitats across the community. Attendees with existing native gardens that meet minimum requirements will have the opportunity to take a sign home at the event.
The event is supported by regional partners, including the Ottawa Conservation District, ODC Network, Careerline Tech Center Environmental Field Studies, Land Conservancy of West Michigan, River City Wild Ones, Michigan State University Extension, and the Ottawa County Parks Foundation.
Online Bird Chats Set at Kellogg Bird Sanctuary
Share your latest bird sightings and learn more about some of the bird species commonly found during spring in southwest Michigan, and related topics, during monthly Birds and Coffee chats, offered by the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. All events begin at 10 a.m. on Zoom.
The April chat, set for Wednesday, April 8, will focus on common loons, a species found most often near Michigan’s northern inland lakes, but also in some southern counties.
In the May chat, set for Wednesday, May 13, Gail Walter from the Audubon Society of Kalamazoo will talk about peregrine falcons.
Birds and Coffee chats are free and open to the public, but registration is required to access information on how to join the events.
Questions? Contact the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary at birdsanctuary@ kbs.msu.edu or (269) 671-2510.
The April chat, set for Wednesday, April 8, will focus on common loons, a species found most often near Michigan’s northern inland lakes, but also in some southern counties.
In the May chat, set for Wednesday, May 13, Gail Walter from the Audubon Society of Kalamazoo will talk about peregrine falcons.
Birds and Coffee chats are free and open to the public, but registration is required to access information on how to join the events.
Questions? Contact the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary at birdsanctuary@ kbs.msu.edu or (269) 671-2510.
Angler Convicted of Fishing on Revoked License
A Macomb County man with a history of Michigan DNR violations will spend 30-180 days in jail after being found guilty of two license violations.
Derek Dermyer, 37, of Washington Township, was sentenced March 10 in St. Clair County for fishing without a license and fishing while licenses were revoked.
The penalty was increased to a habitual offender, due to Dermyer’s previous DNR violations within the past five years, which include:
• Possessing an overlimit of perch.
• Taking deer without a license.
• Failure to possess an unused kill tag while deer hunting.
• Possessing/transporting deer without an attached/validated kill tag.
• Failure to attach a validated (deer) kill tag.
In December, a Michigan DNR conservation officer contacted Dermyer while he was ice fishing on Lake St. Clair. Dermyer’s fishing (and hunting) license had been revoked until Jan. 1.
Additional penalties for Dermyer included:
• $2,980 in court costs and fines.
• $20 reimbursement to the State of Michigan for conservation fees.
• Revoked fishing license for an additional seven years.
Derek Dermyer, 37, of Washington Township, was sentenced March 10 in St. Clair County for fishing without a license and fishing while licenses were revoked.
The penalty was increased to a habitual offender, due to Dermyer’s previous DNR violations within the past five years, which include:
• Possessing an overlimit of perch.
• Taking deer without a license.
• Failure to possess an unused kill tag while deer hunting.
• Possessing/transporting deer without an attached/validated kill tag.
• Failure to attach a validated (deer) kill tag.
In December, a Michigan DNR conservation officer contacted Dermyer while he was ice fishing on Lake St. Clair. Dermyer’s fishing (and hunting) license had been revoked until Jan. 1.
Additional penalties for Dermyer included:
• $2,980 in court costs and fines.
• $20 reimbursement to the State of Michigan for conservation fees.
• Revoked fishing license for an additional seven years.
