Who We Are

Blight Family Farms in Albion, Michigan

We started our farm in 1965, and now, together with our two sons Art and Ken, and grandson Stan we raise beef cattle and hogs and farm 2,200 acres of cropland.

Our farm was one of the first in Michigan to develop a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan and to utilize soil nitrate testing to better manage our use of manure and chemical fertilizers. We have used no-till farming since 1990 and we’ve partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to implement a variety of other conservation practices.

We practice sound manure management by applying manure in a 4-mile radius targeting corn fields with the lowest soil test values and avoiding high-test areas. This helps us run a more sustainable farming system.

We are charter members of Innovative Farmers of South Central Michigan, a group that works to practice and promote good conservation. As members, we host events showcasing the latest conservation advances and offer our farm for educational purposes to students from Michigan State University’s advanced feedlot classes.

We believe that the only way to continue thriving in agriculture is to recognize agriculture’s value to our national economy and continue to make it a strong priority.

The Blight family was recognized in conjunction with the Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP) in 2006.

The Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP), sponsored by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), Dow AgroSciences and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), annually recognizes the outstanding stewardship practices and conservation achievements of U.S. cattle producers across the nation. The families selected as regional ESAP winners have successfully conducted stewardship practices that can serve as exemplary models for all cattle producers. They are actively working to protect and improve the environment and have proven that environmental stewardship and good business can go hand-in-hand.

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