BY CONSUELO MCABOY
After a devastating turn out for Michigan fruit crops, farmers were not optimistic about field crops.
But, against all odds, this year's field crops in Central Michigan have blossomed abundantly.
Dire predictions for most of 2012 wound up with the highest yield and highest prices.
Prices in 2011 averaged six dollars and 20 cents a bushel; this year's jump was up to 7 dollars.
Along with the corn crop, soybeans and sugar beets also brought in high yields.
Paul Gross is an MSU extension educator for Isabella county...
"We're just really fortunate in mid Michigan to have the combination of almost ideal growing conditions and we've had good prices and that's unlike some of the other areas of the county who really suffered because a lot of them had zero yield and droughts and other kinds of problems, but we were fortunate in this area to have the good year."
Gross said Isabella and Gratiot county specifically served as the garden spot for Michigan this year.
He said the heavy, damaging rains from earlier in the summer affected areas outside of Isabella and Gratiot.