Michael Broadway
Michael Broadway is Professor of Geography and the former Dean of Arts & Sciences at Northern Michigan University. His research expertise focuses on the meatpacking industry’s community impacts. In 2006 he was a visiting Fulbright Research Chair in the Department of Rural Economy at the University of Alberta. He is a co-author with Donald Stull of Slaughterhouse Blues: The Meat and Poultry Industry in North America. (2nd edition 2011: Cengage). More recently he has published on a variety of food and drink related topics including food tourism, slow food and coffeehouses.
The UP at a Crossroads: Beyond the 2020 Census Results
Earlier this year, the US Census Bureau announced its 2020 Census results, showing worrisome population decline throughout the Upper Peninsula. We take a look at what this means for the counties in the UP and what will be needed in order to reverse this trend.
A Tale of Two Counties: Houghton Sees Younger Population, Stronger Economy Than Marquette
Houghton and Marquette Counties are two major economic and population centers in the Upper Peninsula. Michael and John Broadway take a look at how the two have compared in recent years, and why proactive initiatives by Michigan Tech University and the MTEC Smartzone have contributed to Houghton County having a younger population and arguably stronger economy than that of Marquette.
Pictured Rocks Tourism Levels Likely Unsustainable Unless Action Is Taken
Michael and John Broadway write about the potentially-bleak fate of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore’s future if the increasing strains from tourism are not adequately addressed.
The Trouble with Tourism: Munising’s Economic and Demographic Challenges as a Seasonal Destination
In July 2018, The Detroit News characterized Munising as “a tourist boomtown.” But the economic and demographic benefits of the town’s tourism boom are not so clear–in fact, as Michael and John Broadway write–it’s quite complicated.
Locally-Produced Beer a Growing Industry in the UP
Locally-produced beer is a growing industry in the Upper Peninsula, and despite an overall decline in the consumption of beer, microbreweries and brewpubs in the UP have found success in part by tying regional identity and community to their product.
The UP’s Farming Revival
Most people would consider the Upper Peninsula largely unsuitable for agriculture; its short growing season, poor soils, extreme weather and small market make farming a challenge. However, as Michael Broadway details, there has been a reversal in the decline of farms in the UP over the last 30 years.
UP Challenges for the Governor’s Office of Rural Development
The Upper Peninsula faces many challenges as a rural region that Governor Whitmer’s Office of Rural Development seeks to address–namely broadband access, infrastructure, and recruiting and retaining talent.
Changing demographics and employment structure bring long-term challenges to the Upper Peninsula
NMU Professor of Geography and former Dean of Arts & Sciences weights in on the long-term challenges he believes the Upper Peninsula will face as a result of changes in demographics, employment structure, and economic diversification.
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