Sharecropping continues on state land in Michigan; here’s how it works for wildlife

Across Michigan, farmers are prepping fields and wetlands on state game and parks and recreation areas through partnerships with Department of Natural Resources managers that benefit both sides.
The sharecropping agreements allow farmers to lease lands for crops in exchange for leaving some for wildlife forage and cover for hunters, or to help prepare areas to return to native grassland habitats. And while the DNR is working to shift those state-owned agricultural lands to native habitat on parks and recreation properties, state game area managers plan to continue to leverage the agreements for a variety of objectives well into the future.