Michigan-Made Breakfasts Start With Multigenerational Farms and Entrepreneurs

In partnership with: Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development

When it comes to breakfast, you couldn’t get too far without Michigan. The state is a top producer of apples, eggs, milk and pork. Michigan’s pork industry contributes $500 million and egg production over $650 million to the state’s economy annually. A Pure Michigan breakfast made up of bacon, eggs and pancakes with locally sourced maple syrup is a great way to start the day. But healthy foods like snack bars, travel-friendly oatmeal or yogurt are nutritious and delicious if you’re on the go. 

Michigan has a rich tradition of multigenerational farmers and companies that transformed the way we eat breakfast. Kellogg’s developed ready-to-eat cereals as early as 1906 in Battle Creek. Country Dairy started as a small family farm in 1907, supplying milk to rural households in West Michigan. Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch, now the nation’s ninth-largest egg company, has a heritage dating back to 1928, and the third generation continues to lead the business. The Upper Peninsula-based Trenary Toast, founded in 1928, draws customers from across the Midwest for its Finnish dunking toast and other specialty bread. And Yoplait yogurt, under the General Mills umbrella, has been produced in Reed City since the 1970s. 

Gluten-Free To Go 

Today’s breakfast innovators include small and large family-owned pork and egg producers, local bakers and entrepreneurs like Marshall Rader. His company, The GFB, makes gluten-free bars, bites and oatmeal manufactured in Grand Rapids and distributed nationally. 

Rader launched The GFB line 10 years ago after being diagnosed with celiac disease. He traveled a lot for work and struggled to find gluten-free food he could eat on the go. 

See more: Michigan’s Farmers Markets Have a Storied Past and a Bright Future

“I wanted something I looked forward to eating, that tasted good, had good ingredients and made me feel good about eating it,” Rader says. 

So, he made it. The GFB tagline is “Ridiculously tasty. Protein packed.” The company sustainably produces breakfast foods and snacks with unique flavors – coconut, dark chocolate, peanut butter, cranberry and more – and low to moderate sugar or sugar from natural sources. Everything is certified gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, soy-free and dairy-free, as well as non-GMO. 

“I wanted something I looked forward to eating, that tasted good, had good ingredients and made me feel good about eating it,” 

Marshall Rader, a founder of The GFB 

Rader says The GFB bites are the most popular offering because they can be eaten at breakfast, as a sweet snack or on the road. 

The company received grant funding from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development as well as the Rising Star Exporter of the Year Award. The GFB is also a Certified B Corporation, which means it meets rigorous standards for social and environmental performance. 

Michigan Roots, National Reach

Herbruck’s has put Michigan on the map for egg production, raising nearly 2.7 billion eggs per year sold under various labels in stores nationwide. Harry Herbruck Jr. opened Herbruck’s in 1958 in Saranac. The Herbruck family maintains the family farm mindset and focuses on treating hens right. President Greg Herbruck has a simple motto: We serve the bird.

Herbruck’s supplies major national retailers and wholesalers with premium cage-free eggs from humanely raised hens. Herbruck’s is one of the founding franchises of Eggland’s Best, and the company’s Green Meadow Organics is the largest organic facility in the United States. 

See more: A Look at Michigan Agriculture Through the Last Century

“We should be considered part of a wholesome Michigan-made breakfast not just because of our location, but also the quality, nutritional value and deliciousness our eggs provide for your family,” says Ric Herrera, vice president of marketing.

Yogurt is another breakfast mainstay, and Reed City’s Yoplait leads the way with various flavors and now makes products that are dairy-, lactose- and gluten-free. The company continues to address the dietary concerns of today’s consumers and develop new products that can be enjoyed morning, noon or night.

National label Indian Summer Apple Juice tastes like homegrown goodness from apples grown, harvested and packed in Ludington. And don’t forget the fresh fruit to mix in your oatmeal or smoothie. Shop local farmers markets for honey, maple syrup, apples, blueberries, cherries, peaches and strawberries – all locally grown in Michigan.