Abstract
The vast expanse of the Lake Superior Basin has been home to a multitude of industries from copper and iron mining, timber extraction, steel mills, grain transfer ports, and ship construction. However, given its northern location, agriculture is usually ignored due to a short growing season and poor soils. Immigrants who settled there like Finns and Scandinavians were familiar with this environment but even Italians found that they could develop their cherished home gardens and small farms. Most immigrants had migrated from farming environments and now accepted the challenge to farm in this new environment.
Of the many crops that were cultivated in this area this study will focus on the rutabaga—a misunderstood and nearly ignored root vegetable in the United States—but better known in Canada. The rutabaga (Brassica napus) is a vegetable that has a fascinating history and found a home in the Upper Peninsula.
Recommended Citation
Magnaghi, Russell
(2025)
"Rutabaga Cultivation in the Lake Superior Region,"
Upper Country: A Journal of the Lake Superior Region: Vol. 13, Article 5.
Available at:
https://commons.nmu.edu/upper_country/vol13/iss1/5
