By Piper Raab
The million square foot fruit canning and frozen fruit processing manufacturing plant, Con Agra Foods, located in the city of Fennville, officially announced a future closure plan, slated for June 27th, 2025. City Administrator, Katie Beemer said, “The Rapid Response Team from West Michigan Works! is initiating assistance for the 85 employees losing their jobs. They will be helping with resumes and job searches, as the closure date approaches. An upcoming Jobs Fare for the employees will also be planned.”
Katie Beemer stated, “The Con Agra facility used a half million gallons of water daily during full time production from the Municipal Water Plant that removes rust from the water.
In 2016, a loan for $111,000 was made from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for water improvements, which was from the Trump Administration (according to the City of Fennville, Public Works website.)
Con Agra Foods, Press Spokesman, Daniel Hare is handling questions from the media. Katie Beemer also said, “A Con Agra representative from Nebraska, is coming to check the facility and prepare for the sale of the plant,” as of last week.
As stated from the Food Dive website, “Con Agra Foods has a Total Debt for November 2024 of $8.46 Billion. The sum of current and of all non-current debt.”
Farmer’s in the Trenches: A report from a Fruit Grower in Ganges Township
Gary Hunsberger, a second generation, fruit grower farmer, since 1954. His 100 acre orchard, fruit farm, has been selling harvested fruit to the facility for the last 70 years. His farm is located on: 2301 62nd Street, just outside of the city limits of Fennville, in Ganges Township. .
Gary Hunsberger stated, “The fruit canning facility has had numerous past owners. It began as Michigan Fruit Canners in 1929 and was sold to a COOP in 1974. In order to sell your fruit, a farmer had to buy their stock. The COOP remained in business for 30 years. In 2007, the COOP was sold and purchased by Pinnacle Foods. It was later sold to Con Agra Foods, its present owner.”
“The plant will be missed. We could see this coming (the plant closure) because they down-sized production quite a bit and production really went down in 2023 and 2024.” said Gary Hunsberger. “The area west of the city of Fennville was, at one time, surrounded by at least 35 fruit growing farms. Now only 6 farms are still in operation. A bunch of problems face fruit farmers, making it harder and harder to stay in business. The demand for fruit pie filling has dropped. The I-Hop Restaurant Chain used to be a major purchaser of canned fruit for pancakes. Costs for chemicals: pesticides and fertilizers have sky-rocketed. Labor costs have increased. Fruit from European competition and tariffs are 2 other big challenges. Finding workers to pick harvests has become more difficult. The input costs have climbed but the market prices for cherries have remained the same.”
Mr. Hunsberger said, “I will not have a cherry crop this year. I have 9 acres of plums for fresh eating this year. Over the years, we have grown: apples, cherries, pears, plums, and peaches. In the early 1950’s, crops were shipped by trains. As more roads were paved and improved, semi trucks took over shipping. Row crops of corn and beans have replaced fruit crops in this area.”
Katie Beemer, City of Fennville, Administrator said, “It’s been a stressful couple of weeks for us. The Michigan Department of Agriculture, the Economic Development Corporation, and Lakeshore Advantage Economic Agency (for Allegan and Ottawa counties) are all getting on board. The Con Agra Foods facility site has been in operation in the city of Fennville 96 years.”
