Chippewa Lake: A Community in Search of an Identity

4. Chippewa Township as Rural Community in Transition

63 CHAPTER 4 Chippewa Township as Rural Community in Transition You see, you have to put so much money in [farming], without the benefits, and you build equity, but you don’t see it. In a factory, you can see what you are earning; but on a farm, you’re building equity, and it’s almost like having life insurance—you have to die to win. —aLLeN SChROeDeR, 2003 in applying the concept of community effect and examining how shared goals of rural communities are shifting, we can draw upon the factors that have defined the community personality of Chippewa Township in the past, and the changes that have occurred in the past twenty years. These factors include population growth and demographic factors, structure of households, economic factors and education, and historical factors. in this section we will discuss the first three of these and how they juxtapose with the rich tapestry of local history. pOpULaTiON GROwTh aND DeMOGRaphiCS The population of Chippewa Township has more than doubled since 1960, from 543 to 1,239 in the 2000 Census. The rise in township population is not a response to increased job opportunities in the township or the village of Chippewa Lake, as there is neither manufacturing here nor any 64| Chapter 4 substantial business opportunities. Nor are these new residents coming to the country to farm. Rather, while some of this growth results from natural birth rate, substantial growth is attributable to two incoming groups: families coming from urban areas to combine a commuting lifestyle of work and a rural quality of life, and retirees seeking the solitude of a retirement cottage or home on a quiet lake. Chippewa Lake is a long way from the global marketplace, a fact that some people rejoice in and others rue. The combination of an aging farming population and retirement community has resulted in a graying community, one which the younger people perceive as a gerontocracy. according to the 2000 U.S. Census, 63 percent of the township population are thirty-five years old or older, with 23 percent being sixty-two and older. The median age for the township is forty-three years. in contrast, for Mecosta County as a whole, 16 percent of the population are age sixty-two or older, and the median age is thirty-two years. The local generation gap serves to isolate younger families from the political and social processes of the community, and effectively, if not consciously, excludes them from the local debates. The perception of disenfranchisement was evident in our interviews with young people in the community. ethnicity is not a contributing factor in local political dynamics. The population of the township (indeed the whole county) is not ethnically diverse.1 Mecosta County overall is 93 percent european Caucasian, and Chippewa Township is 97 percent Caucasian. The largest minority group in Mecosta County is african american (due primarily to families and students associated with Ferris State University); that of Chippewa Township is Native american. Diversity in rural Mecosta County is not defined in terms of ethnicity, but in such characteristics as rural versus urban, social class, and generation. The STRUCTURe OF The FaRMiNG hOUSehOLD iN Chippewa TOwNShip The roles of men and women in modern farms is in some respects more complicated than in the past, because the demands on farm families extend beyond the needs of the family. Farmers today are producing for larger markets, so dairy-farm families form tight cooperative units assigned to the production and storing of the grain feed, moving of cattle to and from pasture , and milk production. in addition to these chores, increasingly complex machinery needs to be maintained, fueled, and driven; errands need to be Rural Community in Transition| 65 run; and the needs of the children cannot be ignored—schooling, transportation , and care of their health and welfare. Yet, this type of small-scale family farm does not support a family. Modern family farms require supplemental income to cover taxes, purchase and maintain equipment, and provide the necessities of life. Few farm families have health insurance for their families, let alone dental, vision, or other benefits that others might take for granted. Supplemental jobs sometimes will provide these benefits and thus provide farm families with some health security. Children’s Postmarital Residence Continuity of family farms over the generations is a critical factor in the reproduction of rural community. Success in farming depends on...