Matt Schluckebier of Frankenmuth, Mich., loves Michigan. “Frankenmuth is known as ‘Michigan’s Little Bavaria,’” he said. “For me, it’s simply the best place on earth!” And Matt has deep roots in the community.
“I’m part of the fourth generation of our family to work the family farm,” he said. “My great-grandfather, Otto Schluckebier, founded the farm, and my grandpa, uncle and dad worked it. Dad, Jim Schluckebier, retired a few years ago.”
The Schluckebier family farm consists of 2,700 prime Michigan acres, which, when Matt was a little boy, was considered a good-sized farm. “One of my cousins lives on the farm, but ownership is split among the family, with several cousins helping out in the spring and fall when help is needed,” he said.
As the youngest in the family, Matt was trained to operate a hoe. “I hoed a lot of weeds,” he said. But when harvest season rolled around, he was allowed to climb aboard a tractor. “The first tractor I ever drove was a John Deere 4020, which is still my favorite farm tractor,” he said.

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