The state will always be associated with the automobile, and Michigan leads the nation in automobile manufacturing. In addition to transportation-related items, Michigan manufactures a wide variety of products. These include non-electric machinery, furniture and appliances, cereal, baby food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and lumber. The tourist business is one of Michigan's largest income producers. At one time, tourism was primarily a summer season activity, along with several weeks of bird and deer hunting.
Winter brings skiing, skating, ice fishing, small game hunting and snowmobiling.
Spring still means trout and bass fishing and getting the boat ready for summer and its traditional sports. Sightseeing at both historic and natural landmarks continues to increase. The state ranks first nationally in the production of red tart cherries, dry beans, blueberries, pickling cucumbers, and potted Easter lilies and geraniums. In addition to beans and wheat, principal field crops are oats, hay, corn, rye, potatoes, soybeans and sugarbeets. The state is a major producer of apples, plums, peaches, grapes, mushrooms, sweet cherries, fresh-market and processing vegetables, and has long been a major supplier of spearmint.