In the 1890’s, two brothers named Kellogg figured out a way to turn corn and wheat into flakes for breakfast cereal, and the rest is history. Battle Creek is known worldwide as the capital of the breakfast cereal industry, and is headquarters for the Kellogg Corporation as well as the Post division of Kraft and the cereal division of Ralston Purina. Not surprisingly, breakfast food and related manufacturing industries are the center of Battle Creek’s economy today.

Downtown is typical Michigan, cleaner than some but mostly unremarkable low-rise and mid-rise buildings on a standard grid with several parks A large family entertainment mall and aquatic center gives downtown a bit of a recreational spark. Naturally, there’s a museum celebrating the cereal industry. There is a strong sense of community in the area and a few minor cultural amenities.

The terrain is mainly flat with farmland and areas of deciduous hardwood forest particularly to the southwest. The climate is continental with a moderating influence from Lake Michigan. Summers are warm but not too hot and moderately humid. Winters are cold, wet, and snowy with the most extreme cold tempered by the lake and the harshest winds moderated by the hills to the northwest. Still, prevailing winds bring significant cloudiness and precipitation. Winter snow cover is common. First freeze is mid-October, last is late April.