FLINT, Michigan — Larry Safford is well known in his central Michigan community.
He’s a veteran, a former crime-scene specialist and a John Wayne super-fan. The 85-year-old farmer is also nearing the end of sweet corn and raspberry season, and his 20 acres of land is full of new and old customers. He gives away pumpkins to kids in the fall and plows snow for his neighbors in the winter.
In many ways, Safford represents an American vision of the stereotypical Midwesterner: Honest, hardworking, kind. He told USA TODAY the region he calls home means bad weather and football — and no, not everyone is nice…