MDARD announces farm innovation grants

By Andi Anderson

Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Director Tim Boring has revealed investments in Farm Innovation Grants to bolster sustainable and climate smart agriculture practices in Michigan. Supported by Governor Whitmer's bipartisan budget, these grants aim to address immediate and future challenges in the state's food and agricultural sector.

15 proposals were received by MDARD, amounting to over $4.9 million in requests. Out of these, eight projects were selected for funding, totaling $2,461,999. These projects span various areas, including disease management, regenerative agricultural practices, fruit tree resilience, and automation in farm production.

Michigan State University leads several initiatives, including addressing tree stress in orchards, improving disease management in carrot and asparagus production, and measuring the benefits of regenerative agricultural practices.

Projects focus on enhancing fruit tree resilience, implementing electric tractor systems in vegetable production, and utilizing low-cost robotic fleets for labor-intensive produce.

Other funded projects include efforts by Michigan Technological University to improve climate resiliency in produce farming and Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University to enhance supply resiliency in apple and Christmas tree production. Kalamazoo Valley Community College is also involved in developing climate-smart agriculture and horticulture practices.

These grants were established to tackle challenges in farm production, agriculture processing, and supply chain resilience in priority areas such as climate smart practices and food processing automation. The proposals underwent rigorous evaluation through a competitive process.

Through these investments, MDARD aims to drive innovation and sustainability in Michigan's agriculture sector, fostering resilience and growth for future generations.

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